At the end of the previous chapter entitled “The Absence of God”, Metropolitan Anthony mentions that we must realize that we are outside of the kingdom of God and learn to knock at the door in order for prayer to be possible. He then continues in this chapter to discuss how we can begin to knock at the door in order to be allowed in and participate in real prayer.

In Homily VIII, St. Basil starts exploring the creation of terrestrial animals. “And God said, let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle and creeping things, and beast of the earth after his kind; and it was so.” (Gen. 1:24). Though we may have read this verse numerous times in the past, the peculiarity of the expression may have repeatedly escaped us.

"In the life of a Catholic priest of France, the Curé d'Ars, Jean Baptiste Vianney, there is a story of an old peasant who used to spend hours and hours sitting in the chapel motionless, doing nothing. The priest said to him 'What are you doing all these hours?' The old peasant said 'I look at Him, He looks at me and we are happy.'