The vision of divine light is the result of a sincere and wholehearted desire to seek and find God. It is only through His energies and through the vision of the light—which is a gift from Him—that we can come to know the Creator: ‘God is light, and His vision is like light; therefore, it is through the vision of the light that the first knowledge of God’s existence is attained’ 1. A first step in man’s endeavour to attain the vision of divine light—that is, the vision of God—is renunciation of the world, the refusal to live any longer in opposition to God, or to seek the fulfilment of one’s own selfish will. With regard to renouncing the world, Saint Simeon is very categorical and presents this renunciation as being defining for the beginning of salvation: ‘If we have not made ourselves dead to the world and to the things of the world, how shall we live the life hidden in Christ, when we have not died for Christ? How shall we see God dwelling within us as light?’2. As such, the vision of the divine light marks the beginning of the path towards perfection, in which Fr. Stăniloae states that two major stages can be distinguished: one of progress towards perfection through efforts to purify oneself of passions and to acquire virtues, and another of an ever-advancing life in union with God3. Thus, after renouncing the world and becoming wholly available to God, the next step is to choose a guide, a spiritual father, ‘those who lay the firm foundation of faith and hope, with fear and trembling, upon the rock of obedience to their spiritual fathers, and who build without hesitation upon the foundation of this obedience—the commands given by them as though from the very mouth of God—and immediately manage to renounce themselves, for the fact of no longer fulfilling their own will, but rather the will of the spiritual father for the commandment of God and the practice of virtue, produces not only self-renunciation, but also death to the whole world”4.
According to Saint Symeon the New Theologian, the spiritual father plays a special role in guiding the ascetic towards the vision of the divine light. Towards him, the ascetic must show total obedience, an obedience offered as if God were speaking through the spiritual father. Through this total obedience, one’s own will—as a selfish will subject to the passions—is overcome, ‘for if, instead of being fearful, slothful and contemptuous of God’s commandments, we were zealous, vigilant and self-restrained, we would have no need for renunciation, tonsure or flight from the world’5. Saint Simeon shows that obedience must be practised as though Christ were speaking, and not a man: ‘He who has attained unshakeable faith in his spiritual father, when looking upon him, considers that he is looking upon Christ Himself; and being with him or following him, firmly believes that he is with Christ or following Him’6. Of course, Saint Simeon also lists the qualities that a spiritual guide must possess, for this cannot be just anyone, but a learned man who has himself attained the vision of the divine light and who has the Spirit of God within him, ‘and if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit’7. Thus, Saint Simeon says: ‘Seek someone who is… a mediator, a physician and a good counsellor, who, as a good counsellor, will show you ways of repentance in accordance with sound counsel, as a doctor, to prescribe the appropriate remedy for each of your wounds, and as an intercessor, to make God merciful towards you by standing before Him face to face and offering up prayers and intercessions on your behalf…’8. Clearly, Saint Simeon shows that such a man—who can act as an intercessor and guide to God—is not easy to find, which is why the saint urges: “brother, call upon God ceaselessly that He may show you a man capable of guiding you, whom you should obey as if he were God Himself…, do what he says and you will be saved”9. Saint Simeon makes this point because choosing the right guide can make the difference between salvation and the deepest darkness: ‘Do not struggle, therefore, do not seek out an adviser and ally who is a flatterer and a slave to the flesh, lest he teach you, in accordance with your own will, not the things that God loves, but those that you accept, and thus remain once more a true and irreconcilable enemy of Him; nor anyone inexperienced… and thus deliver yourself up to eternal damnation, as you do not hope”10.
Saint Simeon shows that obedience must be practised as if Christ were speaking, and not a man (…) Saint Simeon also lists the qualities that a spiritual guide must possess, for this cannot be just anyone, but a learned man who has himself attained the vision of the divine light and who has the Spirit of God within him.
Following a sincere and total resolve to attain God and the choice of an experienced spiritual guide, one begins the ascent through asceticism. As the beginning of the path towards God, Saint Simeon highlights the importance of repentance, by which we understand remorse for the sins committed against God, and Saint Simeon also emphasises the importance of tears. The importance of repentance is highlighted by Saint Simeon when he says: ‘Know that those who do not repent and do not keep His commandments exactly and with great fear will gain nothing, but God will punish them far more severely than the pagan nations and the unbaptised’ 11. Furthermore, the saint shows that those who wish to follow the path of perfection and seek to attain it must have no sin within them, however small it may be: “Do not be deceived, brothers, and let no sin seem small to you, nor be despised by you as though it did not cause such great harm to our souls. For grateful servants make no distinction between a small sin and a great sin; rather, even if they fall merely through their gaze, or their thoughts, or their words, they consider that they have fallen from the love of God—a thing which, I am convinced, is indeed true’12. Therefore, it is only through repentance that we can begin our salvation, and only through repentance can we acquire the virtues: “It is possible for the whole world, brothers, not only for monks but also for laypeople, to repent always and continually, to weep and to pray to God, and, through such conduct, to acquire all the other virtues”13.
“Do not be deceived, brothers, and let no sin seem small to you, nor be despised by you as though it did not cause such great harm to our souls.
Alongside repentance, we must also guard against every sin and, above all, guard our thoughts: ‘Let us repent with all our hearts, not merely rejecting our evil deeds, but also banishing the evil and impure thoughts from our hearts… for what good is it if we give all our possessions to the poor, but do not refrain from evil and do not hate sin?’14. Repentance, of course, must give rise to the cleansing tears of remorse and thus wash the soul and humble it. Thus, tears are the guarantee of true repentance, as Saint Symeon the New Theologian states: ‘Before repentance and tears – let no one deceive you with empty words, and let us not deceive ourselves – there is no repentance within us, nor true remorse, nor fear of God in our hearts, we have not reproached ourselves, and our soul has not acquired an awareness of the coming judgement and eternal punishments. If it had acquired these feelings and entered here, tears would truly have flowed at once; without them, our parched heart can never be moved to compassion, nor can our soul attain spiritual humility, and we lack the strength to become humble. Now, he who lacks this disposition cannot be united with the Holy Spirit; and, not being united with Him after purification, he can no longer hope for the knowledge and contemplation of God, nor is he worthy to be taught the hidden virtues of humility”15. As we can see, repentance is not limited to a particular period of life nor does it extend over a fixed period of time. Repentance is a state that must become permanent for those who wish to be saved; it must be a permanent state, for, through repentance, a person constantly has their sins before them, thereby reducing the risk of repeating them. Moreover, repentance is also humility before God; it is the acknowledgement of one’s sins before God and regret for having committed them: ‘repentance itself and repentance pursued without ceasing… until death, with toil and tribulation, which, little by little, causes us to shed bitter tears, through which the filth and defilement of the soul are washed away and cleansed, after which we are granted pure repentance, and the bitterness of our tears is transformed into sweetness, and an unceasing joy is born in our hearts, enabling us to behold the unwaning light – let us, let us now strive with all our zeal to attain it… for without it we cannot be completely freed from all our passions, we cannot acquire all the virtues, nor can we ever find the strength to partake worthily and with tears for God, every day, of the Divine Mysteries, or to contemplate the divine light present within them”16.
God is merciful and shows mercy to those who repent, even if not immediately; rather, He allows a period for a person to spend in repentance, this period of repentance serving to strengthen the resolve not to sin again and to make man realise the weakness of human nature: ‘But what then does He who is rich in mercy and slow to punish do? For although He sees them humbling themselves, He does not yet annul the sentence pronounced – doing this for our edification and so that no one may rise up against the Maker of all things; but, foreseeing as God both their fall and their repentance, He has predestined, without fail, even before creating all things, the time and the hour, and how and when He will recall them from exile through judgements that are inexpressible and inscrutable to all living creatures’17. In fact, in the ascetic struggle, man must make use of all his powers, both spiritual and physical: “the rational part distinguishes and separates evil from good, and shows the desiring part what it must cling to affectionately, what it must love, and what it must turn away from and hate; whilst the irascible part stands amidst them as a benevolent servant… rousing the actual resilience of men of will to attack and defend’18. The struggle against the passions requires the mobilisation of all a person’s spiritual and physical powers; thus, for example, anger or irascibility takes on entirely different dimensions and meanings when used as weapons against the passions and demons. Thus, anger comes to disgust a person and make them hate sin and no longer desire to commit it: ‘Be angry, but do not sin’19.
The struggle against the passions requires the mobilisation of all a person’s spiritual and physical powers.
Consequently, speaking of the kind of person we must become in order to attain salvation, Saint Symeon the New Theologian says: ‘Let your soul and body be like stone and iron, and let your mind, as the master of the passions, be occupied with virtuous deeds and thoughts pleasing to God; taking in its hands—guided by the mind—the body as though it were stone and the soul as though it were iron, it must pull them and lead them towards deeds by force, for the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force (Matthew 11:12)’20. Thus, the path to the Kingdom of Heaven requires the disciplining of the soul and the body, even against one’s own will, for most often our will is contrary to God’s will. That is why our Saviour Jesus Christ says that the Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force, that is to say, God’s commandments must be followed even against the will of the soul and the body. Furthermore, Saint Simeon lists the deeds that lead a person to the Kingdom of God: ‘Of what deeds am I speaking? Of vigil, fasting and fervent repentance, of torrents of tears and weeping, of the ceaseless remembrance of death, of unceasing prayer and patience in the face of all manner of temptations that come upon us, and, above all, of profound silence, perfect obedience and the mortification of the will’21.
But, above all, at the foundation of asceticism and the path to the Kingdom of Heaven lies faith, without which all the rest cannot be fully accomplished: ‘between these two, that is, between God and man, faith in Him has mediated, for, since we are poor and unable to contribute anything to our own salvation, by receiving in place of all things faith in Him, God, in His mercy towards us, grants us the forgiveness of sins, deliverance from death and corruption, and freedom; which He has hitherto bestowed upon those who believe in Him with all their heart, and not only these, but also the other blessings He has promised us”22. In particular, as we see, trust plays a very important role, for without it we would fall into despair, since we cannot expect salvation through our own deeds, but await salvation as a gift from the Creator, in accordance with His promises: ‘but You know, O Lord, that I have never expected salvation from my own deeds or works, but have turned to Your mercy, O Lover of mankind, trusting that You will save me as a gift, O Most Merciful’23.
Therefore, in his desire for salvation, man must spare nothing; he must come to hate the world and the things of the world, that is, to realise that a life lived in the world far from God cannot bring salvation, but only eternal torment. The world, with all its possessions, cannot point man towards God, for the world seeks its own ends—that is, material things such as prosperity, pleasure and comfort—things which foster the passions, indulge the flesh and extinguish the spirit. That is why Saint Simeon emphasises renunciation of the world; yet renunciation of the world does not mean a physical flight from the world, but rather a spiritual flight—a safeguarding of the soul against the world’s influences. As Saint Simeon also points out, many laypeople have been saved whilst living in the world, with families and responsibilities (Catechesis 5, on the repentance of laypeople who have found favour with God). Naturally, repentance for sins committed brings with it the tears of repentance, which wash the soul and purify it: ‘this is like water, for it extinguishes all the fire of passion with tears and washes away the stains of the soul, and like fire, which gives life through the presence of the Holy Spirit, kindles, breathes upon and warms the heart, and inflames it with the love and desire for God’24. Thus, having been purified, man first receives a glimpse of the divine light as a faint glimmer that grows as his spiritual ascent progresses. The vision of the divine light produces in the soul an ever-increasing longing for God, leading to man’s exclusive focus on the encounter with God in the uncreated divine light.
Saint Simeon emphasises renunciation of the world, but renunciation of the world does not mean a physical flight from the world; rather, it means a spiritual flight, a safeguarding of the soul against the influences of the world. Once purified, a person first perceives the divine light as a faint glimmer, which grows as their spiritual ascent progresses.
- 1
Saint Symeon the New Theologian, Hymns, Epistles and Chapters, ed. Deisis, Sibiu, 2001, p. 243.
- 2
Ibid., Catecheses, Deisis, Sibiu, 2001, p. 115.
- 3
Saint Dumitru Stăniloae, ‘Our Perfection in Christ According to the Teaching of the Orthodox Church’, M.O., vol. XXXII (1980), no. 1–2, p. 77.
- 4
SC 129, Theological and Ethical Treatises, Book IV on Ethics, 151–159, Les Éditions du Cerf, Paris, 1966, p. 19.
- 5
SC 96, Catecheses, 5, 155–159, Les Éditions du Cerf, Paris, 1963.
- 6
Saint Symeon the New Theologian, Hymns, Epistles and Chapters, ed. Deisis, Sibiu, 2001, p. 371.
- 7
Matthew 15:14.
- 8
Saint Symeon the New Theologian, Hymns, Epistles and Chapters, ed. Deisis, Sibiu, 2001, p. 310.
- 9
SC 96, Catecheses, 20, 45–52, Les Éditions du Cerf, Paris, 1963.
- 10
Saint Symeon the New Theologian, op. cit., p. 310.
- 11
Ibid., Catecheses, Deisis Publishers, Sibiu, 2001, p. 48.
- 12
Ibid.
- 13
Ibid., p. 77.
- 14
Ibid., p. 75.
- 15
Archbishop Vasili Krivoșein, In the Light of Christ, EIMBOR, Bucharest, 2005, p. 65.
- 16
Ibid., p. 66.
- 17
Saint Symeon the New Theologian, Catecheses, ed. Deisis, Sibiu, 2001, p. 83.
- 18
Ibid., Theological and Ethical Discourses, a study by Hieromonk Alexander Golitzin, ed. Deisis, Sibiu, 2001, p. 436.
- 19
Ephesians 4:26.
- 20
Saint Symeon the New Theologian, Hymns, Epistles and Chapters, ed. Deisis, Sibiu, 2001, p. 189.
- 21
Ibid., 189–190.
- 22
Saint Symeon the New Theologian, Theological and Ethical Discourses, a study by Hieromonk Alexander Golitzin, published by Deisis, Sibiu, 2001, p. 438.
- 23
Ibid., Hymns, Epistles and Chapters, ed. Deisis, Sibiu, 2001, p. 229.
- 24
Ibid., Theological and Ethical Discourses, a study by Hieromonk Alexander Golitzin, ed. Deisis, Sibiu, 2001, p. 440.