“Everything is beautiful, all gives God glory in its unique manner. One cannot recognize that without the insight of the Holy Spirit. If we were truly awake to the Spirit, we might notice the varieties of all living things in the way that Aristotle enumerated and compiled in order, systematizing all flora and fauna on our behalf. We would develop the curiosity of Leonardo Da Vinci, utilizing his eyes in ways far transcending ordinary looking. We would relish the varieties of races, nationalities and people, exploring the intricacies of individuals, not only human beings, but animal life and other varieties of life forms found in plants, flowers and trees. To enjoy the newness that comes with constant learning of different experiences is also a gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Fr. Vladimir Berzonsky)
“There is nothing more important than learning to see our neighbors, ourselves, and all the blessings and challenges of our lives with clarity. That is simply another way of saying that we must come to see ourselves and our world truthfully in God. If we do not, our perspective will be darkened by our passions to the point that we will become blind to the glory of God shining brightly throughout creation. And when we become blind to the brilliance and beauty of all things in God, there will be only darkness in our souls.” (Fr. Philip LeMasters)
“It is natural to worry about the success or failure of our work, our family life, our relationships, and our every endeavor. Yet, that anxiety is unnecessary. Today in our reading of Proverbs 15:20-16:9, the sage teaches that we can develop calm confidence in everything we do. He writes, “Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established” (Proverbs 16:3). Today we consider the peace of heart and mind that comes from committing whatever we undertake to the Lord and His Glory…Once we have put our intentions in God’s hands, we need not concern ourselves with the result of our plans. There is neither success nor failure when it comes to those actions and activities that we devote to God. Whether we win or lose, whether we accomplish our aims or miss our target, whether we realize our hopes or fall short of reaching them, it is all the same in God’s eyes. God is glorified as much by our losses in this world as He is by our gains.” (Fr. Basil)
“…glorification happens “because we have received power from Him, so that we do not at all yield to the evils that are brought upon us…Tribulation for the sake of Christ is glory….by how much we suffer anything dishonorable, so much more illustrious we become…” (St. John Chrysostom)
“You can deny God, but you cannot hide from Him. If you fail to see the glory of God, it’s not because God refuses to reveal Himself to you, but because you are unwilling to receive His warmth and light…If you wish, you can hear His voice, feel His heat, and so receive His revelation. If you deny Him, however, you will deny a fundamental part of your own life. No one can hide from God.” (Archimandrite Aimilianos)
“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)