Fathers

Isaiah 64

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Oh that you would tear the heavens, that you would come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence. As when fire kindles the brushwood, and the fire causes the water to boil; Make your name known to your adversaries, that the nations may tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things which we didn’t look for, you came down, and the mountains quaked at your presence. For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him. You meet him who rejoices and does righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned. We have been in sin for a long time. Shall we be saved? For we have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness is like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls on your name, who stirs himself up to take hold of you; for you have hidden your face from us, and have consumed us by means of our iniquities. But now, Yahweh, you are our Father. We are the clay and you our potter. We all are the work of your hand. Don’t be furious, Yahweh. Don’t remember iniquity forever. Look and see, we beg you, we are all your people. Your holy cities have become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and our beautiful house where our fathers praised you is burned with fire. All our pleasant places are laid waste. Will you hold yourself back for these things, Yahweh? Will you keep silent and punish us very severely?

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What the Fathers say

Isaiah 64:9

Eastern Fathers

Cyril of Alexandria

They entreat God insistently concerning his removal from friendship with them. Since they had come to this situation through their many sins, they wove their prayers with great skill. For since they are unable to mollify the one who could save them with their own works and blameless lives, they now take another route. …

Commentary On Isaiah 5:6.64:8-9 ↗

Western Saints

Thomas Aquinas

And now, O Lord. Here he sets out mercy. And concerning this, he does two things. First, he asks for mercy, assigning the reason: you are our father: as clay is in the hand of the potter, so are we in the hand of God (Jer 18:6); remember, I beseech you, that you have made me as the clay (Job 10:9). And he offers the petition: be not angry enough, that is, exceedingly, or according to what our merits demand: remember not our former iniquities: let your mercies speedily prevent us (Ps 78:8). …

Commentary on Isaiah ↗