Leandros Papadopoulos
15-08-2005, 01:52 AM
When I pray, think, or ponder a text from Holy Scripture or from the Patericon, I believe that the Holy Spirit guides me to further or deeper understanding. Isn't this done or accomplished through a mind-in-heart process.
Where or how does FAITH come into play during this process of Understanding? or is this just simply knowing without understanding, accepting without further probing for the Truth?
This is a very important issue. It was thoroughly analysed by St Gregory Palamas. A small summary of his work can be found in this article: Knowledge of God according to St. Gregory Palamas (http://sgpm.goarch.org/Monastery/index.php?p=43).
The Orthodox tradition reports that what provides knowledge and understanding of Christian life is faith. “Faith is the realization of the things we hope for and the examination of things that we can not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Things that are to come in the future and that are invisible are sustained and examined by our Faith. This is non-logical, because our faith is “Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23), which means that the human mind can not accept the reasoning of our faith.
It is like the faith that has a child for his mother, or a lover for the loving person. It is unexplainable and incomprehensible. This faith is examining unseen realities such as the other person and materializes the future as a reality of the present.
The Truth is so personal and at the same time beyond evaluation and practise that can stand only on the foundation of Faith.
A Christian can not present the Truth, not even to himself. The Truth is a relational existential experiential subjective reality that it is viewed inside us. So for us, it could very well be a self illusion. What makes it to be accepted as real is the common Faith with others about the validity of the Truth. St Paul said: “Then, after fourteen years again I went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, having taken with me also Titus; and I went up by revelation, and did submit to them the good news that I preach among the nations, and privately to those esteemed, lest in vain I might run or did run.”
To probe the Truth is not an action of the intellect, but an action of the heart. The patristic “mind-in-heart” process is the ascetic process of returning the mind to its home. The mind rests there. It does not inquire any more, because there is nothing unknown at “home”. The progress of intellect comes to an end, because the absolute knowledge is achieved with no processing at all.
“At that time Jesus answering said, `I do confess to Thee, Father, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, that thou didst hide these things from wise and understanding ones, and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, because so it was good pleasure before Thee.
All things were delivered to me by my Father, and none doth know the Son, except the Father, nor doth any know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son may wish to reveal [Him]. Come unto me, all ye labouring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest, take up my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls, for my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:25-32)
God bless us, all.
Where or how does FAITH come into play during this process of Understanding? or is this just simply knowing without understanding, accepting without further probing for the Truth?
This is a very important issue. It was thoroughly analysed by St Gregory Palamas. A small summary of his work can be found in this article: Knowledge of God according to St. Gregory Palamas (http://sgpm.goarch.org/Monastery/index.php?p=43).
The Orthodox tradition reports that what provides knowledge and understanding of Christian life is faith. “Faith is the realization of the things we hope for and the examination of things that we can not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Things that are to come in the future and that are invisible are sustained and examined by our Faith. This is non-logical, because our faith is “Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23), which means that the human mind can not accept the reasoning of our faith.
It is like the faith that has a child for his mother, or a lover for the loving person. It is unexplainable and incomprehensible. This faith is examining unseen realities such as the other person and materializes the future as a reality of the present.
The Truth is so personal and at the same time beyond evaluation and practise that can stand only on the foundation of Faith.
A Christian can not present the Truth, not even to himself. The Truth is a relational existential experiential subjective reality that it is viewed inside us. So for us, it could very well be a self illusion. What makes it to be accepted as real is the common Faith with others about the validity of the Truth. St Paul said: “Then, after fourteen years again I went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, having taken with me also Titus; and I went up by revelation, and did submit to them the good news that I preach among the nations, and privately to those esteemed, lest in vain I might run or did run.”
To probe the Truth is not an action of the intellect, but an action of the heart. The patristic “mind-in-heart” process is the ascetic process of returning the mind to its home. The mind rests there. It does not inquire any more, because there is nothing unknown at “home”. The progress of intellect comes to an end, because the absolute knowledge is achieved with no processing at all.
“At that time Jesus answering said, `I do confess to Thee, Father, Lord of the heavens and of the earth, that thou didst hide these things from wise and understanding ones, and didst reveal them to babes. Yes, Father, because so it was good pleasure before Thee.
All things were delivered to me by my Father, and none doth know the Son, except the Father, nor doth any know the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son may wish to reveal [Him]. Come unto me, all ye labouring and burdened ones, and I will give you rest, take up my yoke upon you, and learn from me, because I am meek and humble in heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls, for my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:25-32)
God bless us, all.