In St. John’s discussion of discernment, he reveals to us the beauty of a human being transformed by the grace of God and living in communion with Christ by removing every impediment within the heart and by constantly crying out to him in prayer. At the very center of this reality is the “eye of the soul”. It is extremely beautiful, St. John explains, and next to the angels it surpasses all things. The angels constantly gaze upon God and the purified eye of the soul, the nous, allows us to contemplate the beauty of God‘s love.
There is also a freedom that comes to the soul through this purification. Our capacity to discern spiritual realities enables us to engage in the warfare with the demons more diligently and to avoid the pitfalls that are set for us. Furthermore, it allows us to understand that there is no such thing as a small sin. If neglected, it can consume the entire person. Likewise, there is no part of our life that we are to take for granted. The eye of the soul allows us to see that each moment is an opportunity for us to respond to God and to others with love; an opportunity embraced or lost. Thus, it is a very high view of the human person that is set before us; a view that allows us to understand the radical communion that exists between each of us and to see our destiny in Christ. Beautiful indeed!
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XXII, Part II
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVIII, Part VI
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XXI, and XXII, Part I
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVIII, Part V
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XIX, and XX
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVIII, Part IV
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XVIII, Part III
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVIII, Part III
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XVIII, Part II
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVIII, Part II
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XVIII, Part I
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVII, Part IX, and XXVIII, Part I
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVII: On Stillness of Mind and Body, Part VIII
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XVII, Part I
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVII: On Stillness of Mind and Body, Part VII
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XVI, Part II
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XV, Part IV and XVI, Part I
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XV, Part III
The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXVII: On Stillness of Mind and Body, Part VI
The Evergetinos: Book Two - Hypothesis XV, Part II
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