St. Francis in-the-Field Episcopal Church

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Divine Infinity

12.  When the intellect is ravished through love by divine knowledge and stands outside the realm of created beings, it becomes aware of God’s infinity. It is then, according to Isaiah, that a sense of amazement makes it conscious of its own lowliness and in all sincerity it repeats the prophet’s words: ‘How abject I am, for I am pierced to the heart; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips; and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts’ (Isa. 6:5).

St. Maximus the Confessor Four Hundred Centuries on Love: #12

Have you ever stood atop a mountain or gazed out into the vastness of the ocean and felt an overwhelming sense of smallness? Now imagine that feeling amplified a gazillion times over, not in the face of nature, but in the presence of the infinite God. St. Maximus describes an intellectual and spiritual epiphany that is both humbling and transformative.

When the intellect, driven by divine love, steps outside the ordinary and encounters the vastness of God, it experiences a profound revelation. This isn't merely an acknowledgment of God's vastness but an intimate encounter with His infinity.

Isaiah's poignant words capture this sentiment perfectly. The realization that we have seen the King, the Lord of hosts, is accompanied by an acute consciousness of our own limitations and imperfections. We recognize our transgressions, our inadequacies, not with disdain but with humility.

Such moments of profound revelation are both a blessing and a guide. They remind us of our humble position in the grand tapestry of existence. But more importantly, they point to a path forward — a path of humility, reverence, and unyielding love for the infinite God. We fully realize what our role is in this time we have on the earthly realm…show the world the vastness love of God!