The Light has come into the world
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.
The joy of the soul who found the Light
Saint Simeon the New Theologian, Catechesis, Writings II, Catechesis 16, in Filocalica, Deisis, 191-192
But tell me, venerable father and brother, I said, more clearly and precisely the works accomplished by what it was shown to you. And that sweet man full of divine spirit and gifted with sight answered to me immediately with a sweet voice flowing like honey:
`It gives joy when it shows and hurts when it hides, father. It approaches me and takes me to heaven. It is a pearl (Matthew 13, 46).
The Light clads me and shows me as a star and can`t be contained by anyone and anything. It shines like the sun and I see with my mind focused in it the entire being, it shows me all those which are found in it and orders me to keep my measures. I am kept under a roof and walss and it opens the skies for me. I raise my eyes in a sensible way to see those things from there and I see them all as they had been before.
I marvel at what happened and I hear a voice which tells me in secret from above:
`These are mysteries (I Corinthians 11, 13) and preludes as you won`t see the perfect ones as long as you are in this flesh.
But return to yourself and take care not to do anything from those which deprive you of what is here. When you step aside this becomes a reminder about humbleness but do not estrange yourself of repenting. Since this one united with My Love for men wipe out both the falls made before and now.
So hearing from Him these, my fathers and brothers I almost got out of myself and shaking I was meditating at what height of the sight and knowledge this one was raised all of a sudden only by the love and faith towards his spiritual father and what kind of goods he became worthy from the start to see and delight about as if he had got rid of the human weakness and had become from man angel. That is why I urge you, brothers in Christ, to reject away from us all the attachment and concern for this life, to hate the pleasures of the flesh, the sweet comfort of the body, relaxation and idleness through which what is worse gains power against what is better; and come to receive the sincere faith in God.
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