#saint gregory palamas

[orthodoxadventure]

Therefore, the High Priest, seeing that this child, more than anyone else, had divine grace within Her, wished to set Her within the Holy of Holies. He convinced everyone present to welcome this, since God had advanced it and approved it. Through His angel, God assisted the Virgin and sent Her mystical food, with which She was strengthened in nature, while in body She was brought to maturity and was made purer and more exalted than the angels, having the Heavenly spirits as servants. She was led into the Holy of Holies not just once, but was accepted by God to dwell there with Him during Her youth, so that through Her, the Heavenly Abodes might be opened and given for an eternal habitation to those who believe in Her miraculous birthgiving.

So it is, and this is why She, from the beginning of time, was chosen from among the chosen. She Who is manifest as the Holy of Holies, Who has a body even purer than the spirits purified by virtue, is capable of receiving ... the Hypostatic Word of the Unoriginate Father. Today the Ever-Virgin Mary, like a Treasure of God, is stored in the Holy of Holies, so that in due time, (as it later came to pass) She would serve for the enrichment of, and an ornament for, all the world. Therefore, Christ God also glorifies His Mother, both before, and also after His birth.

-- Saint Gregory Palamas

[apenitentialprayer]

Paradise, the fresco decorating the interior dome of the baptistry of Padua Cathedral, painted by Giusto de' Menabuoi, circa 1378.

We have baptism, brethren, for regeneration and divine birth, one faith, one hope, one God, who is above all and through all and in us all. In His love, He gathers us together to Himself and makes us members of and one of Himself.

Gregory Palamas (On Peace §3a, a homily given in December of 1350 or January of 1351)

[teenageascetic]

“Just as in legal marriage, the pleasure derived from procreation cannot exactly be called a gift of God, because it is carnal and constitutes a gift of nature and not of grace (even though that nature has been created by God); even so the knowledge that comes from profane education, even if well used,is a gift of nature, and not ofgrace-a gift which God accords to all without exception through na-ture, and which one can develop by exercise. This last point-that no one acquires it without effort and exercise—is an evident proof that it is a question of a natural, not a spiritual, gift.”

-Saint Gregory Palamas.

[sunday-skool]

Saint Gregory Palamas and the Jesus Prayer craft

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Sunday, March 31, 2024

march 18_march 31

SAINT GREGORY PALAMAS, ARCHBISHOP OF THESSALONIKA (1359)

(movable holiday on the 2nd Sunday of the Great Lent).

Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, was born in the year 1296 in Constantinople. Saint Gregory’s father became a prominent dignitary at the court of Andronicus II Paleologos (1282-1328), but he soon died, and Andronicus himself took part in the raising and education of the fatherless boy. Endowed with fine abilities and great diligence, Gregory mastered all the subjects which then comprised the full course of medieval higher education. The emperor hoped that the youth would devote himself to government work. But Gregory, barely twenty years old, withdrew to Mount Athos in the year 1316 (other sources say 1318) and became a novice in the Vatopedi monastery under the guidance of the monastic Elder Saint Νikόdēmos of Vatopedi (July 11). There he was tonsured and began on the path of asceticism. A year later, the holy Evangelist John the Theologian appeared to him in a vision and promised him his spiritual protection. Gregory’s mother and sisters also became monastics.

After the demise of the Elder Νikόdēmos, Saint Gregory spent eight years of spiritual struggle under the guidance of the Elder Nikēphóros, and after the latter’s death, Gregory transferred to the Lavra of Saint Athanasius (July 5). Here he served in the trapeza, and then became a church singer. But after three years, he resettled in the small skete of Glossia, striving for a greater degree of spiritual perfection. The head of this monastery began to teach the young man the method of unceasing prayer and mental activity, which had been cultivated by monastics, beginning with the great desert ascetics of the fourth century: Evagrius Pontikos and Saint Macarius of Egypt (January 19).

Later on, in the eleventh century, Saint Simeon the New Theologian (March 12) had provided detailed instruction in mental activity for those praying in an outward manner, and the ascetics of Athos put it into practice. The experienced use of mental prayer (or prayer of the heart), requiring solitude and quiet, is called “Hesychasm” (from the Greek “hesychia” meaning calm, silence), and those practicing it were called “hesychasts.”

During his stay at Glossia the future hierarch Gregory became fully imbued with the spirit of hesychasm and adopted it as an essential part of his life. In the year 1326, because of the threat of Turkish invasions, he and the brethren retreated to Thessalonica, where he was then ordained to the holy priesthood.

Saint Gregory combined his priestly duties with the life of a hermit. Five days of the week he spent in silence and prayer, and only on Saturday and Sunday did he come out to his people. He celebrated divine services and preached sermons. For those present in church, his teaching often evoked both tenderness and tears. Sometimes he visited theological gatherings of the city’s educated youth, headed by the future patriarch, Isidore. After he returned from a visit to Constantinople, he found a place suitable for solitary life near Thessalonica the region of Bereia. Soon he gathered here a small community of solitary monks and guided it for five years.

In 1331 the saint withdrew to Mount Athos and lived in solitude at the skete of Saint Savva, near the Lavra of Saint Athanasius. In 1333 he was appointed Igumen of the Esphigmenou monastery in the northern part of the Holy Mountain. In 1336 the saint returned to the skete of Saint Savva, where he devoted himself to theological works, continuing with this until the end of his life.

In the 1330s events took place in the life of the Eastern Church which put Saint Gregory among the most significant universal apologists of Orthodoxy, and brought him great renown as a teacher of hesychasm.

About the year 1330 the learned monk Barlaam had arrived in Constantinople from Calabria, in Italy. He was the author of treatises on logic and astronomy, a skilled and sharp-witted orator, and he received a university chair in the capital city and began to expound on the works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite (October 3), whose “apophatic” (“negative”, in contrast to “kataphatic” or “positive”) theology was acclaimed in equal measure in both the Eastern and the Western Churches. Soon Barlaam journeyed to Mt Athos, where he became acquainted with the spiritual life of the hesychasts. Saying that it was impossible to know the essence of God, he declared mental prayer a heretical error. Journeying from Mount Athos to Thessalonica, and from there to Constantinople, and later again to Thessalonica, Barlaam entered into disputes with the monks and attempted to demonstrate the created, material nature of the light of Tabor (i.e. at the Transfiguration). He ridiculed the teachings of the monks about the methods of prayer and about the uncreated light seen by the hesychasts.

Saint Gregory, at the request of the Athonite monks, replied with verbal admonitions at first. But seeing the futility of such efforts, he put his theological arguments in writing. Thus appeared the “Triads in Defense of the Holy Hesychasts” (1338). Towards the year 1340 the Athonite ascetics, with the assistance of the saint, compiled a general response to the attacks of Barlaam, the so-called “Hagiorite Tome.” At the Constantinople Council of 1341 in the church of Hagia Sophia Saint Gregory Palamas debated with Barlaam, focusing upon the nature of the light of Mount Tabor. On May 27, 1341 the Council accepted the position of Saint Gregory Palamas, that God, unapproachable in His Essence, reveals Himself through His energies, which are directed towards the world and are able to be perceived, like the light of Tabor, but which are neither material nor created. The teachings of Barlaam were condemned as heresy, and he himself was anathemized and fled to Calabria.

But the dispute between the Palamites and the Barlaamites was far from over. To these latter belonged Barlaam’s disciple, the Bulgarian monk Akyndinos, and also Patriarch John XIV Kalekos (1341-1347); the emperor Andronicus III Paleologos (1328-1341) was also inclined toward their opinion. Akyndinos, whose name means “one who inflicts no harm,” actually caused great harm by his heretical teaching. Akyndinos wrote a series of tracts in which he declared Saint Gregory and the Athonite monks guilty of causing church disorders. The saint, in turn, wrote a detailed refutation of Akyndinos’ errors. The patriarch supported Akyndinos and called Saint Gregory the cause of all disorders and disturbances in the Church (1344) and had him locked up in prison for four years. In 1347, when John the XIV was replaced on the patriarchal throne by Isidore (1347-1349), Saint Gregory Palamas was set free and was made Archbishop of Thessalonica.

In 1351 the Council of Blachernae solemnly upheld the Orthodoxy of his teachings. But the people of Thessalonica did not immediately accept Saint Gregory, and he was compelled to live in various places. On one of his travels to Constantinople the Byzantine ship fell into the hands of the Turks. Even in captivity, Saint Gregory preached to Christian prisoners and even to his Moslem captors. The Hagarenes were astonished by the wisdom of his words. Some of the Moslems were unable to endure this, so they beat him and would have killed him if they had not expected to obtain a large ransom for him. A year later, Saint Gregory was ransomed and returned to Thessalonica.

Saint Gregory performed many miracles in the three years before his death, healing those afflicted with illness. On the eve of his repose, Saint John Chrysostom appeared to him in a vision. With the words “To the heights! To the heights!” Saint Gregory Palamas fell asleep in the Lord on November 14, 1359. In 1368 he was canonized at a Constantinople Council under Patriarch Philotheus (1354-1355, 1364-1376), who compiled the Life and Services to the saint.

SAINT CYRIL, ARCHBISHOP OF JERUSALEM (386)

Saint Cyril, Archbishop of Jerusalem, was born in Jerusalem in 315 and raised in strict Christian piety. Upon reaching maturity, he became a monk, and in 346, he became a presbyter. In 350, upon the death of Archbishop Maximus, he succeeded him on the episcopal throne of Jerusalem.

As Patriarch of Jerusalem, Saint Cyril zealously fought against the heresies of Arius and Macedonius. In so doing, he aroused the animosity of the Arian bishops, who sought to have him deposed and banished from Jerusalem.

There was a miraculous portent in 351 at Jerusalem: at the third hour of the day on the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Cross appeared in the heavens, shining with a radiant light. It stretched from Golgotha above the Mount of Olives. Saint Cyril reported this portent to the Arian emperor Constantius (351-363), hoping to convert him to Orthodoxy.

The heretic Acacius, deposed by the Council of Sardica, was formerly the Metropolitan of Caesarea, and he collaborated with the emperor to have Saint Cyril removed. An intense famine struck Jerusalem, and Saint Cyril expended all his wealth in charity. But since the famine did not abate, the saint pawned church utensils, and used the money to buy wheat for the starving. The saint’s enemies spread a scandalous rumor that they had seen a woman in the city dancing around in clerical garb. Taking advantage of this rumor, the heretics forcibly expelled the saint.

The saint found shelter with Bishop Silvanus in Tarsus. After this, a local Council was held at Seleucia, at which there were about 150 bishops, and among them Saint Cyril. The heretical Metropolitan Acacius did not want to allow him to take a seat, but the Council would not consent to this. Acacius stormed out of the Council, and before the emperor and the Arian patriarch Eudoxius, he denounced both the Council and Saint Cyril. The emperor had the saint imprisoned.

When the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363) ascended the throne he repealed all the anti-Orthodox decrees of Constantius, seemingly out of piety. Saint Cyril returned to his own flock. But after a certain while, when Julian had become secure upon the throne, he openly apostasized and renounced Christ. He permitted the Jews to start rebuilding the Temple of Jerusalem that had been destroyed by the Romans, and he even provided them part of the funds for the building from the state treasury.

Saint Cyril predicted that the words of the Savior about the destruction of the Temple down to its very stones (Luke. 21:6) would undoubtedly transpire, and the blasphemous intent of Julian would come to naught. Soon there was such a powerful earthquake, that even the solidly set foundation of the ancient Temple of Solomon shifted in its place, and what had been rebuilt fell down and shattered into dust. When the Jews resumed construction, a fire came down from the heavens and destroyed the tools of the workmen. Great terror seized everyone. On the following night, the Sign of the Cross appeared on the clothing of the Jews, which they could not remove by any means.

After this heavenly confirmation of Saint Cyril’s prediction, they banished him again, and the bishop’s throne was occupied by Saint Cyriacus. But Saint Cyriacus soon suffered a martyr’s death (October 28).

After the emperor Julian perished in 363, Saint Cyril returned to his See, but during the reign of the emperor Valens (364-378) he was exiled for a third time. It was only under the holy emperor Saint Theodosius the Great (379-395) that he finally returned to his archpastoral activity. In 381 Saint Cyril participated in the Second Ecumenical Council, which condemned the heresy of Macedonius and affirmed the Nicea-Constantinople Symbol of Faith (Creed).

Saint Cyril’s works include twenty-three Instructions (Eighteen are Catechetical, intended for those preparing for Baptism, and five are for the newly-baptized) and two discourses on Gospel themes: “On the Paralytic,” and “Concerning the Transformation of Water into Wine at Cana.”

At the heart of the Catechetical Instructions is a detailed explanation of the Symbol of Faith. The saint suggests that a Christian should inscribe the Symbol of Faith upon “the tablets of the heart.”

“The articles of the Faith,” Saint Cyril teaches, “were not written through human cleverness, but they contain everything that is most important in all the Scriptures, in a single teaching of faith. Just as the mustard seed contains all its plethora of branches within its small kernel, so also does the Faith in its several declarations combine all the pious teachings of the Old and the New Testaments.”

Saint Cyril, a great ascetic and a champion of Orthodoxy, died in the year 386.

HEBREWS 1:10-2:3

10 And:"You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail." 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said:"Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3

how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

JOHN 21:1-14

1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: 2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus said to them, "Children, have you any food?" They answered Him, "No." 6 And He said to them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some." So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish. 9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have just caught." 11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken. 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast." Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who are You?"-knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish. 14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.

[byzantine-nectarine]

Now, brethren, let us remove ourselves from earthly to celestial things. Let us change our path from the flesh to the spirit. Let us change our desire from temporal things to those that endure. Let us scorn fleshly delights, which serve as allurements for the soul and soon pass away. Let us desire spiritual gifts, which remain undiminished. Let us turn our reason and our attention from earthly concerns and raise them to the inaccessible places of Heaven, to the Holy of Holies, where the Mother of God now resides.

- Saint Gregory Palamas, Sermon on the Entrance of the Mother of God Into The Temple of Jerusalem

[thesynaxarium]

On the second Sunday of Great Lent, we celebrate our Venerable Father Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica. Saint Gregory, who was from Asia Minor, was from childhood reared in the royal court of Constantinople, where he was instructed in both religious and secular wisdom. Later, while still a youth, he left the imperial court and struggled in asceticism on Mount Athos, and in the Skete at Beroea. He spent some time in Thessalonica being treated for an illness that came from his harsh manner of life. He was present in Constantinople at the Council that was convened in 1341 against Barlaam of Calabria, and at the Council of 1347 against Acindynus, who was of like mind with Barlaam; Barlaam and Acindynus claimed that the grace of God is created. At both these Councils, the Saint contended courageously for the true dogmas of the Church of Christ, teaching in particular that divine grace is not created, but is the uncreated energies of God which are poured forth throughout creation: otherwise it would be impossible, if grace were created, for man to have genuine communion with the uncreated God. In 1347 he was appointed Metropolitan of Thessalonica. He tended his flock in an apostolic manner for some twelve years, and wrote many books and treatises on the most exalted doctrines of our Faith; and having lived for a total of sixty-three years, he reposed in the Lord in 1359. His holy relics are kept in the Cathedral of Thessalonica. A full service was composed for his feast day by the Patriarch Philotheus in 1368, when it was established that his feast be celebrated on this day. Since works without right faith avail nothing, we set Orthodoxy of faith as the foundation of all that we accomplish during the Fast, by celebrating the Triumph of Orthodoxy the Sunday before, and the great defender of the teachings of the holy Fathers today. May he intercede for us always + Source: https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=1055&PCode=2LENTS&D=S&date=03/28/2021 (at Thessalonikki, Greece) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpqMCbzLR_Q/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[credo--ut--intelligam]

Saint Augustine of Hippo - Nimis longum est, non legi

Nimis longum est, non legi - Too long, I didn’t read it. This series is meant to be a short introduction of Saints. I encourage you do do more research into each named Saint I talk about! God Bless!

Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis (Latin) Place of birth: Thagaste, Numidia, Cirtensis; western Roman Empire -- modern day Souk Ahras, Algeria Born: November 13, 354 Canonized: Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism (and other sects of Christianity); in 1303 by Pope Boniface VIII Feast Day: August 28 ; which is to believed to be the day he died.   -- In greek and russian orthodox chruch’s his feast day is celebrated june 15th

Patron Saint of:  Brewers, Printers, Theologians, sore eyes, and a number of cities and dioceses.  Most Important works: City of God, On Christian Doctrine, Confessions.  **While still being canonized as a Saint in Eastern Orthodoxy, and respected as a Church father, there is some controversy on him in the Orthodox faith.  Augustine, through his confessions talks about his “passions” of women, drinking, partying, and slowly coming to Christ and finally being baptized in 386, where he developed his own approach to theology and philosophy. His most notable contributions for doctrine where about “ORIGIONAL SIN” . The Eastern Orthodox believe that while everyone bears the CONSEQUENCES of the first sin, Only Adam and Eve are GUILTY of that sin. 

Augustine’s most controversial doctrine associated with him is “Filioque” which the EO Church has rejected. Though considered to be mistaken on some points, he is still highly respected, and considered a saint. Many EO Fathers, including Saint Gregory Palamas were inspired by him.

[martinwilliammichael]

We are deified through the Virgin Mary

Saint Gregory Palamas (1) defines the Church as a “communion of deification”, because Baptism and the Eucharist form the Body of Christ and contribute to the deification of the faithful who cooperate to grace. In this way, the saints not only participate in God's life, but also communicate him to others. 

We can now better understand the Virgin Mary’s greatness, and her role from Heaven, where she lives in glory.

How could Mary's body, which not only welcomed into itself the eternal Son of God but also begot him, not be raised to heaven? She from whom the Sun came forth appears as heaven. And it was of this place that Jacob the patriarch exclaimed: “This is a venerable place, truly God's dwelling and the gateway to heaven!" (Gen 28:16-17) 

Mary was divinized, for at the Annunciation, God manifests himself to Mary, not through the mediation of fire or wind, as with Moses and Elijah, but “without any veil”, and the divine nature “imprinted its form and figure in her”.

In the Church, a “communion of deification”, Mary transmits divine life to us.

Because of this, there is great communication between her and us! Mary divinizes us, transmitting divine life: “She stands between God and humanity; she made God the son of man and made men the sons of God; she made the earth into heaven and made our race divine. She is very high, queen of all creation, visible and invisible.” (St Gregory Palamas, homily 37,3).

As in a cascade of light or a chain of grace, Mary is the “administrator” of God's riches, because: “Through her alone Christ dwelt among us and was visible on earth and lived among men; thus and unceasingly, without her no progress in divine light, no unveiling of divine mysteries, no vision of spiritual gifts can be given.” (G. Palamas, hom 37,8).

For St Gregory Palamas, it is an eternal law in heaven that the lesser, through the greater, become partakers of him who sits in heaven, and as the Virgin is incomparably greater than all, it is through her that we will participate in the life of God (G. Palamas, hom 37,8).

Françoise Breynaert

Marian Encyclopedia

Saint Gregory Palamas (1296-1359)

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

[noeticprayer]

Nicholas Cabasilas of Thessaloniki

Reading from the Synaxarion:

Saint Nicholas Cabasilas was born in 1322 A.D. in Thessaloniki. Very little is known about his life, but he is remembered through two texts he wrote: The Life in Christ and The Exposition of the Divine Liturgy. He lived at the same time as Saint Gregory Palamas (see 11/14 and the 2nd Sunday of Great Lent) and was an ally of his during the Hesychastic Controversy on Mount Athos in the 14th century.

[orthodoxadventure]

"If a tree is known by its fruit, and a good tree bears good fruit (Mt. 7:17; Luke 6:44), then is not the Mother of Goodness Itself, She who bore the Eternal Beauty, incomparably more excellent than every good, whether in this world or the world above?" - St Gregory Palamas

[apenitentialprayer]

Mystery Revealed, by James Fissel

For in Him all fullness was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile all things for Him, making peace by the blood of His cross, through Him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.

The Epistle of Saint Paul to the Colossians (1:19-20)

We are all brethren in that we have one Creator and Lord, who is Father to us all. That brotherhood we share with animals and inanimate nature. We are also brethren one to another as descendants of one earthly father, Adam, and the only creatures made in God's Image. But even this is common to all nations. More especially, however, we are brethren in that we […] above all else, share one Mother, the Holy Church and true piety, the author and finisher [or perfector] of which is Christ, the rightful Son of God. Not only is He our God, but He was well-pleased to be our Brother, our Father, and our Head, bringing us all together into one Body and making us members of one another and of Himself.

Gregory Palamas (On Peace §1, a homily given in December of 1350 or January of 1351)

[guiltywisdom]

Protestant universalist anon back again; thank you so much for your response. I have a follow-up question if you don’t mind elaborating:

You said “sometimes we must rexamine said tradition for new truths.” This made me think of the ecumenical councils as an example of that occurring in an official context, but only as a concept (I don’t know church history that well yet). Are there any councils or such things where (T/t)radition meaningfully changed or was corrected, or has it always been seen as preserving or defending against something?

The Ecumenical Councils are perfect examples of this yes! These days we have things called "synods" or "sobor" and sometimes just "conferences". They're happening all the time. Admittedly I can't recall any specific time a syndod resulted in significant chance but they are usually called in response to something but I don't know how else one would do it. It does make me think of Saint Gregory Palamas' influence on how we see God with the distinction between his energies and his essence. Also I'm reminded of Saint Gregory of Nyssa's view of Universalism which is similar to the one I mentioned before and I think you might find useful to look into. Maybe this helps?

[orthodoxydaily]

Saints&Reading: Sunday, March 12, 2023

  march12_february

SAINT GREGORY PALAMAS, ARCHBISHOP OF THESSALONIKA (1359)

“ When we strive with diligent sobriety to keep watch over our rational faculties, to control and correct them, how else can we succeed in this task except by collecting our mind, which is dispersed abroad through the senses, and bringing it back into the world within, into the heart itself, which is the storehouse of all our thoughts?" 

"Because the Deity is goodness itself, true mercy and an abyss of loving bounty - or, rather, He is that which embraces and contains this abyss, since He transcends every name that is named and everything we can conceive - we can receive mercy only by union with Him. We unite ourselves to Him, in so far as this is possible, by participating in the godlike virtues and by entering into communion with Him through prayer and praise. Because the virtues are similitudes of God, the participate in them puts us in a fit state to receive the Deity, yet it does not actually unite us to Him."

Our father among the saints Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), Archbishop of Thessalonica, was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece (at Vatopedi Monastery and Esphigmenou Monastery), and later became Archbishop of Thessalonica. He was a preeminent theologian and a proponent of hesychastic theology. His feast days in the Church are November 14 and the second Sunday of Great Lent as the Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas.

He was probably born at Constantinople of a noble Anatolian family. From his youth, he was attracted to the monastic ideal, and successfully persuaded his brothers and sisters, along with his widowed mother, to take up the monastic life. Around 1318 he and his two brothers went to Mount Athos, where they learned firsthand the traditional hesychastic way of contemplative prayer.

With the encroachment of the Turks, he was forced to flee to Thessalonica, being ordained a priest there in 1326. Afterward, he took up the eremetic life at a mountain near Beroea, and eventually returned to Athos in 1331. Six years later, he became involved in a controversy with Barlaam, a Greek monk from Calabria, Italy.

He was initially asked by his fellow monks on Mount Athos to defend them from the charges of Barlaam. Barlaam believed that philosophers had better knowledge of God than did the prophets, and he valued education and learning more than contemplative prayer. He stated the unknowability of God in an extreme form, having been influenced by a reductionist interpretation of the writings of St. Dionysius the Areopagite. As such, he believed the monks on Mount Athos were wasting their time in contemplative prayer when they should instead be studying to gain intellectual knowledge. When St. Gregory criticized Barlaam's rationalism, Barlaam replied with a vicious attack on the hesychastic life of the Athonite monks. Gregory's rebuttal was the Triads in defense of the Holy Hesychasts (c. 1338), a brilliant work whose teaching was affirmed by his fellow Hagiorites, who met together in a council during 1340-1341, issuing a statement known as the Hagioritic Tome, which supported Gregory's theology. A synod held in Constantinople in 1341 also supported St. Gregory's views, condemning Barlaam. Later, in 1344, the opponents of hesychasm secured a condemnation for heresy and excommunication for Gregory, the saint's theology was reaffirmed at two further synods held in Constantinople in 1347 and 1351. Collectively, these three synods in Constantinople are held by many Orthodox Christians and several prominent theologians to constitute the Ninth Ecumenical Council. Between the latter two synods, Gregory composed the One Hundred and Fifty Chapters, a concise exposition of his theology.

In 1347, he was consecrated Archbishop of Thessalonica, but the political climate made it impossible for him to take up his see until 1350. During a voyage to the Imperial capital, he was captured by the Turks and held in captivity for over a year. He died in 1359 and was subsequently glorified by the Orthodox Church in 1368.

Contrary to Barlaam, Gregory asserted that the prophets in fact had greater knowledge of God, because they had actually seen or heard God himself. Addressing the question of how it is possible for humans to have knowledge of a transcendent and unknowable God, he drew a distinction between knowing God in his essence (in Greek, ουσία) and knowing God in his energies (in Greek, ενέργειαι). He maintained the Orthodox doctrine that it remains impossible to know God in his essence (God in himself), but possible to know God in his energies (to know what God does, and who he is in relation to the creation and to man), as God reveals himself to humanity. In doing so, he made reference to the Cappadocian Fathers and other early Christian writers.

Gregory further asserted that when the Apostles Peter, James and John witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor, that they were in fact seeing the uncreated light of God; and that it is possible for others to be granted to see that same uncreated light of God with the help of repentance, spiritual discipline and contemplative prayer, although not in any automatic or mechanistic fashion.

He continually stressed the Biblical vision of the human person as a united whole, both body and soul. Thus, he argued that the physical side of hesychastic prayer was an integral part of the contemplative monastic way, and that the claim by some of the monks of seeing the uncreated light was indeed legitimate. Like St. Simeon the New Theologian, he also laid great stress in his spiritual teaching on the vision of the divine light.

St. Gregory Palamas Cathedral in Thessalonika,  preserved his holy relics.

Source: Orthodoxwiki

images source: Thessaloniki tourism

LUKE 24:36-53

36 Now as they said these things, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."37 But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit. 38 And He said to them, "Why are you troubled? And why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. 40 When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.41 But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?" 42 So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. 43 And He took it and ate in their presence. 44 Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me." 45 And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. 46 Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 And you are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. 50 And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted His hands and blessed them. 51 Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen. 

HEBREWS 1:10-2:3

10 And:"You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.11They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail." 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said:"Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

1 Therefore, we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,

[thesynaxarium]

Today we also celebrate the Venerable Mark the Eugenicus, Archbishop of Ephesus and Pillar of Orthodoxy. Saint Mark was born in Constantinople in 1392 AD where he grew up in Christian piety. Many members of his family were clergy, and even hierarchs, and thus Mark was surrounded by the Orthodox faith from a young age. During this time, the Ottoman Empire was drawing closer to Constantinople, and out of fear of attack, the Byzantine Emperor John Paleologos agreed to make ties with the Roman Catholic Church in order to strengthen their armies and defeat the Ottomans. This union, however, required various theological compromises from the Orthodox in order to reunite the Eastern and Western Churches, especially the introduction of the Filioque clause into the Nicean Creed. Saint Mark, being elevated to the See of Ephesus, stood up for the Orthodox faith and was the only Eastern bishop to refuse to sign the decree of this council which agreed to this compromise. When the members of his own delegation attempted to persuade him to sign the document, he boldly stated, “there can be no compromise in matters of the Orthodox Faith.” During this council, he also refuted the doctrine of purgatory and as well as the primacy of the Roman Pope. When he returned to Ephesus, he urged his flock to beware of the snares of the West and to defend the Orthodox faith. Because of his steadfastness in the faith, he has been appropriately given the title “Pillar of Orthodoxy” along with Saint Photius the Great and Saint Gregory Palamas. The Great and Venerable Mark reposed peacefully in 1444. May he intercede for us always + #saint #mark #archbishop #ephesus #asiaminor #filioque #heresy #romancatholic #easternorthodox #catholic #council #ottoman #ottomanempire #trinity #pope #orthodoxy #truefaith #faith #orthodox #saintoftheday (at Ephesus, Turkey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CnklKd0h4Ri/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[tabernacleheart]

Offer now with one accord to the Virgin the most desirable and appropriate gift, your sanctification and bodily purity through self-control and prayer. See, all of you, how chastity, fasting, and prayer, linked with contrition, made Joachim and Anna the parents of a divine vessel, a vessel chosen not just to bear the name of God... but to bear Him Whose Name is Wonderful (Is 9:5). If we persevere in our prayers as well as the other virtues, continuing in God’s temple with understanding, we shall find stored up within ourselves that purity of heart, which holds God and manifests Him to us.

If we wish to dwell not on earth but in heaven, and not to fall to the ground or into sin that pulls us down, but to reach out continuously towards the divine heights, let us fear God, abstain from everything evil, return to Him through good works, and strive by self-control and prayer to wipe out the evil within us, to change our inner thoughts for the better, and to be in labor with the Spirit of salvation and bring it to birth—having as our helper, through invoking her name, the Virgin who was bestowed upon her parents through prayer and a manner of life pleasing to God. She transformed their sorrow, annulled the ancestral curse, and brought our first mother’s pangs to an end, painlessly bearing Christ in her virginity. To Him belongs all glory, honor, and worship, together with His Father and the all-holy, good, life-giving Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Saint Gregory Palamas