By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou
Saint Gregory Palamas (1296-1359), Archbishop of Thessaloniki, was one of the foremost Fathers of our Church, who, as is written in his Service, is “the boast of the Fathers,” “the mouth of theologians,” “the pinnacle of the Teachers,” “an ocean of words,” “an instrument of praxis,” and “the pinnacle of theoria.”
The homilies that Saint Gregory delivered in Thessaloniki as Archbishop between 1350-1359 are the quintessence of his entire teaching, a summary of his entire work, and are of great importance, because, among other things, they are an expression of Orthodox pastoral and homiletic teaching.
In these homilies, among other things, he developed the theme of the mystery of the Cross. The Cross of Christ is a mystery, and it has been and is active in all the Righteous, Prophets, Apostles, and Saints throughout the centuries. That is why there are many friends of the Cross in the Old and New Testaments and in the life of the Church, just as there are enemies of the Cross. The experience of the mystery of the Cross is expressed in praxis (as a purification from passions) and in theoria (as an illumination of the nous and a vision of the Light of God).
Towards the end of his homily, he analyzes the word and the mystery of the Cross that operated and operates in all the Righteous and Saints, then he also writes about the types of the Cross, which I quote in translation:
“Not only the word and the mystery of the Cross, but also the type is divine and venerable, because it is a sacred seal, saving and revered, sanctifying and consecrating of the supernatural and unspeakable good things that have been worked upon the human race by God, a nullifier of curse and condemnation, a nullifier of corruption and death, a deliverer of eternal life and blessing, a saving wood, a royal scepter, a divine trophy against visible and invisible enemies, even if the followers of heretics are madly displeased.”
He writes this because by forming the sign of the Cross, all the Mysteries are performed (Baptism, Chrismation, Divine Eucharist, Marriage) and with it the Clergy bless the people, for this reason the form of the Cross is a “sacred seal, saving and revered, sanctifying and consecrating” of the unspeakable Mysteries.
Those who have malicious theories and views are dissatisfied with the Cross. In fact, some “self-ordained theologians” consider the teachings about purification, illumination and deification, which are the quintessence of the word of Christ, the Apostles and the Saints, as supposedly Neoplatonic influences!!!
This is a great error and a lack of theological prerequisites for studying the texts, since they cannot distinguish the “uncreated words” of theoptia from the “created words, meanings and images” with which it is formulated.
According to the characteristic phrase of Saint Gregory Palamas, “piety is not in word, nor simply in letter, but in deeds, according to theologians.” The “deeds” are the revealed faith, which are then recorded in “word” and “letter” that are received from the environment.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
