Theophany: the Holy Day of the Lights

[Theopesta]

the True Light That lighteneth every man that cometh into the world,and effecteth my purification, and assists that light which we received from the beginning from Him from above, but which we darkened and confused by sin.

I Am The Light Of The World. Therefore approach ye to Him and be enlightened, and let not your faces be ashamed,being signed with the true Light.

It is a season of new birth, let us be born again. It is a time of reformation, let us receive again the first Adam. Let us not remain what we are, but let us become what we once were

The Light Shineth In Darkness,in this life and in the flesh, and is chased by the darkness, but is not overtaken by it

GREGORY NAZIANZEN, ORATIONS XXXIX
ON THE HOLY LIGHTS AND ON HOLY BAPTISM

[Theopesta]

from the same oration:

the beginning of wisdom is fear. For we must not begin with contemplation and leave off with fear (for an unbridled contemplation would perhaps push us over a precipice), but we must be grounded and purified and so to say made light by fear, and thus be raised to the height. For where fear is there is keeping of commandments; and where there is keeping of commandments there is purifying of the flesh, that cloud which covers the soul and suffers it not to see the Divine Ray. And where them is purifying there is Illumination; and Illumination is the satisfying of desire to those who long for the greatest things, or the Greatest Thing, or That Which surpasses all greatness.

IN ONE CHRIST, Theopesta

[Fr Seraphim (Black)]

I would like to add to Nun Theopesta's beautiful quotations with another.


"...In the same fashion, which gift is equally necessary for us as water? Everything is washed and purified, and irrigated with water. Water irrigates the earth, makes dew, increases the grape, brings stocks of wheat to fruition, takes away the bitterness from the fruit of the grape, makes the olive oil soft, makes the palm sweet, makes the rose beautiful, makes the violet plentiful with flowers, nurtures the lily in a beautiful cover. Yet why should we say much? Nothing of what is seen by us can exist without water: water is so necessary that when the other elements have their places under the heavens, it receives for itself a dwelling above them as well. The Prophet himself testifies to this saying: 'Praise Him, ye heavens of the heavens and ye waters which are above the heavens' (Ps. 148:4). Yet the significance of water is not limited only to this. It is also in the fact that the Creator of all things, Christ Himself descended like rain (Hos. 6:3), was known as a spring (Jn. 4:14), spread like a river (Jn. 7:38), and was baptized in the Jordan..."

St. Hyppolitus of Rome

[Theopesta]

our venerable father seraphim,
many thanks for your quotation