Christ reveals divine life through sanctification. Life is a gift of God that achieves its true purpose only in a close relationship with God. By having been sent into the world, Christ revealed the redemptive and sanctifying power of God. Christ invites the faithful to a fundamental repentance and spiritual renewal, to a constant martyrdom of love and witnessing by giving, as exemplified by al the saints.
Faith in Christ sanctifies man through the energies of divine grace. The sanctification of each faithful person increases according to the degree of his or her faith. The more man is sanctified the more his mind is dedicated to eternal life, which he increasingly desires. Our union with Christ makes our life holy, providing a complete awareness that we are eternal y bonded to Him as beloved sons and daughters. Fr. Justin Popovic says it clearly and beautiful y:
The lives of the Saints are nothing other than the life of Christ the Savior, repeated in every saint, more or less, in one manner or another. Or, put more precisely, they are the life of Christ extended and prolonged in time and space through the saints. It is this divine life of the incarnate Logos of God, Jesus Christ, the God-Man, incarnate for this very reason, that is given and transmitted to us. And this is done to sanctify and immortalize and eternalize with His life our own human life upon this earth.
The Orthodox life of Christians is defined by the Gospel and lived by the saints. To become saints is the purpose of our cal ing. It is the commandment of God, and is both realistic and attainable, as demonstrated by the multitude of saints.
Christ always provides us the resources necessary for the good fight. It is from Christ that saints receive the strength to live out their faith “in His name,” to do miracles, to do “even greater things than these.” Thus, the relationship of Christ to His saints provides everything useful, necessary, and indispensable for life and soul.
Yet, even though we have everything that we need, we nonetheless feel poor, deprived, disadvantaged and alone. Even though science and technology have made tremendous advances, we feel insecure, unprotected and helpless. Disease, old age, problems of al kinds can break our spirit. However, the steadfast and enlightened journey on the road of holiness wil remove al these obstacles and beautify our days. We shal see the world with different eyes, the eyes of the saints who do not fear change.
Love puts fear afar off. We follow Christ out of selfless love, as did the saints, for He loved us first, and no matter what we do we can never reach His love. According to St. Nicholas Kabasilas, The saints loves, not what he himself prefers personal y, but what Christ wants. The saint abandons himself and runs to Christ. He forgets his poverty and places his hopes on the wealth of Christ. For the power of love is what makes those who love to share the good things they have. The wil and the desire of the saints is total y consumed in God.
According to a contemporary theologian, an excel ent interpreter of St. Nicholas Kabasilas, The saints rejoice with what Christ rejoices; they are saddened by what saddens Christ; and they express and activate in history the wil of Christ. They speak as the mouths of Christ to reveal the truth.
They work as the hands of God in the world and they do miracles (P. Nel as).
THE UNIQUE SOURCE OF HOLINESS IS GOD ALONE
The history of saints is but the experience and the expansion of the Gospel, an experience the we can only attempt to describe by living it, as did the saints. Let us keep silent and examine our unknown self, beseeching the saints and prayerful y reading the Sacred Scriptures. As we attempt to imitate our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, we become a spiritual family, a warm and friendly company with the saints. Christ gave us His al -holy Mother, His disciples and friends, and al the saints, for the times of our needs, for the hours of loneliness, grief and despair. As long as we struggle, the experience of the saints wil also be our experience. Let us not be discouraged. The saints rejoice in their personal encounter with Christ, and their joy is a gift for the whole Church.
MORE THOUGHTS ON THE SAINTS AND US
When you know a spirit-fil ed contemporary ascetic, he may confide in you divine mysteries, divine revelations, personal and unique. He does not do this out of pride or to project himself. Rather, he wants to help you, to tel you what he saw and heard himself, when he groped for as he lived profoundly in quietude and silence. Once a monk asked an ascetic brother: “How does one feel who has the gift of vision into the future?” The ascetic answered simply and spontaneously: “He feels himself quiet the same as one who has the gift, who realizes it, and who indeed lives by it.” His purpose is to transmit his joy to us, for his gift is wealth for the whole Church; it is not a personal acquisition, but one that is used soteriological y for the benefit of al .
We too, therefore, eat bread from the toils of the saints; we live and have our being out of their inexhaustible love and compassion. They accompany us in our present passage and they dire3ct us to our permanent fatherland in heaven. It is important for us to knead and bake our own bread with the tears of prayer, with the toil of asceticism, and with the seal of humility. And if, as St. John of the Ladder says, we find it difficult to attain the state of dispassion, certainly our reconciliation with God and our assurance of salvation is quite easy.
The saints take us by the hand and teach us – to walk in life, to pray, to overcome difficulties. They want us to be centered on Christ and moved by the Spirit; they want us to be philanthropists, in the broad sense of true love for our fel ow human beings; they want us to be merciful, as the saints themselves were in this life.
They also teach us to be joyful with what we are and have, and not to be caught up with excuses and with a desire to escape from the present. Moreover, they teach us patience and forbearance in times of difficulties, temptations and problems, which usual y become a way of sanctification, opened up by God Himself for those who love Him. With their examples, the saints show us how to love the very specific person – the spouse, the friend, the neighbor, the colleague – not some abstract love for the unknown crowd, an ideology, a particular system or an organization. The saints expect us to be complete and selfless, generous, joyful, impartial and unbiased, satisfied with our kenosis, deeply knowledgeable of ourselves – and to change daily boredom into stepping stones that lead to the kingdom of God. They offer us lessons in Orthodox character and style of life, and in Orthodox instruction and education.
Albert Einstein once made a rather appropriate characterization of our century. He said: “The twentieth century is the period in time of perfected means but of confused purposes.” Yet, the purpose of creation remains the same – sanctification and holiness, communion with God, deification. According to St.
Gregory of Nyssa, the purpose of a virtuous life is to become similar to God. According to St. Maximos the Confessor the unique purpose of creation is that we become communicants of the divine nature and partakers of God's eternity.
If, therefore, we want to thank the saints for their many graces and Christ their leader, we should, of course, imitate them. We should imitate them in two main characteristics of their lives – repentance and prayer. Let us repent for moving away from God and our friends to a cold isolation and estrangement, and let us humble ourselves by loving sincerely. Prayer is the constant delight of the saints – their permanent concern, joy and freedom. By praying, we are guided readily and easily to the gathering of the saints, to their company and to their blessed peace.
Before we conclude, let us remember that holiness, even by the sound of its name, frightens us and makes us imagine that it is something distant and elusive – something that exists, but not for us. Perhaps this fear is justified because of error in our educational system. The kerygmatic sermon of the Church has lapsed into superficial moralism. Orthodox teaching has been forgotten. The teaching and lives of saints have been replaced by the sayings of scientists and artist. Only a few painless sayings of the saints have been retained for occasional repetition.
As your younger brother, I would like to express, with much love, a few final words that seek to remind us of the perspective of our existence, the purpose of our creation, and the direction of our journey.
Sanctification and holiness are possible only in the Church of Christ. Sanctification always exists in a continuous self-emptying of love, which regenerated and transfigures the whole person, elevates him, and unites him with al his brothers and sisters. By living one learns, and by creating one acquires. Let us try it, let us attempt it, let us wil it. We shal certainly give joy to heaven and to earth, and meaning to life. Angels wil come to our assistance, so wil the saints, and Christ Himself, who is always hurrying to anticipate al of us – his disorderly, unruly and energetic children. Even in our flights from Him and in our shame, we do not cease to seek Him, for we cannot live without Him, for this is how He has created us, and we are in a sense condemned to love him freely, as those who are absolutely free love Him, those who love perfect love, that is, al the saints.
May the intercessory prayers of al the saints ever overshadow us and assist us al the days of our life, especial y the prayers of the al -holy Theotokos and of the holy and God-bearing Fathers of Mt. Athos.
The Life Of Prayer
PRAYER AS AN IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR SPIRITUAL LIFE
The life of prayer, which we shal discuss, is one part of a much broader topic – spiritual life in general –
the life in Christ, spiritual ascension, the way to sanctification and deification. Combined with personal inner purification and a regular sacramental life, a life of prayer wil help significantly in the regeneration of the faithful during this difficult period in which we live.
The content of this discussion is not the property of the author. It consists primarily of material borrowed from the abundant resources bequeathed to us as an inheritance by the holy Fathers. Also included are precious morsels gathered eagerly from the spiritual dinner table of contemporary elders of Mt. Athos.
There are many stations or steps in the journey of prayerful spiritual ascent. We shal briefly address some of the more significant ones related to our topic.
Study is one of the very first steps. In the austere monastic rule of St. Pachomios one of the canons requires that novice monks be taught reading and writing by older monks, to assist them in their study of Sacred Scripture. Father Theodoros of Thebes, a disciple of St. Pachomios, made the following observation about his monastic life: “Neither in our heart nor in our mouth had we anything other than the word of God alone, and we did not feel that we were living on earth but were celebrating in heaven.” The mind learns that with which it is preoccupied. If one is preoccupied during the entire day with the lives of others, he derives no benefit for himself. Through unbridled curiosity and idle discussion, particularly where the sins of others are addressed with satisfaction and interest, we stimulate and arouse our own passions.
It has been observed that people who are scandalmongers, who gossip, and who defend morality by accusing others, usual y have very serious problems themselves. Preoccupation with vain things and malicious conversations are to be avoided; they can total y incapacitate the spirit of prayer.
Study wil help in our effort to pray by arousing our forgotten powers, by strengthening and invigoration us. In this vein Father Isaias instructs us: “When you arise in the morning, before you begin your work, study the words of God. When you have the words of God as your constant companion, you wil not be preoccupied with worldly matters, you wil no be troubled, you wil not sin.” St. Ephraim the Syrian, who incidental y was described by St. Gregory of Nyssa as having Sacred Scripture as his only nourishment, adds this: “The words of god refresh the heat of the soul. Suckle the words of God like an infant so that you may grow.”
For one who desires to live this life of prayer daily nourishment from Sacred Scripture is indispensable.
Study of the Bible expedites the intervention of God in our life. And it is good for such study to precede prayer.
In addition to Sacred Scripture, particularly Psalms, the life of the saint of the day and a selected ascetic text from the Fathers can provide relief from the confusion and distress of the day, and help us prepare to surrender to God. And let it be emphasized that God is not to be dealt with in a few minutes out of the entire twenty-four hour period. God is for the entire day. His abiding presence should accompany us continuously so that al our activities are a preparation for the sacred hours when we embrace God. And, in turn, these sacred hours of prayer wil strengthen us for the struggles that follow.
Everything flows calmly under the watchful eye of God, who blesses and sanctifies us. And if we transgress he may intervene austerely to bring us back t our senses. Let us, therefore, always remember Him.
Liturgical books – the horologian, psalter, menaia, triodion, pentekostarion, parakletiki – are not only for the lectern in church but also for the prayer room in our home. These books offer great assistance to our spiritual life. It is a beautiful thing when one comes to love these books and makes them daily companions –
even if only for an abbreviated Orthros or a few hymns for Vespers, the Compline, or the Salutations to the Theotokos.
The Church has designated particular prayers for important events in our lives such as birth, sickness, engagement, marriage and death, as wel as for various other occasions, such as the opening of a home, the beginning of a business, or the start of a professional career. The Church has also designated prayers for prescribed hours of the day.
St. John Chrysostom, commenting on prayer before and after meals, notes that among the reason for these prayers are the following: that we also remember the nourishment of the soul; that we avoid intoxication and over-indulgence; that we develop the discernment of moderation; and that we express our gratitude to God for His gifts.
At prescribe times the Church gathers in common prayer and worship. The prayers of many faithful who have gathered are more readily received and heard by God – He is particularly attentive to such petitions.
To help us receive the ful benefit of ecclesiastical gatherings let us pay close attention to these words of St.
Symeon the New Theologian: “Stand in church as if you are in heaven together with the angels, and consider yourself unworthy to be praying together with your brothers. And be vigilant not to be looking back and forth to observe the brothers and sisters, how they are standing or chanting, but observe only yourself, you chanting and your sins.”
St. Paul noted that he who is happy should sing. Psalmody – spiritual song – is not only for church services, but for any circumstances that permit. We can chant aloud or silently, individual y or as a group, before and after prayer, and even during intermissions.
According to Diadochos, bishop of Photiki, in addition to the familiar ecclesiastical psalmody, we also have another psalmody which comes from an overflow of joy, powerful and moving, with a prayerful disposition. This psalmody, when moved by the Holy Spirit, is accompanied by delight of the heart, spiritual tears and incredible joy.
Returning to the preparatory aspects of prayer, let us note the words of St. Athanasius in his treatise on virginity: “The believer who is dedicated to God must be found with the Book in his hands when the sun rises.” He also provides instructions for the hours of the day and night, and how the faithful must stand before God.
It is wel established that books are beneficial, but they do not always lead to prayer. And it is to be noted that a greater teacher than books is prayer itself. Innumerable ascetics have learned to pray without any books at al . Books and church gatherings cannot always be with us, bu we can always learn by the inner work of prayer, which can be with us at al times. The soul of each one who truly prays becomes a temple of God and a sacred place of sacrifice. Al prayers are good – audible prayers, book prayers, public prayers, silent prayers of the heart – when practiced careful y and attentively.
As there is no healthy plant without roots, there can be no life of payer without the sacraments, especial y Holy Eucharist. For, as Abba Apollos says, “He who withdraws from communing the Sacred Mysteries, causes God Himself to withdraw from him.” It is customary for monks to complete prayers begun in their cel when they have gathered in church. And common prayers started in church are completed in their cel s. The sacrament of Holy Eucharist, in which they participated during Divine Liturgy is continued on the sacred altar of their hearts with ongoing prayer.