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St. Ephrem the Syrian imagines the angels looking all over for God the Son. They look for him in Heaven, and find him on earth—but they look for him on earth, and find him in Heaven.
It is not only for weak beings that the sight of you is too great, or the searching out of you is concealed. The senses of the body, since they stand in so much need of the senses in our inmost imagination, do not grasp even the smallest things they look for.
Let us then ask the angels near your gate. Though the angels stand before you with praises, yet they do not know which way to look to see you. They sought you above in the height; they saw you in the depth. They looked for you in Heav- en, and saw you in the deep. They looked for you with the Worshipful One, and found you among the creatures. They came down to you and gave praise.
When they looked into how you had appeared among created things, they could not understand as they ran up and down where to stop looking for you. For they saw you in the depth, and they saw you on high. They saw you in the tomb, dead, and they found you a Raiser of the dead. They were amazed; they were astonished; they had no strength left. –St. Ephrem the Syrian, Rhythm 4
IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Where do I look for Christ? Do I remember to look in the depths as well as the heights—even as the angels had to learn?
CLOSING PRAYER
Glorious Hidden One, even your smallest mystery is a fountain of mysteries! As you taught your angels, teach me to look downward as well as upward and find you in the humblest of your creatures.
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