Category: Mystical Theology
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The Love of God and the Gospel of Christ
I believe that the love of our enemies is utterly essential to the love of God. If we do not love our enemies, we will not know God, nor rightly love Him. Indeed, I believe that we only know God to the extent that we love our enemies. If anything, this points to the utter necessity of grace…
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Further Notes on a Common Faith – Newman
In my recent post on a Common Faith, I offered a concatenation of quotes from the Fathers, East and West, on the doctrine of salvation as union with God (divinization or theosis). It included as well, both Luther and Calvin. I commented at the time that with some little research surely we could add Newman…
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Riddled with the Worm of Bad Temper
We ought to be very careful to keep watch on ourselves. When a harbor is full of ships it is easy for them to run against each other, particularly if they are secretly riddled by the worm of bad temper. St. John Climacus, 4 I have seen my four living children nearly grown. The youngest…
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What Matters – A Redux
Occasionally it is useful to re-run some of my earliest articles on the blog. They remind me of what I’m doing, and inform newer readers of what the blog is about. The following is among my earliest: God matters and what matters to God matters. I know that sounds very redundant, but I’m not sure…
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Words on Prayer from the Elder Cleopa of Romania
This short interview on prayer is perhaps the last film of the Elder Cleopa of Romania, one of the greatest spiritual figures of 20th century Orthodoxy. Many times in his life the authorities sought to arrest him and he would flee to the wilderness. His words are filled with reference to the Scriptures and bear…
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Christianity and the One-Storey Universe – Where Do We Begin?
I read an interesting article today on a blog for those who are “de-converting” or in some sense trying to get over their religious past. For some of my readers it may come as a surprise that I find this interesting – but I find it deeply fascinating. I do not think that those who…
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The Remembrance of Wrongs
Remembrance of wrongs comes as the final point of anger. It is a keeper of sins. It hates a just way of life. It is the ruin of virtues, the poison of the soul, a worm in the mind. it is the shame of prayer, a cutting off of supplication, a turning away from love,…
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Modern Man and Coldness of Heart
I have been listening to a tape of the talk, “The River of Fire,” given by Dr. Alexander Kalomiros in 1980. By now it has become a very frequently cited and discussed document within the modern Orthodox world. Despite the occasional stridency of its tone, I cannot mkae myself disagree with its conclusions. The following…
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The Grace Given To Us
From the writings of the Elder Sophrony: At Vespers during Lent at the Monastery of Old Russikon-on-the-Hill the Lord allowed a certain monk to see Father Abraham, a priest-monk of the strict rule, in the image of Christ. The old confessor, weaing his priestly stole, was standing hearing confessions. When the monk entered the confessional…
Thanks for that Dee. Yes, Dee, I believe so too about the face, but both icons and the heart are…