“...angels... are always being filled full of light, becoming ever more radiant and making blessed use of their natural ability to change. They dance for joy around the First Light, look continuously towards Him and are enlightened directly by Him, as they tirelessly sing the praises of the Fount of light and, being ministers of light, transmit illuminating grace to those lower beings who are being enlightened.” FirstsLooksUseLightChristianJoyNaturalAbilityGraceBecomingAngelPraiseBlessedFilledMinistersEnlightenedOrthodoxOrthodox ChristianRadiantTransmitIlluminatingAbility To ChangeNatural Ability Author:Gregory Palamas
“...those called by Christ's name should order their lives. They should persevere in prayers and supplications and, in imitation of the angels, have their eyes lifted up to the Master above the heavens, praising and blessing Him with irreproachable conduct, and waiting for His mystical Coming. As the Psalmist says to Him, 'I will sing and will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt Thou come unto me?' (Ps. 101:2).” WayShouldEyeChristianOrderNamesHeavenWaitingChristPrayerPerfectMastersBlessingAngelPraiseBehaveOrthodoxImitationMysticalPersevereOrthodox ChristianSupplication Author:Gregory Palamas
“I pray we... come to this darkness so far above light! If only we lacked sight and knowledge so as to see, so as to know, unseeing and unknowing, that which lies beyond all vision and knowledge. For this would be really to see and to know: to praise the Transcendent One in a transcending way... We would be like sculptors who set out to carve a statue. They remove every obstacle to the pure view of the hidden image, and simply by the act of clearing aside they show up the beauty which is hidden.” IfsKnowsWayShowsLightWould BeChristianLyingViewsVisionDarknessPrayingPureSightPraiseObstaclesRemoveOrthodoxStatuesI PrayOrthodox ChristianTranscendentSculptorsClearingTranscendingUnknowing Author:Pope Dionysius
“...we must all offer up a hymn of praise to the God... who is 'Lord of lords' (Deut. 10:17, Ps. 136:1, I Tim. 6:15, Rev. 17:14, 19:16)... Lordship is not simply a matter of being superior with respect to inferiors but a complete possession of all that is beautiful and good, and is furthermore a true and unshakable stability.” MatterChristianBeautifulLordOffersPraisePossessionSuperiorsOrthodoxStabilityInferiorsOrthodox ChristianHymnsUnshakableLordship Author:Pope Dionysius
“...the souls of the dead [are] not deprived of their intellectual faculties but... they also are not lacking in feelings such as hope and sadness, joy and fear. They already have a foretaste of what is in store for them after the general judgment. Nor does it happen, as some unbelievers would hold, that upon leaving this world they are turned to nothing. Actually they live more intensely and they concentrate more on the praises of God.” WorldDoeSoulFeelingsHappensChristianJoySadnessThis WorldJudgmentIntellectualPraiseLeavingStoresOrthodoxFacultyLackingDeprivedOrthodox ChristianUnbelievers Book:Conferences Source: Conferences
“Should thoughts of self-praise, of self-satisfaction, occur to you, say: 'I myself am nothing; all that is good in me is accomplished by the grace of God.' What hast thou that thou didst not receive?' (I Cor. 4:7). 'Without Me ye can do nothing' (John 15:5).” ShouldSelfChristianCan DoGracePraiseSatisfactionAccomplishedOrthodoxGrace Of GodOrthodox ChristianSelf-satisfactionSelf Praise Author:John of Kronstadt