Psalms 134:1

Sitting we speak against others, but standing up we praise the Lord, as it is said; "Behold now, praise the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord; ye that stand in the house of the Lord." He who sits, to speak of the habit of the body, is, as it were, dissolved by ease, and relaxes the energy of his mind. But the careful watchman, the unwearied scout, the wakeful sentinel who keeps the outposts of the camp, these stand. The brave warrior also, who would prevent the designs of his enemy, stands ready in his rank ere he is looked for.

But notice what "Lift up" means: "Give alms more generously," for the Lord not only demands pious words from us, but also deeds. He added, "in the sanctuary," so that the hand of a Christian may produce the alms. For if heretics or pagans give alms, their hands are not lifted up in the sanctuary, inasmuch as Christ accepts only those very alms that a faithful Christian offers to his name. Nonetheless, lest someone arrogate anything to himself, he says that one ought to bless the Lord while doing this act, since he himself grants both a merciful mind and abundant wealth. Thus he teaches that the love of the Lord ought to be fulfilled with sacred praises and pious deeds. When these things have been accomplished, see how a worthy reward follows.

It seems to have stopped here: but see the increase. It is not enough only to be a servant of the Lord, unless the servants themselves also stand. For there are some who stand, others who fall, others who sit, others who lie down. Therefore those who fall, who sit, who lie down—they cannot praise the Lord: you who stand, praise him. But someone may say: Others stand too, there are many churches, there are many congregations. Who then stand? Do the Arians stand? They name Christ—the Eunomians too, and the other heresies: do they then stand? So then, lest he should seem to grant them license to praise the Lord, see what he says. You who stand in the house of the Lord. So that, as the apostle says: 'until I come,' he says, 'that you may know how you ought to order the house of God, which is the church.' The church does not consist in walls, but in the truth of doctrines. The church is there, where the true faith is. Yet fifteen and twenty years ago the heretics possessed all the walls of the churches. For twenty years ago the heretics possessed all these churches. But the true church was there, where the true faith was. Therefore bless the Lord, you who are servants of the Lord. 'Praise is not comely in the mouth of a sinner.' Therefore praise, you who are servants of the Lord: you who both are servants, and stand. You who stand. 'He set,' he says, 'my feet upon a rock.' And to Moses: 'But you, stand here with me.' 'God stood in the assembly of the gods.' And you who stand, not just anywhere, but in the house of God. 'In the courts of the house of our God' is not found in the Hebrew volumes: but it is in the following psalm. For how does it run in that psalm? 'Praise the name of the Lord, praise the Lord, you servants: you who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.' Since therefore this psalm has, 'You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God,' for this reason someone thought that in the psalm which precedes as well, at 'You who stand in the house of the Lord,' he ought to add, 'in the courts of the house of our God.' But what 'in the courts of the house of our God' signifies, and what the difference is between the house and the courts, will be discussed when the following psalm is read.