Symeon The New Theologian (949 - 1022 )

Extract from Symeon's Discourse : " You drew me out of a fetid swamp; when I reached firm ground, You entrusted me to Your servant and Your disciple bidding him to cleanse me from all stain. He led me by the hands as one leads a blind man to the fountain head, to the holy Scripturea and to Your divine commandments... One day when I was hurring to plunge myself in my daily bath, You met me on the road, You who had already drawn me out of the mire. Then for the first time the pure light of Your divine Face shone before my weak eyes... From that day on, You returned often at the fountain source, You would plunge my head into the water, letting me see the splendour of Your light ; then suddenly you would disappear, You would become invisible, and I still did not understand who You were...

Finally You deigned to reveal the dread mystery: one day when it seemed as though You were plunging me over and over again in the lustral waters, lightning flashes surrounded me. I saw the rays from Your face merge with the waters; washed by these radiand waters , I was carried out of myself and ravished in ecstasy.
For some time I lived in this state. Then by Your grace , I was granted to contemplate a still more awesome mystery. I saw You take me with Yourself, and rise to heaven; I knew not wether I was still in my body or not - You alone know, You who alone created me.

On coming back to myself, I wept in sorrowful surprise at my abandoned state. But soon You deigned to reveal Your face to me, like the sun shining in the open heavens, without form, without appearance, still not revealing who You were. How could I have known, unless You told me, for You vanished at once from my weak sight?...

Still weeping I went in search of You, the Unknown One. Crushed by sorrow and affliction, I completely forgot the world and all that is in the world, nothing of the senses remained in my mind. Then You appeared, You the Invisible one, the Unattainable, the Intangible. I felt that You

were purifying my intelligence, opening the eyes of my soul, allowing me to contemplate Your glory more fully, that You Yourself were growing in light... It seemed to me, O Lord, that You , the Immovable One, were moving, You the unchanging One , were changing. You the Faceless one , were taking features... You shone beyond all measure, You appeard to me wholly in all things, and I saw You clearly. Then I dared to ask You saying: " Who are You , O Lord?"

For the first time You allowed me, a vile sinner, to hear the sweetness of Your voice. You spoke so tenderly that I trembled and was amazed , wondering how and why I had been granted your gifts. You said to me : " I am the God who became man for love of you. You have desired me and sought me with your whole soul, therefore henceforth you shall be my brother, my friend, the co-heir of my glory..."

You said this and then were silent. Slowly You departed from me, O lovable and gentle Master, O my Lord Jesus Christ !

Diadochus bishop of Photice in Epir

Chapters :

" We are the image of God through the intelligent movement of the soul that dwells in the body. But when in consequence of Adam's sin, not only were the traits of this image-likeness defiled, but even our body fell little by little into corruption, then the holy Word of God became incarnate and, being God, communicated to us the water of salvation by the rebirth of baptism. We then are regenerated through water by the action of the holy and life-giving Spirit, so that we are made pure both in soul and body - those at least who go to God with their whole will - for the Holy Spirit makes his abode in us and drives out sin...

St. Macarius of Egipt

For Macarius, man's only deliverance comes by baptism. Prayer and the whole spiritual life are only means of stimulating the growth of the seed sown in the " bath of regeneration".

" By the analogy of faith, the Divine Spirit, our Advocate, who was sent to the apostles and through them drawn down upon the only true Church of God at the moment of baptism, this Spirit in various manifold ways accompanies every man who comes to baptism in faith.

Christians belong to another world, they are sons of the Heavenly Adam , a new people, children of the Holy Spirit, radiant brothers of Christ, like unto their Father: the spiritual and radiant Adam.

Thus it is possible to taste in Christianity the grace of God : Taste and see that the Lord is sweet ( Ps. 34.9). This tasting is the dynamic power of the Spirit manifesting itself in full certitude in the heart. The sons of light, ministers of the New Convenant in the Holy Spirit, have nothing to learn from men; they are taught by God. Grace itself engraves the laws of the Spirit on theirs hearts... In fact the heart is master and king of the whole bodily organism, and when grace takes possesion of the pasture-land of the heart, it rules over all its members and all its thoughts; for it is in the heart that the intelligence dwell all the soul's thoughts; it finds all its good in the heart. That is why grace penetrates all the members of the body".

Evagrius of Pontus ( + 399) - Some of his Chapters

- Stand resolute, fully intent on your prayer. Pay no heed to the concerns and thoughts that might arise the while. They do nothing better than disturb and upset you so as to dissolve the fixity of your purpose.

- When the devils see that you are really fervent in your prayer they suggest certain matters to your mind, giving you the impression that there are pressing concerns demanding attention. In a little while they stir up your memory of these matters and move your mind to search into them.

- Prayer is the fruit of joy and of thanksgiving...

- Do not pray by outward gestures only, but bend your mind as well to the perception of spiritual prayer with great fear.

- Prayer is an ascent of the mind to God...

- Happy is the mind that becomes free of all matter and is stripped of all at the time of prayer.

- When you give yourself to prayer, rise above every other joy - then you will find true prayer.