Mystagogy

Essay by Rev. Maximus the Confessor “Mystagogy” (24 chapters; 628-630 or until 636) contains an ascetic, mystagogic (secret) interpretation of the Divine Liturgy. This is the first liturgical commentary in Greek patristics. Chapters 1-7 reveal the theological and symbolic meaning of the Holy Church, explaining how it reflects God, the world, man, and the soul. The author considers the Holy Scripture and the world as the embodiment of man and vice versa, thereby expanding the understanding of the interpenetration of the spiritual and material, separate and universal. Chapters 8-24 reveal the spiritual and symbolic meaning of the liturgy, each element of which (from the entrance to the church to the Sacrament of the Eucharist) is a reflection of the Divine economy. St. Maxim emphasizes that liturgy is a living participation in the sacrament of salvation. The author draws parallels between the visible structure of worship and the invisible reality of the spiritual world. He shows how church rituals and symbols reveal the secrets of the Divine presence and action in the world. St. Maxim draws analogies between the structure of the church and the structure of the human soul, emphasizing that the celebration of the liturgy symbolizes the internal transformation of a person. Particular attention is paid to the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which is considered as the focus of church life and the source of deification. Through the communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, a person becomes a partaker of the Divine nature. Contents Introduction I. How and how the Holy Church is the image and image of God II. About how and in what way the Holy Church is the image of the world, consisting of visible and invisible entities III. That the Holy Church is also an image only of the sensory world IV. About how and in what way the Holy Church of God symbolically depicts a person, and is itself depicted by him as a person V. About how and in what way the Holy Church of God is the image and image of the soul in itself VI. How and in what manner is the Holy Scripture called man VII. How and in what way the world is called man, and man the world VIII. What symbolizes the first entrance [of the bishop] into the sacred Assembly and the subsequent actions IX. What shows the entry of the people into the Holy Church of God X. What do the divine readings symbolize XI. What do the divine chants symbolize XII. What does the cry of “peace to all” mean? XIII. The symbol of which, in the proper and private sense of the word, is the reading of the Holy Gospel and the subsequent sacraments XIV. The symbol of which, in the general sense of the word, is the divine reading of the Holy Gospel XV. The symbol of which is the closing of the gates of the Holy Church after [reading] the Holy Gospel XVI. What does the entry of the holy gifts mean XVII. The symbol of which is the divine kiss XVIII. What does the divine creed XIX mean? What does the doxology of the Trisagion XX mean? The symbol of which is the holy prayer “Our Father who art in heaven” XXI. What does the end of the mysterious sacred rite, ending with the chants “One Holy, One Lord” mean, etc. XXII. How and in what way in each of the described [actions] the separately deified and perfect state of the soul is contemplated, comprehended in itself XXIII. That the first entrance of the Holy Assembly is a symbol of spiritual virtues XXIV. What sacraments are carried out and performed through the sacred rites established for the holy Assembly, in the believers and those who gather [in the church] with faith, the always abiding [in the Church] grace of the Holy Spirit. Conclusion How a wise man, having received instruction, becomes wiser, and a righteous man, having increased his knowledge, becomes knowledgeable, according to the divine parable (Proverbs 9:9), - this you yourself, my most honorable of all, clearly showed with your experience, teaching by deed what the Word of God hints at. For, having once heard how I casually and briefly, as best as I could, expounded the beautiful, mysterious and highly instructive interpretations of a certain great elder 1, truly wise in relation to [things] divine, about the Holy Church and about the sacred Assembly taking place in Her, you urgently asked me to compile for you a written statement of these interpretations. You wanted to have a composition as a drug against oblivion, strengthening memory, which, as you said, time has its natural destroyer. According to you, time, with the help of oblivion, can imperceptibly wash away and completely erase the imprints and images of beautiful things hidden in our memory. Therefore, it certainly needs a means of renewing it, thanks to which the power of the word, always in a flourishing state, is inherent in preserving memory unchanged and inexhaustible. How much wiser is the desire for the indestructible preservation of what is heard than the desire to simply listen, knows, of course, every person who cares at least a little about the nobility of speech and is not completely alien to the closeness of the word. But at first, to be honest, I avoided the offer. Not because I did not want, beloved, to give you, in any way and to the best of my ability, what is dear to your heart, but because I was not a partaker of the grace that guides worthy people in such matters, and also because I do not have the proper skill in handling the word. For I was brought up in simplicity, being completely uninitiated into the secrets of artificial speech, which finds joy only in pronunciation. And this sweet sound of it, which often contains nothing worthy in its depths, is admired by very many who limit the pleasure [derived from speech] to hearing alone. I was also afraid because - to say more precisely and truthfully - that with the insignificance of my words I could offend the sublimity of speculation about the divine inherent in that blessed man. However, finally, yielding to the power of love that overcomes everything, I decided to fulfill [your demand], recognizing that it is better, for the sake of obedience, to be ridiculed by the scolders for self-confidence and ignorance, than by my refusal to make you think that I do not want to assist you in any good deed. I have entrusted the care of how to speak to the Lord (Ps. 55:23; 1 Pet. 5:7), Who alone works wonders (Ps. 136:4), teaches man understanding (Ps. 93:10), opens the mouth of the dumb (Wis. 10:21), admonishes the perplexed, raises the poor from the dust, raises the needy from clay (Ps. 112:7 ), I mean - from the carnal mind and from the fetid dirt of passions 2. He exalts the poor in spirit, devoid of depravity and skill in it, or, on the contrary, who is in the power of passions and the law of the flesh, and therefore poor and mendicant by grace in relation to virtue and knowledge 3. But since the holy and truly God-enlightened Dionysius in his essay “On the Church Hierarchy” examined, worthy of the greatness of his mind, symbols related to the sacred sacrament of the holy Assembly, 4 we must keep in mind that our work will not repeat the same thing and follow the same paths. For for one who cannot comprehend and understand Dionysius, it would be arrogant self-confidence, bordering on madness, to strive to discuss the same questions and present as his own secrets, divinely inspired by the Spirit only to him. But [we will talk about] what others received from him, out of love for mankind and the will of God, so that they could exercise and develop their abilities in the study of [things] divine. Then, through this, the all-luminous ray of secret actions, proportionately comprehended by them, becomes accessible to them, and they, enveloped in love, become attached to it. And this is done so that those who came after Dionysius would not remain idle throughout their life here, not having participation in the contractual payment for cultivating the vineyard - that is, for spiritual work on the spiritual vineyard (Matthew 20: 2-16) - payment that elevates the spiritual denarius of the divine and royal image, which was initially insidiously stolen by the evil one as a result of the transgression of the commandment. I do not promise to retell in order everything that the blessed elder mysteriously contemplated, and to quote his own words, as he himself understood and spoke them. After all, in order to be a wise man 5 and a teacher of all enlightenment, he freed himself, with the help of success in virtue, prolonged and most learned diligence and exercise in [things] divine from the bonds of matter and material ideas. He deservedly possessed a mind illuminated by divine radiance and therefore able to contemplate what is invisible to many. And his word was the most accurate translator of speculation and, like a mirror, unclouded by any stain of passion, it had the ability to purely reflect and convey what others were unable to contemplate. Therefore, listeners could see the whole thought conveyed by the word, and also in perfect purity imagine and perceive with their whole mind the whole body of speculation interpreted by them through the mediation of the word. I can only state what is preserved in my memory, what I can only vaguely comprehend and even more vaguely express. However, I will state it piously, calling for help the grace of God, who illuminates what is covered in darkness. After all, I cannot believe that you, who know how to judge with justice, should consider that I am capable of thinking and speaking differently than I can, and to the extent this is bestowed by heavenly grace, which providentially gave me the corresponding ability, even if the one who transmitted [these secrets] and taught [them to me] belongs to the number of the most noble people. To demand equality from those who are unequal in virtue and knowledge, I think, is tantamount to trying to prove that the moon shines equally with the sun, or to asserting that things that are completely dissimilar can be forcibly brought into complete conformity with each other - which is absurd and impossible. May God, the only Mind of that which thinks and that which is comprehended by thought, guide our words and thoughts; [singular] The Word of that which expresses, and of that which is spoken about; The life of the living and life-giving; Existing and Becoming All for everyone for the sake of those existing and becoming, while He Himself in Himself, of [everything] that exists and becomes in one way or another, is absolutely and in no way either existing or becoming, for by His nature He does not correspond at all to any category of existing. And therefore, due to the superexistence of God, the definition of “Nothingness” 6 is more appropriate for Him. For we must know - if we really need to know the difference between God and creatures - that the affirmation of the Superexistent is the negation of the existing, and the affirmation of the existing is the negation of the Superexistent. And both of these judgments about God - I mean designating Him as being and as non-being - are rightfully permissible, and neither of them is impossible in the strict sense of the word. Both are fair, since the affirmation that He exists has a basis in Him as the Cause of beings, and the denial of His existence is fair, since He transcends every cause of beings. And, conversely, none of these judgments are valid, because they are not expressed regarding the very essence and nature of what constitutes the content of the being of the thing under study. For with God nothing in general, whether existing or non-existent, is connected by nature with a causal connection; and with Him, of course, it is impossible to compare anything that exists or is expressed, or anything that is non-existent or unspeakable. Because He has a simple existence, unknown and inaccessible to everyone, ineffable and above all affirmation and negation. This is on this issue. Now let's move on to the next topic of our discussion. I. How and how the Holy Church is the image and image of God That blessed elder said that the Holy Church at the first level of contemplation 7 bears the image and image 8 of God, as a result of which it possesses, by imitation and likeness, the same effect 9 . God, who created and brought into existence all things with His infinite power, binds, combines and limits everything, intelligible 10 and sensory, providentially connecting one with the other and with Himself. And, being the Cause, the Beginning and the End, He holds near Himself things that are by nature separated from each other, forcing them to be united by the power of one connection with Himself as the Beginning. Thanks to this force, everything is brought to the indestructible and unmerged identity of movement and being, so that, despite all the differences in nature or movement, none of the originally existing 11 rebels against the other and is not separated from the other, but everything is united without confusion through a single indestructible connection and thanks to the preservation of one Beginning and Cause. This connection abolishes and covers all private connections, visible, according to the nature of each, in all beings. However, it abolishes and covers not by destroying, destroying or bringing them to non-existence, but by conquering and appearing to them from above, as the whole appears to the parts, or the cause to the whole itself. In accordance with it, that is, in accordance with the total Cause that illuminates beings, both the whole and its parts naturally exist and appear. And like the sun, surpassing in nature and power the radiance of the stars, it, being the cause of effects, covers their being. For both parts of the whole and effects exist and are known from the cause, and also have their own hidden originality, when, taken in relation to the cause, they entirely receive their quality from it, thanks to a single connection with it, as we said. For God, being all in all (1 Cor. 15:28), but immeasurably surpassing all and being the Most Unique, will be visible to the mental eye of the pure. This will happen when the mind, focusing on the contemplation of the logoi of existence, reaches God Himself as the Cause, Beginning and End of the origin and change of everything, and also as the unextended Foundation of the extension of all [creatures] 12. It will be shown below that in a similar way the situation is with the Holy Church of God, since She, being the image of the Prototype, performs actions towards us that are similar to the works of God. For there is a large and almost innumerable number of husbands, wives and children, who vary and differ greatly from each other in gender and species, nationality and language, lifestyle and age, mentality and art, customs, morals and skills, knowledge and position [in society], as well as destinies, characters and spiritual qualities. Finding themselves in the Church, they are reborn and recreated by the Spirit; She bestows and communicates to everyone equally a single divine image and name - that is, to be and be called Christ's. And She also grants them, in accordance with faith, a single and simple, indivisible and inseparable connection 13, which does not allow the many and countless differences of each to appear (even if they exist), raising everyone to universality and uniting them in it. As a result, no one separates anything from the general for his own sake; all grow together and are united with each other by one simple and inseparable grace and the power of faith. All had, the Scripture says, one heart and one soul (Acts 4:32) - so that all are and appear to be one Body, consisting of various members, which is truly worthy of Christ Himself, our true Head (Eph. 4:15). In him, says the divine Apostle, there is neither male nor female; there is neither Jew nor Greek; neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but all and in all Himself [Christ] (Gal.3:28; Col.3:11) 14, Who by one simple and infinitely wise power of His Goodness contains all things in Himself, just as the center unites straight lines in itself due to one simple and unique cause and power. He does not allow the principles of beings to scatter along the periphery, but closes their centrifugal aspirations 15, bringing to Himself the many different types of beings that received existence from Him. And this is so that the creations and creatures of the one God are not completely alien and hostile to each other, so that they do not lose the object and purpose of showing their love, peacefulness and identity towards each other, and so that they do not run the risk of turning their very existence, separated from God, into non-existence 16. Thus. The Holy Church is, as has been said, the image of God, since She, like God, brings about unity among the believers; even if they differ in their properties, origin and way of life, they nevertheless find unity in the Church through faith. This unity regarding the essence of beings is naturally and unconfusedly 17 accomplished by God Himself, Who, as was said, softening and moderating their differences, raises them to unity with Himself - the Cause, the Beginning and the End. II. About how and in what way the Holy Church is the image of the world, consisting of visible and invisible entities Moving on to the second level of contemplation, the elder said that the Holy Church of God is the image and image of the whole world, consisting of visible and invisible entities, because in Her the same differences and unity are observed that exist in it. After all, if we consider the church from the point of view of architecture, then it, being a single building, allows for differences due to the special purpose of its parts and is divided into a place intended only for priests and ministers, which we call the altar, and a place accessible to all believers, which we call the church. But, on the other hand, it remains united in hypostasis 18, not allowing the separation of its parts, [which could occur] as a result of their differences among themselves. And by raising these parts to its unity, it frees them from the differences expressed by names, revealing the identity of these parts. The church also shows that each part exists for itself when there is a relationship between both parts 19 . For the church is an altar in possibility, since it is consecrated when the sacred rite ascends to its highest point. And, on the contrary, the altar is a church, really possessing it as the beginning of its secret action 20. The Church, both in the altar and in the church, remains one and the same. In the same way, the entire world of beings, which received its origin from God, is divided into the intelligible world, formed from intelligent and incorporeal entities, and into the local world, sensory and carnal, which is majestically woven from many species and natures. And the image of existence of the Church not made by hands is wisely manifested through this man-made one: the heavenly world in it is like an altar dedicated to the highest powers, and the earthly world, given to those who have had the lot of a sensual life, is like a church. With all this, the world is one and is not divided along with its parts; on the contrary, by raising it to its unity and indivisibility, it abolishes their difference, which stems from the natural characteristics of these parts. After all, they, endlessly alternating, are identical to themselves and to each other, showing that each part can enter into another, as a whole into a whole. And both of them form the whole world, just as the parts form a unity; at the same time, they are formed by him, uniformly and holistically, just as parts are formed by the whole. For those who have [spiritual] vision, the entire intelligible world appears mysteriously imprinted on the entire sensory world through symbolic images. And the entire sensory world, in spiritual speculation, appears to be contained in the entire intelligible world, being known [there] thanks to its logoi. For the sensible world exists in the intelligible through its logoi, and the intelligible in the sensible through its imprints. Their work is one and, as Ezekiel, the wondrous contemplator of the great, said, they are like a wheel within a wheel (Ezek. 1:16), speaking, I believe, about two worlds 21 . Again, the divine Apostle says: For the invisible things of Him... from the creation of the world have been seen through the consideration of creation (Rom. 1:20). And if the invisible is seen through the visible, as it is written, then for those who have succeeded in spiritual contemplation it will be easier to comprehend the visible through the invisible. For symbolic contemplation of the intelligible through the visible is at the same time spiritual knowledge and speculation of the visible through the invisible 22. After all, beings that make each other visible must always have true and clear reflections of each other, and the connection between them must be uncloudedly pure 23. III. That the Holy Church is also an image only of the sensory world And [the elder] also said that the Holy Church of God is also a symbol of one sensory world in itself. For the divine altar in Her is like heaven, and the splendor of the church is like earth. In the same way, the world is the Church: heaven here is like an altar, and the arrangement of earthly things is like a church. IV. About how and in what way the Holy Church of God symbolically depicts a person, and itself is depicted by him as a person Further [the elder] said that, according to a different way of contemplation, the Holy Church of God is a person; the altar in it represents the soul, the divine altar the mind, and the church the body. Because the Church is the image and likeness of man, created in the image and likeness of God. And a church, like a body. It represents moral philosophy; the altar, as if by the soul, indicates natural contemplation; the divine altar, like the mind, manifests mysterious theology 25. He also said that man is in a mysterious sense the Church, for with his body, like a church, he virtuously adorns the active ability of the soul, implementing the commandments in accordance with moral philosophy; with his soul, as an altar, he offers to God, through the mediation of reason and in accordance with natural contemplation, the logoi of sensory things, carefully purified in spirit from matter 26; with his mind, like an altar, he calls upon, with the help of a silence that rises above the verbosity and polyphony, the much-chanted Silence of the invisible and unknown eloquence of the Divine in the Holy of Holies 27 . And, as far as is possible for a person, he unites in mysterious theology with this Silence, becoming what one truly should be who is worthy of being with God and imprinted with His all-light rays. V. About how and in what way the Holy Church of God is the image and image of the soul in itself The elder also taught that the Holy Church can be an image not only of the whole person, consisting of soul and body, but also of one soul, considered in itself. For the soul, he said, generally consists of rational force and vital force. The rational force moves autocratically, according to [its own] will, but the vital force remains motionless, by nature, not possessing freedom of choice. He further argued that the rational power includes the active and contemplative faculties; the contemplative is called the mind, and the active is called the mind 28. The mind is the driving principle of the rational force, and the mind is the providential principle of the vital force. The first (I mean the mind) is and is called wisdom, when it fully observes its immutable aspirations for God 29. In the same way, reason is and is called prudence when it, prudently and providentially controlling the vital force through its energies, unites it with the mind and reveals this force to be similar to the mind, since it bears, through virtue, the same and similar reflection of God, which, according to the elder, is naturally divided between the mind and reason. After all, the soul, as thinking and rational, first of all exists and is comprehended as consisting of mind and reason, and the vital force, of course, is equally contemplated in both, that is, in mind and reason. For it is impermissible to think that any of these parts is devoid of life, and therefore they are both imbued with it 30. Thanks to it, the mind, which, as we said, is also called wisdom, developing through the skill of contemplating ineffable silence and knowledge, is led to the truth with the help of unforgettable and infinite knowledge. And reason, which we called prudence, through practical skill in virtue, [carried out] in a bodily manner, finds its completion through faith in goodness. And it is from these two [beginnings] that the true science of divine and human affairs is formed, truly infallible knowledge - the highest point of all divine Christian wisdom 31. This needs to be said more clearly. The soul, according to [the elder], has two abilities: one, as they said, contemplative, and the other active; He called the contemplative one the mind, and the active one the mind. They are the first forces of the soul. And again, he called the mind wisdom, and the mind prudence - they are the first energies of the soul 32. Arguing about this in more detail, he said that the soul, according to its intelligent part, includes mind, wisdom, contemplation, knowledge and unforgettable knowledge; their culmination is truth. According to the rational part, reason, prudence, action, virtue and faith belong to the soul; their completion is good. Truth and goodness, he said, reveal God. But [He appears] as Truth when the Divine deigns to be revealed by His essence, because truth is something simple, unique, united, identical, indivisible, immutable, impassive, not subject to oblivion and absolutely unextended. And [God appears] as Good when [He deigns to be revealed by His] energy, because good is beneficent, it provides providential care and protects everything that comes from it 33 . According to etymologists, the word “good” comes from “to be excessive”, or from “to be placed”, or from “to run”, for it gives existence, immutability and movement to everything that exists 34. Five pairs of combinations, he said, comprehended in relation to the soul, are concentrated in one combination, denoting God. These combinations are: mind and reason, wisdom and prudence, contemplation and action, knowledge and virtue, unforgettable knowledge and faith. The combination denoting God is Truth and Good. With the help of five pairs of combinations, the soul moves forward [along the path of spiritual perfection] and unites with the God of all, imitating the immutability and charity of His essence and energy with its immutable, unshakable and voluntary skill in good. And if we imagine a small but useful image of these combinations, then this will be the divine ten strings of the spiritual psalter in the soul (Ps. 91:4, 143:9). She, also possessing a mind that echoes the spirit with the help of the other blessed ten commandments, will create in a spiritual way perfect, harmonious and harmonious sounds, chanting God with them. And this is in order for me to know what the meaning of the ten chanted and the ten chanted 35 is, and also to know how the ten, united and combined in a mysterious way with another ten, raises Jesus - my God and Savior, filled by me, the saved - to Himself, the Ever-Abountiful and never able to get out of Himself. And also to know how it miraculously restores me in myself and in God, from Whom I received and have existence and to Whom I strive from afar, striving to also receive well-being. Anyone who can understand this, said on the basis of experience, will clearly see his own value, which is also comprehended by [spiritual] experience. He will understand how what is created in the image is returned to the Image 36, how the Prototype is revered, what is the power of the sacrament of our salvation and for whom Christ died 37. He also learns how we can abide in Him, and He in us, according to His own words (John 15:4); and also, how the word of the Lord is right, and all His works are in faith (Ps. 32:4). However, having limited ourselves to this relatively little, let us turn to the further course of reasoning. [The Elder] said that the mind, set in motion by wisdom, comes to contemplation; through contemplation - to knowledge, through knowledge - to unforgettable knowledge, and through it - to truth. Around the truth, the mind finds the limit of its movement, and its essence, strength, property and activity are determined by truth. He also said that the power of the mind is wisdom, and the mind itself is wisdom in possibility 38; contemplation is a property of the mind, and knowledge is its activity 39 . As for unforgettable knowledge, it is a constant and ever-stable movement of wisdom, contemplation and knowledge (that is, strength, properties and activity) around that Known, which is above all knowledge; the limit of this movement is truth as something that is unshakably known. And what is worthy of surprise is how the unforgettable becomes limited? Or is it clear that it is limited to God as Truth? For God is Truth, and around Him the mind moves endlessly and inexorably, which can never stop, because it does not find a limit where there is no discontinuity 40. Marvelous is the greatness of Divine Continuity! After all, it is something innumerable, indivisible, completely unextended and, by its essence, inaccessible to knowledge and comprehension. And no one can cross over that which is not discontinuous and in no way comprehensible 41 . In the same way, the mind, set in motion by prudence, comes to doing, through doing it comes to virtue, and through virtue it achieves faith - truly firm, unshakable and complete confidence in [things] divine. The mind initially possesses it, thanks to prudence, as a possibility, and then it is realized, in accordance with virtue, manifesting itself in deeds, for it is written; Faith without works is dead (James 2:20). No [sensible] person will dare to classify the dead and inactive as [things] good. Through faith, the mind comes to the Good, where, ceasing its activity, it finds its fulfillment, since its power, property and action are limited by [this Good] 42. After all, as [the elder] said, prudence is the power of reason, and reason is prudence in possibility. As for the skill [of the mind], it is doing; action [of reason] is virtue, and faith is an internal and unchanging connection of prudence, doing and virtue, that is, strength, skill and action. The final limit of faith is Good, in the area of ​​which the mind, stopping its movement, finds peace. For God is Good, and it is inherent in Him to limit every power of every mind. Regarding how and in what way each of them 43 is accomplished and put into action, as well as regarding what and to what extent counteracts or promotes them, such an explanation is not the topic of our discussion. One should only know that every soul, when it is able, by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and also thanks to its own diligence and diligence, unite and combine all this, that is, reason with intelligence, prudence with wisdom, action with contemplation, virtue with knowledge, faith with unforgettable knowledge, without belittling or exalting one in relation to the other, but cutting off all exaltation and belittlement; or when the soul, to put it briefly, can turn its ten into one, then it will unite with God - the True and Good, the One and Only. She becomes beautiful, majestic and, if possible, like Him, thanks to the fulfillment of the four main virtues, which reveal the Divine Ten in the soul and also contain the other blessed ten commandments. After all, tetrad is ten in possibility, since it progressively develops from one. On the other hand, it is also a unit, since, gathering together, it embraces good and reveals the simplicity and indivisibility of the Divine energy, indivisibly divided in it. Thanks to these virtues, the soul jealously guards what is proper to it and courageously rejects what is foreign as evil. After all, she has a prudent mind, judicious wisdom, active contemplation, virtuous knowledge, and with them - unforgettable knowledge, the most certain and unshakable. And, prudently pairing effects with causes and actions with possibilities, she brings [all this] to God, receiving in return deification that creates simplicity. For action is also manifestation; Thus, reason is a manifestation of the mind (just as an effect is a manifestation of a cause), prudence is a manifestation of wisdom, doing is a manifestation of contemplation, virtue is knowledge, and faith is an unforgettable knowledge. From all this, an internal connection is created with Truth and Good, that is, with God. Such a connection, said [the elder], is divine science, 44 infallible knowledge, love and peace, in which and through which deification takes place. This is science because it is the completion of knowledge about God and about divine [things] that is only accessible to people, and an infallible stronghold of virtues. This is knowledge because it truly ascends to Truth and communicates to us a constant experience of the Divine. This is love, because this connection, by its structure, all participates in all the joy of God. This is peace, since she experiences the same thing as God, preparing for the same people who are worthy to be part of such a world 45. For if the Divine is completely motionless, since nothing disturbs [the peace] of Him (after all, what can reach the height of the Divine?), and peace is an unshakable and motionless constancy and, at the same time, undisturbed joy, then does not every soul that is worthy to acquire the Divine peace experience this divine state? Because it not only overcomes the limit of vice and ignorance, lies and deceit, that is, evil, which, accompanying the unnatural movements of the soul, opposes virtue and knowledge, truth and goodness, but also goes beyond the limits (if it is permissible to say so) of virtue and knowledge itself, truth and goodness established for us, and rests, in an ineffable and unknown way, in the true and most good peace of God, according to His most false promise. And, having reached the hiddenness of God, the soul is delivered. finally, from everything that usually bothered her. In this blessed and all-holy peace, that awe-inspiring sacrament of unity, transcending mind and reason, is realized, thanks to which God and the Church, that is, with the soul, and the soul with God, will become one flesh and one spirit. Oh, how wonderful, O Christ, is Thy goodness! I do not dare to praise her, for I do not even have enough strength to be worthy of being amazed at her. The two will become one flesh. This mystery is great; I speak in relation to Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:31-32), as the divine Apostle says. And again: He who is united with the Lord is one spirit (with the Lord) (1 Cor. 6:17). Thus, when the soul becomes one, united with itself and with God, and when it is crowned 46 with the first, one and only Word and God, then the mind, in [its] thoughts, dividing it into many parts 47 will cease to exist. For in this Word, as in the Creator and Maker of beings, all the logoi of beings uniformly exist and abide, in accordance with a single and incomprehensible simplicity. Looking at him, who is no longer outside the soul, but entirely within it 49, the soul itself will directly contemplate the logoi and causes of beings, thanks to which, probably, before its betrothal to the Word and God, it slowly advanced along the path of rational knowledge 50. And through them, she is now carefully and harmoniously brought to the One who creates and contains all logoi and all causes. This is what relates to the soul, which has the potential, according to the mind, as we said, wisdom, from wisdom it acquires contemplation, from contemplation - knowledge, from knowledge - unforgettable knowledge, which leads the soul to truth as the limit and goal of goods commensurate with the mind. According to reason, she has prudence; prudence leads to action, with the help of which virtue is acquired, leading to faith, and in accordance with faith the soul achieves the Good as the blessed goal of all rational actions. And when the close unity of all this is achieved, then the science of [things] divine is formed. The Holy Church of God, likened in contemplation to the soul, undoubtedly fully corresponds to it. For everything that manifests itself in accordance with the mind and everything that receives being, developing from it, is marked in it by the altar. And what is revealed according to reason and what exists from it, she shows as a church. Finally, she brings everything together in a sacrament performed on the divine altar. And whoever wisely was able, through [the worship] taking place in the Church, to be initiated [into this sacrament], has truly made his soul the Church of God and divine. After all, perhaps, for the sake of the soul, the hand-made Church was given to us, which, through the diversity of the divine in it, wisely serves as a model of our path to the better. VI. How and in what way the Holy Scriptures are called man Just as, in accordance with sublime contemplation 51, [the elder] called the Church a spiritual man, and man the mystical Church, so also, in accordance with spiritual comprehension, he, speaking of all Holy Scripture, called Him man. Namely. The Old Testament makes up the body, and the New Testament makes up the soul, spirit and mind 52. And one more thing: the body of all Holy Scripture, the Old and New Testaments, is Its historical literalness; the soul is the meaning of what is written, which is the goal of the aspirations of the mind. When I heard this, I was very surprised at the accuracy of the comparison and, to the best of my ability, sang, as befits, the One who divides the gifts of each according to his dignity. For, indeed, just as a person is mortal in his visible part, and immortal in his invisible, so the Holy Scripture has, on the one hand, the transitory appearance of the letter, and on the other, contains the spirit hidden in it, the existence of which is imperishable and which constitutes the true object of contemplation. And just as a person, curbing passionate desires and impulses with the help of wisdom, mortifies his flesh, so the Holy Scripture, understood spiritually, circumcises its letter 53. The Divine Apostle says: Even if our outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed day by day (2 Cor. 4:16). The same should be thought and said regarding the Holy Scriptures, comprehended in the spiritual sense as a person. The more His letter recedes, the more the spirit prevails; and as the shadows of transitory service [to God] disappear, the truth of faith shines more and more brightly, all-bright and devoid of any shadow. In accordance with it and thanks to it, It exists, is written and is called Scripture, imprinted on the mind by spiritual grace. In the same way, man is and is called man mainly because of his thinking and rational soul, in accordance with which and thanks to which he is the image and likeness of God, his Creator. And naturally he is separated from other beings, not possessing the manifestation of the power that binds [him] with them. VII. How and in what way the world is called man, and man the world And again, according to the usual comparison, [the elder] likened the entire world, consisting of visible and invisible [beings], to man, and called man, consisting of body and soul, the world 54. According to him, intelligible [entities] have an internal correspondence with the soul, and the soul has an internal correspondence with intelligible [entities]; Sensible [things] have the image of a body, and the body has an image of sensory [things] 55. Intelligible [entities] are the soul of sensible [things], and the latter, in turn, are the body of intelligible [entities]. The intelligible world is in the sensible, as the soul is in the body, and the sensible world is connected with the intelligible, as the body is connected with the soul. And there is one world consisting of both of them, like one person consisting of soul and body. Each of these worlds, fused in unity, does not reject or deny the other, according to the law [of the Creator] that united them. And, in accordance with this law, they contain the logos of a unifying force, which does not allow one to be ignorant, despite the natural otherness of [the two worlds], regarding their identity in hypostasis in [this] unity. It is also inadmissible to assert that the peculiar properties that close each of the worlds in itself and lead to their separation and separation have greater power than the friendly kinship mysteriously given to them in unity. In accordance with this kinship [is realized] the universal and uniform way of the invisible and unknown presence in beings of the all-containing Cause, which is variously present in all and makes them unmixed and inseparable both in themselves and in relation to each other, showing that these beings, according to a uniform connection, belong rather to each other than to themselves. And this is until it pleases the One who tied them together to dissolve this connection, for the sake of a higher and more mysterious Economy, in the time of the universal and desired accomplishment [of the centuries]. Then the world, like man, will die in its manifestation and again, in the blink of an eye, will rise young from its decrepit state at the resurrection that [we] expect. Then man, as a part with the whole and as a small with the great, will be resurrected with the world, receiving back the power of enduring incorruptibility. Then, in splendor and glory, the body will become like the soul and the sensory - intelligible, thanks to the clear and active presence in everything and everyone in proportion to the manifested divine power, which through itself will guard the indissoluble bonds of unity forever and ever. Therefore, if anyone wants to have a life and understanding that is God-loving and pleasing to God, let him acquire what is best and most esteemed in these three people - I mean peace. Holy Scripture and Mortal Man 56. Let us care as much as possible about the immortal and divine soul, which will be deified through virtues, and let us despise the flesh as subject to corruption and death and capable of desecrating the dignity of the soul if we do not care for it. For the Scripture says: The corruptible body burdens the bush, and the earthly dwelling burdens the mind with much care (Wis. 9:15). And in another place: The flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh (Gal. 5:17). And again: He who sows to his flesh will from the flesh reap corruption (Gal.6:8). Let him strive in his mind through speculation to incorporeal and mental powers, 57 rejecting the present and the visible, for, as [the Apostle] says: The visible is temporary, but the invisible is eternal (2 Cor. 4:18); in these forces, due to the abundance of their peaceful skill, God rests. Finally, let him, having overcome the letter by a prudent study of the Holy Scriptures, wisely ascend to the Holy Spirit, in whom abides the fullness of good things and in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3). And if anyone turns out to be worthy to be inside these treasures, he will find God Himself, inscribed on the tablets of his heart by the grace of the Spirit, with an open face (2 Cor. 3:18), as in a mirror, he will see the glory of God, removing the veil of the letter. VIII. What does the first entrance [of the bishop] into the sacred Assembly and the subsequent actions symbolize? Now, after a brief presentation of the speculations communicated by the blessed elder about the Holy Church, it remains for us to briefly present [his thoughts] regarding the sacred Church Assembly. He taught that the first entrance of the bishop during this sacred Assembly is the image and image of the first coming in the flesh into this world of the Son of God, Christ our Savior. By His coming, He liberated and redeemed the nature of men, enslaved to corruption, subjected to death through the Fall and tyrannically controlled by the devil. Innocent and sinless. He paid the entire debt for people, as if He Himself were guilty, returning them to the grace of the Kingdom and giving Himself as a ransom and atonement for us. Instead of our corrupting passions, He brought His life-giving passion - healing and saving medicine for the whole world. His ascension into heaven and return to the pre-heavenly throne, which follows this coming, is symbolically depicted by the bishop’s entry into the altar and his ascension to the hierarchal throne. IX. What does the entry of the people into the Holy Church of God show? The blessed elder said that the entry of the people into the Church together with the hierarch means the conversion of non-believers from ignorance and error to the knowledge of God, as well as the transition of believers from vice and ignorance to virtue and knowledge. For entering the Church shows not only the conversion of unbelievers to the true God, but also points each of us, believers, although we transgress the commandments of the Lord with our licentious behavior and shameful life, to correction through repentance. After all, every person: a murderer, an adulterer, a thief, an arrogant, a proud, obstinate, a covetous, a money-lover, a slanderer, vindictive, angry, irritable, a slanderer, an earworm, an envious person, a drunkard - in a word, so as not to list all the types of evil - every person is obsessed with some vice, as soon as he ceases to voluntarily succumb to it and intentionally commit it, and changes his life for the better, preferring virtue to vice, then he must truly and truly be considered as entering with Christ as God and Bishop 58 into virtue, allegorically understood as the Church. X. What do the divine readings symbolize? That teacher said that divine readings of the Holy Books reveal the divine and blessed wills and counsels of the Most Holy God. Through them, each of us, to the best of our ability, perceives the instructions that guide his actions and learns the laws of divine and blessed exploits. By struggling in accordance with these laws, we will be awarded the victorious crowns of the Kingdom of Christ. XI. What do divine chants symbolize? The spiritual sweetness of divine chants, said [the elder], expresses the joy of divine blessings, which lifts souls to pure and blissful love for God and which inspires the strongest aversion to sin. XII. What does the cry of “peace to all” mean? The sage said that through the proclamations of peace performed inside the altar, at the command of the bishop, with each reading, the divine praises delivered by the holy angels are expressed, with which God evaluates the efforts of those who, according to the rules, fight for the truth with opposing forces and dissolve invisible bonds, sending down peace by the abolition of the body of sin (Rom. 6:6) and rewarding the saints for their virtuous labors the grace of dispassion. And this is so that, having freed themselves from warfare, they would turn the strength of their souls to spiritual tillage, that is, to the cultivation of virtues, thanks to which they defeated the legions of evil spirits, being under the command of God and the Word, destroying the hated and dangerous machinations of the devil. XIII. The symbol of which, in the proper and private sense of the word, is the reading of the Holy Gospel and the mysteries that follow it Therefore, immediately after these [proclamations], the sacred charter of the Holy Church decreed that there should be a divine reading of the Holy Gospel. It, in fact, shows the torment that zealots of [Christian] teaching have to endure; after which the Word of speculative contemplation, like a Bishop descended from heaven, dwells in them and humbles the wisdom of the flesh, similar to a certain sensory world 59 . Eliminating thoughts that still gravitate towards the earth. It raises the zealots of the faith, who have already closed their senses, through the closing of the gates and the entrance of the holy gifts, to the contemplation of intelligible logoi and things 60 . Then the Word teaches them. found themselves outside the flesh and the world, already connected with each other and with Him through a kiss, in unspeakable mysteries; They gratefully offer Him in return, for their great good deed and salvation, a grateful confession, expressed in the divine symbol of faith. Then, having numbered them among the host of angels through the Trisagion and having given them the same knowledge of the most sacred theology, [the Word] brings them, adopted by the Spirit through prayer, through which they were worthy to call God their Father, to God the Father. And after this [the Word] in an unknown way leads them, having already known all the logoi of existence, through the singing of “One is Holy” and the following, to the unknowable Unity, deifying them with grace and, as a result of communion with It, imparting to them, if possible, the semblance of an indivisible identity 61 . XIV. The symbol of which, in the general sense of the word, is the divine reading of the Holy Gospel 62 In general, it signifies the end of this world. For after the divine reading of the Holy Gospel, when the bishop descends from the throne, the clergy discharge and remove from the church the catechumens, as well as other sacraments unworthy of divine contemplation that will be revealed. This action in itself denotes and prefigures the truth, the image and image of which it serves, as if appealing to these [catechumens and unworthy]; After this gospel of the kingdom has been preached, as it is written, throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14), which will happen at the second coming from heaven, with the great glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). As the divine Apostle says, the Lord Himself... with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God, will come down from heaven (1 Thess. 4:16). And He will take vengeance on His opponents, separating, through the holy angels, the unrighteous from the righteous, the damned from the saints, or - to put it briefly - separating those who follow the lead of the flesh from those who follow the Spirit of God. And, as the truth of divine words says, He will reward for endless and endless centuries a righteous reward to everyone, according to the dignity of the life he lived. XV. The symbol of which is the closing of the gates of the Holy Church after [reading] the Holy Gospel The closing of the gates of the Holy Church of God, which occurs after the sacred reading of the Holy Gospel and the removal of the catechumens, shows the transience of the earthly and the entry of the worthy into the spiritual world, that is, into the bridal chamber of Christ, which will occur after that terrible separation and even more terrible Judgment 63. [Closing the gate also shows] the complete rejection of lies, which are actively realized in sensory sensations. XVI. What does the entry of the holy gifts mean? The entry of the holy and venerable gifts, as that great elder said, is the beginning and prelude of a new teaching, which will take place in heaven, about the Economy of God concerning us and the revelation of the mystery of our salvation, which exists in the sanctuaries of divine secrecy. From now on I will not drink, says God the Word to his disciples, of this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink new wine with you in the Kingdom of My Father (Matthew 26:29) 64. XVII. What is the symbol of the divine kiss? The spiritual kiss addressed to everyone serves as a prototype and foreshadowing of the future unanimity, unanimity and reasonable identity in faith and love of all among themselves, which will be realized during future ineffable blessings and through which those who receive them worthily will be assimilated to the Word and God. For the mouth is a symbol of reason, according to which all those who participate in it, as rational beings, are united with everyone and fused with the first and only Reason - the Cause of all reason 65. XVIII. What does the divine creed mean? Confession of the divine symbol of faith, performed by everyone, foreshadows the mysterious thanksgiving 66 that we will bring [to God] in the next century for the extraordinary ways and methods 67 used for our salvation by the all-wise Providence of God. Through this confession, the worthy show their gratitude for divine benefits, having nothing else besides it with which they could repay for the limitless divine benefits received by them. XIX. What does the praise of the Trisagion mean? The threefold proclamation “Holy” performed by all believing people indicates our unity and equality with the ethereal mental forces 68, which will be revealed in the future, when human nature, due to the identity of the unchanging and ever-present movement around God 69, will learn, in full harmony with the heavenly forces, to chant and sanctify the one Trinitarian Divinity in threefold singing "Holy". XX. The symbol of which is the holy prayer “Our Father who art in heaven” The most holy and reverent invocation of the great and blessed God and Father is a symbol of the hypostatic and real adoption of [people] by the gift and grace of the Holy Spirit 70 . As a result of this adoption, when with the coming of grace all human selfhood is conquered and hidden, all the saints who, already in this life through virtues, have brightly and gloriously adorned themselves with the divine beauty of grace, will be called sons of God. XXI. What does it mean the end of the mysterious sacred rite, ending with the chants “One is Holy, One is Lord” and so on The confession performed by all believing people at the end of the mysterious sacred rite by pronouncing “One is Holy” and what follows, shows the hidden connection and union with the unity of Divine Simplicity, which transcends the mind and reason, which will be granted - according to God wisely and mysteriously - perfect in the imperishable spiritual age. There, contemplating the light of the invisible and super-expressed glory, they, together with the heavenly forces, become a receptacle of blissful purity. Following these chants, as the culmination of everything, the teaching of the sacrament occurs; whoever partakes of it in a worthy manner, it transforms them in accordance with itself and makes, by grace and participation, similar to the original Good and the owners of everything that belongs to Him, as far as this is possible and accessible to people. Therefore, they too can, by adoption and grace, be and be called gods, since the whole of God filled them completely, leaving nothing in them that would be devoid of His presence. XXII. How and in what way in each of the described [actions] the separately deified and perfect state of the soul, comprehended in itself, is contemplated Now let us, following the same path and in order, consider the same thing, only this time in relation to the soul possessing knowledge. If the mind passionately longs and desires, when God guides it, to reverently rise, as far as it can, together with the reason, to a higher level of contemplation in order to explore and understand how the divine institutions of the Holy Church lead the soul to perfection through true and active knowledge, then we will not hinder it in this. XXIII. That the first entrance of the Holy Assembly is a symbol of spiritual virtues Therefore, you, who have become a true zealot for the blessed wisdom of Christ, see with mental eyes in the first entrance of the holy Assembly [departure] from external seduction and confusion caused by carnal [things], according to how it is written; Come, you wives of disgrace (Isaiah 27:11). I mean [moving away] from the delusion caused by the contemplation of sensory things and riveting the gaze to their appearance and image. For one cannot call that true contemplation that which the unwise, called sages by the Greeks, indulge in (after all, we will never call those who cannot and do not want to know God from His creations sages) 71 . I mean the manifestation of sensory [things], in which their constant warfare is revealed among themselves, bringing death to them all, when they all mutually destroy each other. And unable to achieve an unbreakable union not torn apart by civil strife, they have only one unshakable property - to be constantly unstable and perishing. The soul, coming [to the sensory], immediately quickly runs away [from it] and, as if into the Church and the inviolable sanctuary of the world, enters through the mind and thanks to the Word - the great and true God and our Bishop - into serene natural contemplation [carried out] in the spirit. There she, as if through the symbols of divine readings, learns the logoi of beings, as well as the great and wondrous mystery of divine Providence, revealed in the law and the prophets 72. The soul perceives each of the logoi separately, and in addition to this wonderful teaching, it perceives even from above, through the holy forces, mentally conversing with it, peaceful instructions, together with the strengthening and protecting charm of the divine and fiery desire for God, cast upon it, in a mysterious and spiritual way, by the sweetness of divine chants. And then the soul, having gone through this, focuses on the one and only peak, which brings together all the logos. I am talking about the Holy Gospel, in which all the logoi of Providence and existence uniformly pre-exist, thanks to a single all-encompassing power 73 . Following this, according to divine sensation, lovers of God are given the opportunity to see with undaunted mental eyes the coming to the soul from heaven of the Word and God Himself, as this is marked by the descent of the bishop from the hierarchal throne. This Word completely separates from the soul, as if catechumens, thoughts by which the senses are still deceived and by which division is instilled in the soul. And from this moment, as the closing of the gates of the holy Church of God allows us to think, the soul again finds itself outside the sensory and, through the entrance of ineffable mysteries, is raised to the knowledge of spiritual things that becomes apparent, immaterial, simple, unchangeable, God-like, free from any image and form. In accordance with this knowledge, the soul, having gathered its strength within itself, approaches the Word and unites with a mental kiss the ineffable logoi and images of its salvation, 74 and the Word teaches it, through the symbol of faith, a grateful confession. Following, finally, how she, in accordance with simple and indivisible power and through training, embraces with knowledge the logoi of sensible and intelligible [things]. The Word leads the soul, which has already gone through everything, to the knowledge of revealed theology and bestows, as far as is accessible to it, equal-angelic speculation. It wisely teaches the soul to know one God, one essence and three Hypostases; the trinitarian Unit of essence and the consubstantial Trinity of Hypostases; The Unity in the Trinity and the Trinity in the Unity 75 - not another along with another, not another through another, not another in another, not another from another - but the Same One in Itself, in Itself and identical with Itself. She, being both Unity and Trinity, is not composite, but has unmerged unity 76, and division is indivisible and indivisible. Unity by reason of essence or being, and not by combination, unification, or any fusion; Trinity by reason of Its mode of existence, and not by division, alienation or any division. For the Unity is not divided by the Hypostases, is not contained and is not contemplated in Them in a relative way 77 . Likewise, the Hypostases are not folded into a Unit and do not constitute It by combination. But the same [Unit-Trinity] is identical to Itself, of course, as other and other. For the Holy Trinity of Hypostases is an unmerged Unity in essence and in its simple logos, and the Holy Unity is a Trinity in Hypostases and in its mode of existence. It is, as has been said, thought of in various respects; it is entirely both this and that. The Deity is one and only, undiminished and unchangeable. She is entirely Unity in essence and entirely Trinity in Hypostases, uniformly shining with one tri-luminous radiance of a single Light. Therefore, the soul, having received equally with the angels the logoi of the Divinity that is clear and accessible to creatures and having learned, in harmony with the angels, to silently offer up the Trinity song to the one Divinity, is brought angelically to adoption by grace. Through this adoption, in prayers having God as its only and mysterious by the grace of the Father, emanating from everything 78, the soul will unite with the Unity of His hiddenness. And the more the soul will listen to divine things and cognize them, the more it does not want to belong to itself, does not strive to be known from itself, by itself or by anyone else, except only the all-whole God, Who splendidly perceives it all [into Himself], who is all magnificently present in the whole soul, dispassionately penetrates into it and completely deifies it. So the soul, according to the all-holy Dionysius the Areopagite, is the image and manifestation of the invisible Light, a pure, transparent, undefiled, unsullied, uncontaminated mirror, which perceives, so to speak, the blooming beauty of the good Prototype, godlike and inescapably radiating in itself, to the best of its ability, the goodness of the silence that reigns in the inaccessible sanctuary XXIV. What sacraments are carried out and performed through the sacred rites established for the holy Assembly 79 in the believers and those who gather with faith [in the church] by the always abiding [in the Church] grace of the Holy Spirit So, the blessed elder considered it the duty of every Christian and did not cease to exhort [everyone] in this - to devote his leisure time to being in the Holy Church of God and never leave the holy Assembly taking place in It, because with Him are present holy angels, who every time write down those who enter, present them to God and pray to Him for them; because also [in the Church] the grace of the Holy Spirit is always invisibly present, especially during the holy Assembly, which changes, transforms and truly deifies each of those present in proportion to himself, 80 and through the performed sacraments leads to what they reveal. And this happens even if the believer, still one of the infants in Christ, does not feel anything like this and cannot penetrate with his gaze into the depth of what is happening - all the same, the grace revealed through each of the divine symbols of salvation acts on him, ascending gradually and in order from prayers to the final goal of everything. The first entrance [symbolizes] the rejection of unbelief, the increase of faith, the diminishment of depravity, the advancement of virtue, the destruction of ignorance and the acquisition of knowledge. Listening to divine words [shows] unshakable and constant skills and disposition towards everything mentioned, namely: faith, virtue, knowledge. The subsequent divine chants [show] the soul’s voluntary acceptance of virtues and the resulting spiritual pleasure and joy. The sacred reading of the Holy Gospel [marks] the end of earthly wisdom, similar to the end of the sensory world. The subsequent closing of the gate [indicates] the movement and transition of the soul, corresponding to its predisposition, from this perishable world to the intelligible world. As a result of this transition, she, closing the feelings like gates, makes them clean from sinful images. The entrance of the holy mysteries [means] the most perfect and mysterious new teaching and knowledge about the Economy of God for our salvation. The divine kiss [expresses] the identity of like-mindedness, unanimity and love of all with all and, above all, of each with himself and with God. Confession of the symbol of faith [expresses] worthy gratitude for the extraordinary ways of our salvation. The singing of the Trisagion [shows] our unity and equality with the holy angels, as well as the unceasing and consonant power of sacred praise to God. Prayer 81, through which we are worthy to call God our Father, [is marked] by [our] truest adoption by the grace of the Spirit. By singing “One is Holy” and what follows [means] the grace that unites us with God Himself, and our kinship with Him. The holy communion of the most pure and life-giving mysteries [shows] community and identity with God by participation, perceived through our likeness [to Him]; Through communion, a person is worthy to become a god from a man. For we believe that those gifts of the Holy Spirit which we have received through grace through faith during this life, we will indeed truly and substantially 82 receive in the age to come, according to the sure hope of our faith and according to the certain and unbreakable promise of Him who promised. We believe that by keeping the commandments to the extent possible, we pass from the grace of faith to the grace of vision (2 Cor. 5:7), since our God and Savior Jesus Christ unconditionally transforms us into conformity with Himself, destroying in us the signs of corruption and giving us the original mysteries, revealed here through sensory symbols 83 . To facilitate memory, if you like, we will briefly trace the meaning of what was said and present it in its main outline as follows. The Holy Church, as has been said, is the image and image of God. For just as God, by His infinite goodness, power and wisdom, carries out the unfused unity of the various essences of existence and, being the Creator, binds them to Himself with the closest ties, so the Church, by one grace and the calling of faith, uniformly combines believers with each other: She combines people of an active and virtuous bent in a single identity of will, and people of a contemplative and speculative bent - in unbreakable and indivisible unanimity. In addition, [the Church] is an image of the intelligible and sensory worlds, because the symbol of the intelligible world in Her is the altar, and the symbol of the sensory world is the church. Further, She is also the image of man, since the altar represents the soul, and the church the body. The Church is also the image and image of the soul, comprehended in itself, because with the altar She displays the glory of the contemplative faculty, and with the church the adornment of the active faculty. As for the Holy Assembly taking place in the Church, its first entry generally signifies the first coming of our God, and in particular the conversion of those who through Him and with Him are raised from unbelief to faith, from depravity to virtue and from ignorance to knowledge. The following readings [of the Holy Scriptures] generally show the Divine desires and wills, in accordance with which everyone should be brought up and live, and in particular they mean the training in faith and the prosperity of believers. As for people of an active type, this is a firm disposition towards virtue, according to which they, following the divine law of commandments, courageously and adamantly resist the machinations of the devil and avoid nasty slander. For people of a speculative nature, this is a skill in contemplation, in accordance with which they, concentrating in themselves, as far as possible, the spiritual logoi of both sensory things and the Providence of [God] about them, steadily strive for the truth. The divine melodies of the chants show the unearthly joy and sweetness that arises in everyone’s soul. And mysteriously strengthened by this, they forget about past labors of virtue and, with youthful zeal, rush to achieve other divine and pure blessings. The Holy Gospel in general serves as a symbol of the accomplishment of this age, and in particular it shows the complete destruction of ancient error among those who believed. For people of an active bent, this is the mortification and end of the carnal law and wisdom; for people of a speculative bent, this is the gathering together of many and various logoi and raising them to the universal Word, after natural contemplation in its diversity and diversity ceases 84. The descent of the bishop from the pulpit and the removal of the catechumens generally signifies the second coming from heaven of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, the separation of sinners from saints and righteous reward to each according to his merits. In particular, it means for those who believe that perfect assurance of faith, which God the Word produces through His invisible presence; thanks to this certainty, all doubt in faith is removed from them, like a catechumen. For people of an active type, this is complete dispassion, which removes any passionate and light-less thought of the spirit; for people of a speculative nature, it is an all-encompassing knowledge of the Knowable, by which all material images are expelled from the soul. By the closing of the [royal] doors, the entrance of the holy mysteries, the sacred kiss and the proclamation of the symbol of faith, the general transience of the sensible and the discovery of the intelligible, the new teaching of the divine sacrament about us, the identity of like-mindedness, unanimity and love in which all will be among themselves and with God, as well as thanksgiving for the ways of our salvation, are shown. In particular, they demonstrate the progress of believers and their [transition] from simple faith to instruction and initiation into dogmas, harmony and piety. The closing of the gate signifies the first, the entry of the holy [mysteries] the second, the kissing the third, and the proclamation of the symbol [of faith] the fourth 85 . For people of an active nature, who have closed their senses and found themselves outside the flesh and the world through the rejection of all carnal and worldly actions, [these sacred rites] show the transition from doing to contemplation and the ascent from the image of [the implementation of] the commandments to their meaning 86. They show, in addition, the close relationship and unity of the commandments with the forces of the soul, caused by their internal content, as well as the appropriate skill in theological thanksgiving 87. For people of a speculative bent, they mean a transition from natural contemplation to simple perception of the intelligible, according to which the divine and ineffable Word is no longer sought by them through feeling or through anything revealed 88 . These sacred rites also show the unity of the soul with its own powers and the simplicity of the mind, uniformly comprehending the meaning of Providence. The unceasing sacred praise of the holy angels in the “Trisagion” generally means equality, order, harmony and consonance in the divine praise of heavenly and earthly powers, which will be realized immediately and simultaneously in the next century, when through the resurrection people will acquire an immortal body that does not burden the soul with corruption and is not itself burdened by it; but, having become incorruptible, this body will receive the strength and ability to receive the coming of God. In particular, it means the theological competition in faith between believers and angels. For people of an active nature, this is the equal-angelic lightness of life, as far as it is possible for a person, and the active power of theological chanting [of God]. For people of a speculative bent, this is an equal-angelic comprehension of the Divine, as far as it is possible for a person, chanting [of God] and constant striving [toward Him]. The blessed invocation of the great God and Father, the singing of “One is Holy,” and the following, as well as the communion of the holy and life-giving mysteries, show the adoption of [people] by our God, unity and kinship [with Him], divine likeness and deification, which, by His Goodness, will extend to all the worthy. Thanks to this, God Himself will be All, equally shining in all those who are saved as the Primordial and First Cause Beauty in those who, through virtue and knowledge by grace, become like Him. [The Elder] named three orders of those being saved: the faithful, the virtuous and the leading, otherwise called also those brought [to faith], successful [in it] and perfect, or slaves, mercenaries and sons. Servants are believers who fulfill the commandments of the Lord out of fear of punishment, wisely fulfilling what has been entrusted to them [by the Lord]. Mercenaries are those who, out of attraction to the promised benefits, patiently endure hardship and heat (Matthew 20:12), that is, innate and associated with the present life, as a result of ancestral condemnation, sorrow and those temptations to which they are exposed for virtue; these are those who wisely and voluntarily change life for life, the present for the future. Sons are those who, not out of fear of punishment and not out of attraction to the promised, but due to the manner of action and the property of voluntary mental inclination and disposition towards good, are never separated from God, like that son to whom it is said: My son! You are always with me, and all that is mine is yours (Luke 15:31). They, by adoption in grace and to the extent possible, become what God is, according to [our] faith, by nature and cause. So, let us not deviate from the Holy Church of God, which contains such great mysteries of our salvation in the holy and orderly arrangement of the divine symbols performed in Her. Thanks to these sacraments. She creates each of us, in proportion to his capabilities, living according to Christ and, having bestowed the grace-filled gift of adoption through holy baptism in the Holy Spirit, reveals him to those living according to Christ. Therefore, with all our strength and zeal, let us show ourselves worthy of these divine gifts, pleasing God with good deeds. Let us not live like the pagans, who do not know God in the passion of lust (1 Thess. 4:5), but, as the holy Apostle says, by mortifying your earthly members: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil lust and covetousness, which is idolatry, for which the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience... all wrath, wrath, foul language and lies (Col. 3:5-9). Or, in short: let us walk worthy of God, who has called us into His kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2:12) and put on the womb of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with each other with love and forgiving each other if anyone has a complaint against anyone, just as the Lord forgave us. Most of all, let us put on love, which is the sum of perfection and peace to which we are called in one body (Eph.4:2; Col.3:12-15). And, so as not to say too much: let us put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created him (Col. 3:10). By living in this way, we will be able to reach the goal of the divine promises, with good hope to be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding...bearing fruit and increasing in the knowledge of the Lord, being strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, with all patience and forbearance with joy, giving thanks to God the Father, who has called us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Col. 1:9-12). A clear proof of this grace is the voluntary and virtuous disposition towards our relatives. His job is to, if possible, bring a person in need of our help closer to himself, like God, not to leave him without care and attention, but with due diligence to actively demonstrate the love that lives in us for God and for our neighbor. For deed is proof of love. Nothing leads to righteousness so easily, nothing so contributes to deification and approach to God as compassion shown to those who need it from the heart, with pleasure and joy. For if the Word [of God] showed that God is in need of beneficence: Just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me (Matthew 25:40), then much more will God, who said this, truly reveal one who is able to do good and who does good as God by grace and participation, since such a person has favorably accepted the property and effect of His beneficence. And if God became poor, condescending for our sake, and compassionately took into Himself the sorrows of everyone, and until the end of the age [of this] in [His] Goodness will always compassionate in a mysterious way, in proportion to the sorrows of everyone, then it is clear that all the more will he be a god who, imitating God, with his love for mankind, divinely heals the sorrows of those who mourn and, according to the saving Providence, shows in his love [to one's neighbor] the same power that is characteristic of God. So, will anyone really be so slow and immobile in relation to virtue that he will not want to strive for Divinity, when acquiring It is so inexpensive, accessible and easy? The stronghold of this is unshakable and inviolable and the path to salvation is easy, without which, I believe, it will truly be impossible to preserve intact any good. [This is our] freedom of action and independence, thanks to which we, learning to closely observe only ourselves and judge only ourselves, get rid of the harm needlessly caused to us by others 89 . For if we learned to see and examine only ourselves, we would never pay close attention to what happens to others, knowing only one wise and righteous Judge - God, who wisely and righteously judges everything that happens, based on its meaning, and not on the image of manifestation 90. The latter can also be judged by people who vaguely contemplate what is being revealed, but in this contemplation, of course, there is no truth and there is no meaning of what is happening. God, seeing the invisible movement and invisible impulse of the soul, that inner essence by which it is set in motion, and its goal, that is, the premeditated end of every matter, judges righteously, as has been said, all human deeds. If we try to succeed in this, if we limit ourselves to ourselves, not clinging to the external, then we will not allow ourselves at all (although this is possible) for our eye to look at what belongs to others, for our ear to hear or our tongue to speak about it. And if we do not succeed in this, then we should act not passionately, but sympathetically, allowing ourselves to see, hear and speak for our benefit and exactly as much as the divine Reason that governs [us] recognizes this as acceptable. For there is nothing more prone to sin than the senses, if they are not guided by reason; however, there is nothing more disposed to salvation than they, when the mind orders them, brings them into mutual conformity and leads them to what they should and what they want. Therefore, let us not neglect to obey God to the best of our ability, who calls us to eternal life and a blessed goal through the implementation of His divine and saving commandments, and to find us mercy and grace in time of need. For grace, says the divine Apostle, is with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption (Eph. 6:24), that is, with those who love the Lord in incorruptibility of virtue, in purity of life and in unfeigned piety, doing His will and not violating His divine commands. This is what I have stated for the sake of the reward of obedience and to the best of my ability regarding these [things], as far as I was taught by them, without daring to touch [questions] more mysterious and lofty. If anyone out of curiosity wants to know about them, then let him turn to the divinely inspired creations of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite and truly find there the revelation of ineffable mysteries, given through his God-enlightened mind and language to the human race for those who will inherit salvation (Heb. 1:14). If [my work] did not disappoint you in your expectations, then for this you should thank Christ, the Giver of blessings, and you, who forced me to talk about these subjects. And if he did not at all live up to your hopes, then what should I do or what should I, weak in words, do? After all, weakness is forgivable, and not worthy of punishment. It is better to accept than to blame what can be given and what is given, especially to you who partake of God’s love for the sake of it. For God pleases everything that is brought to [Him] in a way that is feasible, sincerely and with [the whole] soul, no matter how small it may seem in comparison with the great offerings. He did not reject the widow, who brought two mites (Mark 12:41–44; Luke 21:2–4). Who is the widow and her two mites? Perhaps it is understood as a soul devoid of depravity, having lost, like a husband, the old law, but not yet worthy of the highest union with God the Word, however, bringing to Him as a pledge, like two mites, the previous right reasoning and life, or faith and a good conscience, or the disposition to goodness and its implementation, or the contemplation and action appropriate for this, or the knowledge and virtue corresponding [to them], or something beyond them - I mean the logoi contained in natural and written laws. Having acquired them, the soul [in delight] becomes ecstatic and frees itself from this, as well as from all life and everything worldly, wanting to unite with the only God the Word, and prefers to be deprived, like husbands, of cruel modes of action, morals and customs corresponding to nature and law 91 . But perhaps the story [about the widow], through its historical narrative, hints at something even more spiritual, accessible to speculation only by the pure. For everything that people consider to be great in virtue turns out to be small if we compare it with the secret meaning of contemplative theology. In addition, although [the mites] are small and made of inexpensive and not very valuable material, they also have a royal image on them, like on gold coins that are brought by rich people. They have even more - [the imprint of] the sincere spiritual disposition of the one who brings them 92. And I, imitating this widow, brought it like a mite. To God and to you, beloved, from your insignificant and poor reasoning and language, these insignificant and cheap thoughts and words, because you asked for it. Therefore, first of all, I admonish your blessed and holy soul - do not demand from me any more written statement other than what has been said. And this is for two reasons: firstly, because I have not yet acquired either a constant and immaculate fear of God, or a solid habit of virtue, or an unshakable and persistent strengthening in true righteousness, which most of all testify to the authenticity of what was said. A variety of assumptions have been made regarding the identity of this “elder”: some scientists believe that he is simply a literary fiction (like Hierotheus in Dionysius the Areopagite), others are inclined to the opinion that here the Venerable. Maxim alludes to St. Sophronius of Jerusalem. We also subscribed to the latter opinion (see: Sidorov A.I. Some remarks on the biography of Maximus the Confessor // Byzantine Vremennik, 1986, vol. 47, pp. 116–118). But in the light of the Syrian biography, it can be assumed that Rev. Maxim may be referring to the personality of his mentor in his youth, the abbot of the Lavra Pantoleon. Finally, we cannot completely exclude the hypothesis of T. Nikolaou that here we are talking about a certain monk of the Chrysopolis monastery (or the monastery of St. George in Cyzicus). See: Nikolaou T. Zur Identität des makarios geron in der Mistagogia von Maximus dem Bekenner // Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 1983, vol. 49, p. 407–418. In this case, Rev. Maxim uses the image of “dirt”, known back in antiquity. Usually it was associated with the term βόρβορος (the monk uses the term ἰλύς - “silt, dirt, mud”); in the Platonic tradition (Plato himself, Plutarch, Plotinus, etc.) often spoke of “dirt,” meaning the human body in its materiality, of which the soul was a captive. Among Christian authors (Clement of Alexandria, St. Basil the Great and Gregory the Theologian), “dirt” becomes a symbol not of matter, but of passions. If in Platonism (and Gnosticism) the soul, like gold in mud, is not desecrated by contact with matter, then in the patristic tradition the “dirt” of passions corrodes the soul, the image of God. See: Aubineau M. Recherches patristique. Amsterdam, 1974, b. 225–254. [ When preparing the online publication, we tried to reproduce the spelling of Greek words from the original as accurately as possible. However, we corrected some obvious errors contained in the publication that we noticed, without specifically noting them. – Editorial of the ABC of Faith. ] Typical for the teacher. Maximum ambiguity in the interpretation of Holy Scripture. On the one hand, the “poor” in Ps. 112:7 refers to the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), that is, to those who are devoid of depravity and evil; on the other hand, the “beggar” is identified with those deprived of grace, who are in the grip of passions and vices. This concept (σύναξις) in Christian usage very often meant not just religious meetings, but worship, primarily the Liturgy. See: Lampe G. W. N. Or. cit., p. 1302–1303. The concept of “philosopher” (and “philosophy”) to the era of St. Maxim has undergone a significant evolution in the patristic tradition, in comparison with the ancient one. The term “philosophy” in its various variations denoted not so much a system of knowledge as a person’s desire for God, Who through His Revelation gave people the fullness of Truth. This fullness of Truth was visibly embodied in our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, in the works of St. Athanasius of Alexandria, the Cappadocian Fathers and St. John Chrysostom presents as true philosophers the ascetics of piety - monks, as the most faithful and zealous “imitators of Christ.” See: Malingrey A.M. "Philosophia". Etude d'un groupe de mots dans la littérature grecque des presocratiques au IVe siècle après J.-C. P., 1961, p. 99–301; Barone-Adesi G.B. Monachesimo ortodosso d'Oriente e diritto Romano nel tardo Antico. Milano, 1990, p. 73–75. The definition of God as τὸ μὴ εἶναι at first glance seems to contradict the designation of Him in Holy Scripture as “Existence,” but this is only an apparent contradiction, for here there is an inextricable combination of apophatic and cataphatic theology. Similar statements are found in the Areopagitica. See: PG 3, 825, 872. The expression κατὰ πρώτην θεωρίας ἐπιβολὴν indicates the first aspect of considering the spiritual meaning and significance of the Church - Her as the image of God. The concept of θεωρία for the monk is inextricably linked with μυσταγωγία, and therefore “liturgical contemplation,” i.e., introduction to the mystery of the knowledge of God through spiritual consideration of the Liturgy, is inseparable from “natural contemplation” and “contemplation of Holy Scripture.” See: Bornert R. Les commentaires byzantins de la divine liturgie du VII-e au XV-e siècle. P, 1966, p. 97. In this case, the terms εἰκών and τύπος are used as synonyms. The last term has many meanings: “imprint, sketch, outline, image, form, type, prototype”, etc. Of these, we chose the word “image” that is closest to the meaning of “image”. About the position of the Rev. Maxim that the image possesses the same divine energies as the archetype, and about the significance of this position for the subsequent theory of icon veneration, see: Zhivov V.M. “Mystagogy” of Maximus the Confessor and the development of the Byzantine theory of image // Artistic language of the Middle Ages. M. 1982, p. 108–127. The meaning of Christology by Rev. The maxim for the development of the same theory is well presented in the book: Schönborn Ch. L'icône du Christ. Fondements théologique élaborés entre le I-er et le II-e concile de Nicée (325–787). Friborg, 1976, p. 105–135. The word “intelligible” (νοητὸς) is constantly found in St. Maxim also denotes the sphere of spiritual, non-corporeal existence. In a particular case, he directly identifies the “intelligible” and the “spiritual”; a similar identification is found in Origen. See: Hanson R.R. C. Allegory and Event. A Study of the Sources and Significance of Origen’s Interpretation of Scripture. L., 1959, p. 245. The adverb προηγουμένως indicates the ideal and harmonious state of created existence before the Fall of Adam (which had universal consequences). See: Riou A. Le monde et l’Eglise selon Maxime le Confesseur. P., 1973, p. 137–138. In the text πυθμένα τῆς πάνθων περιοχῆς ἀδιάστατον. This expression emphasizes the non-extension (or non-spatiality) of God in contrast to the spatial and volumetric mass of created being. The concept of “connection (σχέσις) played a large role in the theology of St. Maxima. In a specific case, using this concept, he draws a parallel between God, the basis and principle of the unity of created existence, and the Church, which brings unity and harmony into the motley chaos of the human world. Rev. Maxim combines these two quotations from Holy Scripture, making a slight change to them. Lit.: “not allowing the beginnings of beings to fall to the limits, but closing their movements in the circle.” In other words: God created the world out of nothing, bringing it from non-existence into existence. Therefore, without God, the very existence (αὐτὸ τὸ εἶναι) of the created world becomes non-existence (τὸ μὴ ὄν). Rev. Maximus here uses a well-known adverb from the Chalcedonian creed (ἀσυγχύτως). Thus, Christology, ecclesiology and ontology seem to demonstrate their unity in this dialect: the unity of all those who exist in God is unmerged, just as the unity of the two natures in Christ and all believers in the Church is unfused. This expression can also be understood in the sense of “one in essence”, “at its core”. In the text καὶ θάτερον θατέρῳ κατ’ ἐπαλλαγὴν ὑπάρχων; that is, when there is, as it were, a “mutual exchange” of both parts. Perhaps this thought is connected with the idea of ​​“perichoresis” - the mutual penetration of natures in Christ, which is developed by St. Maxim in a number of his other works. About this idea, see: Orlov I. Decree. cit., p. 151–156; Heinzer F. Gottes Sohn als Mensch. Die Struktur des Menschseins Christi bei Maximus Confessor. Friborg, 1980, pp. 123–124. Rev. Maxim uses the distinction between “possibility” (potency) and “reality” (actualization) that is quite common in his works, dating back to the philosophy of Aristotle. The “church” is an “altar” only in potential, being actualized as the latter only at the highest moment of the Liturgy (probably the transubstantiation of gifts), but the “altar” is always actually a “church”. We are talking directly about “perichoresis”, which once again indicates the connection between ontology and Christology in St. Maxima. See: Riou A. Op. cit., p. 62. In other words: ascending from the appearance (“phenomenality”) of being to its ideas (“logoi”), we return again to this being, but not in its appearance, but in its semantic and spiritual essence, and thereby closing the circle of knowledge (the image of a “wheel within a wheel”). With the phrase σχέσιν ἀλώβητον rev. Maxim most likely points to the “purity” and “intactness” of the interconnection of all things, which becomes accessible to the mind only through spiritual contemplation. In the earthly (“phenomenal”) world, this relationship is, as it were, “clouded” by its plumpness and materiality; the strict and organic architectonics of being is revealed only in the intelligible world. However, we should not forget that the latter is reflected in the sensory world and actively acts in it (“logoi” are also “energies” of the spiritual world); The motives of Neoplatonic and Gnostic contempt for “corporality” and “materiality” as such (without connecting it with sin) are deeply alien to St. Maxim. For for him “the sensory world is not a passing ghost, is not a decay or diminishment of being, but belongs to the fullness and integrity of being” (Florovsky G.V. Byzantine Fathers of the V-VIII centuries. Paris, 1933, p. 207). The concept of “improvement” (διακόσμησις) of created being is especially characteristic of St. Athanasius of Alexandria, who in his “Word against the pagans” (PG 23, 76) emphasizes that the “order” and “mode” (τάξις) of this being reveal the Lord - God. More precisely, the “mode” of such “improvement” (τάξις τῆς διακοσμήσεως) points to the Word (Logos) of God - the Creator of this world. Later, this concept is often used in a similar sense by Dionysius the Areopagite, applying it to the hierarchical structure of being. Rev. here. Maxim singles out, as he often does in his works, three main parts of Christian doctrine (practical work, natural contemplation - mysterious theology), which, this time, he compares with the body, soul and mind of man. This comparison once again emphasizes the internal interconnection of these parts of Christian doctrine, which he sometimes comprehends in terms of the dynamics of spiritual success. The soul corresponds to Rev. Maxim with a reasonable start 26 The soul corresponds to Rev. Rev. Maxim with the rational principle (“logos”) in man. It is inherent in her to comprehend “the logos (ideas, meanings) of the sensory” in the act of natural contemplation. But they also go through a “catalyst” of the spirit, where all material impurities are “cut off” from them. This is a sacrifice to God from the soul, that is, from the human mind. The mind (or spirit) allows a person to reach the highest point of contemplation of God (“hesychia”), opening the way for him to merge with the Divine Silence. In this case, Rev. Maxim develops his teaching about man in a slightly different aspect than in the previous chapter. In general, the use of any rigid and monotonous scheme in psychology is alien to him, but, nevertheless, a certain unified classification of spiritual abilities (as well as mental ones) by the Rev. Maxim can be restored, which is what S.L. did. Epifanovich in his commentary to “Questions and Answers to Thalassia.” See: Theological Bulletin, 1916, p. 14–15. It should be remembered that the adjective ἄτρεπτος (“unchangeable, immutable, unshakable”) began to be actively used by Orthodox theologians to refer to God the Word during the period of the Arian disputes to counter the false teaching of Arius, who, considering the Logos a “creature,” believed that He was “transformable and changeable” (see: Spassky A. History of dogmatic movements in the era of ecumenical Soborov, vol. I. Sergiev Posad, 1914, p. 170). Rev. Maxim, calling a person’s aspirations for God ἀτρέπτους, I think, emphasizes that it is in them that the image of God in us is most clearly manifested. This phrase of the monk (καὶ ὑπ’ ἀμφοῖν διειλημμένης) echoes a similar expression in Plato’s Phaedo (81c) (see: Plato. Soch., vol. 2. M., 1970, p. 46). The possibility cannot be ruled out that Rev. Maxim was familiar with this work of the Greek thinker. According to Rev. Maxim, the highest limit (πέρας) of Christian philosophy is the perfect synthesis of “doing” and “contemplation,” the result of which is true knowledge. This knowledge is both “gnosis”, i.e. spiritual speculation, and “episteme”, i.e. solid and scientific knowledge. The idea that success in knowledge (primarily in knowledge of oneself and God) is inseparable from moral improvement was often expressed by previous Christian thinkers, and, in particular, it was clearly expressed by Origen. See: Pierre M. L’âme dans l’anthropologie d’Origène // Proche Orient Chrétien, 1984, t. 34, p. 38–39. The difference between mind and wisdom, reason and prudence is defined within the framework of the Aristotelian categories δύναμις and ἐνέργεια. In other words, each pair of these concepts reflects two states of the same ability: its stay in a latent state (potency) and its implementation, the transition from possibility to reality. Usual for prep. Maxima division of “essence” and “energy” (singular). Moreover, in this case, the “essence” of God correlates with the Truth, and the “energy” – with the Good. It is characteristic that we are talking about their difference, manifested externally (δηλοῦν σημαίνεσθαι δοκῇ), i.e. we are talking about God in relation to the created world and, first of all, to man (his knowledge of God), and not about God in Himself. Here you can grasp the difference in the teachings of Rev. Maxim from St. Gregory Palamas, who emphasizes more the second aspect. See: Podskalsky G. Gottesschau und Inkarnation. Zur Bedeutung der Heilgeschichte bei Gregorios Palamas // Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 1969, vol. 35, pp. 38–39. The word for "good" in Greek is τὸ ἀγαθόν. Quoted by Rev. Maxim, the opinion of “etymologists” plays on the close consonance of the words ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄγαν εἶναι, τεθεῖσθαι and θέσιν. The first ten points to the soul, brought into harmony by the consonant implementation of the commandments and knowledge, and the second (“Glorified Ten”) - to God. In general, Rev. Maxim here once again emphasizes the doctrine of the “synergy” of God and man, the consequence of which is deification. See: Rio R. Op. cit., p. 153–154. This sentence identifies three concepts, the meaning of which requires decoding: “[created] in the image” (τὸ κατ’ εἰκόνα), “Image” (εἰκών) and “Prototype” (ἀρχέτυπον). The first clearly means a person. By the second we should understand the second Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity, God the Son, “Who is the image of the invisible God, the first begotten of all creation” (Col. 1:15). This idea of ​​St. Paul began to be actively developed by Christian theologians very early. It is, for example, found in Origen, who claims that the Son is “the invisible image of the invisible Father” (Bolotov V.V. Origen’s Teaching on the Holy Trinity. St. Petersburg, 1879, p. 225). It is also picked up by Origen’s disciple St. Gregory the Wonderworker, for whom in the concept of εἰκών “the idea of ​​displaying the prototype for revealing it to others comes to the fore” (Sagarda N.I. Saint Gregory the Wonderworker, Bishop of Neocaesarea. His life, creativity and theology. Pg., 1916, p. 596). In the 4th century. the idea of ​​the Son as the “Image” of God the Father becomes widespread. Yes, St. Athanasius of Alexandria defines the Son as the “Image of the Father”; man was created “in the image”: if the Son is “Logos”, then people are λογικοί (see: Greer R. A. The Captain of Our Salvation. A Study in the Patristic Exegesis of Hebrews. Tübingen, 1973, p. 71). This idea is also found in the Omiusian epistle of the Ancyra Council of 358 (see: Vinogradov V. On the literary monuments of semi-Arianism // Theological Bulletin, 1911, No. 4, pp. 787–788). As for the “Prototype,” this concept should be correlated with God the Father. A similar usage of words (although only similar, for here the concept of “Archetype” generally relates to God) is observed in St. Gregory the Theologian, who says that God, incomprehensible in essence and nature, can be found only when our mind and reason, being God-like and divine, mix with those related to them (τῷ οἰκείῳ προσμίξῃ) and the image ascends to the Prototype (ἡ εἰκὼν ἀνέλθῃ πρὸς τὸ ἀρχέτυπον). Evagrius also expresses a similar thought: “Always looking at the Prototype, try to draw images [in yourself].” See: Grégoire de Nazianze. Discours 27–31 (Discours théologiques). R., 1978 (Sources chrétiennes, No. 250), p. 134; Evagre le Pontique. Le Gnostique, p. 192. These thoughts (and coincidences in words and expressions) go back to the “Word for Holy Pascha” by St. Gregory the Theologian and to the interpretation of this “Word” by Abba Dorotheus, on which the Rev. clearly depends here. Maxim. See: Dorothée de Gaza. Op. cit., p. 466–470. Rev. Maxim uses the polysemy of the term δύναμις; if wisdom is the “strength” or “power” of the mind, then it is it δυνάμει (“in potency, possibility”). Knowledge (γνῶσις) is ἐνέργεια of the mind, i.e. its “realization, action.” The concept of διάστημα (lit. “interval”) Rev. Maximus in this case uses, most likely, in the same sense in which St. used it (as well as the term διάστασις). Gregory of Nyssa, denoting created nature in contrast to God. See: Leys R. L'image de Dieu chez Saint Grégoire de Nysse. R; Bruxelles, 1951, p. 85; Otis B. Gregory of Nyssa and the Cappadocian Conception of Time // Studia Patristica, vol. XIV, pt. 3, p. 327–357. The highest point of knowledge accessible to the human mind is the ever-moving around God the Truth. It is impossible for a person to cross the boundaries of the infinite Divinity. These thoughts from Rev. Maximus echoes the thoughts of St. Gregory of Nyssa, who, however, develops them in a slightly different aspect: the nature of God (Goodness) is limitless, and therefore the success in virtue of those who wish to participate in this goodness also has no limit. See: Grégoire de Nysse. La Vie de Moïse, p. 48–50. The path to God as Truth and Good is possible for a person both through the mind (“contemplation”) and through the mind (“doing”). However, they are not two paths, but one path, for, according to Rev. To Maxim, knowledge without doing, driven only by love of glory and exaltation, is “demonic theology” (δαιμόνων θεολογία). See: PG 91, 601. Intellect and intelligence are implied. The concept of ἐπιστήμη in this case denotes the highest level of knowledge about God, the utmost degree of its reliability, i.e. science. Here we are talking about the world as “peace” (εἰρήνη), and not as “space”. Lit. “when the head is crowned”; but the word κεφαλή has, in addition to the direct meaning of “head,” also the meaning of “face, person, soul.” The “crowning” itself can be understood as a symbol of the mystical marriage of the soul with God. Reason (“logos”), as if with its “reflection” (κατ’ ἐπίνοιαν), divides the soul. It acquires its “unity” (ἐνοειδῆ γενομένην) only by uniting with God the Word (“Logos”). The soul finds its place among other “logoi of existence,” which are uniformly embraced by the supreme “Logos” - the Creator and Maker of all things. As A. Brilliantov notes, according to Rev. Maxim, in the divine Logos, along with the ideas of everything created, there is also the idea (“logos”) of every human being: “In the Logos, man has the beginning and purpose of his existence” (A. Brilliantov. The influence of Eastern theology on Western in the works of John Scotus Erigena. St. Petersburg, 1898, p. 206). The phrase ἐν ὅλῃ ὅλῳ indicates that the unity of the soul with God the Word does not lead to its “dissolution,” and therefore its “integrity” is preserved. According to M.D. Muretov, according to the teachings of Rev. Maxim, and in eternal life “the personality of man and his bodily-spiritual naturalness will not cease” (Works of our holy father Maximus the Confessor, p. ΧIIΙ). The words ταῖς διαιρετικαῖς ὑπήγετο μεθόδοις most likely indicate discursive, rational and “logical” knowledge. It is also focused on the “logoi” of existence, but perceives them separately (or “separately”), without their connection with the highest Logos. The comprehensive connection and unity of the entire universe is therefore accessible only to spiritual knowledge. In other words, logical knowledge has its raison d’être, but it is very limited and inferior to spiritual “gnosis”. This idea was later developed by St. Gregory Palamas. See: Sinkewicz R.E. Christian Theology and the Renewal of Philosophical and Scientific Studies in the Early Fourteenth Century: The Capita 150 of Gregory Palamas // Medieval Studies, 1986, vol. 48, p. 334–351. The connection between the terms ἀναγωγή and θεωρία is already observed in Dionysius the Areopagite, on whom the Rev. depends. Maxim; in the Areopagitics it signified the ascent from sensory perception and images to the reality of Divine existence (see: Bornert R. Op. cit., p. 63). As a special exegetical term, “anagoge” was introduced by representatives of Alexandrian theology Clement, Origen and Didymos the Blind. For them, it denoted the spiritual meaning of Holy Scripture, or, better to say, its “deep,” internal meaning (see: Bienert W.A. “Allegoria” und “Anagoge” bei Didymos dem Blinden von Alexandria. B.; N. Y., 1972, S. 58–153; Tigcheler J.H. Didyme l’Aveugle et l’exégèse allégorique, 1977, p. It is in this capacity that the term is used by Rev. Maxim in a number of his other creations (primarily in “Questions and Answers to Thalassia”). See: Sherwood R. Exposition and Use of Scripture in St. Maximus as Manifest in the “Quaestiones ad Thalassium” // Orientalia Christiana Periodica, 1958, vol. 24, p. 202–207. Comparison going back to Origen: “For just as man consists of body, soul and spirit, in the same way the Scripture, given economically by God for the salvation of people, [consists of body, soul and spirit]” (Origen. On Principles, p. 327. Greek text: Origène. Traité des principes, t. III, p. 312). Cp. “circumcision made without hands” or “circumcision of Christ” in Col. 2:11 (also Phil. 3:3). His understanding of the relationship between the “literal” (“historical”) and “spiritual” meanings of Holy Scripture, Rev. Maximus sets out in more detail in a number of places “Questions to Thalassius.” We are talking about the idea of ​​macro- and microcosm, widely known and widespread in antiquity (see: Allers R. Microcosmus, from Anaximandros to Paracelsus // Traditio, 1944, vol. 2, p. 319–407). In patristic writing, this idea did not always meet with a warm welcome. Yes, St. Gregory of Nyssa sharply criticizes it: “How low and unworthy of the natural greatness of man some of the pagans imagined about him, magnifying, as they thought, human nature by comparing it with this world. For they said: man is a small world, consisting of the same elements as the universe” (Works of St. Gregory of Nyssa, part 1. M., 1861, p. 136). The teaching of St. Nikita Stifat that man is a “cosmos of the cosmos” (κόσμου κόσμος), or “new cosmos”, created better and more sublime than the visible world, and therefore being a great world located in a small world (ὡς ἐν μικρῷ μέγας ὁρᾶται) (see: Nicetas Stephatos. Opuscules et Lettres, p. 88). Rev. Maxim, perceiving this ancient ancient idea, nevertheless gives it a completely different meaning: he connects it with the idea of ​​man as the mediator and focus of all created being, whose task is to unite all its opposites. See: Thunberg L. Microcosm and Mediator, p. 140–152. Rev. Maxim, comparing the soul with the intelligible, uses the word “logos”, and when comparing the body with sensible things, he uses the term “typos”. These concepts contrast with each other, just as a certain “smart structure”, invisible to carnal eyes, contrasts with a certain physical design. Consonant motives are also heard in Origen, who says that God the Word calls on all those who listen to Him to lift their eyes to the “regions” (τὰς χώρας) of Scripture and to the “regions” of the Word (Logos), present in each of those in existence, in order to see the light of Truth shining everywhere. See: Origène. Commentaire sur Saint Jean, t. III, p. 182–184. These "forces" can apparently be identified with "logoi", although it is more likely that angels are meant as intermediaries in our union with God. The image of Christ the Bishop has become widespread in Christian writing since its inception (Melchizedek as a prototype of Christ, etc.). See: Polikarpov D. Pre-image of Jesus Christ, p. 210–213. The descent of the bishop from his throne in the altar while reading the Gospel marks the descent of the Word to the “zealots” of Christian doctrine (literally “words”). The Divine Word (Logos) is at the same time the highest “Meaning” of speculative (lit., “gnostic”) contemplation. Thanks to Him, the carnal mind of the “zealots” is humbled (“diminished, reduced”). It is unclear, however, why the comparison with the sensory world (“cosmos”) is given. I think that here Rev. Maxim hints at the cosmic meaning of the Divine Word. The verb συστέλλω can also be translated as “to pull together,” and therefore the Word, being the “center” of all things (see Chapter II), does not allow the universe to fall apart into its component parts, as if “pulling” it together. At the same time, It “contracts” (in the sense of “reduces”) the carnal mind. A similar theme is often heard in Origen, who repeatedly addressed it. See: Harl M. Origène et la fonction révélatrice de Dieu. P., 1959, p. 342. Following natural contemplation or speculative theology (“divine science”), when the “logoi” of beings are cognized in their connection with the supreme Logos, comes mysterious theology. It is carried out in an “unknown way” (contrast ἀγνώστως – ἐπιστημονῶς) and leads to the “unknown” Unit, i.e. to the Trinitarian Unity of the Divine. Communion with this Unit bestows upon believers a semblance of that inseparable identity that is characteristic of It. Therefore, the unity of the Holy Trinity is reflected in the unity of believers. If the previous chapter dealt with the particular meaning (ἰδικῶς ἐπὶ τοῦ καθ’ ἕκαστον) of reading the Holy Gospel, then this chapter deals with its general meaning (τὸ γενικῶς σημαινομένον). Frequent emphasis in the works of Rev. The maxim of the motives for the Last Judgment and the separation of the righteous from the sinful distinguishes, among other things, his theology from Origenism. See: Scherwood R. The Earlier Ambigua of Saint Maximus the Confessor and His Refutation of Origenism. Roma, 1955, p. 205–222. P. Bornert traces the connection of this chapter with the Liturgy of St. Basil the Great (proskomedia). See: Bornert R. Op. cit., p. 109. Rev. Maxim here, as he repeatedly does, uses the polysemy of the concept λόγος. By “the first and only Reason,” naturally, one should understand God the Word. Lit. "mystical Eucharist". Dionysius the Areopagite also views Christian life as an eternal Liturgy and thanksgiving to God. See: PG 3, 425, 436. We are talking about “logoi” and “tropos” (“ways”) of Divine Providence. In this case, “logos” is probably not so much the “meaning, idea, principle” of this Providence, but rather its “expressiveness”. In other words, “logoi” are, as it were, “radiations” of Providence. Holy angels are meant. Nicholas Kavasila points out that this doxology (“Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal...”) of God (Holy Trinity), which we were taught by the appearance (ἐπιφάνεια) of the Savior, was received by us from the angels and from the holy prophets. And, in particular, the threefold repetition of “Holy” is the doxology of the angels. See: Nicolas Cabasilas. Explication de la divine Liturgie. P, 1967 (Sources chrétiennes, no. 4 bis), p. 146–148. Future bliss Rev. Maxim represents it as “ever-movement” (ἀεικινησία) around God. To signify adoption by grace, St. Maxim uses the adjectives ἐνυπόστατος and ἐνύπαρκτος. Here we are probably talking about the adoption of people, which made possible the hypostatic union of God the Word with human nature and which is therefore truly “real”. Rev. Maxim here contrasts the “wisdom of Christ” with the pagan wisdom of the Hellenes, which stops at the external plasticity of the forms of created being and does not go to the spiritual basis of this being - its Creator. The bodily plasticity of thinking was inherent in the ancient worldview not only in its classical period, but also in its decline, when it was completed in Neoplatonic philosophy. The latter “is entirely built on the image of such an inner life, which is revealed externally and often even simply physically. Therefore, in ancient philosophy in general and in Neoplatonism in particular, cosmology came to the fore, for “the highest beauty for ancient thought was precisely the cosmos, visible, audible and tangible, but at the same time maximally embodying all the ideal and divine principles of being, that is, in the end, the same body, albeit the most perfect” (Losev A.F. History of ancient aesthetics. Late Hellenism. M., 1980, pp. 184–185). Christianity initially opposed such Hellenic wisdom to “Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:24; cf. Col. 2:8), for “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise” (1 Cor. 1:27). The Holy Fathers, using the rich arsenal of philosophical thinking techniques accumulated by ancient culture, remained faithful to the spirit of Holy Scripture, proclaiming the superiority of the “wisdom of Christ” over the “wisdom of the Hellenes.” A similar stable patristic tradition was well expressed by St. Maxim. However, this did not mean a complete rejection of “external wisdom” (based on Hellenic learning): as evidenced by the entire history of Byzantine culture, a “delicate balance” was established between it and “inner wisdom” (i.e., purely Christian doctrine), based on the predominance of the latter. About this see: Nicol D.M. The Byzantine Church and Hellenic Learning in the Fourteenth Century // Studies in Church History, 1969, vol. 5, p. 23–57. While reading Holy Scripture during worship, the soul comprehends the “meanings” (“logoi, words”) of beings. This once again emphasizes that natural contemplation (“divine science”) is unthinkable outside the Church and its sacraments. The Holy Gospel is the “crown” (κορυφή, or “top”, as well as the “essence” and “essence”) of Holy Scripture. And if the latter contains all the clues of being (its “logoi”), then in the Holy Gospel these “meanings-logoi” are concentrated together and pre-exist (προϋφεστήκασι). The already encountered pair of concepts “logos-tropos”. In this case, we are talking about “ideas” (or, as it were, “Divine plans”) of our salvation and methods of its implementation. This phrase was borrowed literally by Rev. Maxim at St. Gregory the Theologian. See: Vinogradov N. Dogmatic teaching of St. Gregory the Theologian. Kazan, 1887, p. 217. Using in the doctrine of the Holy Trinity an expression close to the Chalcedopian definition of faith ἔχουσαν), Rev. Maxim again relies on the deep patristic tradition, where similar expressions were originally used in the field of triadology. See: Abramowski L. Drei christologische Untersuchungen. IN.; N. Υ., 1981, S. 63–109. It seems that this adverb (σχετικῶς) means the correlation of any two quantities in a purely external sense. But perhaps what is meant here is the idea developed by Rev. Maxim that there is no causal connection between the Unity and the Trinity. On this idea see Piret R. Le Christ et la Trinité, p. 69. The expression κατ’ ἔκστασιν πάντων indicates the mystical “ecstasy” that St. Maxim “is a direct and immediate meeting with God, that is, knowledge of Him in essence. And at the same time – the deification of the mind, the transformation of the very element of thought.” The path to “ecstasy” is “pure prayer.” See: Florovsky G.V. Decree. cit., p. 202–203. This chapter presents a particular challenge from the point of view of literary criticism. R. Bornert states that there are, as it were, two heterogeneous “blocks” in it: one is a summary of the previous presentation, which is written in a style different from the style of the monk and, most likely, written by one or more later scholiasts, and then included by copyists in the text of the work itself; the second “block” is a development of the thoughts of the work, in an ascetic and mystical sense deepening a number of ideas expressed earlier in this work - it clearly belongs to the Venerable himself. Maxim. See: Bornert R. Op. cit., p. 87–90. In principle, R. Rioux joins R. Bornert, limiting interpolation only to places where a distinction is made between “simple believers,” “virtuous” and “leading.” See: Rio R. Op. cit., p. 168. Deification (literally, “transformation into greater godlikeness”) of those present (or rather, participating) during the liturgy is performed in accordance with the internal purity and spiritual readiness of each believer (ἀναλόγως ἑαυτῷ). This means "Our Father". With these words (κατὰ ἀλήθειαν ἐνυποστάτως αὐτῷ τῷ πράγματι) Rev. Maxim emphasizes the greater reality and, as it were, “substantiality” and fulfillment of the future gifts of the Holy Spirit in comparison with the gifts we received in earthly life. Throughout this passage, the transition from the future to the present is indicative (in purely grammatical terms). It reflects the thought of Rev. Maxim that the transition to the fullness of future benefits begins already during life here. The present and the future not only closely interlock, but seem to overlap each other. And our Lord Jesus Christ concentrates in himself this connection of times, transforming us during our stay here on earth. Natural contemplation deals with the “logoi” of individual things. Therefore, it is characterized by “variegation” and “diversity”. After this contemplation, all individual “logoi” are brought together into a single Logos, i.e., the Word of God, which is, as it were, the highest “Meaning” of existence. The word εὐσέβεια (“piety”) among the Fathers of the Church often served as a synonym for “Orthodoxy, orthodoxy.” This identification of “piety” with “orthodoxy” (and “wickedness” with “heresy”) was one of the first to be carried out by St. Athanasius of Alexandria. Especially in monasticism, from its very origins, εὐσέβεια has become a necessary sign and essential feature of genuine asceticism (see: Gobry I. Les moines en Occident, t. 1, p. 48). Therefore, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, proclaimed by all believers at the Liturgy, means their recognition and understanding of the foundations of the dogmatic teaching of the Church. Once again we can note the dialectic of “logos-tropos”. At the level of “doing,” the commandments are fulfilled and recognized in the “image” (“way”) of their existence (or implementation). The transition to the level of “contemplation” means comprehension of their inner meaning (“logos”). Under θεολογικὴν εὐχαριστίαν Rev. Maxim apparently implies constant prayer, without which the implementation of the commandments is impossible. “Simple perception (κατανόησιν – comprehension) of the intelligible (spiritual)” abolishes the search (or “research”) of the Word (“Meaning”), aimed at its “phenomenal” manifestations in the variety of sensory things. This “simple perception” also corresponds to “simplicity of mind,” which makes comprehension possible or, as it were, “gathers together” (συλλαμβάνουσαν) in the mind the “logos of Providence.” Speaking about close observation and study of oneself (διασκέπτομαι, σκοπέω), Rev. Maxim, I think, comes from the Gospel parable about the beam in his own eye (Matthew 7:3–5; Luke 6:42). Looking for a speck in a neighbor’s eye only causes his response to aggression, hence the “vain harm” caused to us (it is “vain” because we ourselves provoke it). Again the logos-tropos distinction is used. God judges by seeing the inner meaning of what happened, and does not pay attention to the external form of manifestation. Interpreting the Gospel image of the widow, Rev. Maxim strives to penetrate the inner, spiritual meaning of the story about her. Hence the identification of a widow with a soul that has taken the path of spiritual success. The starting point of this path is the “widowhood” of the soul, as if it had acquired its original purity, which makes the soul not subject to the “old” law of sinful humanity, which remains in its “physical” state and is burdened with sinful corporeality, entailing violence, cruelty, etc. Through “doing” and “contemplation” the soul is freed from this law, it comprehends the internal “logoi” of the universe and, finally, “emerges” from everything worldly in order to unite with God. It is precisely this “excitement” (“ecstasy”) and union with God that is the ultimate goal of the path of spiritual success. Usual for prep. Maximum ambiguity in the interpretation of Holy Scripture. By “royal image” we should understand the “image of God” in us, which equalizes all people: rich and poor, those who are abundant in spiritual and spiritual gifts and those to whom they are given to a lesser extent. And the “cheap contribution” of the latter, according to the monk, is sometimes worth much more than the abundant “talents” of the latter.