Reflection for the Great Fast
Here is an excerpt from Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain -- one that i found very interesting -- from the section under the title:
"It is Wrong and Unnatural to Look upon Nature, to Read the Scriptures and Not Rise to the Knowledge and Love of God."
Now there are of course those who do not use the senses and the subsequent meditation on creation and Holy Scripture to rise through them to the knowledge and love of God, who both spoke the Scriptures and created the world. On the contrary, such people use this sense perception simply for human aggrandizement, for the marvel and mere pleasure of the corruptible beauty in creatures, and for other bodily purposes. Or, at least, they simply remain on the level of the limited purposes of creatures and of the Scriptures. They thus neglect to proceed further, to rise to the catholic and comprehensive view of things, to God's wisdom through which all things are known and in which all the reasons for each creature are to be found, according to St. Maximos. "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth. . . . When he established the heavens, I was there" (Prv 3:19, 27). St. Basil the Great too had something to say on this point: "There are indeed certain reasons why the primordial wisdom of God was laid as a foundation to nature at the time of creation." Now, those who do not rise---through the reason endowed in nature and in the Holy Scriptures---to the hypostatic Logos of God, those who do not love Him "through whom all things were made" (Jn 1:3), as most of the worldly philosophers do not, all of these people act contrary to the Creator's purpose in nature and in the Holy Scripture. And according to the wise and most insightful Kallistos, the thought of such people has lost its natural tendency and has become unnatural. This has occurred because they use the means as ends in themselves, and the causes as results, and they love the gifts more than the Giver and the creatures more than the Creator, as St. Augustine has said. Since creation was not created for itself, but for the vision and glory of its Creator, it is not proper that it should be seen and admired for its own sake, but rather for the sake of its Creator. It is the same with the mirror which one does no look at for its own sake, but for the sake of the one reflected in it.
We may add, finally, that the secondary goal and purpose for the creation of the senses is so that the material body may be able to enjoy through them material nourishment, growth, and life. Truly, I do not know what to marvel at most: the "palace" that is so intricately constructed or the "king" who dwells therein. But of these two, I must certainly marvel most at the master artist and Creator who with infinite wisdom not only created both of them, but also united the mind and the body in such perfect harmony.
If i have time, I will try and post a little something from every chapter of my Nicodemos book over Lent. Some of the things that he writes are very, very strict, and may seem amusing (because they are). At the same time, however, I think that he writes from an incredible devotedness to Christ and that there is usually something to the things he says (even the funny bits).
(Please note that this material comes from the Classics of Western Spirituality collection)
"It is Wrong and Unnatural to Look upon Nature, to Read the Scriptures and Not Rise to the Knowledge and Love of God."
Now there are of course those who do not use the senses and the subsequent meditation on creation and Holy Scripture to rise through them to the knowledge and love of God, who both spoke the Scriptures and created the world. On the contrary, such people use this sense perception simply for human aggrandizement, for the marvel and mere pleasure of the corruptible beauty in creatures, and for other bodily purposes. Or, at least, they simply remain on the level of the limited purposes of creatures and of the Scriptures. They thus neglect to proceed further, to rise to the catholic and comprehensive view of things, to God's wisdom through which all things are known and in which all the reasons for each creature are to be found, according to St. Maximos. "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth. . . . When he established the heavens, I was there" (Prv 3:19, 27). St. Basil the Great too had something to say on this point: "There are indeed certain reasons why the primordial wisdom of God was laid as a foundation to nature at the time of creation." Now, those who do not rise---through the reason endowed in nature and in the Holy Scriptures---to the hypostatic Logos of God, those who do not love Him "through whom all things were made" (Jn 1:3), as most of the worldly philosophers do not, all of these people act contrary to the Creator's purpose in nature and in the Holy Scripture. And according to the wise and most insightful Kallistos, the thought of such people has lost its natural tendency and has become unnatural. This has occurred because they use the means as ends in themselves, and the causes as results, and they love the gifts more than the Giver and the creatures more than the Creator, as St. Augustine has said. Since creation was not created for itself, but for the vision and glory of its Creator, it is not proper that it should be seen and admired for its own sake, but rather for the sake of its Creator. It is the same with the mirror which one does no look at for its own sake, but for the sake of the one reflected in it.
We may add, finally, that the secondary goal and purpose for the creation of the senses is so that the material body may be able to enjoy through them material nourishment, growth, and life. Truly, I do not know what to marvel at most: the "palace" that is so intricately constructed or the "king" who dwells therein. But of these two, I must certainly marvel most at the master artist and Creator who with infinite wisdom not only created both of them, but also united the mind and the body in such perfect harmony.
If i have time, I will try and post a little something from every chapter of my Nicodemos book over Lent. Some of the things that he writes are very, very strict, and may seem amusing (because they are). At the same time, however, I think that he writes from an incredible devotedness to Christ and that there is usually something to the things he says (even the funny bits).
(Please note that this material comes from the Classics of Western Spirituality collection)
posted by Emmanuyil at 23.3.06
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home