The Perpetual Seeking of Wisdom and God

It is a great thing to praise the perfect one in whom wisdom is spoken, rather than to milk; thus it is not a great thing for one having an excessive life. He is not praised for such things, nor for other deeds, but for having made the whole church—and not just any, but a great one—stand upright. And this is possible: my standing upright is a great praise to the church.

"My praise is from you; in a great church I will confess to you; I will pay my vows in the presence of those who fear him" (Ps 50:23-24). Vows are paid regarding those who are thankful and who have already acted. A prayer sent up to God is called a petition. But when it is sent up with a confession, saying, "if these things shall be to me, I will pay these," this prayer is a supplication and a vow. Even Jacob said: "If God will give me bread to eat, of all that he gives me, I will give a tenth." This is a vow. No one, having prayed for something and not having received it in due time, will say, "I will pay my vows," or "in the presence of those who fear him"; rather, he says it so that they may be benefited, for they themselves will also learn the vows which they pray to pay. And it is possible to do it "in the presence of those who fear," not in addition to those sacrificing—for those sacrificing cannot know which thanksgiving has been fulfilled or which vow has been paid—but in addition to those who fear.

"The poor shall eat and be satisfied" (Ps 106:9). "Being rich," he has become poor because of our poverty. Therefore, he not only freed these poor people for whose sake he suffered what he has said, but he also showed them being satisfied from those who were starving; for he is indeed the "bread of life," and his flesh is incorruptible food and his blood is a divine drink. When therefore the rich, having become from the poor through his poverty, partake of these, they eat and are satisfied. Similar to this is: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matt 5:6); not ceasing to eat the bread of life, but in chewing and having it sensuously. To him who is to be formed, that which is said in the Wisdom of Sirach seems to oppose; for Wisdom says there: "he who eats shall hunger again, and he who drinks with me shall thirst again." It does not mean the unfulfilling here, but the craving of the drink and the...

The one eating wisdom is never satisfied, but is always in a state of hunger. And the one drinking it as a divine water or wine harvested from the true vine thirsts again; that is, he always desires. Therefore, the desire to place it again and to crave it is to be filled.

The difference between a pauper and a needy person has been said many times: he who has come from wealth into poverty, that one is called a pauper. And you have this from the Scripture: 'the rich have become poor and have gone hungry' (Ps 34:10). But a needy person is one among the needy, who always provides the necessities while toiling. Thus they differ by another and another thought, since they are alike insofar as they are left behind from the abundance of those who crave.

And those who seek Him will praise the Lord, as it was said concerning wisdom, because being drunk, it prepares those who have drunk to thirst again; and divine food—for food is also the breathing of air. When we live, we breathe; we do not live by having been breathed into. Thus it is with the divine food and the holy drink: in being approached and being supplied, it prepares the benefit. And those who seek Him will praise the Lord.

I say: God is always in the state of being sought; for even if someone finds Him, it has been said: 'He is found by those seeking Him' (Ps 105:4). There is, therefore, a certain way of being always in the state of seeking. Even if Eunomius rages, it is possible to find Him according to partial knowledge and according to partial prophecy, and again, He is in the state of being sought. And the seeking of God itself is beneficial. To be entirely in the state of seeking God is perfection.

Even if Eunomius rages, saying that we know God as He knows Himself. He who knows God as He knows Himself, God knows, not by parts; and those who have said, 'we know by parts,' are lying. He who knows God as He knows Himself is not in the state of seeking Him, for he had him and has him. Therefore, those thinking thus speak lies. When, therefore, we know Him in the age to come, or after all the ages in the desired end, we know Him as it is possible.

'Beloved, we are now children of God, and it has not yet been made manifest what we shall be. We know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is' (1 John 3:2). Not as He is, but as it is to know in perfection. However, even if...