rainbow of the soul

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“Just as the earth in the Spring is washed by the rain, warmed by the sun, and becomes warmed by greenery and flowers, so you beloved, wash your soul with tears of repentance, and warm it with the rays of God’s grace and feelings and intentions, which will indeed bring forth in you the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, long-suffering, meekness and faith (Gal. 5:22-23).”

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

from the book

Instructions and Teachings for the American Orthodox Faithful (1898-1907)

p. 81

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The dispersion of the light of Christ illumines and refracts the water droplets of the tears of repentance resulting in a rainbow of light in the soul – the colors of love, joy, peace, long-suffering, meekness and Faith – the fruits of the spirit – a rainbow of repentance.

stretch forth

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“Turning to God means I stretch forth to Him with perseverance.  Why?  Because I’m down here on  earth and He’s in heaven above.  Can I reach Him?  No, I can not ascend.  He must descend in order to find me.”

Elder Aemilianos of Simonopetra

Way of the Spirit (p. 74)

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The quote above recalls the image of the icon of the Resurrection.  Repentance – turning to God – is a gift God offers us.  We, each of us, falls every day.  We have not the strength to walk this life of repentance without Him.  He knows this, condescends,  outstretches His Hand, and lift us up.

Repentance is His goodness emptied into the deep heart of man, which in turn, man then offers back unto Him.  It is a never ending cycle of stretching forth and giving.  His self emptying and our self emptying.  The hope of the faithful : God has set His nebulous self-emptying Heart upon man (Job 7:17).

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In The Way of the Spirit, Elder Aemilianos, speaks of the timeless wisdom of the Orthodox Faith and the Orthodox experience of God.  He reminds the reader that God is the initiator, speaking to the deep heart within each of us – and the enduring steadfast love of our loving God – our pursuing God – our jealous, humble and self-emptying God.

Truly, He is mindful of us!

God bends toward the soul

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And just as the soul goes beyond its proper limits in order to encounter God, so too does God bend down toward the soul, abandoning its proper limits in order to give Himself to me, to surrender Himself to me.

Elder Aemilianos of Simonopetra

the way of the spirit (p. 35)

leave it behind

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To enter the Church means to leave aside all those things that make up our life in the world. That which exists is God (cf. Ex 3.14), but that which is ours, which alone belongs to us is our sin, our self will, and our desire.  Apart from God, the self is something non-existent, even though it is and remains, the creation of His Hands, the breath of His first blessing (cf. Gen 2.7)

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Elder Aemilianos of Simonopetra

the way of the spirit

p. 56

too deep for words

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Prayer is given to you, placed within your heart by the Holy Spirit, Who intercedes with sighs too deep for words (Romans 8.26)  Bow grace itself, God Himself, placed prayer within your soul, in the mouth of your soul.

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Elder Aemilianos of Simonopetra

thd way of the spirit  (p.62)

born again

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Repentance…is not simply the opening of the gate of the soul – which in any case already took place when Divine Grace opened up the subconscious, manifesting that which was hidden – but rather the opening of the gate of heaven.

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Heaven opens up and God descends.

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Elder Aemilianos of Simonopetra

the way of the spirit

p. 30

The Nativity – in the manger of the heart