Morning Prayers from an Old Russian Prayer Book

This is the garden outside the Church of St Panteleimon in Thessaloniki, Greece. I took this photo in the year 2000. This is my favorite church in Thessaloniki.

The Morning Prayers

The First Prayer of St Isaac the Syrian
O Lord Jesus Christ my God, Who dost visit Thy creation, to Thee are manifest my passions, and the frailty of my nature, and the strength of my adversary.  Do Thou Thyself, O Master, protect me from his malice, because his power is strong, where as my nature is passionate and my strength is feeble. Do Thou, O Good One, Who knowsest my weakness and hast borne the difficulties of my impotence, guard me against disordered thoughts and the flood of passions,  and make me worthy of this holy service, lest in my passions I spoil its sweetness and be found impudent and audacious in Thy sight. But in Thy mercy have mercy on me: For blessed art Thou unto the ages. Amen.

The Second Prayer of St Stephen of the Thebaid
O Master and Lord, Jesus Christ my God, be Thought my helper, I am in Thy hands. Suffer me not to sin, for I am tempted; suffer me not to perish in my sins. Take pity upon Thy creature. Cast me not away from Thy face on account of my sins, for to Thee have I fled. Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee. Before Thee are all they that afflict me and seek after my soul to destroy it. I have no other refuge than in Thee, O Lord, for Thou art powerful in all things, O Lord. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit,  now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

The Third Prayer of St John Chrysostom
O Lord, whether I will it or not, save me. As a filthy lover of material things I desire sinful defilement,  but as Thou art good and all powerful,  Thou canst hold me back. For if Thou hast mercy on a righteous man, it is no great thing; if Thou savest a pure man, it is nothing wonderful,  since they are deserving of Thy mercy. Rather, make known the wonder of Thy mercy in me, who am wretched, sinful and defiled, and show Thy compassion. Poor in all good works, I am a pauper, abandoned to Thee. O Lord save me for Thy mercy's sake: For blessed art Thou unto the ages. Amen.

The Fourth Prayer
O Master, have mercy on me for the sake of Thy goodness, and suffer me not to go astray from Thy will. And cast not my poor prayers away from Thy face, but hear O Lord, the voice of my prayer when I pray to Thee in the day and in the night, and accept it as choice incense. Withhold not Thy grace on account of my sins, but save me for Thy holy Name's sake. For Thine alone is to show mercy and save us, and unto Thee do we send up glory, to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,  now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Dismissal
Lord Jesus Christ,  Son of God, through the prayers of Thy most pure Mother, by the power of the precious and life-giving Cross, through the prayers of my holy Guardian Angel,  and of al the saints, have mercy on me and save me a sinner,  for Thou art good and lovest mankind. Amen.

"Crown Them with Glory and Honor" Verse from the Orthodox Sacrament of Marriage

Table set for the Celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage

In the Orthodox Church Source

"For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church." Letter of the Apostles Paul to the Ephesians 5:31-32 Source

"The mystery of marriage was established by God in Paradise.. Marital union is therefore not a consequence of the fall but something inherent in the primordial nature of human beings... In fact in an Orthodox understanding, the goal of  marriage is that man and woman should become one,  in the image of the Holy Trinity,  whose three Persons are essentially united in love....'When husband and wife are united in marriage, they are no longer seen as something earthly, but the image of God Himself.' St John Chrysostom. The mutual love of the two partners in marriage becomes life-giving and creative when a child is born." Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev in The Mystery of Faith, p. 149 to 154, Dalton-Longman-Todd Ltd, London 2007

"Husbands, never call her simply by her name, but with terms of endearment, with honors, with much love. Honor her and she will not need honor from others, she will not want the glory that comes from others, if she enjoys that which comes from thee.  Prefer her before all on every account, both for her beauty and her discernment,  and praise her."
St John Chrysostom  in Homily XX On the Letter to the  Ephesians Source

King Prophet David, His Psalms in the Life of the Orthodox Church

King Prophet David Statue of King David by Nicolas Cordier in the Borghese Chapel of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore,  Rome, Italy

"By far the largest single element in the Church's Divine services is the Psalms of David. Of them St. John Chrysostom has said: "If we keep vigil in church, David comes first, last and central. If early in the morning we want songs and hymns, first, last and central is David again. If we are occupied with the funeral solemnities of those who have fallen asleep, or if virgins sit at home and spin, David is first, last and central. O amazing wonder!

Many who have made little progress in literature know the Psalter by heart. Nor is it only in cities and churches that David is famous; in the village market, in the desert, and in uninhabitable land, he excites the praise of God. In monasteries, among those holy choirs of angelic armies, David is first, last and central. In the convents of virgins, where are the communities of those who imitate Mary; in the deserts where there are men crucified to the world, who live their life in heaven with God, David is first, last and central.

 All other men at night are overcome by sleep. David alone is active, and gathering the servants of God into seraphic bands, he turns earth into heaven, and converts men into angels." Source

"The Blessed Archbishop John Maximovitch, striving to awaken his flock to a more conscious participation in the Church's life, published the following appeal in his weekly diocesan bulletin (Shanghai, November 24, 1941, no. 503):

"Perhaps it will happen that you will die without having once in your life read in full the Psalter of David... You will die, and only then will good people read over your lifeless body this holy Psalter, which you had no time even, to open while you lived on earth! Only then, at your burial, will they sing over you the wondrously instructive, sweetly-wise-but alas, to you completely unknown-words of David: Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord... Blessed are they who search His testimonies. who keep His revelations, and seek Him with their whole heart.

 Do you hear: Blessed are they who search His testimonies, seek out the revelations of the Lord; and you had no time even to think of them! What will your poor soul feel then, your soul to which every word of the Psalmist, repeated by a reader or singer over your coffin, will sound as a strict reproach that you never read this sacred book?...

Open now, before it is too late, this wondrous book of the Prophet King. Open it and read with attention at least this 118th Psalm, and you will involuntarily feel that your heart becomes humble, soft, that in the words of David are the words of the merit of God, and you will repeat involuntarily, many times, with sighing of heart, the verse of this Psalm: I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; seek out Thy slave, Lord!" Source


"Psalm 19 (RSV) God’s Glory in Creation and the Law. To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

The heavens are telling the glory of God;
    and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech,
    and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words;
    their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice[a] goes out through all the earth,
    and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
    and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
    and its circuit to the end of them;
    and there is nothing hid from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect,
    reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
    making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right,
    rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
    enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
    enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true,
    and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold,
    even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
    and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern his errors?
    Clear thou me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins;
    let them not have dominion over me!
Then I shall be blameless,
    and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
    be acceptable in thy sight,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Footnotes:

Psalm 19:4 Gk Jerome Compare Syr: Heb line"
from Bible Gateway

Where do We Find Christ?

Source

On Slander by St Maximos the Confessor, St John Chrysostom and St Tikhon of Zadonsk

Source

“Inasmuch as you pray with all your soul for the one who has slandered you, so much will God reveal the truth to them who have believed the slander. “
– St. Maximus the Confessor, Chapters on Love, 4.89  Source

"Wherefore, not those that are slandered, but the slanderers, have need to be anxious, and to tremble, for the former are not constrained to answer for themselves, touching the evil things which are said of them, but the latter will have to answer for the evil they have spoken, and over these impends the whole danger."

St. John Chrysostom in Homily 42 on the Gospel of Matthew 12:33

"In Consolation of a Certain Brother Made the Victim of Slander
by St. Tikhon of Zadonsk

You are enduring terrible slander, as I hear. Accept what consolation I can offer.

1. Nothing happens to us without God; therefore, the wicked tongue also attacks us by the permission of God. For this reason be patient in the face of what God has sent. God hears the slander and also knows your conscience.

2. Be consoled by this -- that you are enduring false accusation. A clear conscience is consolation. It is better to be consoled by your conscience alone, even if the whole world slanders you, than to be accused by your conscience, when the whole world heaps praises upon you. This is my choice: let everyone slander me, if only my conscience with praise me. The conscience is a reliable witness that does not lie: it says what it sees and is silent about what it does not see. It stands alone against thousands of slanderers and offers a defence and consolation and, in time, shuts the mouths of the slanderers and covers them with shame.

3. You have many comrades in this misfortune. The saints of God endured much slander, and there are many who live now and who likewise suffer the same way. You are not the only one who suffers from this; many have travelled by this path and have made it smooth for us and summon us to come by the same path. Let us follow in their footsteps, that together with them we may glorify Jesus Christ Who redeemed us. O Jesus, attract us, weak and despondent to follow Thee and Thy saints.

4. Think on this and examine your conscience; have you not ever wounded anyone with your tongue? When this happens, then slander is punished by slander, and therefore endure with thanksgiving, that the sin be chastened here, so that he who committed the sin might be shown mercy later. "When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world," says the Apostle (1 Cor. 11:32). O Lord, chasten us here, and have mercy on us there!

5. You see how God, with His mercy, turns to good that which Satan and the evil contrive for evil. Therefore, be calm now and console yourself, and forget all vanity.

6. Learn from this not to believe the gossip of others who spread slander. Just as you hear slander against youself unexpectedly, so those concerning whom evil rumors are circulated often hear them unexpectedly, not even knowing what they are being accused of. Give thanks for this together with the prophet: "It is good for me that Thou hast humbled me" (Ps. 118:71). Read these points which I am sending, and you will discover what I mean. Work for your salvation and remember me, a sinner."

Your well-wisher,
Bishop TikhonSource
Source: Orthodox Life, Volume 26, Number 6 (Nov.-Dec. 1976), pages 8-9

For more reading on slander, according to the Church Fathers, go here.

The Made-up Tale of a Beggar by St John Chrysostom

Source

The Church Fathers love the poor and have a deep compassion for them. They will stand with the destitute in their defense. St John Chrysostom writes:
"It is folly, it is madness, to fill our wardrobes full of clothes and to regard with indifference a human being, a being made in the image and likeness of God, who is naked, trembling with cold and almost unable to stand.

You say: 'But that fellow there is pretending to tremble and not to have any strength.' So what? If that poor fellow is putting it on, he is doing it because he is trapped between his own wretchedness and your cruelty. Yes, you are cruel and guilty of inhumanity. You would not have opened your heart to his destitution without his play-acting.

If it were not necessity compelling him, why should he behave in such a humiliating way just to get a bit of bread?

The made-up tale of a beggar is evidence of your inhumanity. His prayers, his begging, his complaints, his tears, his wandering all day long round the city did not secure for him the smallest amount to live on. That perhaps is the reason why he thought of acting a part.But the shame and the blame for his made-up tale falls less on him than on you.

He has in fact a right to be pitied, finding himself in such an abyss of destitution. You, on the other hand, deserve a thousand punishments for having brought him to such humiliation." 

St John Chrysostom's Commentary On the First Letter to the Corinthians

Reliquary of St John Chrysostom in the Monastery of Vatopaidi, Mount Athos

The Cry that the Lord Answers

Prophet Isaiah's Vision by Dore

"6 Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke? (How amazing this verse is! God clearly states that what pleases Him the most is repentance, to forsake evil and the passions, acquire virtue, and thus be freed from the bondage and yoke of sin)

7 Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

8 Then your light will break out like the dawn,
And your recovery will speedily spring forth;
And your righteousness will go before you;
The glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.

9 “Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
You will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’

(In Brenton's Septuagint this verse reads, 'Then
shalt thou cry, and God shall hearken to thee; 

while thou art yet speaking He will say, Behold,

I am here.')

If you remove the yoke from your midst,
The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,
(God mentions two sins that particularly deprive man
from His Grace, His Presence and His response; judging 
and accusing another, and speaking wickedness which
includes slander, gossip, lying and false witness)

10 And if you give yourself to the hungry
And satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
Then your light will rise in darkness
And your gloom will become like midday."
Isaiah 58:10 NASB

St Cyprian of Carthage comments,

"Finally, beloved brethren, the divine admonition of the scriptures old as well as new, has never failed, has never been silent in urging God's people always and everywhere to works of mercy. And in the strain and exhortation of the Holy Spirit, everyone who is instructed into the hope of the heavenly kingdom is commanded to give alms."

and St John Chrysostom writes,

...God stands continually waiting, if any of His servants should perchance call Him; and never, when we have called as we ought, hath He refused to hear. Therefore He saith, 'While thou art yet speaking', I do not wait for thee to finish, and I straightway hearken"

from The Lives of the Holy Prophets, p.143, published by Holy Apostles Convent 1998,

ISBN 0-944359-12-4

The Lord's goodness toward us is indescribable. Even 
before we have been able to offer Him fruits worthy of
repentance, if we have mercy on the poor, clothe the
naked and feed the hungry; the Lord will hear our prayer.
He will quickly respond to our cry.

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy"
The Gospel of St Matthew 5:7 KJV

Prayer before Reading Scripture by St John Chrysostom

Byzantine 11th-century soapstone relief of St. John Chrysostom,
Museum of The Louvre, Paris, France Source

Prayer before Reading Scripture Source

O Lord Jesus Christ open Thou the eyes of my heart, that I
may hear Thy word and understand and do Thy will for I am
a sojourner upon the earth.

Hide not Thy commandments from me, but open mine eyes
that I may perceive the wonders of Thy law.

Speak unto me the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom.

On Thee do I set my hope, O my God, that Thou shall enlighten
my mind and understanding with the light of Thy knowledge,
not only to cherish those things which are written, but to do them;
that in reading the lives and sayings of the saints I may not sin,
but that such may serve for my restoration, enlightenment and
sanctification, for the salvation of my soul, and the inheritance
of life everlasting.

For Thou are the enlightenment of those who lie in darkness, and
from Thee cometh every good deed and every gift. Amen.

The Orthodox Way to Knowledge of God and the Place of Divine Revelation in the Life of the Christian

A Beautiful Mind - The Orthodox Way to Knowledge

Photo from the movie A Beautiful Mind with Russell Crowe

and  Jennifer Connelly

In the movie, 'A Beautiful Mind' Russell Crow brilliantly portraits the Mathematician and Noble laureate on Economics, Dr John Nash from Princeton University. Dr Nash has struggled with mental illness all his life but it did not hinder him from writing the paper which won him the Noble Prize in 1994.

Perhaps the most poignant scene of this movie is the moment when Alicia, Nash's wife, has to decide whether to stay with her husband or take their child and leave. Alicia looks at John who is sitting on the edge of the bed, and sighs, and asks him;

"You want to know what is real? And then holds his hand and touches it to her face and says, "This is real". Then Alicia says, "Maybe the part that knows the waking from the dream, maybe it isn't here (and touches John's head) maybe it is here (while touching John's hand to her heart, and then rests the palm of her hand on his). Then she exclaims, "I have to believe that something extraordinary is possible!"

I am certain that the Director, Ron Howard, is not trying to give us lessons in epistemology, (the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature, presuppositions and scope of knowledge). But I can't help watching the movie with my own Orthodox mindset and realize how accurate Alicia's instincts are.

The Apostle Paul proclaims, 

"For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6

What is knowledge, and how do we acquire it? No Western philosopher even comes close to the way the Orthodox Church answers these questions. According to Orthodox Tradition, "the source of Orthodox spiritual knowledge is divine revelation given to the Prophets, the Apostles, the Church Fathers and the Saints of every age, even to the present time, during the experience of 'theosis".(vision of the divine reality- emphases mine). Fr John Romanides

According to St Maximos the Confessor, "The soul would never be able to reach out toward the knowledge of God if God did not allow Himself to be touched by it through condescension and by raising it up to him. Indeed the human mind as such would not have the

strength to raise itself to apprehend any divine illumination did not God Himself draw it up, as far as it is possible for the human mind to be drawn, and illumine it with divine brightness". From 'Maximos Confessor Selected Writings', Chapters on Knowledge #31 p.134, Trans. by George C. Berthold, The Classics of Western Spirituality, Paulist Press New York 1985

This indeed was the experience of the Apostles,"When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, 'Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?' So they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.' He said to them, But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 'Jesus answered and said to him, 'Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven." Matthew 16:13-17 NKJV

During the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor, the pattern of the way to the knowledge of God was revealed in the experience of the Apostles Peter, John and James, "Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.

And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, I will make three   tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud over-shadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “ This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone." Matthew 17:1-8 NASB

This experience was not to be exclusive to the three closest disciples but it became also the way in which the other disciples (who saw the Lord after the resurrection) and generations of saints have seen the Lord and have acquired the knowledge of God, for centuries, even
unto our present day.

Fr John Romanides tells us that, "When you behold God Who is Love, then faith in God and all the concepts related to faith, together with hope in God and all the concepts related to hope are set aside. The concepts are taken away, because they are replaced by the vision of the Beloved Himself. During an experience of 'theosis' or glorification, this Love is the vision of God. Then a person is glorified. He sees Christ in glory and partakes of the glory of Christ. He experiences participation in God. 

Theosis is not an ecstasy. It is not something that only the human rational faculty experiences.  During the experience of theosis, the entire man participates in this experience. Even the body participates with all its senses in normal working order. When someone sees Christ in glory, that person is completely alert. So this person does not see something in his mind. He sees with his

body as well.

When the uncreated Light becomes visible, it is much more luminous and intense than the light of the sun, and yet it is by nature different from sunlight. It is the very Light of the Transfiguration. In fact, this Light is not even light as we understand it and are familiar with it. Why not? Because the uncreated Light transcends light.

Although the saint is in a supra-natural state during an experience of theosis, he continues to mix with those around him as before. The only difference is that he does not eat, sleep, or relieve himself for the duration of this state, since his condition is above nature and his life is sustained solely by the grace of the Holy Spirit.

If this state lasts for forty days and forty nights, as it did with Moses on Mount Sinai, the person in this state does not sleep, does not grow tired, does not eat, does not drink, and so forth for so many days and so many nights."
Patristic Theology pp. 73, 74,75 by Fr John Romanides, Uncut Mountain Press 2008.

What is the place of dogma and the scriptures after the experience of revelation has taken place? What happens after the vision of Christ in glory?" Fr Sophrony of Essex who himself experienced the vision of God in Uncreated Light tells us that, "A genuine theological process has revelation 'from above' as its starting point: the intellect can only theologize on the basis of the given revelation.

In church tradition the datum of revelation is encapsulated in the form of dogma: 'The human spirit, confronted by dogma, will then look for its own ways to assimilate the gifts of divine revelation and to appropriate what they contain. This predominance of revelation in theology determines the task of theology: in fact, it is not a speculative building up of new theological systems with a more perfected logical framework, but an exposition of the datum 'from above' and an integration of the divine revelation into the categories of human experience and expression. "Theological development fundamentally has no other function than that of rendering unchangeable dogmatic truths accessible to souls by 'translating' them into a language suited to the men for whom they were intended." ( Fr Sophrony in 'La felicite de connaitre la voie' p. 25-26).  From 'I Love therefore I am' p.41-42, Nicholas V. Sakharov, SVS Press 2002

And as Fr John Romanides explains above, the direct vision of Christ in glory communicates the knowledge of God to the heart of man in a way that human language, concepts and images cannot contain or express in its fullness. The human nous (sometimes translated mind but not to be confused with the brain or reason), is the organ of the soul by which man can know God and have communion with Him. The nous knows intuitively, that is, it knows by direct immediate knowledge without the need of discourse (deductive reasoning). 'The divine initiative through revelation presupposes a personal relationship between the recipient (man) and the source of the revelation (God). Spiritual Knowledge is 'living', ontological, and personal." 'I Love therefore I am'
p.42-43

St Gregory Palamas stresses the importance of the Christian's need of purification and sanctification to acquire knowledge of God in the 'Triads' where he wrote, "One who has cleared his soul of all connection with things of this world, who has detached himself from everything by keeping the commandments and by the dispassion that this brings, and who has passed beyond all cognitive activity through continuous, sincere and immaterial prayer, and who has been abundantly illuminated by the inaccessible light in an inconceivable union, he alone, becoming light, contemplating by the light and beholding the light, in the vision and enjoyment of this light recognizes truly that God is transcendentally radiant and beyond comprehension; he glorifies God not only beyond his nous's human power of understanding, for many created things are beyond that, but even beyond that marvelous union which is the only means by which the nous is united with what is beyond intelligible things, `imitating divinely the supracelestial nouses" St Gregory Palamas *

(See Note) Quoted by Metropolitan Hierotheos Vlachos in his article, "Knowledge of God According to St Gregory Palamas Source

This is what the Apostle Paul means when he writes to the Church of Corinth, "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6.

As Professor Harry Boosalis explains, notice how brilliantly the Apostle connects these three things, knowledge of God, the vision of the Uncreated Light of the Glory of God, in the face of Jesus Christ.

This knowledge is communicated directly and immediately to the heart of Christ's disciple who is striving to keep the commandments and purify his heart.

The Lord assures us that, "He who loves me will keep my word and my Father shall love him and we will come and dwell in him" John 14:23

"This communion in being is realized by the indwelling of God, of the Holy Spirit in man, by which man goes beyond the categories of empirical knowledge and is lifted up to the contemplation of the Divine reality. According to Father Sophrony, "Only the dwelling
in us of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will give us authentic knowledge of God" 'I Love therefore I am" p.44-45

St Maximos the Confessor also, explains the experience of the transfiguration in a very moving way. It brings consolation and hope to us who are striving in the hope to see the Lord, "For the Lord does not always appear in glory to those who are standing before Him; rather, He comes in the form of a servant to beginners,... Thus it is possible for the Lord

not to appear in the same form to all those who meet him, but to some in one way and to others in another way, that is, by varying the contemplation (of Him) according to the measure of faith in each one." 

Maximos Confessor Selected Writings p.150

Thus we begin to understand the words of our Lord when He said, " You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life." John 5:39-40 NASB 

St Maximos, filled with the Spirit and with clear vision fully understands the meaning of the Transfiguration and the place of the Scriptures in relation to the revelation. With words that sound more like a hymn of praise than a dogmatic statement he bears witness toHim who is the Truth,

"When the Word of God becomes bright and shinning in us, and His face is dazzling as the sun, then also will His clothes be radiant, that is, the clear and distinct words of the Holy Scripture of the Gospels now no longer veiled. Then Moses and Elijah will stand beside Him, that is, the more spiritual meanings of the Law and the Prophets." Maximos Confessor Selected Writings p.150, Trans. by George C. Berthold, Paulist Press 1985

St John Chrysostoms  encourages us to read and study the scriptures while remembering that our Lord

Jesus Christ is the Revelation Himself,

"It were indeed meet for us not at all to require the aid of the written word, but to exhibit a life so pure, that the grace of the Spirit should be instead of books to our souls, and that as these are inscribed with ink, even so should our hearts be with the Spirit. But, since we have utterly put away from us this grace, come, let us at any rate embrace the second best course.

For that the former was better, God hath made manifest, both by His words, and by His doings. Since unto Noah, and unto Abraham, and unto his offspring, and unto Job, and unto Moses too, He discoursed not by writings, but Himself by Himself, finding their mind pure. But after the whole people of the Hebrews had fallen into the very pit of wickedness, then and thereafter was a written word, and tables, and the admonition which is given by these.

And this one may perceive was the case, not of the saints in the Old Testament only, but also of those in the New. For neither to the apostles did God give anything in writing, but instead of written words He promised that He would give them the grace of the Spirit: for “He,” saith our Lord, “shall bring all things to your remembrance.”

And that thou mayest learn that this was far better, hear what He saith by the Prophet: “I will make a new covenant with you, putting my laws into their mind, and in their heart I will write them,” and, 'they shall be all taught of God.” And Paul too, pointing out the same superiority, said, that they had received a law “not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.'

But since in process of time they made shipwreck, some with regard to doctrines, others as to life and manners, there was again need that they should be put in remembrance by the written word. Reflect then how great an evil it is for us, who ought to live so purely as not even to need written words, but to yield up our hearts, as books, to the Spirit; now that we have lost that honor, and are come to have need of these, to fail again in duly employing even this second remedy.
For if it be a blame to stand in need of written words, and not to have brought down on ourselves the grace of the Spirit; consider how heavy the charge of not choosing to profit even after this assistance, but rather treating what is written with neglect, as if it were cast forth without purpose, and at random, and so bringing down upon ourselves our punishment with increase.

But that no such effect may ensue, let us give strict heed unto the things that are written; and let us learn how the Old Law was given on the one hand, how on the other the New Covenant." Homily 1 from the Homilies on the Gospel of St. Matthew Source

With compunction of heart we must entreat our Lord Jesus Christ and pray,

"Sanctify me by your mysteries, illumine my mind with knowledge of you, cause your hope to shine forth in my heart, deem me worthy to supplicate for it, God my Father and Lord of my life; illumine your lamp within me, place in me what belongs to you so that I may forget what belongs to myself.

Cast upon me the constraint of wonder at you, so that the constraint of nature may be overpowered by it. Stir upon within me the vision of your mysteries so that I may become aware of what was placed in me at holy baptism. 

You have placed within me a guide: may he show me your glory at all times. You made me to be light and salt for the world: may I not prove a stumbling-block for my companions.

Seeing that I have left the world, may I never again look back to it and to the things which I renounced when I made my promise to you.

Cast reigns of delight upon my heart, so that my senses may not gaze beyond the paths of your law. Rig together my impulses for the ship of repentance, so that in it I may exult as I travel over the world's sea until I reach the haven of your hope.

When I am tempted, may my mind take courage from the recollection of you. Illumine the dark path before me by the brilliance that comes from awareness of you," St Isaac the Syrian The Prayers of St Isaac the Syrian p.16, Trans. by Sebastian Brock, Divine Ascent

Press 2011.

*Note
Dr Christopher Veniamin, in his Notes to the Homilies
of St Gregory Palamas, p. 533 n.26 writes,

"We should point out here that in the theology of St Gregory Palamas, as in the case with the Patristic tradition more widely, there is no room for an 'analogy of being' (analogia entis), and thus also for a 'natural theology', that is to say, he does not believe that we may come to a knowledge of God through knowledge of creation. According to St. Gregory, knowledge of God can only be attained by divine revelation, which means through direct and unmediated communion with God Himself. The natural theology of the post-Augustinian western theological tradition, therefore, which claims that knowledge of God is obtainable by reason alone, is not to be confused with 'natural contemplation, (φυσικη θεωρια), which is found in the Fathers, and which refers to the spiritual vision of creation made possible only by the grace of the Holy Spirit. And in Note 27 Dr Veniamin adds, "...On the deeper spiritual level, when man is illumined by the grace of the Holy Spirit - and so sees created things spiritually and not merely according to the senses- he is able to discern that the whole creation is ordered and bound together in the divine Logos (the Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ).

Saint Gregory Palamas The Homilies, edited and translated from the original Greek by Dr. Christopher Veniamin, Mount Thabor Publishing 2009

See also, "Double Knowledge according to St Gregory Palamas by Dr. Π. Κ. Χρήστου (P. Christou)
Από: Π. Κ. Χρήστου, Θεολογικά Μελετήματα, τ. 3 (Νηπτικά και Ησυχαστικά), Θεσσαλονίκη 1977

Social Justice and the Poor According to the Church Fathers Part I

(Reuters) - The number of U.S. residents living in poverty
edged up to 46.5 million last year, the latest sign that an
economic recovery marked by a stock market boom has
not trickled down to ordinary Americans. Source

"Anyone who will not work, shall not eat" 2 Thess. 3:10

This much quoted verse by St Paul is commonly used to

justify neglect and indifference, a cold, merciless and proud 

contempt towards those living in disadvantaged conditions.

I have to ask myself, how do the Church Fathers view the poor?

This question is important because we as Orthodox Christians

seek to live our lives according to the well-trodden path of holy

Tradition. Socio-political views are one thing but we Orthodox 

must live according to a much higher standard.

How do the doctors of the Church view the poor? What is the
attitude of our ascetics, elders, monastics and saints towards

those at the very bottom of society?

In this and subsequent posts I will be posting quotes from

many authoritative voices from within Orthodoxy;

"Anyone working, you should know, ought to work not so

much for the satisfaction of his own needs by his efforts, as to

fulfill the commandment of the Lord who said: 'I was hungry

and you gave me food' Matt. 25:35

Thinking of oneself only is absolutely forbidden in these words:

'Do not be anxious, saying "What shall we eat?" or "What shall

we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" The Gentiles seek all these

things.' Matt. 6:31. The aim which everyone ought to have in 

working is to help the needy, more than to provide for oneself.

In this way we shall avoid the accusation that we are attached to

our own personal advantage and we shall receive the blessing that

the Lord gives to those who love their brothers and sisters. The 

Lord said: 'As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren,

you did it to me.' Matt. 25:40

So anyone who works day and night to succor the destitute is 

nearing perfection." St. Basil the Great in The Greater Rules 42.

"But there are four kinds of people who put money aside. I have

just mentioned three (for pleasure, conceit and lack of faith). 

There are, however, also those who restrict themselves to the 

administration of goods. Only these last are justified in 

accumulating money, on the assumption that their aim is to be

always in the business of helping the needy." St Maximos the 

Confessor, Centuries of Charity, 3:16

I love the words of the Golden-Mouthed St. John (Chrysostom) 

commenting On the First Letter to the Corinthians when he

wrote;

" It is folly, it is madness, to fill our wardrobes full of

clothes and to regard with indifference a human being,

a being made in the image and likeness of God, who is

naked, trembling with cold and almost unable to stand.

You say: 'But that fellow there is pretending to tremble and not

to have any strength.' So what? If that poor fellow is putting it on,

he is doing it because he is trapped between his own wretchedness

and your cruelty. Yes, you are cruel and guilty of inhumanity. You

would not have opened your heart to his destitution without his 

play-acting. 

If it were not necessity compelling him, why should he behave in 

such a humiliating way just to get a bit of bread? 

The made-up tale of a beggar is evidence of your inhumanity. His

prayers, his begging, his complaints, his tears, his wandering all day

long round the city did not secure for him the smallest amount to

live on. That perhaps is the reason why he thought of acting a part.

But the shame and the blame for his made-up tale falls less on him

than on you. 

He has in fact a right to be pitied, finding himself in such an abyss

of destitution. You, on the other hand, deserve a thousand 

punishments for having brought him to such humiliation." 

St John Chrysostom's Commentary On the First Letter to the Corinthians

"Why do you complain of giving something to the poor? Why do you

display bad temper in the practice of almsgiving? If they see you in

that frame of mind, the poor would prefer to refuse your gift. If you

give with a brusque demeanor you are not being generous but 

lacking gentleness and courtesy. 

If you give gladly, even if you give only a little, it is a big gift. If you

give unwillingly, even if you give a big gift, you turn it into a small

one." St John Chrysostom, On the Letter of Romans.

"If you help a poor person in the name of the Lord, you are making

a gift and at the same time granting a loan. You are making a gift

because you have no expectation to be reimbursed by that poor 

person. You are granting a loan because the Lord will settle the 

account. It is not much that the Lord receives by means

of the poor, but he will pay a great deal on their behalf.

'They who are kind to the poor lend to the Lord'. Prov. 19:17

St John Chrysostom Commentary On the Letter to the Romans,
21:1ff.

The profit that you gain from the poor surpasses all bounds of 

cruelty. You are profiting from misfortune, you are squeezing 

money out of tears, you are persecuting a defenseless being, you

are belaboring someone who is starving. You think the profit you

make out of the poor is just. But 'Woe to those who put bitter for

sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20. St Basil the Great, 

On Psalm 14  

"It is not enough to help the poor. We must help them with 

generosity and without grumbling. And it is not enough to help

them without grumbling. We must help them gladly and happily.

When the poor are helped there ought to be these two conditions:

generosity and joy." St John Chrysostom Commentary On the 

Letter to the Romans, 21:1ff.

On September 28th we celebrated the life and martyrdom of 

Good King Wenceslaus, also known as Martyr Vatslav, King of

the Czechs (929 A.D.) From the Prologue p.340 we read, "The
grandson of St Ludmilla, he lived as king in spiritual striving in
the Faith like the great ascetics, and strengthened the Orthodox
faith among his people. He took care when sitting in judgement
that no innocent man should suffer. In his zeal for the Christian
faith and his love for his neighbour, holy Vatslav bought pagan
children who had been sold as slaves and immediately baptised
them, bringing them up as Christians. He translated St John's
Gospel into Czech and brought the relics of St Vitus and his
grandmother, Ludmilla, to Prague. His brother Boleslav invited
him to stay and killed him at his court. Holy Vatslav suffered in
929. His relics are preserved in Prague." (Prologue) This is the
"Good King Wenceslaus" of the popular Christmas carol.

"Good King Wenceslas" is a popular Christmas carol that tells a
story of Good King Wenceslas braving harsh winter weather to
give alms to a poor peasant onthe Feast of Stephen (the second
day of Christmas, December 26). During the journey, his page is
about to give up the struggle against the cold weather, but is
enabled to continue by following the king's footprints, step for
step, through the deep snow. The legend is based on the life of
the historical Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia or Svatý
Václav in Czech (907–935). Source

Please listen to a wonderful rendition of this beloved Christmas 
carol below;

Tomb of King Wenceslaus in the Cathedral of St Vitus, Prague