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← Fifty Spiritual Homilies/Book 1 · Ὁμιλίαι Πνευματικαί (Πεντήκοντα)
Chapter 10MacariusHom.1.10

Ὁμιλία Ιʹ

The Insatiable Longing of the Faithful

Souls that truly love the Lord demonstrate their progress through an insatiable hunger for grace and a humble refusal to trust in their own spiritual attainments.

Truth-loving and God-loving souls who long with great hope and faith to put on Christ completely do not need so much reminding from others for their heavenly longing and their love for the Lord—even if they endure some lessening of it—but, wholly and entirely nailed to the cross of Christ, they daily sense spiritual progress within themselves toward the spiritual Bridegroom.✦✦ Wounded by heavenly longing and utterly hungry for the righteousness of the virtues, they hold onto the radiance of the Spirit with a deep and insatiable desire.✦ And even if, through their faith, they are counted worthy to receive knowledge of divine mysteries, or become sharers in the joy of heavenly grace, they do not put their trust in themselves, as if they were something; rather, the more they are counted worthy of spiritual gifts, the more they seek earnestly, never satisfied in their heavenly longing. And the more sense of spiritual progress they receive within themselves, the more utterly hungry and thirsty they become for the receiving and increase of grace; and the richer they grow in spirit, the poorer they seem to themselves, still unsatisfied in spiritual longing for the heavenly Bridegroom, as Scripture says: "Those who eat me will still hunger, and those who drink me will still thirst."✦ Such souls, who love the Lord with a fiery and insatiable love, prove worthy of eternal life. Therefore, they are also counted worthy of redemption from the passions, and they fully receive the radiance and participation of the Holy Spirit's ineffable and mystical Communion in the fullness of grace.1

The Danger of Spiritual Complacency

Those who settle for a partial experience of grace and grow proud in their comfort risk losing the gifts they have received, unlike the truly humble who always feel they have nothing.

But as for souls that are weak and slack—souls that do not, while they are still in the flesh, seek from this point on to receive the sanctification of the heart not in part but completely, through patience and long endurance; that have not hoped to share in the Paraclete Spirit in perfection, with full awareness and assurance; that have not awaited redemption from the passions of evil through the Spirit; or again, that, after being counted worthy of divine grace, have been stolen by evil and given themselves over to a kind of carelessness and ease, as if they had already received the grace of the Spirit and already possess the comfort of grace in rest and longing and spiritual sweetness—2 and, trusting in this, they exalt themselves and grow careless, their hearts not crushed and their mindset not humbled—neither having reached the perfect measure of freedom from the passions, nor having waited with all earnestness and faith to be filled completely with grace. Instead, they grew sure of themselves, settled down, and stayed put in that small comfort of grace, advancing more into pride than into humility. Such souls are stripped, sooner or later, even of the gift they were counted worthy to receive, because of their careless contempt and the empty conceit of thinking too highly of themselves. For the soul that truly loves God and loves Christ, even if it does countless acts of righteousness, still regards itself as having done nothing because of its insatiable longing for the Lord. Even if it wears out the body with fasting and night vigils, it remains disposed as if it hasn't even begun to labor for the virtues. Even if it is counted worthy of various gifts of the Spirit, or even of revelations and heavenly mysteries, it feels within itself as if it still possesses nothing, because of its measureless and insatiable love for the Lord.

The Path to Mystical Union

The soul that perseveres in prayer and endures trials is gradually cleansed and sanctified, eventually becoming a pure dwelling place for the Holy Spirit and an heir of the kingdom.

But every day she remains utterly hungry and thirsty—through faith and love, in persevering prayer—for the mysteries of grace and for every condition of virtue, unquenchably so: wounded by a heavenly love of the Spirit, and through grace always stirring up within herself a burning longing for the heavenly Bridegroom, desiring to be fully counted worthy of mystical and inexpressible communion with him in the sanctification of the Spirit; unveiled in the face of her soul and gazing intently on the heavenly Bridegroom face to face in spiritual and unutterable light; mingled with him in full assurance; being conformed to his death with deep desire; always looking for death for Christ's sake, and believing with full assurance that she will receive from the Spirit complete redemption from sin and from the darkness of the passions—so that, cleansed through the Spirit and sanctified in soul and body, she may be counted worthy to become a pure vessel for receiving the heavenly ointment and a dwelling place for the true King, Christ.3 Then she is made worthy of the heavenly life, having already become in this life a pure dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.4 But for a soul to come into these measures is not something that happens all at once, nor without being tested. Rather, through many labors and struggles, over long stretches of time and with earnest effort, amid testing and trials of many kinds, she receives spiritual growth and progress until she reaches the perfect measure of freedom from the passions—so that, enduring gladly and bravely every trial evil brings upon her, she may then be counted worthy of the great honors, spiritual gifts, and heavenly riches, and so become an heir of the heavenly kingdom in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be the glory and the power forever.5 Amen.

Read the original Latin

Αἱ φιλαλήθεις καὶ φιλόθεοι ψυχαὶ αἱ τελείως τὸν Χριστὸν ἐνδύσασθαι ἐν πολλῇ ἐλπίδι καὶ πίστει ἐπιποθοῦσαι τῆς παρ' ἑτέρων ὑπομνήσεως οὐ τοσοῦτον χρῄζουσιν οὔτε τοῦ οὐρανίου πόθου καὶ τοῦ πρὸς κύριον ἔρωτος, κἂν ἐπὶ ποσὸν ἐλαττοῦσθαι ὑπομένουσιν, ἀλλ' ὅλαι ἐξ ὅλου τῷ σταυρῷ τοῦ Χριστοῦ προσηλωμέναι πρὸς τὸν πνευματικὸν νυμφίον ὁσημέραι πνευματικῆς προκοπῆς ἐν ἑαυταῖς αἴσθησιν ἐπιγινώσκουσι. τετρωμέναι δὲ τῷ οὐρανίῳ πόθῳ καὶ ἔκπεινοι οὖσαι περὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην τῶν ἀρετῶν, τὴν ἔκλαμψιν τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ πολλῇ καὶ ἀκορέστῳ ἔχουσιν. εἰ δὲ καὶ θείων μυστηρίων διὰ τῆς πίστεως αὐτῶν ἐπίγνωσιν λαβεῖν ἀξιοῦνται εἴτε καὶ εὐφροσύνης ἐπουρανίου χάριτος μέτοχοι γίγνονται, οὐ πεποίθασιν ἐν ἑαυταῖς οἰόμεναι εἶναί τι, ἀλλ' ὅσῳ πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων καταξιοῦνται, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἀκορέστως ἔχουσαι τοῦ οὐρανίου πόθου ἐμπόνως ἐπιζητοῦσι· καὶ ὅσον ἂν πνευματικῆς προκοπῆς ἐν ἑαυταῖς αἴσθησιν λάβωσι, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ἔκπεινοι καὶ ἔκδιψοι εἰς τὴν μετάληψιν καὶ αὔξησιν τῆς χάριτος ὑπάρχουσι, καὶ ὅσῳ πνευματικῶς πλουτοῦσι, τοσούτῳ μᾶλλον ὡς πενόμεναί εἰσι παρ' ἑαυταῖς, ἀκορέστως ἔχουσαι τῷ πνευματικῷ πόθῳ πρὸς τὸν οὐράνιον νυμφίον, ὥς φησιν ἡ γραφή· «οἱ τρώγοντές με ἔτι πεινάσουσι, καὶ οἱ πίνοντές με ἔτι διψήσουσιν». Αἱ τοιαῦται ψυχαὶ αἱ ἐμπύρως καὶ ἀκορέστως τὴν ἀγάπην πρὸς κύριον ἔχουσαι ἄξιαι τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς τυγχάνουσι· διὸ καὶ τῶν παθῶν τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως καταξιοῦνται καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος τοῦ ἀρρήτου καὶ μυστικῆς κοινωνίας ἐν πληρώματι χάριτος ἔκλαμψιν καὶ μετουσίαν τελείως κομίζονται. ὅσαι δὲ ἄνανδροι καὶ χαῦνοι ψυχαί, μὴ ζητοῦσαι ἀπεντεῦθεν, ὡς ἔτι ἐν σαρκὶ τυγχάνουσι, τὸν ἁγιασμὸν τῆς καρδίας οὐκ ἐκ μέρους, ἀλλὰ τελείως δι' ὑπομονῆς καὶ μακροθυμίας δέξασθαι καὶ κοινωνῆσαι τῷ παρακλήτῳ πνεύματι ἐν τελειότητι μετὰ πάσης αἰσθήσεως καὶ πληροφορίας μὴ ἐλπίσασαι, καὶ τῶν παθῶν τῆς κακίας λυτρωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος μὴ ἐκδεξάμεναι ἢ πάλιν χάριτος θείας καταξιωθεῖσαι, εἰς ἀμεριμνίαν τινὰ καὶ ἄνεσιν, ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας κλεπτόμεναι, ἑαυτὰς ἐξέδωκαν ὡς ὅτι λαβοῦσαι τὴν χάριν τοῦ πνεύματος καὶ ἔχουσαι παράκλησιν τῆς χάριτος ἐν ἀναπαύσει καὶ πόθῳ καὶ γλυκύτητι πνευματικῇ. καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ πεποιθυῖαι ὑψοῦνται καὶ ἀμεριμνοῦσι, μὴ συντριβόμεναι τὴν καρδίαν καὶ τῷ φρονήματι μὴ ταπεινούμεναι μήτε οὖσαι εἰς τὸ τέλειον τῆς ἀπαθείας μέτρον μήτε πληρωθῆναι τελείως τῆς χάριτος ἐν πάσῃ σπουδῇ καὶ πίστει ἐκδεξάμεναι, ἀλλ' ἐπληροφορήθησαν καὶ ἐπανεπάησαν καὶ ἐναπέμειναν εἰς τὴν ὀλίγην τῆς χάριτος παράκλησιν, εἰς ἔπαρσιν μᾶλλον ἤπερ εἰς ταπείνωσιν προκόψασαι. αἱ τοιαῦται ψυχαὶ καὶ οὗπερ κατηξιώθησαν χαρίσματος, ὁτεδήποτε ἀπογυμνοῦνται διὰ τὴν ἀμελῆ καταφρόνησιν καὶ τὸν μάταιον τῆς οἰήσεως αὐτῶν τῦφον. Ψυχὴ γὰρ ἡ ἀληθῶς φιλόθεος καὶ φιλόχριστος κἂν μυρίας δικαιοσύνας ποιήσῃ, ὡς μηδὲν ἐργασαμένη οὕτως ἔχει παρ' ἑαυτῇ διὰ τὸν πρὸς κύριον ἀκόρεστον πόθον· κἂν νηστείαις κἂν ἀγρυπνίαις τὸ σῶμα καταδαπανήσῃ, ὡς μηδέπω ἀρξαμένη πονεῖν περὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς διάκειται· κἂν χαρισμάτων τοῦ πνεύματος διαφόρων ἢ καὶ ἀποκαλύψεων καὶ μυστηρίων οὐρανίων τυχεῖν καταξιωθῇ, ὡς μηδὲν ἀκμὴν κεκτημένη ἐν ἑαυτῇ ἐστι διὰ τὴν ἄμετρον καὶ ἀκόρεστον πρὸς κύριον ἀγάπην.

ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν ἔκπεινος καὶ ἔκδιψος διὰ πίστεως καὶ ἀγάπης ἐν προσκαρτερήσει εὐχῆς εἰς τὰ τῆς χάριτος μυστήρια καὶ εἰς πᾶσαν κατάστασιν ἀρετῆς ἀκορέστως ἔχει, ἔρωτι πνεύματος οὐρανίῳ τετρωμένη καὶ πόθον ἔμπυρον διὰ τῆς χάριτος ἀεὶ ἐν ἑαυτῇ πρὸς τὸν οὐράνιον νυμφίον ἀνακινοῦσα, ἐπιθυμοῦσα τελείως καταξιωθῆναι τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν μυστικῆς καὶ ἀρρήτου ἐν ἁγιασμῷ πνεύματος κοινωνίας, ἀποκεκαλυμμένη τῷ τῆς ψυχῆς προσώπῳ καὶ ἐνατενίζουσα τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ νυμφίῳ, πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον ἐν φωτὶ πνευματικῷ καὶ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ, ἀνακιρνωμένη τούτῳ ἐν πληροφορίᾳ πάσῃ, συμμορφιζομένη τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ πολλῇ, τὸν ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ θάνατον προσδοκῶσα πάντοτε καὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ τῆς σκοτίας τῶν παθῶν τελείαν λύτρωσιν δέξασθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος ἐν πληροφορίᾳ πιστεύουσα, ἵνα καθαρισθεῖσα διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ψυχῇ καὶ σώματι ἁγιασθεῖσα καθαρὸν σκεῦος εἰς ὑποδοχὴν τοῦ ἐπουρανίου μύρου καὶ μονὴν τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ βασιλέως Χριστοῦ γενέσθαι καταξιωθῇ. καὶ τότε τῆς ἐπουρανίου ζωῆς ἀξία καθίσταται, οἰκητήριον καθαρὸν πνεύματος ἁγίου ἐντεῦθεν γενομένη. εἰς ταῦτα δὲ τὰ μέτρα ψυχὴν ἐλθεῖν οὔτε ὑφ' ἓν οὔτε ἀδοκιμάστως ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ διὰ πόνων πολλῶν καὶ ἀγώνων καὶ χρόνων καὶ σπουδῆς μετὰ δοκιμασίας καὶ πειρασμῶν ποικίλων τὴν πνευματικὴν αὔξησιν καὶ προκοπὴν λαμβάνει ἕως τοῦ τελείου τῆς ἀπαθείας μέτρου, ἵνα εἰς πάντα πειρασμὸν ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας ἐπαγόμενον ὑπομένουσα προθύμως καὶ γενναίως τότε τῶν μεγάλων τιμῶν καὶ χαρισμάτων πνευματικῶν καὶ πλούτου οὐρανίου ἀξιωθῇ, καὶ οὕτως τῆς ἐπουρανίου βασιλείας γένηται κληρονόμος ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, ᾧ ἡ δόξα καὶ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ἀμήν.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Rom.13.14;Gal.3.27 — But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its desires. Gal.3.27 — For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
  2. ↩Gal.2.20 — I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
  3. ↩Matt.5.6 — Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
  4. ↩Gal.6.3;Phil.3.3 — For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Phil.3.3 — For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Greek τῶν παθῶν τῆς ἀπολυτρώσεως taken as redemption from the passions (objective genitive of the thing escaped), matching Macarian usage elsewhere.
  2. 2 ↩Long sentence with two contrasting paths under ὅσαι: (1) souls that never seek full sanctification/redemption, and (2) ἢ πάλιν those already graced who then surrender to carelessness. The trailing ὡς ὅτι clause describes their self-deception.
  3. 3 ↩ἀνακιρνωμένη: ‘mingled’ / ‘blended’ with the Bridegroom—Macarian language for intimate spiritual union, not physical mixture.
  4. 4 ↩ἐντεῦθεν: rendered ‘already in this life’ (from here / from this point), the usual Macarian contrast with merely future hope.
  5. 5 ↩ἀπαθείας: rendered ‘freedom from the passions’ (patristic apatheia), not emotional numbness—ordered detachment from disordered passions.

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