“The Divine Liturgy is a sublime creation which enables man to abide without despair in spite of his distance from God, because it is God’s own good pleasure to overshadow him each time he enters into His presence. We bring the best we can offer before God in the Liturgy.[…]
Throughout the history of the Church, the Liturgy has been the ‘place’ where Christians have learned to dwell in the presence of God and thereby to receive the life of God, Who is ‘the Bread of Life which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world’.
Created in God’s image and likeness, man’s deepest desire is for contact with his Creator: divine worship is therefore the main preoccupation of the spiritual person. It is in divine worship that man fulfils his true purpose, and in this he joins the feast of ‘the spirits of just men made perfect’ in the heavenly Jerusalem. He is sanctified and united to God in the Holy Eucharist through his partaking of the perfection of divine grace. Christ Himself is present in divine worship, according to His promise, especially in the Divine Liturgy. He dwells among His anointed and makes them His Church, His Body, of which He is the Head Who imparts life and the gifts of His Spirit to His members.” (Archimandrite Zacharias, Remember Thy First Love: The Three Stages of the Spiritual Life in the Theology of Elder Sophrony, pgs. 211-212)
Father Ted,
In addition to quoting from this book, is a book you would recommend?
Joel Williams
I wrote a short review of this on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/210082317
I would recommend the book with the reservations noted in the Goodreads review: almost all Orthodox writings on spirituality are written by and for monks. His book is no exception. So if you like Orthodox monastic spirituality, you probably will find the book to your liking. I know a number of people who rate the book VERY highly. I tend to read a book like this as a window shopper – I’m looking for things that really attract my attention, and I tend to walk past the familiar.
Father Ted,
I recently heard a mentioning of a book with the theme of exploring Christianity from the death of Christ up until the time of Constantine. It seems the context was as if this were a “missing period” of church history etc etc.
Have you ever heard of a book offering that type of information. I realize I am giving you scant information but I just don’t have any.
Thanks either way.
I think there are numerous books that explore that time period but I can’t identify a title based upon your comments. When I was a student at Ohio State in the mid-1970s I took a history course in which one of the required books was called FROM CHRIST TO CONSTANTINE. That was being taught at a secular institution. There are several church histories available as well. Prof Kesich of St. Vladimir’s Seminary wrote a church history of the early church FORMATION AND STRUGGLES PART 1 (http://www.svspress.com/product_info.php?products_id=3297).
I’m somewhat suspicious that any current book that talks about a “missing period” is going to be so biased in the direction of modern conspiracy theories which as to be missing history themselves.
I signed up for Goodreads so I am hoping I can navigate through and become familar to get other thoughts. I have read a number of books that tended to be for monks. I am a little ambivalent on those as they seem to “hang out” on one end of the spectrum. Thanks, as I have stated before I really enjoy your blog and visit it often. Thanks for your time in doing it.