The Presence of God

Ἐγγὺς Κύριος τοῖς συντετριμμένοις τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ τοὺς ταπεινοὺς τῷ πνεύματι σώσει.   Τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἀγαθότητι πᾶσιν ἐγγίζει· μακρύνομεν δὲ ἑαυτοὺς ἡμεῖς διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ μακρύνοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ σοῦ, ἀπολοῦνται. Διὰ τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς ἐγγίζειν λέγεται τῷ Θεῷ· καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλος παραπλήσιος ἐκείνῳ, δι' ἀνδραγαθήματα καὶ πράξεις ἀγαθὰς ἐγγὺς γίνεται τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἄντικρυς δὲ προφητείαν ἔχει ὁ λόγος τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ σύμφωνος τῳ προάγοντι. Ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ ἐλέγετο· Πρόσωπον Κυρίου ἐπὶ ποιοῦντας κακά· τουτέστιν, ἡ ἐπιφάνεια αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν κρίσιν ἐπὶ ἀφανισμῷ πάσης πονηρίας γενήσεται· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, Ἐγγὺς ὁ Κύριος τοῖς συντετριμμένοις τὴν καρδίαν, την ἐπιδημίαν τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου τὴν ἐν σαρκὶ προαγέλλει, ἐγγιζουσαν ἤδη, καὶ οὐ μακρὰν ἀφεστηκυῖαν. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Ὁμιλία Ἐις Τους Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμός ΛΓ’

The Lord is near to those who are contrite in heart and the humble of spirit he saves. By his own goodness He is near to everyone but we withdraw ourselves by sin. 'Behold, he said, 'He who makes himself distant from You, he perishes.' Whence Moses drew near to speak to God, and if someone else is similar to him, through brave deeds and good acts, he may be near to God. Openly the prophetic message proclaims the presence of the Lord, and it agrees with what has been said, for it says 'The face of the Lord is over those who do evil.' That is, in the sight of His judgement every wickedness shall be destroyed. But here: 'Near is the Lord to those who are contrite in heart.'  Here is the coming of the Lord in the flesh heralded, and already it is coming closer and it is not far off. Saint Basil of Caeserea, Homilies on the Psalms, Psalm 33