The Second Sunday of Great Lent: The Sunday of St Gregory Palamas

Date: 28 February 2010 05:05:27

Troparion - Tone 8: O light of Orthodoxy, teacher of the Church, its confirmation, O ideal of monks and invincible champion of theologians, O wonder-working Gregory, glory of Thessalonica and preacher of grace, always intercede before the Lord that our souls may be saved. Kontakion - Tone 4: Now is the time for action! Judgment is at the doors! So let us rise and fast, offering alms with tears of compunction and crying: "Our sins are more in number than the sands of the sea; but forgive us, O Master of All, so that we may receive the incorruptible crowns." Kontakion - Tone 8: Holy and divine instrument of wisdom, joyful trumpet of theology, together we sing your praises, O God-inspired Gregory. Since you now stand before the Original Mind, guide our minds to Him, O Father, so that we may sing to you: "Rejoice, preacher of grace." Today we commemorate St Gregory Palamas, for the vindication of his teachings by the Church in the 14th century was acclaimed as a second triumph of Orthodoxy, the first triumph of Orthodoxy being the restoration of the icons which we commemorated last week. While St Gregory Palamas wrote on a great number of things, he is particularly remembered for two things: his defence of Hesychastic prayer -- that is, the acquiring of inner stillness within us by the repetition of prayers such as the "Jesus prayer" ["Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner"]; and his defence of the Orthodox doctrine of theosis or deification, which states it is possible to know God not only with knowledge, but in experience, and through this experience we are able to participate in the very life of the Holy Trinity. It was this doctrine of theosis that I spoke on today and which I posted here. Through the prayers of St Gregory and all the Saints, may the Lord have mercy on us and save us. A blessed Feast of the Second Sunday of Great Lent, the Sunday of St Gregory of Palamas, to all!