St. Seraphim of Sarov

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I’m currently reading of the life and works of St. Seraphim of Sarov and am just amazed. The miracles he did while still on earth show the power of God in him!

He was one of the Orthodox Saints that literally glowed with the Uncreated Light of the Holy Trinity so brightly that people could not look at him.

But He would only glow like this when he spoke of his time when he was taken to heaven and when he spoke of what life will be like after this one for those who love God.
 
A creature cannot glow with the Uncreated Light of God. A creature can glow to show their holiness or closeness to God (the light being the work of God, not of the creature), but the Uncreated Light of God, nope. Only God, Who is the Light itself, can have the Uncreated Light.
 
Eucharisted said:
A creature cannot glow with the Uncreated Light of God.
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Wrong again.

‘Can a man take fire into his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?’ (Prov. 6:27) says the wise Solomon. And I say: can he, who has in his heart the Divine fire of the Holy Spirit burning naked, not be set on fire, not shine and glitter and not take on the radiance of the Deity in the degree of his purification and penetration by fire? For penetration by fire follows upon purification of the heart, and again purification of the heart follows upon penetration by fire, that is, inasmuch as the heart is purified, so it receives Divine grace, and again inasmuch as it receives grace, so it is purified. When this is completed (that is, purification of heart and acquisition of grace have attained their fullness and perfection), through grace a man becomes wholly a god.
St. Simeon the New Theologian (Practical and Theological Precepts no. 94, Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart; Faber and Faber pgs. 118-199)

Thus the deifying gift of the Spirit is a mysterious light, and transforms into light those who receive its richness; He does not only fill them with eternal light, but grants them a knowledge and a life appropriate to God. Thus, as St. Maximus teaches, St. Paul lived no longer a created life, but “the eternal life of Him Who indwelt him.” Similarly, the prophets contemplated the future as if it were the present.
St. Gregory Palamas, The Triads
 
Mickey said:
Wrong again.

‘Can a man take fire into his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?’ (Prov. 6:27) says the wise Solomon. And I say: can he, who has in his heart the Divine fire of the Holy Spirit burning naked, not be set on fire, not shine and glitter and not take on the radiance of the Deity in the degree of his purification and penetration by fire? For penetration by fire follows upon purification of the heart, and again purification of the heart follows upon penetration by fire, that is, inasmuch as the heart is purified, so it receives Divine grace, and again inasmuch as it receives grace, so it is purified. When this is completed (that is, purification of heart and acquisition of grace have attained their fullness and perfection), through grace a man becomes wholly a god.
St. Simeon the New Theologian (Practical and Theological Precepts no. 94, Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart; Faber and Faber pgs. 118-199)
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  1. That’s theological speculation
  2. That’s one theologian’s speculation
  3. The theologian has given no source of evidence for his claims (for example, Scripture, Tradition, etc.)
 
Why would the old Testament priests pray “The light of his countenance shine on you.” if it was impossible?
 
Eucharisted said:
  1. That’s theological speculation
  2. That’s one theologian’s speculation
  3. The theologian has given no source of evidence for his claims (for example, Scripture, Tradition, etc.)
Click to expand...
Deification, theosis, and the uncreated light are part of the Tradition of the Church. Many saints, (yes, saints shared by Catholicism and Orthodoxy before the schism), shone with the uncreated light.

Perhaps you should do your homework before you jump into certain threads.

There are many examples from Scripture and Tradition. Even in the old Testament, the Israelites could not look at Moses’ face because it shone so brightly.
 
Eucharisted said:
A creature cannot glow with the Uncreated Light of God. A creature can glow to show their holiness or closeness to God (the light being the work of God, not of the creature), but the Uncreated Light of God, nope. Only God, Who is the Light itself, can have the Uncreated Light.
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Even Moses glowed with God’s Uncreated Light. Many of our Orthodox Saints have as well. One day, if you are lucky enough to enter into God’s Glory after this life, you too will be alighted with His Uncreated Light - that is Salvation. God became Man so that man could become god says St. Athanasius
 
Eucharisted said:
  1. That’s theological speculation
  2. That’s one theologian’s speculation
  3. The theologian has given no source of evidence for his claims (for example, Scripture, Tradition, etc.)
Click to expand...
To be a theologian, you first have to experience God. It is in this experience of God that some of our Saints have glowed with the Uncreated Light of God.

Sacred Scripture was quoted for you in the post your post is in response to. Sacred Tradition is full of accounts of Saints glowing with the Uncreated Light of God. St. Seraphim of Sarov just happens to be a realitively recent Saint who has experienced this.
 
Mickey said:
Exactly! A true theologian has experienced God. 🙂
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I have a 5 day weekend. I hope to finish the book on St. Seraphim of Sarov by this coming Monday. He is so awesome.

How could I ever hope to immulate his life? The phrase “Baby steps” comes to mind. So far, I’ve been inspired by him to set the calendar of my telephone to play Eikonia 7 times a day at the hours of prayer: (6 am, 9 am, Noon, 3 pm, 6 pm, 9pm and Midnight) to remind me to turn my focus back on God at those times rather than just whenever He comes to mind. At 3 O’Clock today when it went off, I was cleaning the stove on my lunch break…it’s almost like, where will I be the next time the prayer hour comes? It’s almost 6pm now, so I may be in my car on the way home or still here typing on Catholic Answers Non-Catholic Forum? So even though it hasn’t gone off, because I know that it will soon, my focus is already turning to God.

When I pray the Jesus Prayer it is difficult for me to keep count, but I do know that since I have set my Calendar to alarm me at the Hours of Prayer that I am praying the Jesus Prayer more through out the day. And that is the point to eventually get to a place spiritually where we literally pray without ceasing: pray while we are talking to someone, pray while we are doing our work, pray while we are sleeping.
 
**A creature cannot glow with the Uncreated Light of God. **

**Yes, they can. You’re just spouting the nonsense of Barllaam the Calabrian.

It happens all the time with Orthodox saints. I’ve heard it has even happened with Apb. Levere.

Ever read St. Seraphim’s “Wonderful Revelation to the World?” It’s on line.**
 
Peace to our separated brethren, especially those who are so near to us in the true Faith,

As you are aware, we believe the (edit: ) “Light of Glory” is the created ‘light’ which supernaturally uplifts man to the ability of seeing God Face to Face. We do not believe the light itself is God, nor do we believe there is a real distinction between God’s Essence and “Energies.”

This is a development which is truly Greek and foreign to the West.

Peace in Christ,
Tomasz
 
bpbasilphx said:
Yes, they can. You’re just spouting the nonsense of Barllaam the Calabrian.
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No, I’m not. I’m saying no creatue can have the Inaccesible Light of God (and that Light is uncreated, for God is Eternal). Only Jesus Christ can enter into the Light of God, for only He is the God-Man.
Ever read St. Seraphim’s “Wonderful Revelation to the World?” It’s on line.
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Read it, but didn’t like it. It’s just about theosis.

Jesus Christ is the true Wonderful Revelation. For He is the Revelation of God.
 
StMarina303ad said:
I’m currently reading of the life and works of St. Seraphim of Sarov and am just amazed. The miracles he did while still on earth show the power of God in him!
Click to expand...
I used to order books from St. Vladimir’s Seminary bookstore.

I once had an especial appreciation of the life of Staretz Silouan and a work titled
Christ is in our Midst.

svspress.com/product_info.php?products_id=31

There is a work on Startez Silouan, written by Archimandrite Sophrony.

svspress.com/product_info.php?products_id=160

reen12
 
No, I’m not. I’m saying no creatue can have the Inaccesible Light of God (and that Light is uncreated, for God is Eternal). Only Jesus Christ can enter into the Light of God, for only He is the God-Man.

And because of the theandric Christ we too have access to the Uncreated Light.
 
I really need to get a hold of some of his writings! I very much enjoy St. Simeon the New Theologian so if they are writing on a similar subject I will definetely need to pick that up.
 
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