(St. Ignatius Bishop of the Caucasus and the Black Sea)
PART
We can not ignore the desire of Christians today to see, and even do miracles. This desire must be considered with much more attention than it is severely condemned by the Fathers. It betrays an illusion of self, based on pride and presumption, who live in the soul and dominate it. The grandmaster of the monks, Saint Isaac the Syrian, said the following on this issue: "The Lord is always ready to help His saints. However, it does not manifest His power without the need for a work or a visible sign, so that His help we do seem trivial, and we abandoned the reverence that is due to Him. This lack of reverence we would be harmful. The Lord provides for His saints. It lets them lead the fight to the extent of their forces and take the trouble to pray. It also shows that their attention is their secret that he does not stop for a moment. But if the problem backwards, as their nature is weak, he himself made as needed and as He knows His omnipotence in order to be helped. It strengthens the secret whenever possible, so they have the strength to endure affliction. Since in the wisdom He gives it unravels their sentences, and the vision of His providence awakens glorification, which for them represents a double benefit. When circumstances require visible support, it also brings. His ways are of great wisdom. They support the need and necessity, and never anyhow. He who dares not need to pray God to grant her wish and ask Him to make signs or miracles, is tempted in his mind by the devil who plays him. His conscience is sick and presumptuous. It is fair to ask God's help in affliction, but it is disastrous to attempt unnecessarily. Who wants such a thing is really unfair. What God has done on many saints, he did not have it wanted. Whoever wishes to receive without having to sign, this one fails to reach the custody of the heart and mind away from the truth. If he who dares claim is granted, the devil is in him a place, since there is a person who goes before God with reverence and without arrogance. He then pushed further into temptation. As for real fair, not only they do not wish to perform miracles, but if the gift is given to them, they repel. Not only they do not want it before men, but they do not want it in themselves, in secret their heart. One of the Fathers, by its purity, received by grace of God the charisma to discern the thoughts of those visitors. But he prayed and asked other saints to pray with him, that he be removed from this charisma. If, however, some saints were accepting donations, was out of necessity or because they were simple men. Others do not accept them without reason, but obeyed the instructions of the Holy Spirit that worked in them. True just still feel unworthy before God. They certify that they are true in that they feel miserable and unworthy that God watches over them "(Homily 36).
From these holy thoughts, we can conclude that those who want to perform signs are in the grip of carnal excitement, passions they do not understand, while having the feeling of being animated a divine zeal. Those looking for the signs are in a similar condition.
Whatever the context, it is not permissible to attempt to stop God or revere. While it is possible to ask God's help in cases of extreme necessity, when we have no staff to work this out, but letting God choose His response is to say, and place ourselves in His will and His mercy.
The Lord always helps in a way beneficial to the soul. It provides the support we seek, and it combines this support for our benefit a holy taste of humility. The divine help is not covered with a varnish foil, as the carnal mind might wish. The soul must not be damaged by the vainglory that would bring him the pleasure of this varnish.
In the works of God in the service of the Church, we must always ask God for His help and blessing. We also believe that, by God, only God and spiritual responses can benefit our faith and our piety, not the answers suggested by our carnal mind.
It is difficult for man to endure the glory without damage to his soul. This is true not only for passion and for those who struggle against the passions, but also for the saints who have overcome these passions. Even if the victory over sin was granted, they are nonetheless alterable, and can return to sin and fall under the yoke of the passions. This happened to some who, through lack of vigilance, have given way to confidence account look with their spiritual state. As the blessed St. Macarius the Great noted, there is an inclination to pride in the most purified souls. This inclination is the beginning of the slide to the attraction of passion. Because of this, the gift of healing and other gifts are visible very dangerous for those to whom they are granted, they are highly regarded by people carnal and sensual, which continue to glorify them.
Donations invisible and blessed, like lead souls to salvation and to purify the passions, are incomparably higher than the visible gifts, and are neither understood nor perceived by the world. Not only the world does not glorify God's servants who receive them, but in his logic, he persecutes them, accusing them of working against the enemy powers and to attack the prince of this world.
Our merciful God gives men the essential and useful, even if they do not understand and do not capture the value. It does not what is of little use, which often can be harmful, and that intelligence research with carnal ignorant greed.
"Many," says St. Isaac the Syrian, made signs, raised from the dead worked for the conversion of lost, made great miracles, and after that even those who gave their lives for others have fallen into evil and abomination of the passions, offering himself to death as well. "
Blessed Saint Macarius the Great says that a hermit who lived in close to him once received the gift of healing to such a degree that he could heal the sick simply by laying on of hands. It was glorified by men, pride, and fell into the abyss of sin.
In the life of Saint Anthony the Great, it is about a young monk who commanded the asses in the desert. When the great old heard about it, he expressed doubts about the state's spiritual brother. And shortly afterwards they heard of the fall of the young monk.
the fourth century there was an elder who was in Egypt Having bestow the gift of working miracles, thereby attracting the praise of men. He soon noticed that pride had taken him to such an extent that he was no longer able to hunt by his own efforts. He prayed fervently to grant him to be possessed, to find the humility. God answered positively to the request of His servant and Satan entered into him. The former was under attack from possession for five months and had to tie it. The people, who previously ran en masse and praised him as a saint, left him, hawking the news that he had lost his head. Freed the glory of man and the pride, the Old thanked God for having saved from destruction. His salvation was assured by passing the test of dishonor. Carnal men do not see that the gift of miracles was a temptation for the Old and demonic possession had given it the right way, by the mercies of God.
It is clear why the great Fathers of the desert as SISO Pimen and others, who possessed great healing powers, sought to conceal them. Having no confidence in themselves, they knew how the man is changing, and preserved by the humility of a great spiritual disaster.
The Holy Apostles, who received the gift of miracles to accompany their preaching, had, by a happy effect of Providence, to endure the torment and persecution that kept them from pride. St. Isaac the Syrian says about this: "A gift that is not accompanied by temptations leading to destruction the soul that accepts it. If your actions pleasing to God so that He would come to Bayhaqi narrated a gift, pray the kindly let you know how to be humble with the gift, to give you special protection, or to thee yield thy this gift if he would come to ruin your soul. Not everyone can safely preserve wealth. "
attitude towards the spiritual sickness of body and miraculous healings is totally different from human flesh. The latter considers the disease as a misfortune, and healing, especially if it is miraculous, as the greatest benefits without asking for a moment whether or not it is useful for the soul. The spiritual sees illness as a blessing in the healing of God's mercy. The reason illuminated by the word of God, he engages in conduct which pleases the Lord, salutary for his soul in both cases.
You can ask God for healing, if it has firm plans to use the return to health to serve Him, not to serve the vanity and sin. In the latter case, the miraculous recovery would lead to greater condemnation, and cause a more severe punishment in this world and in the other. The Lord has attested to that. After treating the paralytic, He said: "Here you are cured! Sin no more, lest it happen to you even worse! (Jn.5, 14)
Man is weak and prone to sin. While some saints who had received the gift of healing have been succumbing to temptation, then they had in abundance the spiritual discernment, how much easier is it to carnal men, who lack the discernment to abuse of the divine gifts ! And many have abused! Having obtained a miraculous recovery, they have not paid attention to the Divine Grace, neglecting recognition. They began to lead a sinful life, using the result in favor of evil, turning away from God and salvation. Because of this, miraculous healings are rare, although intelligence carnal desires and meets the highest degree. You ask and you do not receive because you ask amiss, to satisfy your lusts (Ja.4, 3).
Spiritual intelligence that includes diseases and other afflictions that God allows men to be the particular expression of His mercy. Like bitter medicine, they contribute to salvation, eternal happiness, so much safer than miraculous healings. Often, even very often, the disease is through much greater than would be a possible cure. It can be a very great favor, favor central, so that healing may deprive the patient of a large property, a benefit far more important than a temporary health. Lazarus, the beggar sick of the Gospel, was not recovered from his painful infirmity, or poverty-free. He ended his days in pain, but for his patience, he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom (Luc16, 22).
The Scriptures say that all saints have completed their earthly journey on the narrow path full of thorns, pain, and difficulty (Hb.12). Including the true meaning of these sentences, the true servant of God behaves towards them with wisdom and selflessness. He confronts, from whatever source, as part of itself (See St. Mark the Ascetic). He believes with all his soul they can not without the permission of God, who is infinitely just and good, and seeking the interest of man. It seeks and always finds himself in the cause of both. However, it noted that such penalty may be an obstacle in its efforts to please God, Begs to be issued. But it leaves the Lord's decision to listen or not its application, because he knows that his way of interpreting the tribulation is never correct.
The trial of the man, who is limited, is not entirely fair, even if the man is holy. Man can not wrap my head all the causes of the tribulations that God sends His beloved servants, He who sees everything. The Holy Apostle Paul asked God three times to get rid of an angel of Satan that bothered him in his preaching, but he was not heard: the Judgement of God in this matter was different from that of the inspired Apostle ( 2Cor.12 0.7 to 10).
A true spiritual understanding will naturally submit to the will of God and sincerely and humbly request that it will be manifested. The holy monks, when exposed to the disease, accepted it as the greatest of graces, and tried to always thank and praise God for it, without seeking healing. Miraculous cures befall However, very often in the saints. They wish to suffer with humility and patience that God has for them, believing and confessing that such an attitude is much better for the soul that asceticism we ourselves have set. Blessed St. Pimen the Great said: "Three monastic works have the same value: to remain truly silent, be patient and thank God and do his allegiance with a pure thought."
Scete In the desert, Egypt, where lived the greatest of the holy monks, there was a saint, named Benjamin. His virtuous life drew him from God's great gift of healing. At the same time, he was suffering from a long and painful illness: dropsy. He became so big it had to be given a larger cell. To this, he took apart the door so that he could leave. She has been made a special seat because he could no longer grow. He continued to heal others, attracting the sympathy of all who saw it. And yet, he asked that was willing to pray for his soul, not for his body: "As my body is healthy, I do not get much benefit. Now that I suffered this disease, it hurts me more. "
Abba Peter says that during a visit to the venerable hermit Isaiah, he found the latter suffering from a disease very painful. As he expressed his sympathy, the former said: "So overwhelmed by the disease, I can barely keep in mind the terrible moment of death and trial. If my body was healthy, this memory would be totally foreign to me. When the body is healthy, it is prone to acts hostile to God. The tribulations help fulfill the commandments of God. "
When the Holy Fathers were crushed by the disease or affliction, they sought first to demonstrate patience, which depended on them. To submit their heart to patience, they felt (See St. Dorothy Strip), remembered in death, trial, and eternal torment. Such a memory weakening the perception of sentences of this world! (See mt.10 0.28 to 31) They raised their intelligence to Providence, remembering the promise of the Son of God always be with those who follow, and preserve them. Bearing this in mind, they pushed their hearts to the courage and meekness (see Mt.28, 20). They tried to glorify and thank God for the trials and tribulations, to become aware of their sinfulness, which, as deserved punishment, needed to be seriously corrected by God who always acts with justice and kindness. By practicing human patience, according to their possibilities, they intensified their prayers for the holy and divine patience which is a spiritual gift, itself inseparable from another spiritual gift, holy humility. These two virtues are also the sure index hello and eternal bliss.
Fathers who had the option did not cure their followers still sick, so as not to deprive them of a spiritual benefit that never failed to be granted, as evidenced by the Tradition of the Church they bore with patience the race. The abbot of a monastery in Gaza, Blessed Séridos, disciple of the great Barsanuphius hermit who was at the monastery, was sick a long time. Some fathers, older ones, asked Barsanuphius healing the abbot: "Some of the saints who live here could pray for the health of my son, and I told him that part. He would not fail to be cured in the day, but it does not receive the fruits of patience ... This disease is beneficial for the patience and thanksgiving. "
St. Isaac the Syrian explains why sentences are relevant to the ascetic of Christ: "The test is beneficial for all. If it is beneficial for Paul, then that every mouth may be closed and that the world may become guilty before God (Rom.3, 19). The ascetics are subject to temptations to increase their wealth. Some are weak to be kept from evil, neglectful are tempted to be able to wake up, others are tempted to get closer to God, and those who already belong to Him, to Him belong more. It is not appropriate for a son without education starts to manage his father's estate because he would soon hurt to do it. For this, God begins to allow the temptation, and then gives the gift. Glory to the Lord who gives us the delights of health remedies bitter! There is no man who is distressed during the lesson, which does not cut the bitter temptations. Without proof, it is impossible to be spiritually strong. But it is our power to endure. How a clay vase can contain pure water if it has not previously been strengthened by the divine fire? If, with reverence and unceasing desire, we ask humbly to God to grant us patience, then we will receive all of Christ Jesus our Lord. "
CONCLUSION
Before the second coming of Christ, there will be signs in the sun, moon and stars (Luc21, 25), the sea will make noise and agitate. How do we discern the signs of those of the Antichrist, who will perform as signs in the sun, moon, stars, and air? The signs of Christ will be real, so totally different from those of the Antichrist, simple events which may confuse the senses. Signs of the Antichrist will be made by the Antichrist himself and his apostles. The signs in the sun, moon and stars who will proclaim the second coming of Christ will appear for themselves, without intermediaries. With them, the celestial luminaries will complete the mission for which they were placed there by the Creator (Gen 1, 14). They are already doing this mission at the Nativity of Christ (MT.2, 2), with the miraculous star, and during the crucifixion of the God-Man, when the sun becomes dark in the middle noon (Mt.27, 45). According to the Holy Evangelist Matthew, consecutive sentences to the reign of the Antichrist will cease, and the coming of Christ will occur immediately, as announced by the darkening of the sun, the moon shall not give her light, and falling stars (Mt 24:29). According to Saint Theophylact of Bulgaria, the heavenly bodies will remain in place, but will lose their shine and seem to disappear from the sky, as the light that will cover the world to prepare to accept the glory of the Lord will be intense.
We have the audacity to say that our agreement on the signs and miracles expresses the thoughts of the Holy Fathers, the thought of the Holy Orthodox Church. The need to provide such instruction in accurate detail is evident.
real signs were once made to allow the knowledge of the true God, and salvation that accompanies it. Fake signs attended the error and destruction that follows. Similarly, the signs of the Antichrist will be large and powerful, they lead humanity to worship as a god unhappy ambassador of Satan.
The pious contemplation of miracles through our Lord Jesus Christ edifies, comforts, and acts for the salvation of the soul. What these miracles in holy simplicity! It is so easy to recognize God in them. How blessed bounty, what humility, what indisputable strength of conviction! Contemplation of the miracles of Christ raises us to the Word who is God.
To restore the communion of fallen humanity with God, God has blessed his Word incarnate and lived among men, coming into intimate relationship with them, making them His people, drawing them skyward. By putting on humanity, and remains the Word acts as the Word of God as is His divine nature. He sits at the right hand of the Father in His humanity assumed, and in His divinity is present everywhere. The Word was made on the record books. It was draped in words, but, as Spirit and Life (Jn.6, 63), it continues to penetrate souls and hearts, reshaping those who are spiritually united with Him, even leading to a living body spiritual.
Contemplating the miracles of Christ, we understand what a terrible sense is the Word of God. The Unique Necessary (Luke 10:42) for our salvation is nothing but the Word, who accomplishes salvation in all its perfection. By knowing the Word of God given us by the Holy Scriptures, and commented dictated by the Holy Spirit, we are guided by the Word, blessed by the knowledge brought by divine grace, and we receive Christian purity of the soul and heart. This purity leads to the spiritual light that shines like the sun in a sky clear and cloudless.
At dawn, when darkness will disappear of the night, the appearance of objects susceptible to change. Some objects, hitherto invisible, become visible. Further, we could only perceive dimly, are now separate and clearly defined. All this happens not because the objects themselves are changing, but because our relationship with them for a new relationship due to changes in lighting. It's the same in the relationship between the human mind and spiritual things. The soul is illuminated by the spiritual light of the Holy Spirit. Only in this light it can capture the holy ways of God! Only in this light that the invisible work of the mind and heart to God can be accomplished without sin! It only in this light that we can avoid the error, nets, and the abyss of destruction! When this light is not there, you can not see the Truth. When this light is not there no virtue please God, no virtue can lead to the mansions of Paradise. To avoid misfortune brings to mind the vision of carnal signs and wonders, spiritual eyes must be illuminated by the light of spiritual vision.
We just saw the spiritual nature of the miracles performed by the God-Man, and purpose. The signs have done their job, they belong to the past, they have given way to the actor par excellence, the Word, which is and will remain the ultimate player, until the end of the world, as He ad Besides Himself says: I am with you always, even unto the end of the world (Mt.28, 20).
When signs of universal scope ceased, these signs were made by the Apostles and those they say Equal-to-apostles to spread Christianity, other signs were made here and there by vessels elected the Holy Spirit. But, over time, Christianity is weakened, leading to moral corruption. The miracle-workers are less likely (Scale 0.26 to 52). They even end up disappearing completely.
same time, men lose all reverence and great respect for the sacred, they also lose the humility and become unworthy, not only to perform miracles, but to see them, although they even more than once, thirst for miracles. Humanity, drunk with the conceit, presumption and ignorance, acts indiscriminately, with toughness and courage, to all what seems miraculous. She does not refuse to play a role in the working of miracles, and even manifest fully intend to do so without hesitation for a minute. Such an attitude is even more dangerous than before.
We gradually approaching the great spectacle of innumerable, narcotics, forgery, and seductive miracles, which lay in the destruction of the unfortunate children of carnal reasoning.
The awakening of the soul by the Word of God is a living faith in Christ. Living faith, so to speak, sees Christ (Hb.11, 27). Christianity it is revealed , while remaining a mystery. While still inconceivable, it becomes clear and understandable. It is no longer covered by a veil thick and impenetrable, like the days of the absence of faith. Living faith spiritual reasons. She did not need signs, it fully satisfies the miracles of Christ, and the greatest of His miracles, in the crown of His miracles, His Word. The desire to see miracles denounce unbelief. Formerly, the signs were given to the unbelievers to bring them to faith. Let us turn our whole soul to the Word of God, let us unite Him in spirit, and the signs of Antichrist will not attract our attention. With disdain and disgust, we turn away our eyes from them as a show of evil, as an embodiment of the fanatical enemy of God as a mockery of God as a foul and deadly poison.
Let us recall the following remark which comes from the experience of the holy ascetics: all manifestations are demonic in nature such that it is dangerous to their attention, was this a moment, even if these events do not attract our sympathy because they can leave an impression of the most harmful and cause a serious temptation.
humble reasoning is inseparable from spiritual reasoning. St. Isaac the Syrian says that only the humble can be recognized as reasonable. He who has no humility never reasons wisely. A living faith reveals God in the light of the soul. The Word of God unites the soul to God. He who comes to God in this way , who feels God's presence, that one realizes his own unworthiness, and is filled with an indescribable reverence God, to His deeds, for His will to His teachings, and finds humility in his reasoning. He who humbly reasoning will not dare to be curious about what happens outside the will of God, and who was condemned at the time by the Word of God. Signs of the Antichrist will be strangers to his humble reasoning, since it has no connection with them.
Recognizing his weakness and unworthiness before God, His majesty, His power and His infinite goodness, raises the soul to pray unceasingly. The hope of a such a soul is concentrated in God, she is not distracted in prayer. The soul asks, picking up his forces, reaching out to God with all his being. She began to pray as often as possible, and finally pray without ceasing.
When will the big events of the time of the Antichrist, all those who truly believe will cry a wonderful prayer to God. They'll scream for help and protection, to receive the divine grace that will give them strength and guidance. Although it may be faithful to God, their own strength will be insufficient to resist the powers of the fallen angels associated and men, acting under the scope of the rage and despair, with their imminent destruction (Apoc.12, 12).
Divine grace overshadow elected officials, immunize against the wiles of the seducer, drive out fear of his threats, and allow them to look with disdain his miracles. Divine grace to the elect will have the courage to confess the Savior who has accomplished the salvation of the world, and denounce the false messiah, come to destroy humanity. She elected to lead the throne of their execution, the wedding feast.
The experience of love God is sweeter than life, says the Holy Martyr Jacques Persian (November 26). In the same way that death and suffering are the beginning of eternal torment for the sinner, for Christ's suffering and martyrdom are the beginning of eternal joys of Paradise. We see this clearly in the lives of the martyrs of the early centuries of Christianity. At first, allow tyrants martyrs going to say where they choose. Then, as they accepted the first suffering, help them from above, which makes this suffering and death for Christ eminently desirable.
Lord, prophesying adviendront on penalties at His Second Coming, commanded His disciples to watch and pray: beware, watch and pray! (Mc.13, 33) Prayer is always necessary and useful to humans. She maintains her communion with God and keep it under His protection. It preserves the self-confidence, seduction of vanities, and pride, which can happen to him because of his bad fallen state, or thoughts and dreams caused by the fallen spirits. In case of danger or sadness, visible or invisible prayer is especially useful because it expresses the rejection of self-confidence, hope in the Lord, and we drew on the assistance of God. The God Almighty is the one who prays in Actor in difficult circumstances, and lots of pitfalls His servant by His miraculous providence.
Knowledge of God, the living faith, humility, blessed, pure prayer, are the spiritual attributes. On the contrary, ignorance of God, unbelief, spiritual blindness, pride, confidence and presumption, are the attributes of the carnal mind. Such a mind does not know God. It does not, and denied the means that God gives him to know him. It uses the errant ways and destructive to the soul which correspond to his condition: he asks a sign from heaven.
Amen.
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