The experience of glorification is the revelation of God through God in God, illumining the heart with the uncreated light of the Holy Trinity. It is not some sort of spiritual inflation but rather hallowing simplicity that humbles and purifies the heart. Revelation of God is through God and unveils God in God when the Holy Spirit awakens the eye of the heart, curing self-obsession. The experience of glorification is first light then glory and it is in light that glory ascribes glory to God. It is the light of glory which illumines the heart not some created light which at best might tell us something about God. The experience of glorification reveals God, not some new notion of God, and it happens when the Spirit illumines both the mind and the heart by infusing the mind with uncreated light, drawing it down into the heart’s true centre which is Christ, who is ‘I AM,’ revealed as way, truth and life. Christ humbles and purifies the heart so that it sees as it is seen, seeing God the Father through Christ in the Spirit. It is ineffable, this union with God through God in God, this mystery of revelation of God the Holy Trinity.
It is impossible to separate out what this union means or analyse its parts because it is a mystery of oneness even in difference and has no parts. There is participation by grace in this union but no possibility of analytical division into separate parts. Glory is discerned by wisdom in the light of the Name but no amount of clever metaphysical thought can reach this. Philosophy remains outside until it turns outside in and is restored to its truth as love of wisdom. Real wisdom is deifying not proud, humble not clever and in the Patristic tradition is never confused with sophisticated sophistry. It is the illuminating energy that inspired the apostles, prophets and saints and so renews glorification in Orthodox Christian tradition. Confusion with pride arises when prayer of the heart is lost and tradition is dumbed down to narrow dogmatism. It is not the dogmas that impose dogmatism but the sclerosis of the heart. The cure is the prayer of the Spirit awakening the heart to ‘I AM,’ Christ in the midst, revelation of the glory of the Father. The heart is healed with noetic prayer that centres where God sees God, no longer addicted to self-love but deified by God in God.
It is the Spirit that opens wisdom to awe-struck wonder that the kingdom of God is actually within us, that Christ is risen, ascended and glorified right here in our midst. The remembrance of God is God’s renewing activity restoring the heart to its primordial wholeness, its health in God through God. Everything is holy tri-unity curing confusion and division in Holy Trinity, ineffable completeness unveiled when incompleteness turns and sees. The same glory, experienced as fire purifying the heart, is light illumining the heart until suddenly the light of the Name glorifies all in God and God in all. Prophets and saints experience glorification as revelation of Holy Trinity inspiring apostles to transmit the eternal gospel of the Name. The Bride of the Lamb ascribes all glory to her Beloved who shares his glory in turn with her. It is this experience that the Patristic tradition calls glorification. It is this experience that awakens the heart to the glory of Holy Trinity. It is glorification which unveils the Church, Bride of the Lamb, witness in light to the glory of Holy Trinity.