Prayer of the Heart for the Faithful Living in the World

     As I progress in my spiritual life – or at least attempt to progress, encumbered as I am by my brokenness, attempting to humble myself before the living God – I thought it would be good to include writings on this blog that help me as I continue my journey.

     This blog was, after all, originally entitled “Blue Jean Theosis” for a reason: to include a myriad of writings that would help us progress in the spiritual life, while living in the modern world that we live in.

     The first piece of writing I’ve selected to help do this is one written by Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi, who was a spiritual child of the relatively popular (at least among Orthodox) spiritual Elder known as Joseph the Hesychast.  (Joseph the Hesychast helped to reinvigorate Mount Athos in a time when it had fallen into a certain state of disarray, for those of you unfamiliar with the Elder.)

     If you are starting on the path of hesychasm, and are concerned about your ability to do so while living in this busy, hectic (sometimes almost frantic) world of ours, I hope you will find some aid in this article.  It is particularly interesting for anyone who is trying to use the Jesus Prayer in order to enter into a state of noetic prayer.

     Enjoy the following material, but also let it speak to your heart, and let it lead you to the One – the Personal Absolute – who made you for Himself, fashioning you in His Image and Likeness.

Prayer of the Heart for the Faithful Living in the World

By Elder Joseph of Vatopaidi

The question is always being asked, "Is it possible for those living in the world to occupy themselves with noetic [1] prayer?" To those who ask we answer quite affirmatively, "Yes." In order to make this exhortation of ours comprehensible to those interested, but at the same time to make aware those who are unaware, we will briefly explain this, so that no one will be placed in a quandary by the various interpretations and definitions of noetic prayer that exist.

Generally speaking, prayer is the sole obligatory and indispensable occupation and virtue for all rational beings, both sentient and thinking, human and angelic. For this reason we are enjoined to the unceasing practice of the prayer [2].

Prayer is not divided dogmatically into types and methods but, according to our Fathers, every type and method of prayer is beneficial, as long as it is not of diabolic delusion and influence. The goal of this all-virtuous work is to turn and keep the mind of man on God. For this purpose our Fathers devised easier methods and simplified the prayer, so that the mind might more easily and more firmly turn to and remain in God. With the rest of the virtues other parts of man's body come into play and senses intervene, whereas in blessed prayer the mind alone is fully active; thus much effort is needed to incite the mind and to bridle it, in order that the prayer may become fruitful and acceptable. Our most holy Fathers, who loved God in the fullest, had as their chief study uniting with God and remaining continuously in Him; thus they turned all of their efforts to prayer as the most efficient means to this end.

There are other forms of prayer which are known and common to almost all Christians which we will not speak about now; rather we will limit ourselves to that which is called "noetic prayer", which we are always being asked about. It is a subject that engages the multitude of the faithful since next to nothing is known regarding it, and it is often misconstrued and described rather fantastically. The precise way of putting it into practice as well as the results of this deifying virtue, which leads from purification to sanctification, we will leave for the Fathers to tell. We paupers will only mention those things which are sufficient to clarify the matter and to convince our brethren living in the world that they need to occupy themselves with the prayer.

The Fathers call it noetic because it is done with the mind, the "nous", but they also call it "sober watchfulness" [3] which means nearly the same thing. Our Fathers describe the mind as a free and inquiring being which does not tolerate confinement and is not persuaded by that which it can't conceive on its own. Primarily for this reason they selected just a few words in a single, simple prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me", so that the mind would not require a great effort in order to hold on to a long, protracted prayer. Secondly, they turned the mind within, to the center of our reason, where it resides motionless with the meaning of the divine invocation of the most sweet Name of our Lord Jesus, in order to experience as soon as possible the divine consolation. It is impossible, according to the Fathers, for our all-good Master, being thus called upon continuously, not to hear us, He Who desires so much the salvation of men.

Just as a natural virtue that is aspired to can only be achieved by the conducive means, so also this holy work requires some nearly indispensable rudiments: a degree of quiet; freedom from cares; avoidance of learning about and spreading the "news" of things going on, the "giving and taking" as the Fathers put it; self discipline in all things; and an overall silence which stems from these things. Moreover, I don't think this persistence and habit will be unattainable for devout people who take an interest in this holy activity. The good habit of a regular prayer time, morning and evening, always about the same time, would be a good beginning.

With surety we have emphasized perseverance as the most indispensable element in prayer. Rightly it is stressed by St. Paul, "Continue steadfastly in prayer."(Col. 4:2) In contrast to the rest of the virtues, prayer requires effort throughout our entire lifetime, and for this reason I repeat to those who are making the attempt not to feel encumbered, nor to consider the need for endurance as a failure in this sober-minded work.

In the beginning it is necessary to say the prayer in a whisper, or even louder when confronted by duress and inner resistance. When this good habit is achieved to the point that the prayer may be sustained and said with ease, then we can turn inwardly with complete outer silence. In the first part of the little book (Way of the Pilgrim) a good example is given of the initiation into the prayer. Sound persistence and effort, always with the same words of the prayer not being frequently altered, will give birth to a good habit. This will bring control of the mind, at which time the presence of Grace will be manifested.

Just as every virtue has a corresponding result, so also prayer has as a result the purification of the mind and enlightenment. It arrives at the highest and perfect good, union with God; that is to say, actual divinization (theosis). However, the Fathers also have this to say: that it lies with man to seek and strive to enter the way which leads to the city; and if by chance he doesn't arrive at the endpoint, not having kept pace for whatever reason, God will number him with those who finished. To make myself more clear, especially on the subject of prayer, I will explain how all of us Christians must strive in prayer, particularly in that which is called monological [4] or noetic prayer. If one arrives at such prayer he will find much profit.

By the presence of the Jesus Prayer man is not given over to temptation which he is expecting, because its presence is sober watchfulness and its essence is prayer; therefore "the one who watches and prays does not enter into temptation." (cf. Matt. 26:41) Further, he is not given over to darkness of mind so as to become irrational and err in his judgments and decisions. He does not fall into indolence and negligence, which are the basis of many evils. Moreover, he is not overcome by passions and indulgences where he is weak, and particularly when the causes of sin are near at hand. On the contrary his zeal and devotion increase. He becomes eager for good works. He becomes meek and forgiving. He grows from day to day in his faith and love for Christ and this inflames him towards all the virtues. We have many examples in our own day of people, and particularly of young people, who with the good habit of doing the prayer have been saved from frightful dangers, from falls into great evils, or from symptoms leading toward spiritual death.

Consequently, the prayer is a duty for each one of the faithful, of every age, nationality, and status; without regard to place, time or manner. With the prayer divine Grace becomes active and provides solutions to problems and trials which trouble the faithful, so that, according to the Scriptures, "Everyone that calls on the Lord shall be saved." (Acts 2:21)

There is no danger of delusion, as is bandied about by a few unknowledgeable people, as long as the prayer is said in a simple and humble manner. It is of the utmost importance that when the prayer is being said no image at all be portrayed in the mind; neither of our Lord Christ in any form whatever, nor of the Lady Theotokos, nor of any other person or depiction. By means of the image the mind is scattered. Likewise, by means of images the entrance for thoughts and delusions is created. The mind should remain in the meaning of the words, and with much humility the person should await divine mercy. The chance imaginations, lights, or movements, as well as noises and disturbances are unacceptable as diabolic machinations towards obstruction and deception. The manner in which Grace is manifested to initiates is by spiritual joy, by quiet and joy-producing tears, or by a peaceful and awe-inspiring fear due to the remembrance of sins, thus leading to an increase of mourning and lamentation.

Gradually Grace becomes the sense of the love of Christ, at which time the roving about of the mind ceases completely and the heart becomes so warmed in the love of Christ that it thinks it can bear no more. Still at other times one thinks and desires to remain forever exactly as one finds oneself, not seeking to see or hear anything else. All of these things, as well as various other forms of aid and comfort, are found in the initial stages by as many as try to say and maintain the prayer, in as much as it depends on them and is possible. Up to this stage, which is so simple, I think that every soul that is baptized and lives in an Orthodox manner should be able to put this into practice and to stand in this spiritual delight and joy, having at the same time the divine protection and help in all its actions and activities.

I repeat once again my exhortation to all who love God and their salvation not to put off trying this good labor and practice for the sake of the Grace and mercy which it holds out to as many as will strive a bit at this work. I say this to them for courage, that they don't hesitate or become fainthearted due to the bit of resistance or weariness which they will encounter. Contemporary elders that we have known had many disciples living in the world, men and women, married and single, who not only arrived at the beginning state but rose to higher levels through the Grace and compassion of our Christ. "It is a trifle in the eyes of the Lord to make a poor man rich." (Sir. 11:23) I think that in today's chaos of such turmoil, denial and unbelief there exists no simpler and easier spiritual practice that is feasible for almost all people, with such a multitude of benefit and opportunity for success, than this small prayer.

Whenever one is seated, moving about, or working, and if need be even in bed, and generally wherever and however one finds oneself, one can say this little prayer which contains within itself faith, confession, invocation and hope. With such little labor and insignificant effort the universal command to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thes. 5:17) is fulfilled to perfection. To whatever word of our Fathers one might turn, or even in their wonderful lives, he will encounter hardly any other virtue given so much praise or applied with such zeal and persistence, so that it alone constitutes the most powerful means of our success in Christ. It is not our intention to sing the praises of this queen of virtues, or to describe it, because whatever we might say would instead rather diminish it. Our aim is to exhort and encourage every believer in the working of the prayer. Afterwards, each person will learn from his own experience what we have said so poorly.

Press forward you who are doubtful, you who are despondent, you who are distressed, you who are in ignorance, you of little faith, and you who are suffering trials of various kinds; forward to consolation and to the solution to your problems. Our sweet Jesus Christ, our Life, has proclaimed to us that "without Me you can do nothing." (Jn. 15:5) Thus behold that, calling upon Him continuously, we are never alone; and consequently "we can and will do all things through Him." (cf Phil. 4:13) Behold the correct meaning and application of the significant saying of the Scripture, "Call upon Me in your day of trouble and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." (Ps. 49(50):15) Let us call upon His all-holy Name not only "in the day of trouble" but continuously; so that our minds may be enlightened, that we might not enter into temptation. If anyone desires to step even higher where all-holy Grace will draw him, he will pass through this beginning point, and will be "spoken to" [5] regarding Him, when he arrives there.

As an epilogue to that which has been written we repeat our exhortation, or rather our encouragement, to all the faithful that it is possible and it is vital that they occupy themselves with the prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me", the so-called "noetic prayer", with a sure faith that they will benefit greatly regardless of what level they may reach. The remembrance of death and a humble attitude, together with the other helpful things that we have mentioned, guarantee success through the grace of Christ, the invocation of Whom will be the aim of this virtuous occupation. Amen.

Endnotes

As several of the Greek words used in this text do not have direct English equivalents, it was decided to add a small glossary at the end to help the reader understand with more preciseness the meaning of text.

noetic: of the "nous", the intellect. The intellect in this case is not simply the reasoning faculty of man, but the faculty of the heart that is able to comprehend natural and spiritual realities through direct experience. It is the faculty by which one may know God through prayer. Thus noetic prayer is also often called the "prayer of the heart."

"the prayer": When used with the article "the", as opposed to a general type of prayer, it refers to the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me." The Jesus Prayer is rooted in the early monastic tradition of the Church, with the words having been drawn from the New Testament.

sober watchfulness (Gr., nipsis): often translated as both "sobriety" and "watchfulness" it in fact incorporates both. It is a non-morbid seriousness in which the "nous", the intellect, maintains an alertness and awareness of its immediate state.

monological: In this instance it refers to the fact that when the prayer is being said by the person, on the humanly observable level it appears as if only the one praying is speaking; doing a monologue, that is. The activity of God usually remains imperceptible, especially for those in the beginning stages.

"spoken to": refers to the numerous biblical instances of God speaking to the hearts and minds of His righteous ones, communicating Himself directly to those who were pure of heart and seeking Him through prayer.

Peace of Mind Not Contingent Upon Conditions

     The goal of the spiritual life – forgive me for using such a vague term, but despite its inadequacies, and despite is overuse, it’s still a useful term – should be to acquire a peace of mind that is not contingent upon conditions.  Of course, as an Orthodox Christian, this should not be the ultimate goal.  The ultimate goal should be to attain salvation – and salvation for the Orthodox is nothing other than theosis, to attain union with the Uncreated Energies of the Incarnate Logos.

     But I think that theosis often seems too lofty a goal, despite the fact that the means to attain it – humility, fasting, unceasing prayer – are simple things (though simple, obviously, doesn’t equate to easy.)  How does one know that he or she is even moving toward theosis?  The answer, I think, is how at peace one’s mind is, regardless of the conditions in one’s life.

     And on the flip side of this, if you believe you have attained theosis but are not experiencing an inner peace and tranquility not dependent upon conditions, then, sorry, but theosis is not yet in your grasp – in fact, you would be guilty of spiritual pride.

     For the remainder of this article, I would like to discuss the things in one’s daily life that lead to this kind of peace.  Two of the things that I won’t be discussing in this article are fasting and prayer (although I will discuss watchfulness some).  There are plenty of great articles and books available – even if just online – for anyone interested in these subjects, material written by people far more wise than I.  The suggestions, pointers, and subtleties suggested here assume that one is already partaking in a life of prayer, fasting, and watchfulness.  This article also assumes that one is already immersed in the life of the Church: regular attendance of the Divine Liturgy, partaking of the Holy Mysteries (especially the Eucharist and Confession), and contributing to a local parish.

Peace of Mind

     What is peace of mind?  The inevitable thing that many do is to equate peace of mind with happiness, but this isn’t the case.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with being happy (as long as the happiness isn’t coming from some of the lesser forms, such as happiness at another’s expense, or happiness that will cause you un-happiness at a later date), but “being happy” should not be the goal of the spiritual life.  Happiness is fleeting.  It comes and it goes.  Many things will happen in our lives that will not make us happy.  Friends and loved ones die (sometimes tragically), our spouses may leave us, we may lose our job – when things of this nature happen, happiness is not going to be the result.  But we are capable of maintaining an inner peace, a tranquility that transcends our suffering, even in the midst of tragedy.

     Acquiring peace of mind first means that you must be willing to set your priorities on the things that matter – namely, the one thing that matters: attainment of theosis.  (There are a lot of Orthodox, I think, who like the thought of attaining theosis, but they don’t want to do the work that is required.  Their priorities are simply not in the right place.)

     In order to set your priorities, you need to come to terms with the fact that there are things that you should and should not do.  A lot of people don’t like Orthodoxy (or any “religion” for that matter) because they don’t want to be told a list of “shoulds or should nots”.  But the spiritual life – or any disciplined life, no matter whether the discipline is “spirituality” or not – doesn’t work in such a manner.  You should (or should not) do certain things because of the result of your actions.  If you want a life of spiritual peace and of inner tranquility, then not only should you do certain things, but you must do them.

     The first thing that Orthodox need to realize – and I don’t think it’s a subject that is even thought about too much, perhaps because of its seeming simplicity – is that your practice should be of one piece.  In other words, attainment of theosis is not comprised of different steps that you can take, discarding the lower steps as you move toward your goal of union with the Divine.  As you begin on the ladder of Divine ascent, you start with being more kind, more generous, more giving to others, doing your best to practice humility and to bear the cross of the many things that the Lord will place in your life along your journey.  But you don’t drop these things as you climb higher along the ladder.  If anything, you more easily increase them, even developing layers of subtlety that you wouldn’t have done before.  A God-realized elder or saint of the Church sees his passions – and his thoughts that lead to those passions – more clearly as he attains theosis.  Although the path to salvation is often depicted as a ladder, we need to realize that it could be just as easily represented by a wheel (as in the Eightfold Path - see my previous post comparing and contrasting Orthodoxy with Buddhism).

Humility

     One aspect of Orthodox spirituality that clearly distinguishes it from the western forms of Christianity (whether Catholic or Protestant) is that Orthodox spirituality represents a negation of the self.  (Western spirituality is all too often an affirmation of the self – a spirituality that affirms that our thoughts really are what we are, and that we can trust our truest, deepest self.)  And negation of self begins with humility.

     Humility is the most difficult aspect of the spiritual life.  But it’s also the most important because it’s the “springboard” that allows the rest of the spiritual life to flourish.  Humility is – despite our western mindset that wants to say otherwise – one of the most surefire ways to bring about a true peace of mind.  A humble mind does not cling to self and others (whether those others are people or things) as being me, myself, or mine.  Humility allows us to let go of our sense of self – the sense that we are somehow more important than others, and are the real center of the universe.

     Humility does not mean that we revile the self, however – a common misunderstanding, I’m afraid, even among Orthodox.  Listen to these words of Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain:

    

“Humility is the thought and conviction of our heart that we are more sinful than all men and unworthy of the mercy of God. Reviling ourselves doesn’t mean that we have true humility. True humility is when someone shames and abuses us publicly, and we endure it and say, “God ordered that brother to shame me for my many sins.” We should receive everything as a command of God. When someone shames you, say that God commanded him to do it. When someone takes something of yours, God commanded him to take it, in order to make you a monk. When you are removed from a higher place, God changed your place so that you would change from your passions and bad habits. This is true humility. And pride is when we trust in ourselves, in our mind, our strength, when we think we are more capable than someone else, better, more beautiful, more virtuous, more pleasing to God. Then it is certain that we are overcome by the ugly sin of pride, from which may God, who humbled Himself for our salvation, preserve us. Let us humble ourselves, brethren, because a proud man cannot be saved. Let us weep for our sins here, so we can rejoice forever in the next life, for after we leave this world everyone will forget us. Let us not hope in men, but only in God. A man changes. Today he gives to you and tomorrow he asks from you. Today he praises you and tomorrow he condemns you. Let us place our hope in the mercy of God, and we will never go astray.


“Brother, often animals are wiser than men. Let us learn obedience and patience from the ox, humility and meekness from the lamb, cleanliness and industry from the ants and bees. We can learn a lesson for our life from all the animals.


“It’s best for a man to become a clay vessel, which is useful to all people and for all kinds of daily work, for food, water, and so on. Golden vessels are put in safes and locked up in cupboards. For fear of thieves they are seldom used, maybe only once a year. A clay vessel has its daily use and service to man. So also is a humble man who does not seek honors and rank. He remains insignificant even amid men of lower rank, but he benefits, counsels, and helps everyone, and all seek him out and rejoice with him. Humility is a great gift to monks and all Christians!”

Our Thoughts

     Our thoughts – as Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnika would tell us – determine our lives.  If our thoughts are kind, peaceful, calm, tranquil, and full of loving-kindness toward others, then that is how our lives will be lived.  It really is that simple.  Once again, however, simple doesn't always equate to easy.

     In today’s spiritual marketplace – a world that is essentially nothing more than what the late Buddhist teacher Chogyam Trungpa would have labeled “spiritual materialism” – you will find plenty of books that deal with the “power of positive thinking” or stuff of similar ilk.  There is usually some degree of insight to these books – our thoughts are very powerful, after all – but the approach that these books take is misguided at the least ( downright demonic at the worst).  Our thoughts don’t need to become more positive, but they do need to conform to the will of God.  Here is what Elder Paisios has to say about positive thoughts, and then the kind of thoughts that we need to truly nurture:

     “In the beginning, we should willingly try to develop positive thoughts, which will gradually lead us to the perfect good, God, to whom belongs every glory, honor and worship; on the contrary, to us belongs only the humility of our conceited attitude.

     “We must always be careful and constantly question the nature of our thoughts.  When someone is preoccupied and trusts his own way of thinking, he becomes vulnerable to the devil, who is capable of transforming us into sly persons, even when we are honest by nature.”

     For me – and my spiritual struggles to conform to the will of God – it really does begin and end with thoughts.

     Practice watchfulness of your thoughts throughout the day.  Here is what Metropolitan Jonah has to say about inner watchfulness:

     "On an even deeper level, this spiritual principle – do not react – teaches us that we need to learn to not react to thoughts. One of the fundamental aspects of this is inner watchfulness. This might seem like a daunting task, considering how many thoughts we have. However, our watchfulness does not need to be focused on our thoughts. Our watchfulness needs to be focused on God. We need to maintain the conscious awareness of God’s presence. If we can maintain the conscious awareness of His presence, our thoughts will have no power over us. We can, to paraphrase St. Benedict, dash our thoughts against the presence of God. This is a very ancient patristic teaching. We focus our attention on the remembrance of God. If we can do that, we will begin to control our troubling thoughts. Our reactions are about our thoughts. After all, if someone says something nasty to us, how are we reacting? We react first through our thinking, our thoughts. Perhaps we’re habitually accustomed to just lashing out after taking offense with some kind of nasty response of our own. But keeping watch over our minds so that we maintain that living communion with God leaves no room for distracting thoughts. It leaves plenty of room if we decide we need to think something through intentionally in the presence of God. But as soon as we engage in something hateful, we close God out. And the converse is true – as long as we maintain our connection to God, we won’t be capable of engaging in something hateful. We won’t react…"

     The key point, for me, with what Metropolitan Jonah has to say is that we need to “maintain the conscious awareness of God’s presence.”  This is one thing that distinguishes Orthodox spirituality from other forms – for instance, this is a key difference between Orthodox watchfulness and Buddhist mindfulness.  We cannot truly control our thoughts without the Divine’s help.  Saint Hesychius, in the Philokalia, tells us this:

     “The spirit cannot conquer a demonic fantasy by its own unaided powers, and should never attempt to do so... The demons are a sly lot: they pretend to be overcome and then trip us up by filling us up with self-esteem.  But when we call upon Jesus Christ, they do not dare to play their tricks with us even for a second."

The Peace that Passes All Understanding

     As we practice these things – being more humble, kind, compassionate, caring, and conquering our thoughts through inner watchfulness – something will begin to happen to us.  We will develop a peace that –as the Bible tells us – passes all understanding.  And as we live, move, and dwell in this peace, something else will slowly happen: union with God.  But it won’t happen because we forced it, or because we were seeking an “experience” of God (which can often be a dangerous, misleading practice, by the way).  It will happen because you can’t acquire theosis without first acquiring a peace of mind that is not contingent upon conditions.

     

Uncreated Energies of God

The following is an essay from the book “Theosis: The True Purpose of Human Life” by Archimandrite George, abbot of the holy monastery of Saint Gregorios on Mount Athos.  It is a clear explanation of the Energies of God as the doctrine is understood – and experienced – in the Orthodox Catholic Church.

Theosis is possible through the uncreated

energies of God

According to the teachings of the Holy

Bible and the Fathers of the Church, man

is able to achieve Theosis because within the

Orthodox Church of Christ the Grace of God

is uncreated. God is not only essence, as the

West thinks; He is also energy. If God was only

essence, we could not unite with Him, could

not commune with Him, because the essence of

God is awesome and unapproachable for man,

as was written: “Never will man see My face

and live” (Exodus 33:20).

Let us give a relevant example from things

human. If we grasp a bare electric wire, we will

die. However, if we connect a lamp to the same

wire, we are illuminated. We see, enjoy, and are

assisted by, the energy of electric current, but

we are not able to grasp its essence. Let us say

that something similar happens with the uncreated

energy of God.

If we were able to unite with the essence of

God, we would become gods in essence. Then

everything would become a god, and there

would be confusion so that, essentially, nothing

would be a god. In a few words, this is what they

believe in the Oriental religions, e.g. in Hinduism,

where the god is not a personal existence

but an indistinct power dispersed through all

the world, in men, in animals, and in objects

(Pantheism).

Again, if God had only the divine essence

–of which we cannot partake– and did not have

His energies, He would remain a self-sufficient

god, closed within himself and unable to communicate

with his creatures.

God, according to the Orthodox theological

view, is One in a Trinity and a Trinity in One.

As St. Maximus the Confessor, St. Dionysius

the Areopagite, and other holy Fathers repeatedly

say, God is filled with a divine eros, a

divine love for His creatures. Because of this

infinite and ecstatic love of His, He comes out

of Himself and seeks to unite with them. This is

expressed and realized as His energy, or better,

His energies.

With these, His uncreated energies, God

created the world and continues to preserve it.

He gives essence and substance to our world

through His essence-creating energies. He is

present in nature and preserves the universe

with His preserving energies; He illuminates

man with His illuminating energies; He sanctifies

him with His sanctifying energies. Finally,

He deifies him with His deifying energies. Thus,

through his uncreated energies, holy God enters

nature, the world, history, and human life.

The energies of God are divine energies.

They too are God, but without being His essence.

They are God, and therefore they can

deify man. If the energies of God were not divine

and uncreated, they would not be God and

so they would be unable to deify us, to unite

us with God. There would be an unbridgeable

distance between God and men. But as God has

the divine energies, and unites with us by these

energies, we are able to commune with Him

and to unite with His Grace without becoming

identical with God, as would happen if we

united with His essence.

So we unite with God through His uncreated

energies, and not through His essence. This is

the mystery of our Orthodox faith and life.

Western heretics cannot accept this. Being

rationalists, they do not discern between the

essence and the energy of God, so they say that

they cannot speak about man’s Theosis because

God is only essence, for on this basis, how can

man be deified when they do not accept that the

divine energies are uncreated, but regard them

as created? How can something created deify

man, i.e. how can something outside God deify

man?

In order not to fall into pantheism, they do

not talk about Theosis at all. What then, according

to them, remains as the purpose of human

life? Simply moral improvement. If man cannot

be deified with divine Grace and divine energies,

what purpose does his life have? Only that

he becomes morally better. But 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.

St. Gregory Palamas and the energies

of God

In the fourteenth century, there was a great

upheaval in the Church which was provoked

by a Western monk, Barlaam. He heard that

Athonite monks talked about Theosis. He was

informed that, after much struggle, cleansing

of the passions, and much prayer, they became

worthy to unite with God, to have experience

of God, to see God. He heard that they saw the

uncreated light which the holy Apostles had

seen during the Transfiguration of our Saviour

Christ on Mount Tabor.

But Barlaam, having the Western, heretical,

rationalistic spirit, was unable to perceive

the authenticity of these divine experiences of

the humble monks, so he began to accuse the

Athonite monks as though it was they who were

deluded, heretical; as though they were the

idolaters. Because he knew nothing about the

difference between the essence and the uncreated

energy of God, he said that it is impossible

for someone to see the Grace of God.

Then, God’s Grace revealed a great and

enlightened teacher of our Church, the Athonite

St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessaloniki.

With much wisdom and enlightenment

from God, but also from his personal experience,

he said and wrote much which taught,

in agreement with the holy Scriptures and the

Holy Tradition of the Church, that the light of

God’s Grace is uncreated; that it is a divine energy,

so that in fact deified men see this light as

the ultimate, the highest experience of Theosis;

and they are seen within this light of God. This

is the glory of God, His splendour, the light of

Mount Tabor, the light of Christ’s Resurrection

and of Pentecost, and the bright cloud of the Old

Testament. It is the real uncreated light of God,

and not symbolic, as Barlaam and others who

thought like him believed in their delusion.

To continue, in three great Synods at

Constantinople the whole Church justified St.

Gregory Palamas, declaring that life in Christ

is not simply the moral edification of man, but

his Theosis, and that this means participation in

God’s glory, a vision of God, of His Grace and

His uncreated light.

We owe great gratitude to St. Gregory Palamas

because, with the illumination he received

from God, with his experience and his theology,

he expressed the eternal experience of the

Church, and so gave us the teaching concerning

the Theosis of man. A Christian is not a Christian

simply because he is able to talk about God.

He is a Christian because he is able to have

experience of God. And just as, when you really

love someone and converse with him, you feel

his presence, and you enjoy his presence, so it

happens in man’s communion with God: there

exists not a simple external relationship, but

a mystical union of God and man in the Holy

Spirit.

Until now, Westerners have considered that

divine Grace, or the energy of God, is something

created. Unfortunately, this is one of the

many differences which must be seriously taken

into consideration in theological dialogues with

the Roman Catholics. It is not only the filioque,

the primacy of power, and the “infallibility” of

the Pope which are basic differences between

the Orthodox Church and the Papists. It is also

the above. If the Roman Catholics do not accept

that the Grace of God is uncreated, we cannot

unite with them even if they accept all the other

points. For who is able to effect Theosis if divine

Grace is a creation and not an uncreated energy

of the All-Holy Spirit?