The Hidden Treasure of the Familiar

We do not see the hidden treasure of the familiar - while we long only for the beauty of the unknown.

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"It is not for man to seek, or even to believe in God.

He has only to refuse to believe in everything that is not God. . . .

A man has only to persist in his refusal,

and one day or another God will come to him."

—Simone Weil, On Science, Necessity, and the Love of God

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"Would that I could make musicians out of stone,

and dan­cers out of the sand of the lake,

and minstrels out of the leaves

of all the trees in the mountains,

so that they might help me glorify the Lord-

and so that the voice of the earth

might be heard amidst the choirs of angels!

The sons of men gorge themselves at the table

of the absent Master,

and do not sing for anyone except themselves and their mouthfuls,

which must eventually return to the earth.

Exceedingly sad is the blindness of the sons of men,

who do not see the power and glory of the Lord.

A bird lives in the forest, and does not see the forest.

A fish swims in the water, and does not see the water.

A mole lives in the earth, and does not see the earth.

In truth, the similarity of man to birds,

fish, and moles is exceedingly sad.

People, like animals, do not pay attention

to what exists in excessive abundance,

but only open their eyes

before what is rare or exceptional.

There is too much of You, O Lord, my breath,

therefore people do not see You.

You are too obvious, O Lord, my sighing;

therefore the attention of people

is diverted from You and directed toward polar bears,

toward rarities in the distance.

You serve Your servants too much, my sweet faithfulness,

therefore You are subjected to scorn.

You rise to kindle the sun over the lake too early,

therefore sleepyheads cannot bear You.

You are too zealous in lighting

the vigil lamps in the firmament at night, my unsurpassed zeal,

and the lazy heart of people talks

more about an indolent servant than about zeal.

O my love,

would that I could motivate

all the inhabitants of the earth, water, and air

to hum a hymn to You!

Would that I could remove leprosy

from the face of the earth and turn this wanton world

back into the sort of virgin that You created!

Truly, my God, You are just as great with or without the world.

You are equally great whether the world glorifies You

or whether the world blasphemes You.

But when the world blas­phemes You,

You seem even greater in the eyes of Your saints."

- St.Nikolai of Ochrid and Zica - "Prayers By The Lake – VII"