Psalms 145 · The Lantern

A praise. Of David. I will exalt you, my God the King, and I will bless your name forever and ever.

I Will Exalt You, My God and King

Every day I will bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever.

Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised, and to his greatness there is no searching out.

For it is allowable instead of speaking of Him as "Ungenerate," to call Him the "First Cause" or "Father of the Only-begotten," or to speak of Him as "existing without cause," and many such appellations which lead to the same thought; so that Eunomius confirms our doctrines by the very arguments in which he makes complaint against us, because we know no name significant of the…

You cannot, then, heretic [Arian], build up a false doctrine on the basis of an analogy of human procreation. Nor can you gather the means for such a purpose from our discussion, for we cannot embrace the greatness of infinite godhead, "of whose greatness there is no end," in our limited speech.

"Great is the Lord, and very much to be praised" (ver. 3). How much was he about to say? what terms was he about to seek? How vast a conception hath he included in the one word, "very much"? Imagine what thou wilt, for how can that be imagined, which cannot be contained? "He is very much to be praised.

Generation to generation will extol your deeds, and they will declare your mighty acts.

On the splendor of the glory of your majesty, and on the words of your wonders, I will muse.

And the might of your fearful acts they will speak, and your greatness I will recount.

The remembrance of your abundant goodness they will pour forth, and your righteousness they will sing aloud.

Gracious and compassionate is the LORD, slow to anger and great in loyal love.

The LORD is good to all, and his compassions are over all his deeds.

All your deeds will give you thanks, LORD, and your loyal ones will bless you.

The glory of your kingdom they will speak, and your might they will tell,

to make known to the sons of mankind his mighty acts, and the glory of the splendor of his kingdom.

Your kingdom is a kingdom of all ages, and your dominion is in every generation and generation.

The LORD supports all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you, and you yourself give them their food in its time.

You open your hand, and satisfy every living thing with favor.

A person, then, who remains the same and yet babbles to himself about the change for the better he has undergone in baptism should attend to what Paul says: "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." For you are not what you have not become; whereas the gospel says of the regenerate that "he gave all those who received him the power to become Go…

"Thou openest Thine Hand, and fillest every living thing with blessing" (ver. 16). Though sometimes Thou givest not, yet "in due season" Thou givest: Thou delayest, not deniest, and that in due season.

This Hierarch is the most generous because He gives us whatever we ask. He swears to it and asserts it with complete truthfulness. Hence in the Psalm: "You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing."

The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and loyal in all his deeds.

The LORD is near to all who call him, to all who call him in truth.

"The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him" (ver. 18). Where then is that, "Then shall they call upon Me, and I will not hear them"? See then what follows: "all who call upon Him in truth." For many call upon Him, but not in truth. They seek something else from Him, but seek not Himself. Why lovest thou God?

If there are any who are even in the catholic church and live evil lives, before they finish this life, let them hasten to give up the evil life, and let them not think that the catholic [Christian] name is enough for salvation, if they do not do the will of God.

But we must look attentively at this—that not everyone who seems to pray before other people is proven to ask or to seek or to knock at the entrance of the heavenly kingdom in the sight of the searcher of hearts. The prophet would not have said, "The Lord is near to all who call on him in truth," unless he recognized that there are some who call on the Lord, but not in truth.

He does the pleasure of those who fear him, and he hears their cry for help and saves them.

The LORD keeps all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Psalms145

I Will Exalt You, My God and King