Ancient Christianity in the city of Holy Faith.
What is God’s Revelation to the Human Heart?
“Our Orthodox Christian faith, as contrasted with the Western confessions, is often called ‘mystical’.”
“How can a religious seeker avoid the traps and deceptions which he encounters in his search?
There is only one answer to this question: a person must be in the religious search, not for the sake of religious experiences, which can deceive, but for the sake of truth. Anyone who studies religion seriously comes up against this question: it is a question literally of life and death.
Our Orthodox Christian faith, as contrasted with the western confessions, is often called "mystical”: it is in contact with a spiritual reality that produces results which are usually called "supernatural" - which are beyond any kind of earthly logic or experience. One does not need to search in ancient literature to find examples, for the life of a miracle – worker in our own days is full of mystical elements. Archbishop John Maximovitch… was seen in glowing light, levitated during prayer, was clairvoyant, worked miracles of healing… None of this, however, is remarkable in itself; it can easily be imitated by false miracle workers. How do we know that he was in contact with the truth?”
Why are we here?
“Many assume that the purpose of our life is, at best, simply moral improvement to become better men;
when we are told by the Gospel, by the Tradition of the Church, and by the holy Fathers, that the purpose of our life is not just that man should become better than he is, more moral, more just, more self-controlled, more mindful; all these must happen, but none of them are the great purpose, the ultimate purpose for which our Maker and Creator moulded man.
What is this purpose? Theosis – for man to be united with God, not in an external or a sentimental manner but ontologically, in a real way. Man is placed so high in Orthodox anthropology that if we compare that with the anthropologies of all the philosophies or social and psychological systems we will very easily find out how poor these are, how little they correspond to man’s great yearning for something very great and true in his life.”
“Man is placed so high in Orthodox anthropology that if we compare that with the anthropologies of all the philosophies or social and psychological systems we will very easily find out how poor these are, how little they correspond to man’s great yearning for something very great and true in his life.”
How are we saved?
“Moral perfection is not enough for man.”
“Each of us is an image of God, and God is our prototype. The image seeks the prototype, and only when it finds it does it find rest.”
“…moral perfection is not enough for man. It is not enough for us simply to become better than before, simply to perform moral deeds. We have as our final aim to unite with holy God Himself. This is the purpose of the creation of the universe. This is what we desire. This is our joy, our happiness, and our fulfillment.
The psyche of man, who is created in the image and likeness of God, yearns for God and desires union with Him. No matter how moral, how good man may be, no matter how many good deeds he may perform, if he does not find God, if he does not unite with Him, he finds no rest. For holy God placed within him this holy thirst, the divine eros, the desire for union with Him, for Theosis, so he has in himself the erotic power, which he receives from his Creator, in order to love truly, strongly, selflessly... just as his holy Creator falls in love with His world, with His creatures. This is so that with this holy erotic impetus and loving power, he falls in love with God. If man did not have the image of God in himself, he would not be able to seek its prototype. Each of us is an image of God, and God is our prototype. The image seeks the prototype, and only when it finds it does it find rest.”
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