by Archpriest Lawrence R. Farley
At the Vespers for both Pascha and Pentecost, the churches ring with the question of the Psalmist,
“Who is so great a God as our God?
You are the God who works wonders!”
This cry comes from deep within the heart of the Psalmist, who was overcome with all that the God of Israel had done for His people (Psalm 77). Israel's God was not powerless, as the gods of the pagans were. He was living and active, filling His world with His works of love, revealing His power before all the nations on behalf of His people Israel.
In Christ, the God of Israel, the eternal Father, has shown the greatest of His wonders, saving not only His ancient covenant people, but also gathering all the nations into His transforming embrace. The Father has sent His Son to be the Saviour of the whole world (I Jn 4:14), and through His Son, He has sent His Spirit to make us all His adopted sons by grace, whereby we cry, "Abba! Father!" (Gal 4:5-6). By grace, we also have a share in Israel's God, and confess Him to be our Father. Thus the Psalmist's cry becomes our cry as well, and our hearts also swell at the thought of all that our God has done throughout the ages.
This Akathist forms a systematic meditation on the Scriptures following in the footsteps of the Tri-une God, celebrating all the wonders that our God has done, beginning from His work of making all things and culminating in His final work of making all things new are remembered, making it a celebration of His miracles. It begins from His work of making all things in Genesis and culminating in His final work of making all things new in Revelation ... Thus, it is exhaustively footnoted!
When one engages in this prayer, the heart swells at the thought of all that our God has done throughout the ages.
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