“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”. Based on
these, the Lord’s words to the apostle Thomas, we are able to glean insights
into our spiritual life and progress.
First, if we seek to be present there where prayer happens –where God
speaks to us and where we are blessed –then we will be filled with grace.
And what an amazing experience it is to have no other thoughts but those
which proceed from faith, i.e., that by prayer we persevere through the
onslaught of thoughts, which act –in this way or that –as temptations, as trials,
or as difficulties.
And yet, they are nothing! Don’t pay them any mind, even if it seems the
Lord is not present,or that he doesn’t hear you cry out, and doesn’t answer
you. Just leave these things. And by faith, you will become, in reality,
blessed. What more could you want?
Indeed, we must believe without seeing,without the Lord showing us anything
(i.e., some allegedly miraculous thing, just as Thomas expected). This is what
the Lord wants –what he waits for. This is the faith that moves mountains and
puts sin to death, puts the self to death, and puts faithlessness to death. And
by this, man becomes a truly heavenly human being.
You shouldn’t be obsessed with seeing some supposed miracle, with feeling a
certain way, with understanding as you think you should, or with living some
lofty experiences and then believing. No. You must simply run to Christ. And
right there where you stand and say a few words of prayer, Christ will be alive
and present in your soul, through which he will work miracles.
Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos
Holy Hesychasterion “The Nativity of Theotokos” Publications.
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