Active receptivity unites receptivity with the activity of remembrance of God, reflecting the divine-human mysteries of Christ, who is receptively active in his active receptivity. Taught by the Spirit, peace is conveyed on earth as in heaven, uniting active with receptive remembrance. Deep beneath the troubled surfaces of worldly concerns, active receptivity endures in the cave of the heart, uniting uncreated… Read more »
The Spirit comforts those who mourn: the Paraclete blesses the poor in spirit with the Kingdom of heaven. The lamentation of heart-rending mourning opens heavenly realms, rendering grace on earth in exchange for unmitigated suffering. The Spirit of truth comforts all who mourn, reaching down through suffering to the ultimate ground of blessed joy. Joy does not stifle heart-rending mourning, but opens… Read more »
Stillness abides in uncreated light, revealing glory to wisdom, knowing God as God knows God, transcending worldly knowledge. Stillness awakens the inmost heart where God dwells, revealing glory to wisdom, uniting awareness with presence through the Holy Name of God. Hesychast tradition bears witness to the divine presence, partaking in the timeless life of heaven, which is God’s eternal life in heavenly… Read more »
Orthodox Hesychasm centres in the heart with vigilant awareness, revealing flawless purity of heart in uncreated light, image and likeness of the radiant beauty of translucent glory. The uncreated clarity of compassionate wisdom severs the passions from their addictive clinging, transplanting them in God as passionate love of God, practicing wisdom with the directness of pure awareness. Quintessentially, the heart… Read more »
The Annunciation reveals the theophany of the incarnation of Christ, announced by the Archangel Gabriel to Mary the Virgin, ‘Hail, thou that art full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.’ Mary was perplexed and asks, ‘How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?’ Consenting, she says,… Read more »
The remembrance of God cannot stabilise until recognition of God awakens the heart, uniting awareness and energy in the Holy Spirit. The Spirit breathes life into the heart with uncreated energy, purifying the heart with uncreated light. Stillness lives from purity of heart, giving new life to Hesychast tradition, renewing it with the wisdom and glory of the Name, restoring remembrance with recognition…. Read more »
The Gospel of Jesus Christ begins with metanoia, turning, to reveal theoria, vision of God’s Kingdom, opening the eye of the heart to wisdom, consummating love of God in glorification. Wisdom conjoins heaven and earth in the glory of the Name, discerning the uncreated light of the Gospel, treasuring the pearl of great price in the womb of the heart. Embryonic union… Read more »
Hallowing the Name cannot be separated from the reign of the Name, because God is the subject and object of both, his uncreated awareness discerning uncreated presence in the Name. Purity of heart blesses those who turn and see God with the eye of wisdom, discerning uncreated glory with the single eye of uncreated light. The practice of the presence of God is… Read more »
Today, March 12th, is the Feast Day of the Prophet of Prayer, Saint Symeon the New Theologian, whose prophetic writings have inspired pure prayer since his death in 1022. His ‘Hymns of Love’ declare that love is the uncreated light that illumines seers, love the ineffable glory that deifies saints. For the Prophet of Prayer, the New Covenant is a Covenant… Read more »
The fire of Spirit ignites the flame of wisdom, revealing burning glory through the unveiled Name. The Song of Songs awakens holy wisdom in the Holy of Holies, indwelling the cloud of unknowing like a spiritual marriage, generating rebirth in the Holy Spirit. Christ breathes the Holy Spirit into his disciples when he breathes on them, recreating them in the… Read more »