“For the glory of God is a living man; and the life of man consists in beholding God. For if the manifestation of God which is made by means of the creation, affords life to all living in the earth, much more does that revelation of the Father which comes through the Word, give life to those who see God.” (St. Irenaeus)
“Giving glory to God is an interesting concept for it implies that we humans have glory to give to God! St. Irenaeus said, “The glory of God is man fully alive.” When we are fully human as God created us to be (in His image; see Genesis 1:26-27 and 1 Corinthians 11:7) we are full of God’s glory, just as heaven and earth are full of His glory (as we sing in the Divine Liturgy). God looks for us to give Him our glory and God accepts our gift!” (Fr. Ted Bobosh)
“The eternal glory of God, which Christ had with the Father before all creation, is revealed in this world in the Passion, the crucifixion and exaltation of Christ, and this is, at the same time, the first manifestation of a true human being within creation: “Behold the man” (Jn 19.5)…The Spirit of God invites all to break down the walls of enmity, overcome isolation and self-sufficiency, and become a communion of love for God’s glory.” (Fr. John Behr, Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Clapsis)
“Christ’s glory was the fruit of His humility, and of His obedience to the Father’s will. He proved Himself true Man when He knelt and prayed; He proved Himself true Man when He turned from His own will to the Father’s. And because of this human obedience, God exalted Him, raising Him from the dead and bringing Him to His right hand in glory. Christ’s ascended glory therefore points the way home for us as well. The glory that Christ was given by the throne of His Father is the same glory that He will share with us (see Rev. 3:21). But we must follow in the footsteps of His humility if we would arrive finally at His glorious goal. The Ascension calls us to be authentically human, to fulfill our destiny by serving and loving God. The Man Christ Jesus has not only revealed the glory of the Father. He also revealed the true glory of humanity as well.” (Fr. Lawrence Farley)
“In light of what such atrocities reveal about the human condition, it is obviously not enough to affirm religious beliefs, to perform certain acts of outward piety, or merely to identify ourselves as…Christians. Indeed, it is entirely possible to do all those things while remaining blind, embracing the darkness, and becoming all too comfortable with the forces of death and destruction. Instead, if we want to bear witness to the joy of the resurrection in the midst of a world of so much brokenness, we must undertake the daily and difficult struggle to open even the darkest dimensions of our lives to the healing light of Christ. In order to share in His life, we must become radiant with the divine glory, manifest His peace, and refuse to rest content with the death-dealing ways so firmly embedded in the hearts of many in our society.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)
“God’s glory exceeds anything man can bear…How, then, will God give glory to His saints?... the acquisition of glory by God’s people will be “the work of faith with power” (2 Thes 1:11). The work of the righteous and God’s power together can result in “theosis,” [union with God] so that human beings overflow with God’s grace and acquire a touch of glory to whatever measure possible.” (Dynamis 12/7/2021)
“By the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, the common life of humanity is now healed. We are no longer isolated individuals choosing sides over against one another due to the fear of death, but persons in communion linked together organically as members of the one Body of Christ. The Persons of the Holy Trinity share a common life of love, unity, and holiness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit we participate by grace in Their eternal communion. Our journey to theosis calls us to become united in and with God such that we become radiant with the divine energies in every dimension of our being, like an iron left in the fire of holy glory. As those who bear the divine image and likeness, we become both more truly human and more like God as we find healing from the passions that divide and separate us, and instead embrace our life together.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)
“Just as the heavens show forth the glory of God so does the holy lives of the saints But what about the rest of us? We learn from our reading that the name of the Lord can also be glorified in us… when we call ourselves “Christians” we claim our identity with Christ. Whatever we who are called “Christians” say or do reflects on the one whose name we bear and whose identity we share…our faith and life can glorify Christ…we are glorified in Christ because we put Him above all else…a life that is fully devoted to Christ is a life that glorifies Him…the Lord may be glorified in the faithful. But believers may also be glorified in Him… (Fr. Basil, St. John Chrysostom)
“A common objection…is that people say, “I am not a saint.” We might ask whether that is a statement of humility or an excuse. We find the answer in Paul’s prayer that that Christ may be “glorified in us and we in Him” (2 Thessalonians 1:12). The apostles’ prayer teaches that there is no essential difference between saints and ourselves. Paul writes to the Romans that they are “called to be saints” (Romans 1:7). And the apostle in 1 Peter says, “But as God who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct” (1 Peter 1:16). We note that both writers use a form of the Greek word ‘agios’ when they speak of “saints” and “holiness.” Thus, these two terms teach that both saints and ordinary believers have the same thing in common, the calling to devote one’s life to God. Thus, the Almighty works in all the baptized so that they grow in saintliness and holiness, in consecration and in service to God. The result is that “God is glorified” in all of us.” (Fr. Basil)
“We do not glorify God by belittling man and denying humanity its proper glory. Humanism, with its emphasis on the splendor of the human person, at least gets that right. Man is glorious, and splendid, and worthy of praise. He has debased himself through sin and selfishness, but the glory remains, like gold that is covered over with a layer of dirt.” (Fr. Lawrence Farley)
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