St. Maximos the Confessor -On Divine Love

Post by Kandylaki.

THE PRACTICAL EXPRESSION OF LOVE TOWARDS THE LORD

(On the feast day of Saint Paul of Thebes and John Kalyvitis)

  

 Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi      

 Our Church honours the two great saints, Paul of Thebes and John Kalyvitis. Their life stories are a little strange but quite fitting for us, monks. The former was among the first people to become monks, since he had truly forsaken the world and went to the desert all alone. Both lived alone with the Lord, something which was unheard of those days and rare. In a sense they were the pioneers of this way of life. The latter, (John Kalyvitis) lived later than Paul. He was a young child when he left home to become a monk, burning with zeal. A few years later, he left his monastery and returned to his home, but stayed only at the front step, fighting struggles beyond human power and ended his life there.

           One marvels sometimes. What gave them such vigour to carry out such superhuman struggles? This is what really concerns us. We end up wondering sometimes: ‘Why can’t we do this?’How could they do it?’ We even study the cases of martyrs, who were human like us, to find out how they could endure such horrifying trials; this shocks us even just hearing about them! Can anyone say that these stories were blown up? Woe, we cannot even think that! What is their secret, therefore? In whose name did these human beings made of flesh, manage to accomplish such achievement?

          Obviously, the first explanation is that they have accomplished such feats through Divine Grace. But then again, we wonder: ‘Ok. Was the Lord assisting only those? Is He absent in other generations? Is the Lord biased? Does He chose some people, whom He strengthens and promotes and gives others a miss?’ Such questions are always appropriate.  The Lord is the One who gives His grace and accomplishes ‘signs and wonders’ but it is man who causes Grace to operate. Thereafter, this same man with the assistance of Grace accomplishes these tasks which are beyond human nature. Therefore, what is the main reason behind all these?  What is the reason which causes this kind of Grace to operate? We will find the answer in the writings of our holy Fathers.  Once, St Paul of Thebes was having a conversation with Saint Antony the Great. St Paul asked St Antony: ‘How come your name is better known than mine, since I have fought more fierce battles than you?’ Obviously their conversation was not so much for their benefit as for ours, when we were going to learn of it later. St Antony teasingly replied: ‘It is simply because I love the Lord more than you. My name has become better known only because I love the Lord more than you’.

          Now the mystery has begun to unravel. He who accomplishes more is the one who loves the Lord more and Divine Grace influences him more. This is the key! In practice how are we to love the Lord more so that Grace increases in us and assists us in overcoming our despicable ways which hamper our spiritual progress? This is the most appropriate question for us, as monks.

          If we are to show how much we love the Lord in practice, we ought to obey His commands. ‘Whoever does not love me does not keep my words’ (John 14, 24). Also ‘whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he is the one who loves me’ (John 14, 20). I can safely say that to a great extent what causes this outcome is the expression of our love towards the Lord; we have also heard this from our Fathers and it is worth keeping. Such an expression (of love) begins with the memory of the Lord.  Someone, who says that he loves the Lord but does not remember Him is like someone who is not telling the truth. We all have such an experience. Our mind sticks on the subject of our love or on what has captured our attention. If we truly wish to love the Lord, we are obliged to force ourselves to keep remembering Him constantly. We must do what St Gregory the Theologian says: ‘It is better to remember the Lord rather than breathe’.

          These are the keys; one after the other. The mysteries, which may have been unfathomable, now unravel in front of us. Obviously earlier fathers had more dedication towards hard work and more muscle. They themselves reveal that they had entered into the struggle with such commitment towards hard work and lived through such harsh conditions, that not only they did not submit to any pleasure or vanity, but they did not even obey the laws of necessity. Having such passion for hard work it was obvious that they would find Someone whose memory they would hold on to.  For this reason, they particularly concentrated on the issues of the mental prayer and inwardness and held the former to a high esteem. This issue was handed down to us and it is very consoling and pleasurable. Indeed we, more than our forefathers, are weak and have neither selflessness nor any ability. However, we do wish to be saved. Thus we have a double issue here.  We wish to be saved- and we most certainly must be saved- but our passions are more powerful since we are weak and have no selflessness. Unfortunately we also commit more sins.  Therefore, we must get rid of the passions since their existence hampers our deliverance. Thus, we must hasten to cause the influence of Grace, so that she can help us, free us from the bondage of our passions and from our weaknesses and guide us to our salvation.

          Thus, we, more than our predecessors, need to locate Divine Grace operating inside us, both in quality and quantity. We are only required to express our love towards the Lord through this means, namely His memory. Therefore, we ought to force ourselves to recite the mental prayer.  If someone wishes to keep remembering the Lord there is no better way than this.  All virtues are somehow the paths, the routes which lead us towards the Lord, towards His memory and towards our relationship with Him. But there is no better virtue than the mental prayer which leads us directly and actively towards the memory of the Lord. It is for this reason that our Fathers, with whom we lived, have insisted on this issue. And if you ask me, I also say to you that as monks, we ought to adhere to this prayer on top of all the other promises we have given. We may make some allowances for other things but not on this. We are all able to stick with this, if we want to. Whether standing, or sitting, whether we are sick or working, walking or eating or whatever else we are doing, we must recite the prayer for as long as we are awake so that we even recite it in our sleep. To those who have made some progress, the mental prayer operates in their sleep. You must be attentive and keep trying. You must not give up in any way. Let’s go to our cells now and get on with it. We will meet with resistance and temptation, of course. We know these things.  It is possible to make progress and feel at peace for one or two nights, a week or a fortnight. This cannot possibly continue; it will be interrupted. Sleepiness will come or slumber or various thoughts and a thousand other predicaments, of which we all have had experience. It is irrational to be scared since we know who will come and from where and what he is looking for. However, we also know that our goal is to preserve on the memory of the Lord and on this we will insist. Won’t he let us stand? Let us sit down. Won’t he let us sit but brings on sleepiness? We will get up again. Will he not allow us to stand? Let us walk. He comes and pressurizes us. We are overwhelmed by various thoughts. We stop for a second and somehow talk with ourselves or rather we tell the one who is opposing us: ‘What do you want from me? I will not give up. I did not come here by chance. I am fully aware of my mission and I know very well that I am a monk. I will not retreat. This is my duty. I love my Jesus, who has called me to follow Him and I will continue to pursue Him. I will not allow you to stop me’.

            In his way we fortify our determination, we receive some courage and continue on our way. Doesn’t the mind stay on the prayer? Is it confused and stressed by various thoughts? Never mind. The lips are praying. The lips will not stop. They will continue reciting the prayer and will call out: ‘Yes, Devil. You will not allow the mind to concentrate on the prayer? I will call out with my lips. My Lord knows even the movements of my hands. I insist and I will call upon Him and He will come to my rescue. ‘Raise the war cry you nations, and be shattered! Listen all you distant lands. Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Prepare for battle, and be shattered! Devise your strategy, but it will be thwarted; propose your plan, but it will not stand, for God is with us’ (Isaiah 8, 9-10).

          If we insist in this way, be certain that we will succeed since our lives are entirely programmed by the Lord’s providence and this cannot possibly be forged. Aren’t we offended  how a child,  12- 13 years old as Saint John Kalyvitis was when he became a monk, returned and crashed Satan’s power with such selflessness, which horrifies us even to hear of it? What kind of child was he? Was he like ourselves, who were farmers and laborers and have had experience of the harsh life? What did he know of life other than how to live in opulence? And look what he had achieved! He provoked Divine Grace with his selflessness and she awarded him with so many trophies.

          We are also looking to acquire this same Grace. St Paul of Thebes had acquired it from the very first time without realizing it. He dared leave for the desert alone without company, counsel, experience or knowledge and fought with the battalions of demons without any fear in the face of such unrelenting temptations. He did not turn back. He had faith in the Lord and was saying to himself: ‘It is not possible. I have started this for the sake of the Lord. It is not possible for Him to abandon me’. And indeed he has succeeded.

source: Translated by Olga Konari Kokkinou from the Greek edition: Γέροντος Ιωσήφ Βατοπαιδινού, Διδαχές από τον Άθωνα, Εκδόσεις ‘Το Αγιον Όρος’, Θεσσαλονίκη, 1989.

Acquire the Love of Paul and you’ll have a Perfect Crown

                   

(Saint John Chrysostom: In Praise of the Holy Apostle Paul, III)

Demonstrating the power of human will and the fact that we can fly even to the heavens themselves, leaving the angels and archangels and the other powers, Saint Paul urges believers to become imitators of Christ, sometimes through him (“Become imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”) and sometimes without him (“Therefore become imitators of God, like beloved children.”).

Then, in order to show that nothing befits this imitation so much as living for the common good and looking out for what is useful for each other he adds: “Behave with love”. This is why, when he said “Become imitators of me”, he immediately speaks of love, demonstrating that it is principally this virtue that brings people closer to God, because all the other virtues are certainly inferior to it and all revolve around the human person: the struggle against desire, the war against gluttony, the fight against avarice, the battle against anger. This is why Christ says: “Pray for those who bother you, so that you may be like your Father Who is in heaven”.

So because Paul knew that this was the most important of the virtues, he applied it with great care. Nobody loved their enemies as he did; nobody did so much good to those who envied them; nobody suffered so much for those who had grieved them. He didn’t look at what they were suffering, he saw them as human beings and the more furious they became, the more he forgave their rage. And in the same way as parents treat a child in a tantrum (because the more a child speaks badly and lashes out, the more the parents feel sorry for it), so Paul, thinking about the illness of those who were acting in this way towards him, was stimulated towards ever greater care.

Just listen to the gentleness and sympathy with which he speaks of those who scourged him five times, stoned him, imprisoned him, who thirsted for his blood and were always ready to kill him. “I assure you that they have zeal for God, but not a true awareness.” And, to put those who would have condemned those people in their place, he says: “So do not be proud, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches [i.e. of the olive tree which were broken off, Romans 17-21], neither will He spare you”. But when he saw that the decision of the Lord turned against them, he still did what he could. He wept constantly for them, he sorrowed, he tried to prevent others from following them to destruction and tried, as far as was possible, to find a trace of forgiveness for them. Since he couldn’t persuade them with his words, because they were thrawn and unbending, he constantly prayed for them: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved”.

And yet he still held out hope for them saying: “For the gifts of God are irrevocable”, so that they wouldn’t despair entirely and be lost. All of these were features of a person who cared about and was aflame for such people, since he says: “The Deliverer shall come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”, because, when he saw their perdition, he was sorely wounded and saddened. This is why he thought up consolations for himself for this pain, sometimes saying: “The Deliverer shall come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”, and at others “so they also have rejected your mercy so that they may receive mercy” Jeremiah does the same thing, struggling to find some justification for those who have sinned, at one time saying: “Even though our iniquities have risen against us, act for your name’s sake” and at another “A person’s way is not their own…No-one shall start out and set their own course”. And elsewhere he also says: “Remember that we’re dust”. Because it’s common among those who intercede on the part of sinners, that even if they can’t find anything actually good to say, at least they’ll think up some insignificant justification, even if it’s not entirely accurate and can’t really be taken as true; at least to provide some comfort for those who are lost.

So let’s not go through these excuses with a fine-tooth comb, but on the understanding that they’re a characteristic of a soul that suffers and is trying to find something to say on behalf of the sinners. And was it only towards the Jews that Paul behaved in this way, and not to the Gentiles? He was more understanding than anyone, both towards his own people and foreigners. Here’s what he says to Timothy: “A servant of God should not be quarrelsome, but kindly towards everyone, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness, in case God grants them repentance and knowledge of the truth. And that they may be raised from the devil’s snare, captured by Him to  do His will”. And do you want to hear him talking to sinners? Listen to what he says to the Corinthians when he sent them his letter: “For I fear that perhaps I may come and find you not what I wish” And immediately afterwards “I feat that when I come again, my God will humble me before you and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned before and have not repented of the impurity, immorality and licentiousness which they have practised”. And to the Galatians when he says: “My children, with whom I am again in travail until Christ is formed in you”.

And concerning the person who engaged in harlotry, listen how he suffers no less than the man himself and entreats: “Show him love in public” And when he set him apart from the Church, he did so with many tears: “For I wrote to you out of much affliction and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love I have for you”. And again he says: “To the Jews I became as a Jew; to those under the law I became as one under the law; to the weak I became weak; I became all things to all people that I might save some”. And elsewhere he says: “ that I may present every person perfect in the name of Jesus Christ”.

Have you seen a soul that’s worth more than the whole world? He wanted to present every person as perfect, and, so far as it depended on him, that’s how he presented them. Because it’s as though he fathered all of them, all the people in the world: he worried; he chivvied; he tried to bring everybody into the kingdom of heaven, healing, comforting, giving promises, praying, interceding, striking fear into the demons, dismissing those who were corrupting the others, with his presence, with letters, with discourses, with actions, with his disciples; restoring, by his example, those whose faith had been shaken, supporting those who were unstable, raising those who had fallen, healing those whose lives had been shattered, exhorting the indifferent, emitting dreadful cries to the enemies and fixing opponents with a dread stare. As if he were a general or a skilled doctor, he himself was a sutler, an adjutant, a defender, a comrade-in arms, everything you’d find in an army camp. And his concern wasn’t confined to the spiritual but also extended to the material.

So listen to Paul, how he talks about a woman when he’s writing to a whole city. “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you”. Or again, “You know the house of Stephanas… be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labours” and “acknowledge such men”. Because this, too, is typical of the care and attention of the saints: the desire to be of assistance in such cases, as well. So Elisha says to the woman who had shown him hospitality: “Is there anything you want said to the king or the governor?”. In other words, he was not content with helping her spiritually, he wanted to offer material assistance as well.

And why would anyone be surprised that Paul made such recommendations in his letters, because, whenever he summoned anyone to come to him, he didn’t consider it beneath him to refer to the supplies they would need? Writing to Titus, he says: “Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing”. And if, when he had sent someone, he gave orders that they were to be well supplied, how much more would he do when he realized that they were in some kind of danger? See, when he writes to Philemon, how concerned he is about Onesimus, how he writes with such sense, so much paternal interest. Now, if he didn’t avoid writing a letter on behalf of a slave- and one who had escaped and made off with many of his master’s belongings, at that- just think how he was towards others.

Because he considered only one thing shameful: if you overlooked something that was necessary for another person’s salvation. This is why he would move anything at all, would never hesitate to expend whatever was needed, on behalf of those who were being saved, be it money, words or even his own body. Because surely he who had risked death so many times wouldn’t balk at giving money, provided he had any. And why do I say, “Provided he had any?”. Because it’s actually possible to show that, even though he had none, he didn’t miss it. Don’t think that what I’m saying is a conundrum, but listen again to what he says, writing to the Corinthians: “But I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls” And, speaking to the elders of the Ephesians, he says: “You yourselves know that these hands have ministered to my self and those with me”

And while he was great in the chief virtue of love, he was also more devouring than any flame. Just as iron, when it falls into the fire, becomes all aflame, so Paul, when he was once ignited with the flame of love, became wholly love. As if he were the common father of all humanity, he tried to imitate fathers, or rather to surpass all fathers, both in their care for corporeal matters as well as those of the spirit, placing his money, words, body, soul and everything he had at the service of those he loved. This is why he called love a completion of the law, the bond of perfection, the mother of all good things, and the beginning and end of virtue. This is why he also says; “The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience”. And again “For the commandments ‘You shall not commit adultery’; ‘you shall not kill’; [and any other commandment] are summed up in this sentence: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’”.

So since the beginning and end of all good things is love, let us follow Saint Paul in this, because he became the person he was through love. Never mind the dead he raised or the lepers he cleansed. God’s not going to require that of you. Acquire the love of Paul and you’ll have the perfect crown. Who says so? The father of love himself, he who valued it above all signs and portents and above so many other things. Because he had it to such a high degree, he knew full well how powerful it is. That’s how he became such a person, and nothing made him so worthy a man as the power of love. This is why he also says: “But earnestly desire the highest gifts and I will show you a more excellent way”, meaning love, the best and easiest path.

Then let us, too, walk this path, so that we’ll see Paul, or, even better, Paul’s Lord, and win the eternal crowns, through the grace and love for mankind of our Lord, Jesus Christ, to Whom belong glory and power, always, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Saint John Chrysostom: Ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν Ἅγιον Ἀπόστολον Παῦλον, Λόγος γ´

In Praise of those who have Love in their Hearts..

Saint Simeon the New Theologian 

Let us therefore follow one and the same path, Christ’s commandments, which elevate us to heaven and to God. Even though the word shows us many paths and many ways for people to reach the kingdom of heaven, these paths are not, in fact, many, but one, though they’re divided into many, according to each person’s ability and disposition. While we may begin from many and varied works and actions, just as travelers depart from different places and many cities, the destination we are attempting to reach is the same: the kingdom of heaven.

The actions and ways of godly men must be understood as spiritual virtues. Those who begin to walk in them must head towards one goal, just as those who come from various countries and places come together, as we have said, to one city, the kingdom of heaven, where, together, they will become worthy to reign with Christ and become subjects of one King, our God and Father. By this city, which is one, not many, you should understand the holy and undivided trinity of virtues, faith, hope and love, especially that virtue which comes before the others but is also mentioned as the last, since it is the goal of all good things and greater than them all- love.

All faith comes from it and is built on its foundation; on it, hope is based. Without love no thing has ever taken shape, nor ever will. Its names and actions are numerous. Even more so are its distinctive features; its properties are divine and innumerable. Yet it is one in nature, wholly beyond the ken of angels or men or any other creatures, even those which are unknown to us. Reason cannot tell of it; its glory is inaccessible; its counsels unsearchable. It is eternal and beyond time, and beyond sight, though it may be perceived. How many are the delights of this Holy Zion not made by human hand. Those who have begun to see it no longer take any pleasure in perceptible, earthly objects; they become indifferent to the glory of this world.

Permit me, for a short time, to address myself to this love, to fulfill my desire for it, insofar as I can.

When I recalled the beauty of undefiled love, its light suddenly appeared in my heart. I was ravished with its sweetness and lost my senses; I lost all perception of this life and forgot all the things of this world. But then- I don’t know how- it departed from me and left me to lament my weakness.

Love desired, how fortunate are those who have embraced you, for they will no longer have a yearning to embrace any human beauty. How fortunate are they who are moved by divine love to cling to you: they’ll deny the whole world, and, to whatever degree they associate with others, they won’t be spoiled. How fortunate are those who caress your beauty and delight in it with great desire, for their souls will be sanctified by the undefiled blood and water which issue from you. How fortunate are those who passionately embrace you, for they will be altered for the better in spirit and will exult in their souls, because you are inexpressible joy.

How fortunate are they who gain possession of you, for they will count the treasures of the world as nothing, for you are indeed wealth “beyond the dreams of avarice”. How blessed and thrice-blessed are they whom you accept, for though they be apparently without any glory, they will be more glorious than those who are glorious, more honoured than those who are honoured. How worthy of praise are those who pursue you; even more so those who have found you. Most blessed are those who are loved by you, received by you, taught by you, those who have dwelt in you and been fed by you with immortal food, that is the Lord, Jesus Christ.

Love divine, where are you holding Christ? Where are you concealing Him​? Why have you taken the Redeemer of the world and departed from us? Open a wicket gate for us, so that we also may see Christ Who suffered for us, and so hope in His mercy that we’ll die no more when we once have seen Him. Open up to us, you who became the door allowing Him to be made manifest in the flesh. Love, you who’ve forced the unforced and abundant compassion of our Master to bear the sins and infirmities of all people, do not reject us by saying, “I do not know you”.

Be with us, so that you may come to know us, for we are not known to you. Dwell in us, so that, for your sake, the Master may visit even us, who are lowly; go before us to meet Him, since we are wholly unworthy. So that He will pause on His way, to converse with you and will permit even us sinners to fall at His unblemished feet. You’ll intercede on our behalf and plead with Him to forgive the debt of our sins, so that through you we may again be found worthy to serve Him, our Master, and be sustained and nourished by Him. Because even those who owe nothing are still at risk of dying from starvation and poverty and are punished and chastised, just as those who do owe.

 Holy Love may we then be pardoned through you and may we enter into the enjoyment of the good things of our Master, since no-one will taste their sweetness except through you. Those who don’t love you as they ought and are not, as they should be, the object of your love, may well run, but haven’t yet reached the goal. It’s far from certain that somebody who is running will actually complete the race. But for those who have laid hold on you, or on whom you have laid hold, [victory] is certain, since you are the end of the Law. It is you who surround me and inflame me, you who, by the pangs of my heart, kindle me with boundless desire for God and for others. You’re the teacher of the prophets, the companion of the apostles, the power of the martyrs, the inspiration of the fathers and teachers, the perfection of all the saints, and the commission for my own, present task of obedience.

Forgive me, brethren, for digressing somewhat  from the subject of my discourse, but my longing for love moved me to do so. When I recalled it, my heart rejoiced, as holy David says, and I hastened to sing the praise of its marvels. I therefore entreat you, of your goodness, to pursue it with all your strength and to run after it with faith so that you may lay hold on it. You will not be disappointed in your hopes. Because any zeal and any ascetic effort is in vain and with no useful outcome, unless they end in love, with a contrite spirit. By no other virtue, by no other observance of the Lord’s commandment, can anyone be known as a disciple of Christ, for He says, “If you have love for one another, by this will everyone know that you are my disciples,”.

It’s for this reason that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. It was for love that He became flesh and dwelt among us; for love, He willingly endured His life-giving passion, in order that He might deliver us from the bonds of hell and lead us up to heaven; for love, the apostles ran that unceasing race and used the fish-hook and net of the word to drag the world out of the depths of idolatry and bring it into the haven of the kingdom of heaven; for love, the martyrs shed their blood, so that they might not lose Christ; for love, our God-bearing Fathers and teachers of the world eagerly laid down their lives for the Catholic and Apostolic Church; for love, I, who am of no account at all, have embarked on your protection and am struggling to teach you about the divine words, so that I can imitate those teachers of the Church, insofar as I am able, and suffer and endure for your sake and do everything I can for your edification and profit, so that I may present you as perfect sacrifices, burnt-offerings endowed with intellect, on the altar of Christ. For you are God’s children, whom He has given to me; you are my very heart, my eyes, my pride and the seal of my teaching, as Saint Paul says.

My dear brethren in Christ, let us then strive, as we serve Christ with the other virtues, to serve Him also with love, which should dwell among us, so that God may rejoice at your harmony and perfection. Then, in my lowliness, I will also rejoice as I see your progress in the life that is in accordance with God, as you increase in faith, purity, in the fear of God, reverence, in compunction and tears. By these the soul is purified and is filled with divine light, and the Holy Spirit. My joy will be a blessing for you and an increase of the eternal and blessed life in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom be glory forever. Amen

 Source-Pemptousia.com

Let us therefore follow one and the same path, Christ’s commandments, which elevate us to heaven and to God. Even though the word shows us many paths and many ways for people to reach the kingdom of heaven, these paths are not, in fact, many, but one, though they’re divided into many, according to each person’s ability and disposition. While we may begin from many and varied works and actions, just as travellers depart from different places and many cities, the destination we are attempting to reach is the same: the kingdom of heaven. - See more at: http://pemptousia.com/2014/01/in-praise-of-those-who-have-love-in-their-hearts-part-i/#sthash.OMRHmvTU.dpuf

On the exhaustion of love...

“Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with love” (1 Cor. 16, 13-14).

In the Church of Corinth, founded by the apostolic labors of the holy Apostle Paul during his second journey (circa 53 A.D.), discord and division occurred. After Apostle Paul had departed from the city of Corinth, various false teachers appeared there, who began to belittle the dignity of the apostles, in order to elevate themselves in the eyes of the newly-converted Corinthian Christians. In this they were so successful that local Christians became divided into parties, each choosing a different teacher for itself.

When he learned of this, Apostle Paul became greatly saddened, knowing that, according to the Gospel, no house or church divided would be able to stand. Consequently, the same fate could befall the Corinthian Church. In order to summon all the faithful to unity, Apostle Paul wrote them an epistle explaining the principles of the Christian faith and a Christian outlook in general.

What once took place among the Christians of Corinth, is currently taking place among us. Due to extraordinary discoveries in the fields of technology and science, and the development of the arts and commerce, etc., the present age can easily be called an age of progress; however, in terms of spirituality, religiousness, church attendance and morality, – it leaves much to be desired! This is confirmed in modern society by a universal and passionate pursuit of material gain.

In modern man belief in the Lord God has become faint, if not completely dissipated. This is the cause of all our dissensions. Such weakening of faith permeates our consciousness. Our consciousness then becomes desensitized to our spiritual needs which leads to spiritual paralysis. This, in turn, leads to our lack of understanding – and lack of a desire to understand – the needs of others.

Christianity is founded upon these three: faith, hope and love. As long as time continues to exist for us, faith and hope must also exist, but when time ceases, i.e. after we pass from temporal life into eternal life, especially after the Last Judgment, faith and hope will cease to exist, and only love will remain.

The Orthodox Church teaches us that love is eternal, while faith and hope are temporal. Thus the apostolic advice: let all your things be done with love – remains forever appropriate.

Love unites everything, secures everything. Love is the sum total of all virtues. And it is love that is so sadly lacking in our times.

Love, like any other Christian virtue, does not vaunt itself, does not openly flaunt itself in the street, as does vice. Love conceals itself from the gaze of others and is recognized only by the fruit it bears.

There are occasions, naturally, when love proclaims itself firmly and courageously, whenever the need arises. Love is often revealed in patience towards others, in tolerance towards their frailties; love bears the burden of others. Sometimes misconceptions and prejudices serve to impede the revelation of love between people Some people have a soft heart, but their mind is infected with all kinds of prejudices: the heart wants to do good, but the mind rejects it. For example: the heart wants to forgive an offense, while the mind whispers: will I not seem to be a weakling? Will it not go against my honor if I do not take revenge against my offender? Or another example: the heart wants to help someone in need, while the mind warns that one should not lose one’s dignity in the eyes of society.

And, finally, the cause of such rare occurrence of love between people is egoism. Excessive love of oneself suppresses love of others. There are many examples of egoism destroying a person, a family, even entire nations. Look at what is left of the proud Romans. Great cities have vanished from the face of the earth, and even archaeologists cannot find them.

Love cannot be deceived. It has to issue from within and cannot be hypocritical. Love subsequently cemented the Corinthian Church, which flourished in the history of Christianity. Love will help us too – each one of us individually, and our parishes, and our Church.

Let us learn to act in all instances with love, and thus we will fulfill the law of Christ.

Protopriest Igor Hrebinka

Love of God by St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

 

 St. Ignatius Brianchaninov

 

Love God as He commanded you to love Him, and not as self-deluded daydreamers think they love Him.

Do not fabricate raptures for yourself, do not excite your nerves, do not inflame yourself with a material fire, with the fire of your blood. The sacrifice pleasing to God is humility of heart, contrition of spirit. With wrath does God turn away from sacrifices offered with self-confident presumption, with a proud opinion of oneself, though the sacrifice be a whole burnt offering.

Pride excites the nerves, heats the blood, arouses daydreaming, enlivens the life of the fall; humility calms the nerves, subdues the motion of the blood, eliminates daydreaming, mortifies falls, enlivens the life in Jesus Christ.

"Obedience" before the Lord "is greater than good sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams," said the Prophet to the Israelite king who had dared to offer to God a wrong sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). When you wish to offer to God the sacrifice of love, do not offer it self-willfully, from a thoughtless impulse; offer it with humility, in that time and that place which the Lord commanded

The spiritual place on which alone spiritual sacrifices are commanded to be offered is humility. (Saying of St. Pimen the Great from the Alphabetical Patericon).

The Lord marked the one who loves and the one who does not love by true and exact signs: "If a man love Me, he will keep My word. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings" (John 14:23-24).

Do you wish to learn the love of God? Shun every deed, word, thought, and feeling forbidden by the Gospel. By your enmity towards sin which is so hated by All-holy God, you will show and prove your love for God. When due to weakness it happens that you fall into transgressions, heal them at once by repentance. But it is better to strive not to allow yourself even these transgressions, by strict watchfulness over yourself.

Do you wish to learn the love of God? Assiduously learn the commandments of the Lord in the Gospel, and strive to fulfill them in very deed. Strive to turn the Gospel virtues into habits, into your qualities. For a person who loves, it is natural to fulfill the will of the beloved with exactness.

"I have loved Thy commandments more than gold and topaz: therefore, I directed myself toward all Thy commandments; every path of unrighteousness have I hated," says the Prophet (Ps. 118:127, 128, LXX). Such conduct is indispensable for maintaining fidelity to God. Fidelity is the unalterable condition of love. Without this condition, love is dissolved.

By the constant shunning of evil and fulfilling of the Gospel virtues-which comprises the whole Gospel moral teaching-we attain the love of God. And by this same means do we abide in the love of God: "If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love," said the Savior (John 15:10).

The perfection of love consists in union with God; advancing in love is joined with inexpressible spiritual consolation, delight, and enlightenment. But in the beginning of the struggle, the disciple of love must undergo a violent warfare with himself, with his own deeply damaged nature: evil, which through the fall became innate to our nature, has become for it a law, warring and revolting against the Law of God, against the law of holy love.

Love of God is founded on love of one's neighbor. When the remembrance of wrongs is obliterated in you: then you are close to love. When your heart is overshadowed by holy, grace-given peace towards all humanity: then you are at the very doors of love. But these doors are opened by the Holy Spirit alone. Love of God is a gift from God in a person who has prepared himself to receive this gift by purity of heart, mind, and body. The degree of the gift is according to the degree of preparation: because God, even in His mercy, is just.

Love of God is entirely spiritual: "that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). "That which is born of the flesh is flesh" (John 3:6): carnal love, as something born of flesh and blood, has material, corrupt properties. It is inconstant, changeable: its fire is completely dependent on matter.

Hearing from Scripture that our God is a fire (Heb.12:29), that love is a fire, and feeling in yourself a fire of natural love, do not think that this is one and the same fire. No! These fires are at enmity with one another and are swallowed up by one another (Ladder, steps 3 and 15). "Let us serve in a manner well-pleasing to God, with reverence and fear; for our God is a consuming fire" (Heb. 12:28-29).

Natural love, i.e. fallen love, heats a person's blood, excites his nerves, and arouses daydreaming; holy love cools the blood, calms both soul and body, draws the inner man towards prayerful silence, and immerses him in rapture through humility and spiritual delight. Many ascetics, having taken natural love for Divine love, excited their blood, and excited their daydreams also. The condition of excitement passed very easily into a condition of frenzy. Many took those who were in a state of excitement and frenzy for persons filled with grace and holiness, while they were actually unfortunate victims of self-delusion.

There were many such ascetics in the Western Church from the time it fell into heresy, in which Divine properties are blasphemously ascribed to a man, and veneration which is due and fitting to God alone is given to a man; many of these ascetics wrote books from their excited condition in which frenzied self-delusion seemed to them to be divine love, in which their disordered imagination painted for them a multitude of visions which flattered their self-love and pride.

Son of the Eastern Church! Shun the reading of such books, avoid following the precepts of those who are self-deluded. Guided by the Gospel and the holy Fathers of the true Church, ascend with humility to the spiritual height of Divine love by the means of fulfilling Christ's commandments in deed.

Know firmly that love for God is the highest gift of the Holy Spirit, and a person can only prepare himself, through purity and humility, for the receiving of this great gift, through which mind and heart and body are changed.

In vain is the labor, fruitless is it and harmful, when we seek to discover in ourselves high spiritual gifts prematurely: merciful God gives them in His own time, to the constant, patient, humble fulfillers of the Gospel commandments. Amen.

St. Tikhon of Zadonsk-Remember the Love of God

 St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

Everywhere and in every endeavor remember the Lord your God and His holy love for us. Everything that you may see in heaven and on earth and in your house awakens you to the remembrance of the Lord your God and His holy love. We are enveloped in God's love. Every creature of God bears witness to His love for us. When you see God's creation and make use of it, say to yourself thus: This is the work of the hands of the Lord my God, and it was created for my sake.
These luminaries of the heavens, the sun, the moon, and the stars, are the creations of the Lord my God, and they illumine all the world and me. This earth on which I live, which bears fruit for me and my cattle, and all that may be upon it, is the creation of the Lord my God. This water which waters me and my cattle is a blessing of my Lord. This cattle which serves me is the, creation of my Lord and was given by Him to serve me. This house in which I live is God's blessing and was given me by Him for my repose. This food which I taste is God's gift to me given for the strengthening and consolation of my weak flesh. This garment with which I am clothed the Lord my God gave me for the sake of covering my naked body. And so on.

This icon is the image of Christ; the image of my Saviour, Who for my sake came to this unfortunate world to save me who have perished, and He suffered and died for me, and so He redeemed me from sin, the devil, death and hell. I worship His unspeakable love for man.

This icon is the image of the Theotokos, the image of that Most-Holy Virgin, who gave birth in the flesh without seed to Jesus Christ my Lord and God. Blessed among women is the Mother that bore God incarnate, and blessed is the fruit of her womb (Lk. 1:42)! Blessed is the womb that bore my Lord, and the paps which He has sucked (Lk. 11:27)!

This is the icon of the Forerunner; it is the image of that great prophet who was sent from God before the face of my Saviour Jesus Christ, and to the people he preached Him already come into the world, and pointed Him out, saying, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world!" (Jn. 1:29), and he was found worthy to baptize Him in the streams of the Jordan.

This is the icon of the apostle; it is the image of the disciple of my Saviour, who saw Him in person, who went with Him, and saw Him work miracles, and heard Him preach, saw Him suffer for the salvation of the world, and rise from the dead and ascend into heaven. This is the icon of the martyr; it is the image of that struggler who withstood even to blood for the honor of my Saviour Jesus Christ, and did not spare even his own holy life for His name, and he established our pious faith as true by pouring forth his own blood; and so on.

This word, the Sacred Scripture which I hear, is the word of God, it is the word of His mouth. The mouth of my Lord spoke this, and through it my God speaks to me, "The law of Thy mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver" (LXX-Ps. 118:72 [KJV-Ps. 119:72]). O Lord, grant me ears to hear Thy holy word.

This holy house, the church in which I stand, is the temple of God in which prayer and glorification are offered up to my God in common from the faithful, my brethren. These voices, this glorification and common prayer are those voices by which hymns, thanksgiving, praise and glorification are sent up to the holy name of my God.

This consecrated man, the bishop or priest, is the closest servant of my God, who offers prayers to Him for me a sinner and for all the world. This man, the preacher of the word of God, is the messenger of my God, who makes known the way of salvation to me and to the rest of the people my brethren.

This brother of mine, every man, is the beloved creature of my God, and like myself is a creature created after the image and likeness of God. And having fallen he was redeemed, like myself, by the Blood of the Son of God my Saviour, and is called to everlasting life by the Word of God. I must love him as the beloved creature of my God, love him as I love myself. And I must not do to him anything that I myself do not love, and I must do to him what I desire for myself, for that is what my God commanded me. In a word, every occasion and every thing can and must inspire you to a loving remembrance of the Lord your God, and must show you His love toward you, since even His chastisement comes from His love toward us. According to the Scripture, "Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth" (Heb. 12:6). Remember, then, everywhere and on every occasion and in all things, the name of the Lord your God. Take care not to forget your Benefactor when you enjoy His benefactions, lest you appear ungrateful to Him; for forgetfulness of a benefactor is a clear sign of ingratitude.

God is your creator, deliverer, supreme benefactor, and good provider. He created you just as He gives you every good thing, since without His goodness you could not live even for a minute. You do not see your Benefactor with these eyes, but you see the benefits He has given you. You see the sun, the moon and His stars which illumine you. You see the fire that warms you and cooks your food. You see the food which satisfies you, you see the clothing by which your naked body is covered. You see all other countless blessings which He gave you for your needs and comfort.

Seeing, then, and receiving these benefits, remember your unseen Benefactor everywhere and always with love, and thank Him for all His benefits with a pure heart. The greatest and highest of all His blessings is that by His good will Christ, His Only-Begotten Son, came to us and redeemed us by His precious Blood and suffering from the devil, hell, and death. In this work He showed us His unspeakable goodness to us. We must, then, always gaze with faith upon this great work of God so incomprehensible to the mind, and remember God Who so loved us unworthy ones. We must thank Him from our whole heart, worship Him, praise, hymn, and glorify Him with out heart and lips. "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for He hath visited and redeemed His people, And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David" (Lk. 1:68-69).

You, too, should always remember this great work of God and marvel at it, and thank God from your heart, and live as it pleases God, Who came into the world to save sinners, lest you offend Him with your ingratitude. He desires to save you, since He came into the world for your sake, and suffered and died in His holy flesh. You should fulfil His holy will, then, and take care for the salvation of your soul with all diligence. Be thankful to Him, and live in the world humbly, with love, meekly and patiently, as He Himself lived. He also desires the same of you.

Endeavor to please God with faith and obedience, that is, do what He desires and what is pleasing to Him, and do not do what He does not desire and what is not pleasing to Him. Without obedience, whatever a man may do is not pleasing to God.

from: Journey to Heaven Counsels On the Particular Duties of Every Christian Our Father Among the Saints, Tikhon of Zadonsk, Bishop of Voronezh and Elets Jordanville, NY: Holy Trinity Monastery, 2004.

Elder Ephraim of Arizona- On the Love and Humility of God

Chapter Seventeen.

On the Love and Humility of God,
on Grace, and on the Fear of God.

 May the Lord our God give you peace and love, for God is love. Always remember the words of the Lord, Who said: “He who keeps My commandments, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father… and We shall come to him and make Our abode with him” (Jn. 14:21,23 ). Let us love God with all our soul, with all our heart, and with all our strength, and may our works keep in step. That is, our works should be a reflection of our love towards Him. And when our works are wrought lawfully, God will repay us with divine love in our souls. He who has found love partakes of Christ every day, and thus he becomes immortal. “If anyone eats of this bread, which I shall give, he will live forever” (cf. Jn. 6:51 ), says the Holy Gospel. He who partakes of the love of Christ bears much fruit. The souls that love Jesus breathe the spiritual air of the other world, the world of the spirit, which is the kingdom of heaven. Even in this life they taste the waters that flow from the throne of God’s grace! The drink at the heavenly table is divine love. The licentious drank this drink, and the wounds of their sins were soothed; drunkards became fasters; rich men desired poverty in Christ; paupers were enriched with godly hopes; the weak became strong; the unlearned became wise! Love is the Christian’s triumph over the devil, hatred, and envy. In order to reach the divine harbor of God’s love, we must first fear Him as God, Who chastens sin and transgression. It is not possible to cross the sea and reach the harbor without a boat. Likewise, it is impossible to reach the harbor of love without repentance. The fear of God appoints us commander and captain in the boat of repentance, and it takes us across the murky sea of life and guides us to the divine harbor of divine love. Just as we are unable to live without air, likewise it is impossible to live in the eternal life with God if we do not breathe the very sweet and fragrant air of God’s love. Let us shake off the burden of our sins with the power of repentance, and thenceforth light and free as eagles, let us fly high above where the eternal God has stored up the inexhaustible treasures of virtue and wisdom, so that we may drink the waters of eternal life and be deified, as the Scriptures say: “You are gods, and all of you are the sons of the Most High” (Ps. 81:6 ). Let us compel ourselves, my children, for the love of God is not gained through negligence and sluggishness but through eagerness, obedience, patience, forbearance, silence, prayer, and forcefulness in everything. So shall we be negligent for such an eternal gift? No! Then let us cry out in lamentation: “Christ, our Master, shut us not out of Thy kingdom, but open unto us out of Thy compassionate mercy. Amen”.

2. God is love and full of compassion. Let us not sadden Him in anything! He endured the Cross for us; His head was pricked by the crown of thorns; His side was pierced by the spear; His feet were nailed; His back was scourged; His all-holy mouth was given gall and vinegar; His heart ached from the insolence and ingratitude; He was naked up on the Cross in front of such a demonic mob. This, my children, is Whom we should not sadden with our carelessness, which intensifies His suffering. The Jews were His enemies, whereas we have been baptized in His holy Name—we are His disciples who are devoted to serving Him! His disciples abandoned Him out of fear of the Jews, and how much He was grieved is beyond description! And now, how will all who deny Him, all who abandon Him, all who promise Him one thing and do another, find themselves before Him at the hour of judgment? What shall they say when our Christ begins to enumerate His sufferings one by one, while they will have only their denial and a multitude of evils to present? Let us attend to our life, my children. Let us have love and patience in everything. Let us not criticize, let us drive away every evil thought, let us humble ourselves, let us bear in mind the difficult hour of death and judgment. When you do all these things, know that you will live with Christ eternally! Like angels beside His throne, you will chant everlasting hymns full of joy! What bliss we shall have then! All things here will be forgotten! Only joy and Pascha with no end! Glory to God, Who gives us the victory.

3. I pray that the love of God will refresh your thirsty soul, as the hart quenches its thirst at the fountains of water. “Thus does my soul yearn for Thee, O God. When shall I come and appear before the face of my God?” (Ps. 41:1,2 ). Glory to Thee, for Thy great mercy upon me! Without my doing anything good on earth, He consoles and comforts my soul. From time to time the blessed dew of God’s love affects my callous soul. Ah, how much it soothes my wretched soul! How much it refreshes my soul and lightens the burdens of life and temptations! Oh, if only God would count me worthy through your prayers to rest eternally in the dew of God’s love for which I long! The salvation of man requires much toil. The tempter—the devil—has activated all his experience and knowledge to annihilate man. Do not depart from us, O God, my God, but be for us as the brass serpent was for Moses, (vid. Num. 21:6-9 ), so that by looking at You, we may be healed from the bites of the spiritual serpents. “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He” (Jn. 8:28 ). My Christ, my light, my crucified love, Who was lifted up on the Cross for our sins, the Serpent that saves souls wounded by the evil serpents, heal us who have been wounded by the stings of sin. May God bless us and in His good will open His sea of compassion to us, so that we may all be found united together in the eternal and blessed life, where there is neither pain nor sorrow or sighing, but life unending. “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (Rev. 7:17 ). Oh, what joy that cannot be taken away! What a confident awareness that henceforth the torments of this toilsome life have ended! “What god is as great as our God?” (Ps. 76:13 ). He is a Father overflowing with compassion, Who does not take sins into account, as long as His repenting son says: “I have sinned against heaven and in your sight” (Lk. 15:21 ). Then at once the Father embraces and kisses him and obliterates from His heart every trace of displeasure that the child’s profligacy may have occasioned! I lose my senses when I contemplate His abyss of paternal compassion towards sinners!

4. With what love the blessed soul will be fed in the kingdom of heaven! It is He –my Christ, my Jesus, my dearest, the living Logos—Who gave us our existence, as well as the means to exist, eternal redemption, and repose in the bosom of the heavenly Father. “He spoke and they came into being; He commanded and they were created!” (Ps. 32:9 ). He chastens us a little in order to keep us humble, for He knows how easily our weak human nature changes, how easily it turns towards evil. He treats us with paternal solicitude and chastens us lovingly, so that we may obtain firm wisdom. This is the knowledge of the perfect saints: (it is not as some people explain it, but it has its own special power ) to put it simply, one must confess that even when one is at the heavenly height of virtue, it is possible—if God abandons him—for him to fall into the abyss of corruption and debauchery! It is not a matter of just saying this with empty words, but one must really feel this way. But one cannot say this with conviction if one does not first pass through the Babylonian furnace of temptations, and if one’s human nature does not slip by God’s permission, so that he realizes his weak constitution. He then sees with whom he has to wrestle, what the wickedness and malice of his adversary (the devil ) is, and how difficult it is to rise after a fall! In brief, this is what “know thyself” means. When one obtains this knowledge, the Holy Trinity dwells in his heart. Then bliss gushes forth endlessly, and he reaches the point of seeing revelations! This is what Abba Isaac writes—that great boast of hesychasts. One holy monk stood up to say his evening prayers and stretched out his arms. When the grace of God came upon him—he had his back to the setting sun—it overcame him so much that he didn’t come to himself until the sun rose the next morning and warmed his face. Then he realized that it was the next day, and he glorified God Who counts men made of earth worthy to see such mysteries. Oh! Those days of grace have passed, and now there is a bitter cold even in the warm countries, that is, in the dwellings of monks and hermits. Good examples and virtue have vanished! How vividly the monastic saints must have felt grace in prayer! God visits us somewhat faintly in prayer, and we feel a little bit of grace. But they who were engrossed in theoria all night long—how intensely they must have felt the kingdom of heaven! “The kingdom of heaven is within us” (cf. Lk. 17:21 ). Oh, how much I would have liked to live in those days when sanctity and good examples were abundant—now there is only aridity and misery. Let us once again thank God immensely that in such a moral darkness He has given us a little light, so that even by stumbling forward we are able to reach the gates of the heavenly Jerusalem and not be shut out in the eternal darkness. May this not happen to any Christian, my dear Christ, but may all of us together be counted worthy to reach there with joy and a joyful step, celebrating the eternal Pascha! (Paschal Canon, Ode Five ), Amen.

5. A person whose mouth always thanks God will by no means lack the blessing of God, but a person whose mouth grumbles and wounds his great Benefactor shall certainly be chastened by God. He gave us our being; He gives us life; He preserves us in various ways with His divine providence. Through the death of His Son, He reconciled us who were previously His enemies and made us sons and heirs of His kingdom! He purifies us and sanctifies us through His holy Mysteries! He gives us the heavenly, most holy food and drink, that is, His All-holy Body and Precious Blood! He has also given us a guardian for our whole life! He will receive our soul and guide it to the eternal inheritance! But what am I saying? Time would fail me to recount everything; I would be laboring in vain, trying to count the sand in the sea—the infinite benefactions of our good God! Then, even after so many countless good things, we grumble! Oh, my God, overlook our ingratitude and open our mind so that we grasp what Your paternal heart has bestowed upon us, and so that we render a little thanks in order that we may find forgiveness and mercy.

6. Regarding the holy angel that you wrote to me about, it is true that when he receives a decree from the Lord, he neither adds nor subtracts anything, but he remains beside a person, enlightens him, looks after him, delivers him from dangers, and defends him from the devil, as we see in the life of St. Andrew the Fool for Christ, in which an angel was fighting against the devil in order to defend a guilty monk, and so on. Read it and you will see. Man is given a guardian angel as an older brother who, being closer to God and having more boldness, prays for his younger brother. And man entreats his guardian angel as his older brother to protect him and pray for him, since he has more boldness towards God. How many times he whispers in our soul’s ear, “Don’t do this”, or “Do it”, or “Be careful here”. There are many such instances with those who have the eyes of their soul open. Do not forget the parable of the gardener and the fruitless fig tree in the Holy Gospel, “Let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, fine. But if not, after that you can cut it down” (Lk. 13:8-9 ). The gardener symbolizes the holy angel who looks after a person, until he bears fruit and is saved. In The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, many things are written about the angels’ solicitude for man—they were seen weeping while the people they protected were sinning. Just think how much they prayed for them! Their “tears” show their love and compassion for man.
7. My blessed children in the Lord, may the love of our Lord keep you in spiritual and bodily health. Truly how lamentable it is for a child to be living in his father’s house, to enjoy all the comforts of life, and not to acknowledge his own father—or even if he does give him a little respect and attention, not to feel his profuse love and affection—but on the contrary, when the remembrance of his father does come, he considers it something not worth thinking about or occupying his mind with! What verdict could be given for such an ungrateful and arrogant child? Surely, everyone would label him as an unworthy heir of his father’s love and fortune. Unfortunately, though, in this example and in the person of this unworthy child, we see today’s man who is ungodly in his relationship with God, his Father, and, sad to say, we also see today’s Christians, except for a select few. We live in this world, which God has designated as our temporary abode. He gave us the freedom to enjoy the good things of the earth, without leaving Himself unattested to in everything that we see and think, so that through our reason we would render glory and honor to Him, with whole-hearted love for Him as our supreme offering. Let us briefly go over the world-saving and momentous events, beginning with the disobedience of Adam and Eve, so that we may perceive more clearly the wealth of God’s love. Because of their pride and disobedience, Adam and Eve were banished from the garden of delight and inhabited the land of thorns and thistles. But the infinite love of the Heavenly Father, Who had been forgotten by the human race, sent His only-begotten and beloved Son into the world, to remove man’s enmity towards Him. We see His supreme love leading Him to sacrifice His sweetest Son through a tragic death on the Cross, since this is what the grave fall of guilty mankind required! The Apostle Paul presents this sacrifice with the following words: “He (the Father ) who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all” (Rom. 8:32 ). He also says: “He became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8 ). But after three days He rose by His own authority, as befits God, becoming the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep to confirm that most truly the entire race shall be raised by a common resurrection. Before His Ascension, He commanded the holy Apostles to baptize in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit all who believe in His name, simultaneously giving them the power to become children of God through faith. He even handed down to us the holy Mysteries, so that through them we may be united with Him and always live with Him in true happiness, which only union with God can provide. He also gave us a vigilant guardian for our soul and body, our holy guardian angel, whom He sends to us at holy baptism to be our guide and protector. It is through the Mystery of holy Baptism that a Christian becomes a child of God by grace, an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ (cf. Rom. 8:17 ). But I shall not proceed to recount the events that show the infinite riches of the ineffable love of the heavenly Father towards us; for the more man’s mind is enlightened to grasp the love of the Creator for Hiw creation, the more evident our ingratitude and failure to recognize such an affectionate and true Father becomes. We live in this vain world and are truly ignorant—or rather, we have not yet understood why we are alive, what goal this life of ours has, and what purpose man has on earth! Unfortunately, we have become almost like the irrational beasts; we live without considering that the time of our life here is the most precious thing for our future restoration. We use up and waste this time with no regret, and when we come to our senses we shall be unable to bring this time back. Therefore, how truly wise is the man who has realized the great value of time in this transient life and takes advantage of it accordingly, enriching his life with good works, so that when the grievous hour of death comes, his conscience will be confident and say in his defense before the spiritual prosecutors, the demons: “I have done what I should. So why are you still raging?” in the Holy Gospel, Jesus spoke about the purpose of man: “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father” (Jn. 16:28 ). Here our Savior is speaking humanly, for as God, consubstantial with the Father, He was never separated from Him. The fact that man is destined to leave the world at the time determined by God and to go to God where he came from, can be inferred from the Holy Scriptures in Genesis: “And God formed man from the dust of the earth and breathed upon his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7 ). The divine breath came out of the tri-hypostatic God—not that the breath itself became a soul in man, but the soul of man was created by a divine insufflations, which is why it has to return to its God. Here is something remarkable: the breath of God went out and created the soul of man. He made it holy, pure, innocent, good, etc. So when the frightful hour of death comes for the soul, I wonder, will it still have its original sanctity and purity? Unfortunately not, for we have all sinned as descendants of Adam. God, however, Who knows our weakness and that the mind of man is inclined to evil from his youth, (cf. Gen. 8:21 ), certainly does not demand the impeccable purity of its initial state, but what does He seek? He seeks true, sincere repentance, abstention from sin, a heart broken and humbled; He seeks mourning and tears in order to give us a consoling ambrosia, “which the unrepentant world knows not (cf. Jn. 1:10 ). So when a person sincerely repents, God welcomes him with open arms, simultaneously giving him the divine features with which he will be able to ascend unimpeded into the boundless kingdom of God, so that he may live thenceforth with the heavenly Father. Behold, the purpose of man! The mind stands in amazement when it grasps this grand and lofty divine purpose! And yet how great is man’s insensibility and how thick a darkness covers the eyes of his soul, so that he does not think why he exists here on earth and what God wants from him. Unfortunately, his mind’s vision has been impaired by the illness of sin, and especially by self-love. How long, my God, shall we remain sluggish and callous towards this great purpose of ours? Send us a little illumination. Why, has the sun ever stopped sending its abundant light? How much more so will You, the infinite Sun of love, never stop shining! Woe to us, my Lord, for we voluntarily do every evil deed. But since You have endless oceans of love, pour upon us love and affection, compassion and forbearance again and again—perhaps some more souls will be saved before Your just judgement breaks out upon us! Yes, Lord, take pity on me, the miserable one, who does not practice what he preaches, and grant me repentance before I leave this world! Enlighten Your world, for which You poured out Your awesome and all-holy Blood, and give repentance to all.

8. Beloved children in the Lord, I pray that my poor letter will find you in love, obedience, prayer, and circumspection in everything. Today we celebrate the assembly of all the Heavenly Powers; just think what a festival is taking place in heaven! What hymns! What joy for the angels of God! The holy angels, the guardians of our souls, are celebrating today, and since they are our older brothers, we should share in their joy and grace. They invisibly help us so much! From how many temptations and deaths they deliver us! How many prayers they say for us when they see the face of God! When they stand beside us, they offer each person’s prayers! And when we die, it is they who will help us in the hour of death and in the ascent through the toll-houses, and for this reason we should bear a special love towards God’s angels. However, it is more advantageous for us to resemble them in their virtues. The holy angels have perfect obedience to the commands of God; they execute His orders with no objections. They have perfect love towards God and men. The angels have undefiled chastity and invincible humility, while their innocence is beyond description. Other virtues also adorn the angels. If we sincerely love them, if we want to live in the same place that they do, we must compel ourselves to resemble them. The monastic way of life is called the angelic life by the Church Fathers. This is because monastics must live a life similar to the angels. However, when they do not live like that, but live a life contrary to it, they will be ranked with the evil angels. Struggle, my children, my joy and consolation, so that you attain the angels’ level of obedience, love, prayer, and chastity, and so that you may also live together with the angels in the life after death! Amen; so be it.
9. The more you perceive the mercy of God, my child, the more lovingly you will be united with Him. And the more you fathom the magnificence of God’s majesty, the more you will immerse yourself in your nothingness, with a corresponding ascent to the state of spiritual knowledge. The more humility you mix with your unceasing prayer, the more intensely you will feel Jesus, and your heart will feel like another burning bush. Raise your mind up above where our life and joy are, for according to the Apostle Paul, “our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20 ). Long whole-heartedly for the things above, and this holy longing will make monasticism light and very sweet for you. During rapture of the nous by the grace of God, wonder will follow upon wonder, and it will stand completely ecstatic before the abundant light of apprehending the knowledge of God.

10. When Christ lives within you, fear nothing. In order for Christ to live within you, much humility is needed. Mentally fall at His immaculate feet and weep, saying: “My Jesus, Thou alone art left for me in this humble life of mine as light and life. Show me Thy spiritual beauty, so that I may be filled with divine eros and run after Thy myrrh and cry out, ‘My soul has cleaved to Thee, Thy right hand has helped me’ (Ps. 62:8 ). Oh, my Jesus, when shall I come and appear before Thy face? (cf. Ps. 41:2 ). When, O light of my soul, shall I see Thee and be filled and say, ‘Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!’” (Rom. 11:33 ). Yes, my child, love humility above all, and then you will obtain Jesus, Who is lowly in heart, as an everlasting possession in your soul. Inhale Jesus; exhale Jesus, and then you will know what Jesus is! Where is earthly love then! Is it possible for a firebrand to fall upon a parched forest and for anything to survive? The same thing happens with the twigs of human thoughts when the love of Jesus falls upon them.

11. Take courage, my child; through many tribulations we shall ascend to the boundless, divine light of Mount Tabor, and there we shall hear the divine voice of our beloved Jesus. “How beloved are Thy dwellings, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs and faints for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh have exulted in the living God” (Ps. 83:1-2 ). Yes, O Giver of life, Christ our God. “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (Jn. 10:10 ). Yes, I pray that Christ, the eternal life, will live and reign within you, so that you cry out, “Abba, Father!” (Gal. 4:6 ). Oh, what is more delightful than Jesus! Who has tasted Christ’s love and then desired another sinful love? No one! For this love is so potent, that even if one goes through a life of afflictions for a hundred years and then feels divine love for only a short time, this love is able to dispel all the afflictions and leave him astounded before God’s majesty.

12. Out of His infinite goodness, and wanting to impart His innumerable spiritual blessings to us, God invites and exhorts us to seek them from Him—and He wants to give them to us; He wants us to knock at the door of His mercy, and certainly He shall open it for us. God wants us to knock, but the devil—that primeval evil, God’s enemy and ours—what does he do to make man not believe God’s exhortations? He gives us thoughts of unbelief, and then thoughts of hopelessness and despair, so that we will not believe that God shall by all means fulfill His divine words. Then he tells us, “You are a sinner, you are a loser—God won’t listen to you; He won’t pay any attention to you, so cry out all you want”. In this way, he weakens our faith and willpower.

13. Christ does not need us, for He has thousands of angels who serve Him impeccably. In addition, by a word He is able to create thousands more of these most holy beings. Byt His infinite love constrains Him to be corcerned about us, without being disgusted by our stench and our festering wounds. So let us remember this love of God at every moment of our life, so that we shall do our worthless deeds solely for the love of God. Just think—we were not crucified for our Christ, our Savior, whereas on behalf of us monstrosities, He endured death on a cross for the sake of obedience!

14. May the grace of Christ be with you, within your soul, my child, to enlighten you and increase your love for Him, so that you may be kept near Him and not be swept away by the current of worldliness and fall away from God and lose your immortal soul, which is worth more than the entire world. The amount of grace that came to you is small; the saints, though, had much grace. In order to increase it, you must humble yourself. If you become proud it will leave, and then you will weep. So be very careful to bear in mind your sins and passions, so that vainglory will not sprout in you and drive away the Jesus prayer.

15. The goodness of God sometimes seems like a rod that disciplines man—for his own good, though. When He sees that the rod is too burdensome, He changes His approach, and it becomes a cane that relieves the burden and thus comforts man’s soul, so that everything turns out for his benefit and spiritual progress. When a person lacks spiritual knowledge, he thinks that the rod, the “chastisement of the Lord”, will kill him, and that it will stay like that forever. But along with the temptation the good God brings the way out, that is, the end of the temptation. Man has discernment and can determine, for example, how much an animal can carry, so he does not overload it. How much more discernment does God have not to overload us with a temptation beyond our strength! So it is not God, but our faintheartedness that leads us to impatience, which makes our burden seem so heavy. Sometimes, however, God allows very strong temptations to come upon people who have much pride and conceit dwelling in them, in order to crush their haughty spirit. But in the end, He does not abandon them; His mercy will come back again. Oh, how good God is!

16. “Today the Virgin gives birth to the Transcendent One”. What can I, the unworthy and filthy one, say about the grandeur of the innumerable dispensations of the Most High God! I am astonished and unable to look directly at it as I contemplate this mystery. How did God condescend to be an infant in a cave of irrational beasts? How was He wrapped in swaddling clothes and carried in the holy arms of the holy Virgin, He Who was born by the Father without a mother! “Great art Thou, O Lord, and wondrous are Thy deeds, and no word sufficeth to hymn Thy wonders!” “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (Rom. 11:33 ). My soul shall rejoice in the Lord; I shall noetically smother with kisses that most sweet and blessed Infant, so that He may deliver me from my irrational passions.

17. Christ commanded that we forgive our enemies seventy times seven every day. How much more so does He forgive, He Who is the Abyss of forgiveness! If you were able to count the drops of rain and the grains of sand, you would be able to measure a small part of the infinite compassion of the infinite God.

18. Let us fall down before the heavenly Queen, the immaculate Theotokos, the Maiden quick-to-hear, that she may help us, for “no one who runs to thee is turned away ashamed, but he asks for a favor and receives the gift from thee, to the profit of the request” (from the Small Supplicatory Canon to the Theotokos ). After God, only she is able to help us. Let us trust in her, and we shall not be put to shame.

19. I pray from my heart that you are well and rejoice in peace of soul, for the peace of God is nothing but a place of God, repose, bliss, and divine delight. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7 ), is given to souls that struggle as a prize and royal gift; it is a property of the children of God. In order for it to dwell in the soul of a Christian, first, godly labor is necessary—labor of a spiritual nature. Then it takes discernment and a blameless, clear conscience shining brighter than the sun, which knows that one has done what he should. Then this soul receives the precious gift of “the peace of God” and delights in it and converses like a bride with her most beautiful Bridegroom Jesus about their eternal marriage and the spiritual riches of heaven. And while one thinks about these things, the peace increases, and one ends up in very sweet tears. The peace of God is one’s betrothal for the future wedding with the slaughtered Lamb. O peace of God, come even to me the trouble-maker, who does not know Your beauty! Come and refresh my wretched, condemned soul!

20. I pray that the love of Jesus will inflame your heart with love, that you will run like a thirsty hart to the monastic fountains of spiritual water and drink your fill of heavenly nectar. May you become entirely spiritual, entirely devoted with divine eros to worshipping Him Who loved you to the point of death, even death on a cross. Only in God will you find true happiness and joy, for the unchangeable and true God is the source. The enjoyment of earthly things is obtained with much labor and hard work, and afterwards it turns out to be harmful, meriting punishment. “Truly all human things are vain; riches do not remain; glory does not accompany one to the other world; when death comes, it obliterates all these things” (from the funeral service ). Do you want to live a pleasant and peaceful life? Keep the commandments of God; keep the fear of God in your every thought, as well as in everything you say and do. The fear of the Lord is the beginning and the end of wisdom (cf. Prov. 1:7 ). Just as a lamp illuminates the path we are walking on, in the same way the fear of God illuminates us spiritually so that we can see how we must walk the path of our salvation. Also, as a lamp keeps us from tripping and falling, likewise the fear of God frees us from the obstacles of sin and guides us to our destination, which is the acquisition of God.

 21. What defense shall we have when our Christ shows us His pierced hands or His speared side or His immaculate head pricked by the thorns or His dry lips embittered by the vinegar and gall, and says, “For you, my dearest soul, did I suffer all these things, out of the great love I have for you. Now show me your marks of love for Me, which will be like balsam on My wounds”. Then, my children, what shall we show? Our ingratitude, our negligence, our ego, our disobedience, and the multitude of our other passions? And then, instead of balsam, we shall put poison in the wounds of His love! So then, onwards! Let us compel ourselves. From now on let us be careful to put balsam on His wounds and be called His true, beloved children.

22. “The Divine is beyond explanation and understanding”. We do not know the nature of our nous; we do not see it, and yet the nous directs everything in man. So how can our finite nous see the infinite Nous, God, in order to believe in Him? God is beyond spirit, beyond everything that man can think of. “Oh, the depth of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” (cf. Rom. 11:33 ).

23. I, too, my child, have my sickly body as a thorn along my way. It does not allow me to progress, and thus I remain behind until God has mercy on my weakness. Sin gives birth to all evil, but out of His goodness, God transforms the chastisement of sins into forgiveness, but also into a means of acquiring boldness towards Him. Oh, how great is the love of God for man! Who is able to look directly at this ocean of love? One cries like a baby when his nous is enlightened and sees even in a small way how much God loves him. But how much he must labor beforehand to be given this enlightenment! For it is a gift from above, from the Father of lights; it comes as dew, as a delightful spring day to souls being scorched by the hardships of various trials.

24. Man has failed to recognize his own Father, the Most High God, Who brought him into being out of nothingness. Oh! How harmful this failure to recognize Him has been! This is the cause of all human suffering, the first transgression of Adam and Eve. And their sin of disobedience and lack of repentance brought upon their children—upon us—all the evil results, and we harvest the thorns and thistles of various tribulations. “You shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17 ). Death is corruption of our former incorruption, with all of its attributes: illness, affliction, misery, pain. However, the good God did not overlook His own creation, but gave grace through the death of His Son on the Cross—“by grace you have been saved” (Eph. 2:5 ). Just as the evil one used the crafty serpent as a tool, in a like manner did our Lord Jesus Christ put on human nature to deceive the devil. O Lord Jesus Christ, the light of my darkened soul, the goal of my life, how great has our guilt become with the passing of time! One disobedience resulted in bringing God down to earth—and where did it lead Him? To be crucified at Golgotha! And the small taste of the forbidden fruit was paid by the awesome drama of the God-man. Oh, how much God loves man! So let us be confident in our repentance, my fellow sinners. :Though your sins are like scarlet, I shall make them as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, I shall make them as white as wool” (Is. 1:18 ). So, my child, let us cleave with love to such a merciful God. Amen.

25. Yes, my child, Jesus alone will become everything to you. Put your trust in Him Who said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6 ). Never lose your courage. Always stand tall with Jesus as your boast and with your nothingness as your pride. When the devil raises you high, humble yourself and bring yourself down below the earth through self-reproach; when he brings you down to hell, to despair, fly to the heaven of God’s grace and love—this is the game you should play with him. Do not fear him; you have put on Christ; you are the inheritance of Christ; you have been enrolled with the saints. You still have much to go through to show the measure of your love towards Him to Whom you have devoted yourself. Do not accept any thoughts of pride suggested by Satan, but constantly criticize yourself, for that evil rascal has defiled us with disgraceful passions, so how can we be proud? We need weeping and a river of tears to wash away our filth and sores. Bear in mind the humility of the crucified Lord: “Learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Mt. 11:29 ). Only by achieving true humility shall we find tranquility and peace in the tempestuous state of our soul.

26. Man suffers because of his sins. However, the goodness of God counts the pain as spiritual work, and He gives wages and a reward. How can we not love such a God? How can we not devote our whole life to worshipping Him? But unfortunately, despite all this, we forget Him—and I do more than all—which is why we transgress His commandments. For if we remembered God, we would remember what God commands, and fear of Him would make us law-abiding and careful; we would remember the Judgment, the fire of hell, and we would shed tears of repentance. The farther we are from tears and mourning, the more attached we are to earthly and corruptible things. Concern for things above engenders the desire to inherit those everlasting good things, and this good concern breaks our sinful attachment to corruptible, transient things that seem good. May God the Lord give us the good sense to take care of our soul before we depart for the other world.

27. I pray with all my heart that the love of Jesus Christ be poured abundantly into your hearts, and that by His grace you will be counted worthy to live in purity of soul nd body all the days of your life. “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn. 13:35 ). Thus spoke the life-bringing fountain, our Christ. He also said” “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit” (Jn. 15:4-5 ). With such sublime imagery our sweetest Jesus teaches us that if we do not stay beside Him, it is impossible for us to bear the fruit of eternal life. And in order for us to be near Him, we have to approach Him by practicing His divine commandments. His commandments are not burdensome (1 Jn. 5:3 ), but indolence and our soul’s lack of humility render the commandments an overwhelming burden; yet it is through these very commandments that Christ has secured for us the dominion of happiness and peace. When love establishes its throne in the soul, it bestows the most beautiful spiritual springtime. Everything glistens with the breeze of love’s refreshing fragrance, for it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, thinks no evil (1 Cor. 13:7,5 ), does not act wickedly, sees everything simply; love covers everything. For this reason, it has earned the crowning achievement: “Love never fails” (1 Cor. 13:8 ). When a bride adores her bridegroom, night and day she thinks about him, imagines him, and lives only for him. Not a single moment goes by without him passing through her thoughts and dripping into her heart the sweetness of love and of hoping to meet. In this way she communicates with her beloved unceasingly. So in the same way, we too should remain with our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not permissible for us to limit our love by offering it only to a particular individual, be it to parents and relatives, or even to another member of the synodia, which the Fathers label as “particular friendship”. All of the above are considered to be kinds of spiritual adultery, for the soul exchanges the eternal love of an immaculate, spotless Bridegroom for the love of earthly and corruptible men. Humble yourselves, my children, if you do not want God to let you fall into temptations. For corresponding to the pride we have, temptations will follow us. Temptations will not cease until we humble ourselves with knowledge and consciousness of soul.

28. There were ten lepers in the holy Gospel, and the divine bath—the command of the living Logos of God—cleansed all ten of them. But only one returned to give thanks to his great Benefactor. And then Truth itself, Jesus, asked, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (Lk. 17:17-18 ). Therefore, in every good turn of events, but also in attacks of misfortune, in good health, as well as in encounters with illness, in joy, but also in sorrow, we should always offer up the fragrant incense of our thankfulness before the throne of God as unprofitable servants who have received mercy through the precious blood of Christ. “Our dear Christ, our good God, give us the gift of thankfulness, so that we will not be condemned even more—the guilt for our other various sins is enough”.

29. Fear nothing but God. Have the fear of God as a lamp, and it will illuminate your path and show you exactly how you should walk. For without the fear of God, we can neither form a clear conscience, nor confess frankly, or ever obtain spiritual wisdom, for the beginning of wisdom and the end of wisdom is the fear of the Lord (cf. Prov. 1:7 ).
30. The death of the Lord on the Cross brought us back to our former status as sons, in which the children of God cry out, “Abba, Father!” (Gal. 4:6 ). The terrible sufferings of the Lord made us worthy to become children of God, heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ! (Rom. 8:17 ). I am so filled with elation when I reflect that I am a child of God and that the good Father has a place of ineffable repose and bliss prepared for me! “O death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? (1Cor. 15:55 ). What joy the Christian feels when he considers that when the time comes for these physical eyes to close, at once the eyes of the soul will open, and he will see a new world, new beings, new creations, incomparably superior, incorruptible, eternal! The heavenly kingdom is not eating and drinking, (cf. Rom. 14:17 ), but spiritual ambrosia of the holy love of God, eternal delight, unspeakable joy. “I desire that they may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory” (cf. Jn. 17:24 ). Oh, the infinite depth of God’s love! How much has He honored wretched man by exalting him up to God Himself and bestowing upon him eternal glory and blessedness! So shall we deprive ourselves of such glory and blessedness for the sake of a short-lived, sinful pleasure? May God show compassion on all Christians and enlighten them to follow the path of salvation and repentance. Amen, my Panagia!

31. If one meditates on the crucified Lord and penetrates the mystery of God’s love for man, he sees how much the Lord endured for each one of us personally. What shall we render unto the Lord for everything? (cf. Ps. 115:3 ). Man, however, was not found worthy of this great and immense love. As soon as we do something good, we see our ego jump up as if we have created heaven and earth. Whereas God made everything out of nothing, and yet He humbled Himself so much! The compassion of God has no bounds, and blessed is the man who through prudence has come to realize the love of God. For the sake of earthy, disobedient, insubordinate man, who had become a prey to the passions and demons, the Son of God Himself came down and was hanged on the Cross! Alongside this we see our own laziness, coldness, indifference, while God on the other hand shows us His providence and love in many different ways. Truly, man is a mystery. Boundless and unlimited is God’s patience! What doesn’t He hear and see within each person! When we see some ingratitude in a person close to us; when we see him behave harshly, ungratefully, inhumanly, mercilessly; when we see that he does not say at least one “thanks”, we hold it against him. How many things could God hold against us men who behave callously and abominably towards Him? Every person in this world, every one of us, is more or less ungrateful. God feeds us, He clothes us, He protects us, He has given us a guardian angel, He feeds us with His holy Mysteries, with His Flesh and Blood, He has prepared a vast kingdom for us, He puts up with us when we go astray, He welcomes us when we repent. But we are impious, we blaspheme Him, insult Him, disregard Him, and He is forbearing and tolerant; He awaits our return. But as if God were indebted to us, we never even think in passing about the fear of God, reverence for Him, or the piety we should have when we remember His presence. We forget that we should bow our heads in veneration of this great God—the most wondrous, inexpressible, unsearchable, boundless, and most sweet God. If each one of us had thousands of mouths, we would still be unable to extol Him worthily and fittingly for His countless gifts for us! This is why the Apostle Paul, after repeated ecstasies and theorias and delights of God, was often overcome with amazement and cried out those immortal words: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways beyond finding out!” (Rom. 11:33 ). “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” (Rom. 11:34 ). Who can know how the infinite Nous works, not only in the heavenly realm, but also in the earth and the underworld? Just think—effortlessly, without toil, He feeds every living thing: men, the animals, the fields, the reptiles, the fish, the microbes, the millions of living creatures. He cares for everything and looks after everything. “How magnified are Thy works, O Lord! In wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is filled with Thy creation” (Ps. 103:26 ). “He spake and they came to be; He commanded, and they were created!” (Ps. 148:5 ). Let there be light, and there was light; let there be earth, and there was earth; let there be stars, sun, and moon (Gen. 1:3-18 ), and there were these stupendous creations, these colossal, huge bodies, hanging and moving in space, which illuminate and beautify the sky—all came to be at a single command of God! “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (Jn. 1:14 ), the Word of the Father. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1:1 ). He came and took on flesh and became man, and the world came into being through Him—He made the world! He gave us the right to become children of God (Jn. 1:12 ). He came to His creatures, and they did not receive Him. Now just think—He made the world and the people, and they were cold and callous and did not receive Him. He came as a stranger; He was given hospitality on the wood of the Cross instead of on a mattress; He was given hospitality in a grave; the earth was shaken, the veil was rent, the sun was darkened, the universe was terrified! “What god is as great as our God? (Ps. 76:13 ). “Great art Thou, O Lord, and wondrous are Thy deeds, and no word will ever suffice to hymn Thee fittingly!” The Word became flesh (Jn. 1:14 ). What grandeur this hides! God became man, He descended from the heavens; the bodiless God, the infinite, incomprehensible Spirit came and dwelt within human nature in order to save it. He became a slave to deliver us from slavery; He became man, so that we may become gods by grace; “You are gods, and all of you are the sons of the Most High” (Ps. 81:6 ). We have become a special people (Tit. 2:14 ), a holy nation (1 Pet. 2:9 ), a priesthood of God, through the advent of the divine Child! The divine Word—Who lives, reigns, and governs all of creation—the Only-begotten Word of God, the boundless sweetness of God’s existence, the glory and hymn of the martyrs, the endurance of the holy monks, the sole Bridegroom of pure souls. And as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God—who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God (cf. Jn. 1:12-13 ). Those who will be saved are not born of the will of the flesh and desire, but of God, and they will reign beside Him. “We have received grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn. 1:16-17 ). He gave us the ten commandments; He gave us precepts in the new grace of the Gospel, and disregarding the gratitude we owed Him, He gave us even more grace! And from His fullness we have received grace for grace (cf. Jn. 1:16 ). God was not deprived by giving us His glory, but He gave out of His abundance. He was not diminished by giving and creating the whole world, but rather the complete, infinitely perfect God created man and the angels, so that there would be other beings to delight in Him, so that other spirits would become blessed, and that other souls and beings would possess free will—not subjugated slaves, but free beings that obey and glorify Him freely. “I do not want slavery”, says God. “I do not want them like animals which are enslaved by man and led wherever he wants. I want free will”. This is how great the magnificence of God is. Oh, what the demons lost by falling away from such an infinite, most sweet, inexpressible God! What did the dominion of God lose by the insubordination of Lucifer? Nothing: God has no need of anything or anyone. It is we who have need of God—gratuitously He saves man. God is perfect, incomprehensible, blessed unto the ages of ages; He came and saved us gratis. We owe Him our entire existence—and even if we gave it to Him, we would have done nothing, we would have merely done our duty. He is our Creator; He is our Savior.

Taken From The Book "Counsels From The Holy Mountain"by Elder Ephraim Of Arizona(Philotheou Mt.Athos)