Spiritual Homilies 1 part 19/36

Just as, then, in the visible realm the earth needs cultivation, and laborers go out and deposit the seed in it, and it brings forth fruits, and at its proper season the reapers take the sickles and reap—so too the invisible earth of the Lord is the soul of man, and the good farmer is the Lord, and those who work the earth are the holy apostles, who received in succession the word of the Lord.

For the Word of the Father himself came into the world to make new heavens and to fashion a new earth, just as he promised:

Behold, I make new heavens and a new earth, which shall not pass away.

For this heaven and this earth, and all things that are seen, are dissolved and pass away; but the rational and spiritual earth, worked by the Lord, is eternal.

...to carry along with themselves...

But here, if Christians acquire some good achievements and lay up spiritual wealth in the living earth of the heart, when they depart from this world, they take along with them also such wealth of theirs, and the treasure of life, and the living fruits of their labors, and they go away into the kingdom of the heavens, where their eternal rest and inheritance is.

This visible earth, then, passes away, and this wealth vanishes, and the fruits are consumed; but those spiritual things, not seen with these eyes, remain together forever.

Just as these trees conceive their fruits within, and in the season of the month of Xanthicus, when sweet spring has arrived, each tree brings forth into the open the fruit that is within it, and the cluster of grapes must come out from the vine, and the rest of the produce must come forth from the fruit-bearing trees—so also, as many as now, in secret, conceive the heavenly seed of the Spirit of glory in their hearts, and are full of virtues, on the day of the resurrection that heavenly and spiritual glory, which from now they have received within, will also clothe and array their naked bodies outwardly with heavenly glory.

Woe to the soul that has not acquired and gained through its faith the glory of the Spirit within, because at the resurrection it will not have that which will cover and glorify and clothe its body with the garment of salvation.

The apostles, then, were appointed both as laborers of rational souls and as spiritual stewards—stewards not of visible houses, but of the hearts of men.

Just as the steward enters the house and carefully cleans everything in it and adorns the house to please the master, so also the word of the apostles, entering into the hearts of believing men, administers the soul and adorns it for the good pleasure and indwelling of the heavenly Master.

And these same men were also called shepherds:

For, says the Lord to Peter, 'Feed my lambs.'

Likewise they too were the first to receive the keys of the kingdom:

For the Lord says to Peter:

I will give you the keys of the kingdom.

And what is the key but the divine and heavenly word spoken by them in power to those who hear with faith? For the divine word, spoken in power, opens the ears of the faithful, and entering within it opens the doors of the heart that had been shut by the evil one, and there takes possession of the pastures of the soul; and this heart, once truly opened by the power of the living and effectual word of the Spirit, shall never again be shut, unto the ages.

For the evil one himself, through the word which he spoke to Eve, entered first into her hearing, and through her hearing passed into her heart, since she obeyed his word, and he took possession of the pastures of the soul and shut the doors of the heart from being opened toward eternal life and that spiritual virtue of hearing.

It is necessary, then, that where the destroyer has walked about and laid waste, there the word of life should enter and set right the desolated affairs of the soul's virtues.

And just as the king sends his images into all the land, and through them his dominion and authority are made known, so too the evil one, having taken captive the human race and, through the transgression of Adam, having brought all under his own authority, cast into souls the ill-favored and gloomy images of his darkness — the passions of dishonor — and through them held fast the pastures, turning men aside into every sin and impurity.

This is the law of sin that wars against the law of the mind, against the law of God.

the blessed apostle commands

This is the spirit of the world, from which we pray to be redeemed.

This is the veil of darkness that lies upon the heart, which we hope, through the power of Jesus, to have taken away when we turn completely to the Lord, that with unveiled face we may behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord.

But as many souls as draw near to the Lord in faith and great love, seeking from him redemption, and desiring to obtain the grace of his Spirit — the Lord sends to them the desired and heavenly image of his ineffable light, the living image (that is, the new law of his Spirit and the heavenly man), and through this immortal and living image of the light of his virtues the ill-favored images of darkness, of the evil of the passions, are abolished, and the Spirit reigns in the faithful and worthy soul, which fulfills his whole will purely and blamelessly; and his dominion is made known in truth to worthy souls through the living and God-like image of his grace.

For just as in the palace, even if the king's servants are trained, yet if they do not receive from him the vessels of silver and gold, they cannot minister to the king; for they themselves are one thing, and the royal vessels entrusted to them are another — for the king is served with his own vessels. So too, men and angels, unless they receive the spiritual vessels of the Lord (that is, power and knowledge and understanding from his Spirit) and become partakers of the power of God, cannot fulfill blamelessly the whole will of God.

For the angels themselves, being spirits, received power from his Spirit, and being mingled with it through him they do the whole will of God; likewise also the souls of men are spirits, and unless they receive the power of God and knowledge from his Spirit, they cannot worthily fulfill the whole will of God.

For those below and those above are companions of one another, as the apostle says:

having made peace, whether the things upon the earth or the things in the heavens.

Each one, then, lives worthily of him whose image he bears in power and in actuality — whether the image of God (that is, of grace, of the virtues, of life) or the image of the evil one (that is, of the passions of dishonor); and whichever image he has within himself, in that one's age he both lives and has his abode.

For if a man has within himself the image of the life of the light of the Spirit, he lives among those above, in the eternal and incorruptible world; but if a man has within himself the ill-favored image of the evil one, he lives in the corruptible age, being dead as far as those above are concerned.

For those who wish to live in that immortal and eternal world must become dead to this world and be put to death as regards the carnal mind.

For if a man should become lord of all the dominion of the earth that is under the sun, but should make no provision for his own soul, that it may live in the incorruptible and eternal world, he has no benefit or profit at all.

For all created things are not equal in worth to a single soul, as the Lord says:

If you gain the whole world but forfeit your own soul, what profit is it, or what will you give in exchange for your soul? So then, the whole world is not worth a single soul.

But there is another law, that of the habit of the world and of former shameful and vain works, into which those who withdraw and renounce this life are drawn, being enticed.

the law of the passions written in the heart, that very activity of evil — that is, the sin which hinders the soul and prevents it from entering into the life of the kingdom.

But there is also the hidden law of the Spirit of the Godhead, living and taking hold of the soul that struggles against the laws of evil.

The work of man, then, resembles the work of the Lord.

For just as the Lord, having come down to earth, endured to suffer many things — being insulted and dishonored and crucified — and afterward descended even into the lower parts of the earth for the sake of his own inheritance (that is, his faithful and worthy souls), so also Christians endure to suffer many things, struggling against evil even unto death, for the sake of their heavenly inheritance, which is the Lord himself.

Let us also, then, be diligent to be found always well-pleasing to him, submitting ourselves in nothing to the law of evil, so that, being counted worthy of the law of the Spirit of life, we may through it be delivered from the law of evil of the passions and lay hold of eternal life; and thus, conducting ourselves simply in all his commandments, and accomplishing the whole will of God through his grace, and being made blameless through the law of the Spirit and formed spotless, we may become worthy of eternal life, enjoying the good things there together with the Lord unto ages of ages in the immortal kingdom.

The Lord, in the Gospel, giving an account of mystical matters, says:

the Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands, and:

shows him all things that he himself does, and will show him greater works than these, that you may believe.

What, then, are the greater works which the Father gives the Son to do? For he raised the dead, and gave sight to the blind, and to the lame the power to walk, he cleansed lepers, healed the paralyzed, and cured every disease.

What, then, could be greater works than these? Yet also the works of creation, which God made, were all already in existence:

For heaven already existed, sun and moon and stars and all their array already existed; and the earth too, and every plant already existed, and every sowable seed already existed, and the buildings of cities and houses; water and the things in it, mountains and hills, air and all the birds in it already existed; but also the law already existed, and the scriptures already existed, and all the righteousness of the law was already written in the scriptures.

What, then, was lacking? Behold, everything already existed.

What, then, are the greater works which the Lord promises to do? For indeed, among visible things, he did no work greater than these, as is recorded in the Gospel that he did.

What, then, are these greater works that remain? Truly he wrought great and true and eternal works by his coming; and therefore his whole saving advent has become the greater and eternal works which he promised to do.

For the sake of which he also performed all the visible signs and wonders.

For he came to raise up the soul that had been put to death by the transgression of Adam and had come to be in the deadness of the passions of evil — the soul that had fallen from eternal life and had been brought down into eternal death.

In the day that you eat, you shall die the death.

For the soul died away from God, being separated from eternal life, that is, no longer enjoying the light of the kingdom — although, as far as the visible is concerned, it did not die on that very day, for it is written that he died after nine hundred and thirty years.

The soul, then, was put to death on that very day, and afterward his body was condemned to the visible death.

So also now the Lord acted rightly, having rendered this judgment:

but at the resurrection he will also raise up the body and count it worthy of immortal glory.

For the soul at that time put on the garment of death, which is sin, and was no longer able to behold its own Master.

But when the Savior came, John says:

Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world — that is, he who takes away the invisible death of the veil of darkness, the mind of the flesh, and raises up the soul from the deadness of the passions; and it was counted worthy once more to behold its own Master with its noetic eyes.

Behold, truly, the first and greatest of all the works he did — an eternal work:

He raised up a soul from eternal death.

The Lord, then, came to heal souls that were lame and blind and paralyzed.

Behold a work greater than the visible signs.

Again, what greater work did the Lord do than heaven and earth, seeing that he promised to do works greater than these? "If I do not," he says, "do works greater than these, do not believe me." The soul which he raised up from eternal death he brought into a heavenly world of the Godhead, spiritual and eternal — for, he says, it shall lodge under the shelter of the God of heaven — and he gave to it the Sun of Righteousness, himself, who illumines it with eternal light; he also brought it into the land of the living, through the light of the Godhead of the Spirit, so that just as this body walks upon the earth and does the works of the earth, so also the soul, having entered into the invisible land of grace, being born from above, might dwell in it and work in that land the divine works of the virtues of the Spirit.

Labor not for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, so that just as the body eats from the earth and drinks, so also the soul may eat the true bread, the Lord, and drink the living water from the power of the Spirit.

And just as the body eats and drinks from this vine, so the soul that has been born from above eats from the true vine, the Lord, who said:

"I am the true vine"; and it drinks of the spiritual and God-inspired wine that gives rise to neither thirst nor fleshly desire.

And just as the body is anointed for relief with oil from this earth, so also the soul is anointed with the true oil of exultation, the Spirit itself, which affords it true relief and rest from the scorching passions.

And just as the body here is clothed with garments and shod with sandals, so also the soul is clothed with the incorruptible and richly varied garments of the Spirit, and puts on the sandals of life.

And just as here there are plantations and seeds and waters in the earth, so also the soul has invisible plantations and seeds of life and living water, from which it drinks, and has within itself a fountain of water springing up into eternal life.

And just as the body has this air, from which it breathes and lives, so also the soul has the divine and heavenly air of the Spirit, from which it breathes and lives with immortal life.

These things the apostle called a shadow of the things to come.

For this visible world is a type and image and example of the invisible and eternal world of the Godhead.

But also, just as here in the visible realm there is the law, and the scriptures, and righteous acts, so also the Lord, having come, gave in the heart the true, indelible law of the Holy Spirit, living and working life into the soul.

And the soul has, as its law of liberty, the Spirit, and as its true righteousness, the Lord.

...to look with unveiled face upon the glory of God, being as they were under the bonds of evil and not yet freed from the slavery of sin.

But now, those who have the law of the Spirit, and have been freed from the slavery of sin, and who work the heavenly righteousness through grace, behold with unveiled face the glory of the light of Christ, their soul having been mingled with his Spirit.

These are the greater and true works which the Lord promised to do.

And it was for the sake of these works that he came, that he might raise up the soul that had been put to death by the passions and bring it into the true world of the Godhead, so that the soul might have a new heaven and a sun of righteousness and a land of living light in which it can dwell, and true food and spiritual drink and the incorruptible work of life, and a heavenly house and city, and divine garments of the Spirit, and incorruptible crowns of grace.

And simply everything that the body has here, according to this same pattern the soul also is counted worthy to have — things fashioned for it by God out of the incorruptible glory of the Spirit.

But when you hear that the soul has the Lord as its true sun, and him as its life, and him as its food and drink, understand nothing earthly or of the dust.

For understand incorruptible things as incorruptible.

For the mysteries of the Spirit that are worked in the soul by the Lord are ineffable and unspeakable; they are known by experience to those who are worthy, but it is impossible to utter them with the tongue and mouth of flesh, and one can only take certain shadows and images, as an example, from this world.

For those things are truly incorruptible, all of which the Lord has promised to worthy souls from his divine Spirit — ineffable and eternal blessings.

For God so loved the soul created according to his image, that he gave himself to it in manifold ways, adorning himself within it and making it a partaker of his own nature; and thus, having been mingled together with him, it is united to the Lord, itself also becoming spirit.

And from now the soul rises up from the fall and the deadness of the passions by the power of the Spirit, and from now it enters, in its disposition and in the very substance of its mind, into the world of the Godhead and into ineffable glory, and is joined to Christ, becoming one spirit with him.

For this is why his coming took place: that he might work these mysteries and wonders and paradoxes with the soul that loves him perfectly, while it is still in the world.

But at the resurrection the body itself also is deemed worthy of these gifts, and then it will be glorified together with the soul that from now has been glorified through the power of the Spirit.

Woe, if anyone has not sought and from now received in full assurance the life of communion with the Spirit, and has not become a partaker of that glory, and has not been deemed worthy to rise by the Spirit from the deadness of the passions; for remaining naked and destitute of communion with God, he will be shut out outside the gates of the kingdom.

Let us therefore entreat the Lord, giving ourselves over in all faith and love to all the commandments, that we may be deemed worthy to obtain the aforesaid good things and to become partakers of the communion of his Spirit, that being sanctified through his grace, and made spotless and blameless, we may also become worthy of eternal life, unto the ages of ages.

expecting, in spirit and truth, according to the evangelic tradition of the Lord, [those] who offer worship to the Holy Trinity.

Therefore they ought at once and rightly to make the beginning of such a search, and should be zealous in all their conduct to keep within themselves the whole good impulse and keenness of desire in the sobriety of faith and the affection of a virtuous mind and the uprightness of good thoughts, so that through good considerations and the remembrance of noble things — whatsoever is true and just and pure — the soul, advancing toward the fear of God, may be able to receive growth toward what is better.

But let us especially be zealous to order our prayer in faith and the fear of God, not being satisfied merely with bodily habits, or the custom of crying out, or the custom of silence, or the custom of kneeling, while the mind is held in confusion and disturbance, or in listlessness and the forgetfulness of ignorance through willful negligence; but let us be zealous, with all sobriety and attention and good care, to exercise the searching and attention of the mind at every time, but especially in prayer, estranging ourselves from every earthly thought and turning away from all material considerations, and let us keep the whole mind of the soul, through faith and hope, upon the expectation of Christ, awaiting at every hour the visitation of his grace, through which we are able to acquire the true and undistracted prayer of the Spirit, holding, through all the outlets and paths of the soul's reasonings, the awaiting of the Spirit, looking forward to the Lord through faith and fear ever before us — not picturing him in the mind bodily, as in some place, outside or below or above, as though God were in some place and were circumscribed, but by the invisible power of the Godhead, which is inescapably present everywhere, and which is found by those who seek it in fear and trembling and longing, in the heart, and which, according to the measure of their faith and according to the capacity of their reception, is clearly revealed to the inner man for the salvation and life and sanctification of soul and body — having this aim, since the unapproachable power is everywhere.

For it is not possible that there be a place where the ineffable power of the Godhead is not; but in our soul, through faith and the longing search for him, it is clearly manifested, according to the capacity of our faith, unto the purification of the heart.

For the heart cannot otherwise be purified and sanctified, unless the sanctifying power of the Spirit is clearly revealed to the soul.

For then we shall be able, in spirit, without filthy and earthly and vain thoughts, to worship the Father as we ought.

The soul, therefore, which has such an aim and awaits when the working of divine grace will give life to the deadened heart, and when the fire of the Spirit's love, having laid hold of the heart, will by its own working burn up all uncleanness in it and work purity and sanctification in the inner man — such a soul ought not to be satisfied in prayer with bodily habits, as has been said, or with the custom of the voice, or of silence, or the bending of the knees; but let it be fervent with longing toward the Lord, estranged from every material consideration, and let the monk, gathering himself with violence and labor as much as he is able into the heart, await there the condemnation of the passions of wickedness through the working of the Spirit, and let him expect there the exultation of heavenly grace and spiritual gladness to come about, being strengthened in mind and in the aim of seeking the Lord and in the sobriety of his intellect.

As for the rest, let each one pray as he wishes, and as seems easy and pleasing to him.

If there is need of crying out or shouting, let him beseech the Lord without noise and confusion of mind, as has been said;

of those who cry to him day and night.

But if there is need of silence, let him await the support of grace with longing and labor of mind, and through the perseverance of the body and kneeling and prayer, let him always seek out, with desire and thirst, through faith, the spiritual treasures of the heavenly gift; and let the soul gather itself in from the matter of the world and the wandering of thoughts, especially in prayer, as much as it is able.

For just as, in bodily work, whenever someone labors, all the members of the body are joined together in the work, helping one another, and all the members bring the work to completion, so also the soul, always, but especially in the hours of prayer, should not be elsewhere, willfully wandering and scattered in its reasonings, but as much as it is able, disregarding for God's sake all things seen with the bodily eye, let it gather itself by force from all customs and improper preconceptions, having the fear of God ever before its eyes, so that all the members of its thoughts may be gathered together in prayer, receiving in faith the expectation of the Lord — waiting for when the grace of the Spirit will come upon it through an effective visitation, teaching it and granting it a true prayer, undistracted, unwandering, pure — so that then the soul may worship God as it ought, in spirit and in truth, and may pray, through grace, in exultation and spiritual gladness.

For just as a merchant, conducting his trade, does not know how to procure the profit of his trade by one road only nor by one pretext only, but skillfully and soberly looks about on every side, and if it happens that he fails to gain profit from one quarter, he turns his attention to another matter — for his whole aim is to gain and to multiply his trade — so also let us, as far as is possible by human strength and understanding, order the prayer of our expectation in manifold and skillful ways, with an upright and collected mind and a sober intellect, so that we may be able to gain the true and great profit, our Lord himself, who teaches us every goodness of virtue and the working of truth, who said to those who take up such faith and zeal:

'We will come, I and my Father, and will make our dwelling with him.' And again:

'He who loves me shall be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him' — that, as upon his own throne, he might sit and rest in our heart, just as it is written in Ezekiel, that God sat, being borne by intellectual and divine and spiritual living creatures full of eyes over all their parts, before and behind; so also the soul that has been deemed worthy, through its faith and much supplication and zeal in all the commandments, to receive within itself the great King Christ, and has become for him an intellectual temple and throne, becomes entirely eye, and entirely light, and entirely heaven, and ineffable beauty, through the divine power that is mingled together in its substance, making it also heavenly

and works in her a divine beauty through communion.

Blessed, then, is such a soul which has displayed much zeal toward Christ, so that, while still in the flesh, it might from now be able to attain such heavenly goods — the soul whose body is deemed worthy to become a temple and dwelling place of the heavenly King, just as the Apostle says, that 'your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you'; and again, exhorting the obedient and faithful to be zealous through faith to be deemed worthy of this great dignity, he says:

'Glorify God, then, in your body.'

'As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall the Lord rejoice over you.'

Let us also take an example from the visible world.