Ancient Christianity in the city of Holy Faith.

 

What is God’s Revelation to the Human Heart?

Our Orthodox Christian faith, as contrasted with the Western confessions, is often called ‘mystical’.
— Blessed Seraphim Rose

“How can a religious seeker avoid the traps and deceptions which he encounters in his search?

There is only one answer to this question: a person must be in the religious search, not for the sake of religious experiences, which can deceive, but for the sake of truth. Anyone who studies religion seriously comes up against this question: it is a question literally of life and death.

Our Orthodox Christian faith, as contrasted with the western confessions, is often called "mystical”: it is in contact with a spiritual reality that produces results which are usually called "supernatural" - which are beyond any kind of earthly logic or experience. One does not need to search in ancient literature to find examples, for the life of a miracle – worker in our own days is full of mystical elements. Archbishop John Maximovitch… was seen in glowing light, levitated during prayer, was clairvoyant, worked miracles of healing… None of this, however, is remarkable in itself; it can easily be imitated by false miracle workers. How do we know that he was in contact with the truth?”

Why are we here?

“Many assume that the purpose of our life is, at best, simply moral improvement to become better men;

when we are told by the Gospel, by the Tradition of the Church, and by the holy Fathers, that the purpose of our life is not just that man should become better than he is, more moral, more just, more self-controlled, more mindful; all these must happen, but none of them are the great purpose, the ultimate purpose for which our Maker and Creator moulded man.

What is this purpose? Theosis – for man to be united with God, not in an external or a sentimental manner but ontologically, in a real way. Man is placed so high in Orthodox anthropology that if we compare that with the anthropologies of all the philosophies or social and psychological systems we will very easily find out how poor these are, how little they correspond to man’s great yearning for something very great and true in his life.”

Man is placed so high in Orthodox anthropology that if we compare that with the anthropologies of all the philosophies or social and psychological systems we will very easily find out how poor these are, how little they correspond to man’s great yearning for something very great and true in his life.
— The Abbot of the Holy Monastery of St. Gregorios of the Holy Mountain Athos † Archimandrite George

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