Joe Versus the Volcano: Elder Sophrony on ascetic struggle and the love of Christ

Thursday, 30 September 2010

Elder Sophrony on ascetic struggle and the love of Christ

I came upon this quotation from the Greek Orthodox writer Elder Sophrony (1896-1993) on the wonderful Christ in Our Midst blog (a treasure-chest of Patristic and Orthodox spiritual wisdom and beautiful art-work). It bears repeated reading...

Inestimable are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Every true gift is none other than a flame of love.

But for our hearts to become capable of receiving the love of Christ in its glowing manifestations we must all, every one of us, endure many trials.

People who live lives of ease atrophy spiritually and remain impervious to divinely universal, Christ-like love. They live and die without their spirit rising upward to heaven.

Gifts from on High are commensurate to our ascetic struggle. All who walk the way of Christ’s commandments are regenerated in their very following of Him – some more, some less, depending on the ardor manifested.

Through being crucified together with God the Word-made-flesh, grace descends on the believer, likening him to God made man.

This great gift also embraces in itself life-giving theology through a real dwelling in the Light of love.

H/T Christ in Our Midst

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Cyril of Alexandria

"After Christ had completed his mission on earth, it still remained necessary for us to become sharers in the divine nature of the Word. We had to give up our own life and be so transformed that we would begin to live an entirely new kind of life that would be pleasing to God. This was something we could do only by sharing in the Holy Spirit....When the time came for Christ to ascend to his heavenly Father, it was necessary for him to be united through his Spirit to those who worshipped him, and to dwell in our hearts through faith."

Basil of Caesarea

"Just as when a sunbeam falls on bright and transparent bodies, they themselves become brilliant too, and shed forth a fresh brightness from themselves, so souls wherein the Spirit dwells, illuminated by the Spirit, themselves become spiritual, and send forth their grace to others. Hence comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of what is hidden, distribution of good gifts, the heavenly citizenship, a place in the chorus of angels, joy without end, abiding in God, the being made like to God, and, highest of all, the being made God."

Benedict of Nursia

"We believe that the divine presence is everywhere and that ‘the eyes of the Lord are looking on the good and the evil in every place’. But we should believe this especially without any doubt when we are assisting at the Work of God. To that end let us be mindful always of the Prophet's words ‘Serve the Lord in fear’, and again, ‘Sing praises wisely’, and ‘In the sight of the Angels I will sing praise to Thee’. Let us therefore consider how we ought to conduct ourselves in the sight of the Godhead and of His Angels, and let us take part in the psalmody in such a way that our mind may be in harmony with our voice."