Sunday of the Orthodoxy – Metropolitan Nahum of Strumica
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Refer: John 1: 43-51
First of all, I would like to draw your attention to Philip’s answer: “Come and see!”, To Nathaniel’s question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” as well as Nathaniel’s acceptance of the call. This is the simplest and most reliable personal method of checking things out.
The words “come and see!” In the context of the Orthodox spiritual way of life and asceticism mean nothing other than: purification of the heart from the passions and enlightenment of the mind, struggle and gift, practice and theory. One simply does not work without the other.
Today’s Gospel reading is yet another historical testimony and a concrete example of a perfect prayer union and relationship between God and man, between the First-image and His icon; a testimony to a fulfilled prayer and a realised personal relationship.
When Christ says to Nathaniel: “When you were under the fig tree, I saw you”, He actually reveals to him who is the One that heard him, but also who is the One that now fulfils his prayer completely and for real. And Nathaniel with his answer reveals and testifies to us that in the God-Man Christ he recognises the One to whom he prayed and the only one whom he sought in prayer – the Son of God and the expected Messiah.
Who else can know what is going on in Nathaniel’s heart and mind if not God Himself? Thus, I do not know what to admire first: whether Nathanael’s prayer, in which he seeks only Him; or the perfect fulfilment of his prayer – both as a mystical experience and as a personal encounter in reality – by the God-Man Christ?
What can we conclude from this meeting and in general from the tradition of the Holy Fathers about the struggle (effort) of the knowledge of God in the context of today’s feast – Sunday of Orthodoxy?
According to the experience of all Saints, the only foundation of spiritual life is true faith. Participation in the true faith in the Church also means participation in true grace. True faith unites man with God
Our created energy enters into the process of transfiguration, that is, purification, enlightenment and deification, only in communication with the uncreated energy of the One True God, and not with something created, even if it has been esteemed and revered by some people, or by the majority of people, as a god or something divine.
Also, the true, orthodox and ascetic spiritual life in the Church is the only method that leads to knowledge of the true faith, to the knowledge of God.
The knowledge of the truth, on a personal level, is not an intellectual human achievement, but first and foremost, it is God’s gift of enlightenment of the mind and deification of the person; a gift of God obtained after the great struggle of purifying the heart from passions.
Therefore, it is absolutely necessary, in addition to the struggle to preserve the true faith at all costs, to also preserve the true ascetic-hesychastic tradition in the Church, the tradition of the prayer of the mind in the heart.
And one more thing, what sort of prayer is that for which the Lord appears in person? Let us remember: any other supplication during the prayer, such as: good health, happiness, well-being, and not a request for Him and Him alone, is a defilement of the purity of the Orthodox faith; and it degrades us – from children of God to hirelings – ones who work for a reward, or slaves – ones who do, or, not do something, out of fear. It is not that God will not give us the other things we ask for, but then we will not see Him.
Most-Holy Theotokos, save us!
Metropolitan Nahum of Strumica
(20.03.2021 17:01)
