Гимн 32. Здесь Отец с изумлением рассказывает о том, как он видел Бога, подобно апостолам Стефану и Павлу 272 .

What is this new miracle that is still happening? God even now wants to be visible to sinners - He who once, having hidden himself, ascended the mountain and sat in heaven on the Father’s throne. For He hid from the gaze of the Divine Apostles, and after that only Stephen, as we heard, saw the heavens opened and then said: I see the Son standing at the right hand of the glory of the Father (Acts 7:55-56), and immediately, as having uttered blasphemy, he was stoned by the teachers of the law themselves; and (although) died according to the law of nature, he (remains) alive forever. However, he was precisely an Apostle, he was completely sanctified and filled with the All-Holy Spirit. On the other hand, this was the beginning of the sermon, (when) there were many unbelievers who, having believed in Christ through the Apostles, received grace, which is the gift of faith. But what does this extraordinary thing that is happening in me mean now? What could the terrible and amazing (phenomenon) that is happening now mean? What kind of image of philanthropy is this that is now revealed? extraordinary wealth of goodness? another source of mercy, much more (abundant) than those that existed in ancient times? For many were pardoned by Divine love for mankind, but they themselves brought something of their own: faith and other virtues and favorable deeds. But I, thinking that I am deprived of all this, am horrified and cannot bear what God is doing in me, prodigal from the womb (mother), who (with one) word created all creation. If I’m afraid to even think about it, how will I describe it verbally? (For 273 what hand will serve this work? what reed will draw?) what word could express, what tongue could express, what mouth would utter what seems to be happening and happening in me all day long? For in the very night and in the darkness itself, I see with trembling Christ, Who opens the heavens to me, He Himself bends down (from there) and appears to me together with the Father and the Spirit - the Trisagion Light. (So) one in three, and in one three (precisely 274 Light is, of course, and one Light is three), the Light that illuminates my soul brighter than the sun and enlightens my darkened mind. After all, if my mind had seen, it would have seen from the beginning. But, believe me, I was blind and did not see, and therefore the miracle amazes me all the more when He somehow opens the eye of my mind and somehow allows me to see, and (Himself) is visible? For He Himself is the light within the light who sees; and vice versa, those who see in the light see Him, for those who see see in the light of the Spirit; and those who see in Him behold the Son also. And whoever is worthy to see the Son sees (also) the Father. He who contemplates the Father sees Him, of course, with the Son, which even now, as has been said, is happening in me. I also somewhat understand the unthought of things and, amazed with great amazement and overcome with fear, I now contemplate in the distance those beauties that are invisible due to the impregnable light and unbearable glory. Meanwhile, I see only one drop from the ocean, but how in a drop is revealed the whole (total) of waters, what quality and type they are, how all the fabric is (visible) along the edge of the border, or as they say, by the claws (of a beast), (that) a lion; so I, embracing the whole in the small, see Christ Himself and my God and worship Him. Some consolation for my mind was the fact that, in order not to be scorched and burned, “like wax from the face of fire,” according to the word of the prophet (Ps. 67:3), I was far from the impregnable fire and stood in the midst of darkness, shrouded in it; therefore, looking out, as if through a small hole, I felt dizzy. Living in this (darkness) and occupying (it) my mind, and thinking that I seemed to be looking at the sky, and trembling so that (the fire), coming any closer, would not devour me, I found the very One Whom I saw in the distance, Whom Stephen saw in the open heavens, and (Whom) Paul saw again later, was blinded (Acts 9:8), (Him) truly, like fire, I found in my depths hearts. So, struck by the miracle and greatly trembling, I went into a frenzy, completely relaxed and completely helpless. And not being able to bear the unbearable glory, on the night of these sensations, I turned to flight, and, suppressed by thoughts, hid in them, as if entering a coffin, and having rolled this heaviest body instead of a stone, I covered myself (with it) and hid in my opinion from the Omnipresent, from the One who once raised me dead and buried. For, trembling and not being able to see His glory, I chose to enter and abide in the grave (and dwell with the dead, living in the grave myself) 275 rather than be burned and completely perish. Sitting there, I, the prodigal, must, of course, incessantly weep and cry because I have lost my Beloved and become lying in the grave. But, living underground, (as) dead and covered with stone, I found life in God Himself - the Giver of Life, to Whom belongs glory and honor now and forever. This hymn is available in both P.K. and L. p.: in the first” as the 11th word, and in the last as the 11th chapter. This is the next sentence taken from l. p. 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