❖O Wisdom of God, do you need to boast while you fill the heavens and the earth?
You boast of Your amazing love to us who are sinners, we get acquainted with you, adhere to You, and love You.
By Your Cross, You have swiftly shaken the foundations of the abyss, and carried us to your Paradise, considered us the people of the Highest, and have provided us with the impossible!
❖You came forth from the mouth of the Father’ without separating from Him, You have granted us the spirit of adoption, thus giving us the favor to converse with You.
You have covered the heavens, and You are their Creator.
By Your Spirit, You lift us from glory to glory, So that we may meet You face to face.
❖ Your humility and love are incredible, You seek a resting place within us, and desire it to be Your inheritance! Your rest is to establish new heaven out of our weakness: there You will rest within us!
Your inheritance is to transform our hearts into Your divine Kingdom!
You have set up Your tent in Jacob and considered Israel Your inheritance. Now, You are offering to set your Kingdom within me,
Let me sing: ‘My share is the Lord, my soul has said!‘
Your kingdom is within my heart, and there is nothing like it on earth.
To what can I liken it? Is it a unique paradise?
The more I take of her fruits, the more I hunger,
The more I drink of her water, the more my thirst increases.
❖The more I cling to You. I feel I am strong, I sing praises with the Apostle: ‘I can do all things in Christ Who strengthens me‘ (Phil 4:11). You are the Almighty Lord. I have no Savior other than You!
What price is higher than Your Holy Blood is it spilled as a ransom for me? Who but You, out of all the heavenly creation or any one of the prophets- redeems my sins?
❖Indeed, You are the Lover of mankind. You provide the Law and the promises, You provide them to all mankind and not to any particular nation. The Jewish people wildly confronted You in Your childhood- even those informed by the prophecies.
The wise men came from the east and worshiped You,
As a child, You fled to Egypt to establish Your Church there.
All peoples sense Your love and are indebted to You for their salvation.
❖Your care is supreme for mankind, and Your grace waters my garden, Therefore, the fragrance of her beautiful flowers fills the air
The heavenly ones smell them and rejoice at the amazing work You have done in us.
The waters of Your love and grace flow to fill my inner depths.
The more the garden grows and flourishes, Your streams become transformed into a great river.
Yet my garden continues to thirst for you all the more,
And the great river becomes transformed into a vast sea.
With every development in understanding and knowledge,
I realize that I am still on the verge of the river of Your Wisdom.
May all mankind partake of my experience of Your grace, love, and care!
❖❖❖
Inspired from Sirach – Chapter 24
Fr. Tadros Y. Malaty – September 2020
Translated by: Maryrose Halim, Florida, USA
Coptic Orthodox Church