Ieromonk Ghelasie: "AVVA and the Neophyte" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

Christ Pantocrator, fresco painting by monk Ilie


My AVVA, my AVVA.
You are the LIKENESS of GOD’S GRACE,
You are the Likeness of the Saint
Of whose GIFT I was Born.

Through you I DISCOVER the Saint who TOOK me
In his Arms when I was Begotten,
And made me his Son.

My AVVA, in your Icon
GOD, Saints, Parents,
Heaven and Earth
GATHER in a COMMUNION of MYSTERY.

Avva my Father,
Kneeling, under your BLESSING I stand.

Through your Hands Heaven is descending.
Through your Face GRACE is SHINING,
Through your WORDS,
GOD Himself is SPEAKING to me.

My AVVA, what Blessed DESTINY
To have FOUND you!...
Without you, long would I have wandered
With no Hope of Fulfillment and Salvation...

AVVA mine, AVVA mine,
You are my Holy CHAPEL,
Where seven times a Day
I kneel in humility,
Faithfully Hoping
That I too shall be Saved.

All that I have is a GIFT
From GOD’S GRACE,
From my Parents’ Inheritance
And the Virtues of the Saint who Adopted me,
From your Counsel, AVVA Father,
A Gift from Holy GIFTS.

*

On a timeless DAY, in DIVINITY,
As an Answer of LOVE,
The SON together with the HOLY SPIRIT,
Bring to GOD the FATHER
A GIFT of THANKS.
“Eternal FATHER,
Receive this Thanksgiving,
These Gifts from Your Own Gifts
We bring before You.”
And the FATHER Looks...
He sees one more Love
Of Creation.

“RECEIVE THE IMAGE OF LOVE
IT IS Your IMAGE, FATHER!”

And the FATHER BLESSES!

Published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, pp. 83-84. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.

Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The Romanian (Original) Version can be found here.
The German Version can be found here.

Ieromonk Ghelasie: "DEVOTION" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

St. John the Forerunner, icon painting by monk Ilie



















My Saint, my Saint, great is your Faith
That I too shall be Saved!...

You Believe so strongly that I shall depart from sin,
That GOD Himself,
Due to your Love for HIM and HIS LOVE for you,
BELIEVES your Faith...
Hence He is patient with me,
Though I rightfully deserve nothing but death.

Oh my Saint, my Saint,
What a great GIFT it is to be Holy,
To have such FAITH as to RISE the dead from the grave.

*

Oh, MOTHER of GOD,
You are the EMPRESS of all Saints,
The GIFT of Holiness is in You as great as that of all humanity.
You have Born the very SPRING of Holiness,
You have held in Your Arms the SON of GOD,
Who makes You worthy of being the IMAGE of the CHURCH,
The Holiest Image of Creation,
The MOTHER of Holiness in Heaven and on Earth.

Published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, p. 82. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The Romanian (Original) Version can be found here.
The German Version can be found here.

Ieromonk Ghelasie: "Birth, the FIRST LITURGY of One’s Own Life" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

Fresco painting by monk Ilie, Holy Monastery Slănic




















1

The Union of my Parents is begetting my Body,
The Dwelling Place
Of my New Created Soul.

Oh, what a Mystery is this Body!
Water-Earth, Flesh and Blood,
Which Relates me to the World!...

This Body is Sealed with my Parents’ Image,
With the Inheritance of an entire People...

I am also Related to the Stars Above,
To the tiniest blade of grass and the smallest Creature.

Flesh is the Mystery that gathers
The whole World as Memory,
And Blood is the Mystery
That makes this Relation Flow through everything.

Therefore, my Body is first Created,
Just as You, my LORD,
Have created first Adam’s Body.
The Body, Earth made Flesh and Water made Blood,
Is the first GATHERING of the World’s Image,
So that the Soul You create,
May have the Semblance of Creation.

The Body is the Seal of the Image of Creation,
And this is your MEASURE of the World.

My Parents give me the Image of Creation,
Yet they cannot give me a Soul,
And the Mystery of my Being is the Union of the two Likenesses,
Likeness of GOD and Likeness of Creation.

2

This is the Day of my Begetting,
It is the Day of my Birth LITURGY.

The Begetting from my Parents
Is the PROSPHORA that Ascends,
Reaching the HEAVENLY ALTAR,
Where the Saints’ LITURGY is celebrated.
Lots of PROSPHORA-Begettings are arriving,
And while celebrating, each Saint takes one...

Each Saint sees what Image is sealed on the PROSPHORA,
Aware that by choosing one, he will have to ADOPT that Soul,
Taking upon Himself the WOUNDS of that Soul’s “sins”...

The PROSPHORA of my Begetting thus enters
The CHURCH Above, the Image of the MOTHER of God
Who RECEIVES all the PROSPHORAS.
SHE is the FIRST to see the Image of the PROSPHORA
And how sinful it is...

Oh, MOTHER of GOD, You have seen my Image
And Look, You have started to cry...
You have seen the multitude of inherited sins,
And all the sins that I myself would do in my LIFE,
Yet You were the First to EMBRACE the PROSPHORA...
You KISSED it, thus becoming
My HEAVENLY MOTHER.

You, MOTHER OF GOD, chose an Angel,
And with Tearful Eyes You asked him...
“Please take this PROSPHORA,
Take it to the SERVICE and be its GUARDIAN”...

And the Angel took my PROSPHORA
To the LITURGY ALTAR,
Where a Saint was just Celebrating.
He took it in his Arms, regarded it pensively,
Wanted to refuse it several times...
But a Tear dropped down on it...

“Oh, You Saint who took my PROSPHORA,
You have received me as Your Son for ever”

3

And the Saint who chose my PROSPHORA
Starts LITURGISING,
He lifts it UP
Where the LORD CHRIST Himself receives it
In His DIVINE HANDS,
UTTERING a WORD of MYSTERY.
At that, the HOLY SPIRIT comes
And takes the PROSPHORA on His HANDS
With a DEEP SIGH of MERCY...

“HEAVENLY FATHER,
Give Life to yet one more Soul.
My WORD has Conceived it
And the HOLY SPIRIT too,
Only Your BLESSING must Be
For one more Being to Live”...

The Celebrating Saint is CUTTING the AMNOS
Out of the PROSPHORA,
And from the AMNOS is flowing BLOOD,
That the Saint puts in the CHALICE...

Oh, what awesome MYSTERY,
The AMNOS is full of WOUNDS
And bitter sorrows...
These are my Wounds from inherited sins,
Wounds, from sins that I will do,
Which are now foreseen and revealed...
And these Wounds also WOUND CHRIST’S BODY
From which DIVINE BLOOD is Flowing
And mingling with my own Blood,
And in the CHALICE of MYSTERY
They UNITE and BECOME RELATED...


I, as a Soul, am Born
Here, in the CHALICE of MYSTERY.
A BABY Born to Life,
How frightening! I am wearing CHRIST’S BODY,
While HE is wearing my Body...
Like an Embodiment of ONE into the OTHER.

Suddenly the Two Entwine...

Oh, MYSTERY of the LITURGY of LIFE!...

SON of GOD, through a CERTAIN WORD
You have Created my Soul,
SEALING it with Your WORD in eternity,
As a HEART-IMAGE of GOD.

Oh, ALLHOLY SPIRIT,
A CERTAIN BREATH of Yours
Was SEALED on and enlivened my HEART.

Oh, FATHER, Your Absolute BLESSING
United the TRINITARY SEAL,
And thus my Soul was Begotten.

And through the AMNOS cut out from the PROSPHORA,
GOD’S BLOOD and Created Blood,
My Soul Embodied.

The AMNOS, THREEFOLD LOVE of GOD,
The AMNOS, Creation Love as well,
The AMNOS, Love of the CHURCH,
The AMNOS, Heaven and Earth UNITED,
The AMNOS, KINDRED Soul and Body,
The AMNOS, MYSTERY beyond Nature,
The AMNOS, MYSTERY of the LITURGY,
The AMNOS, MYSTERY of MYSTERIES – EUCHARIST.

4

What am I, the New Born?
I am a Body begotten from my Parents,
Endowed with the Image of Creation
And my People’s Kinship,
With a Legacy of both Virtues and “sins”,
All united in my flesh and blood,
The PROSPHORA of the Earthly CHURCH.

And the DESTINY of this PROSPHORA is to ASCEND to HEAVEN.

To Heaven, where the CHURCH ABOVE is,
Where the Soul is Born.

The Body is the Seal of the Image Below
The Soul is the Seal of the Image ABOVE,
And thus I am a UNION of HEAVEN and Earth.

My Soul is begotten
Through a CREATING WORD

And through the BREATH of the HOLY SPIRIT
In the FATHER’S BLESSING,
The SEAL of GOD’S IMAGE.

The WORD is the Image of the HEART and BLOOD,
Of the PROSPHORA and the CHALICE,
Of the Earth and Water.
The SPIRIT is the Image of LIFE-the RITUAL,
The BLESSING is the Image of Being.

Thus my New Born Soul
Has got the SEAL-LIKENESS of the WORD,
The LIFE-LIKENESS of the SPIRIT,
In a UNION of BLESSING.

And the DESTINY of my Created Being
Is Life of the Earth and Life of HEAVEN,
In the SINGING of the WORD and VOICE of the SPIRIT,
All united in the EUCHARIST-COMMUNION.

5

I THANK You LORD for Creating me,
Though You have seen me unworthy to LIVE...
You were the FIRST to take me in Your CRUCIFIXION,
And the MOTHER of GOD was the FIRST,
Who ADOPTED me as a Son of the CHURCH,
An Angel offered to be my Guardian,
While a Saint became my PROTECTOR...
And below, my Parents and my People
Made me the inheritor of the MYSTERY of LIFE.

GLORY to You LORD, GLORY to YOU
MYSTERY of the LOVE-EUCHARIST!

Published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, pp. 74-80. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.
Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The Romanian (Original) Version can be found here.
The German Version can be found here.

Ieromonk Ghelasie: "Hymn to all Saints" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

Mother of God, the Theotokos (detail), icon painting by monk Ilie



















After the rightful PROSTRATION before GOD,
The ONE in TRINITY beyond all,
To Whom shall I first dedicate my Devotion?...
What Saint should I first bow to?
For they all have the same Image of Saint,
Though each with a different Face.

The SAINT of the Saints is sitting on the THRONE,
He, CHRIST, GOD and Creature,
The IMAGE of ARCH-PRIESTHOOD.

And all others around, in different Orders.
First the MOTHER of GOD,
Image of the Saints’ CHURCH.

Angels in all the Colours of Heaven,
Nature with all the Fragrance of Flowers and Light of the Stars,
And Holy Men, in all their Virtues.

Humble and sinful, I stand in awe at so much GLORY!
Who should I regard first?...

On CHRIST’S BODY
I see a WOUND that frightens and pains me to my very bones.

It is the WOUND of my sins...

I can see a deep scar on the Face of the MOTHER of GOD,
On which the Tears of my sins are trickling, dropping out . . .
Amidst the countless number of Angels
I see a sad yet Smiling Face,
It is my Kind Guardian Angel...

In the multitude of Saints I discern my Saint,
I Recognize Him due to my very WOUNDS,
That are at the same time his Wounds...

Oh, what Praise should I sing before this SIGHT?
I Bow, Regard and keep silent...

I am not worthy of PARTAKING of this MARVEL

And yet it is Gifted to me...
Only through my PROSTRATION can I bring my Answer.


Published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, pp. 71-72. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.
Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The Romanian (Original) Version can be found here.
The German Version can be found here.

Ieromonk Ghelasie: "Hymn of One’s Own Life" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

Christ the Saviour (detail), painting by monk Ilie, Holy Monastery Slănic




















Oh, MYSTERY beyond Nature, MYSTERY of my Being,
You, my GOD and CREATOR.

Oh, Joy of my Life,
You, MOTHER of GOD and my Saint.

Oh, Song of my Being,
The CHURCH of GOD and of all Saints.

Oh, Hallowing of my Life,
My Parents and a Certain Earth
With a Certain CROSS
That helps me ASCEND to HEAVEN.

Oh, GOD’S BLESSING!
You CREATE me and GIVE me Life.

Oh, CHURCH of the Image of the MOTHER of GOD,
My Cosmic MOTHER.

Oh, Paternity of one Saint,
I am begotten due to your Gift.

Oh, Family of Certain Parents,
Who give me birth on Earth.

Oh, what HONOR, to be GOD’S CREATION!

Oh, what Beauty, to be the GIFT of a Saint!

Oh, what Virtue for me to be
The BEARER of a CROSS,
Image of my People’s REDEMPTION.

*

At my Birth You, LORD JESUS CHRIST,
Were the FIRST to receive me,
Though, because of the sins you foresaw that I would do,
A bleeding WOUND was added to You,
A WOUND that GIVES me Life.

Likewise, GOD the ALLHOLY SPIRIT
Uttered a SIGH, with overwhelming MERCY.

Not to mention the MOTHER of GOD,
Who Deeply Crying took me in Her Arms...

Not to mention my Saint,
What Prayer He Raised...

Oh my Saint, You keep Hoping
That I, the sinner, will depart from sin.

And thus, in this Belief you take me as your Son,
And GOD gives me the RIGHT to Live.

Oh, my Saint, I am Born from Your Prayer!...

“LORD, my Heart is telling me,
That this sinner will depart from sin.
And thus do I receive him, though
I do pay his Right to Live
With a deep WOUND that is added to me.”

Oh, Saints’ DESTINY,
To RE-HALLOW all sinners,
A DESTINY that allows even the sinners to be Created,
And thereby to become Saints themselves...
In this Ideal of Creation resides the Mystery of Creation,
Even of those who should not have been created.

Published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, pp. 68-70. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.

Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The Romanian (Original) Version can be found here.
The German Version can be found here.

Ieromonk Ghelasie: "HESYCHASM, MYSTERY OF THE SAINTS" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

St. John the Russian, painting by nun Andreea (Holy Monastery Nera)


















Each Saint has the Destiny of being the REHALLOWING Father of many “unholy” people.
Herein resides the Mystery of the Saints’ Celebration. We, the “sinners”, are born due to GOD’S GRACE-GIFT, and at the same time due to the Gift of the Saints, who take us under their protection and “vouch for us.” Both the GIFT of GOD and the Gift of the Saints are of capital importance.


MOTTO:
Oh, my Saint, your Faith in my Salvation
Is HELD by GOD Himself,
FAITH I myself Believe in.


On a timeless DAY, in DIVINITY,
As an Answer of LOVE,
The SON together with the HOLY SPIRIT,
Bring to GOD the FATHER
A GIFT of THANKS.
“Eternal FATHER,
Receive this Thanksgiving,
These Gifts from Your Own Gifts
We bring before You.
And the FATHER Looks . . .
Seeing one more Love
Of Creation.”

“RECEIVE THE IMAGE OF LOVE
IT IS Your IMAGE, FATHER!”


And the FATHER BLESSES!

*

“Look FATHER, along
With my Gift of LOVE,
Also an Image of Creation,
In which I Pour Myself Forth
And through Me
You Pour Yourself Forth.

I am Your very LOVE,
And in this IMAGE I also create
An Image of Created Love
That will Love You
LIKE I do.

You, FATHER, are the IMAGE of LOVE,
And before YOU may stand
Only one more Image of Love.”
And GOD the FATHER sees
An Image of Created Love
But also an “anti-Image of evil” . . .

“FATHER,” says the SON,
“Regard the ONES who LOVE You,
These are the Saints
You give LIFE to.

Your BLESSING
Is only upon your Saints
And these I bring before You
As a Gift of LOVE.”


*

The SON brings forth
The Conception of Creation,
“The Book of Life”.
GOD the FATHER reads
The Names of all Beings,
Keeping the Holy ones,
“Wiping out” the sinful ones.

“FATHER, only the Saints
Can indeed be Written
Into the Book of Life . . .
Yet Each Saint
Is like a Father of Creation,
And how can they ‘allow their Sons to die’
Despite their being sinful?”

“Yes,” says the FATHER,
“I will not wipe out
Any of the Saints’ Sons,
However they may be,
But only those
Who are under their Holy PROTECTION.
The Saints must take upon themselves
One more Holiness
For those who do no fulfill it themselves.
Because the Created World cannot exist
Unless it is Holy.”

“FATHER, as this Creation is of my Conception,
I shall EMBODY
As the FIRST SAINT of Creation,
And under MY PROTECTION
All Sons of Creation will be born,
For ‘death does not exist’ . . .
And even if sin invents death
I shall RISE all the dead.”

And the FATHER BLESSES.


*

LORD, I the sinner
Should not have been Created,
My Parents should not have born me . . .

Oh, LIFE, what JOY!
Oh, LIFE, what DIVINE MYSTERY!
I, as a sinner,
Cannot have the Right to LIVE . . .
For sin is the “denial” of LIFE.

Oh, what Mystery,
For me, the unworthy,
To be still Created and born . . .
This is the Mystery of the Saint.

*

LORD, in me there is first Your MERCY,
Then the Prayer of the MOTHER of GOD and the Prayer of the Saints,
Especially that of my Saint and of my Guardian Angel,
In whose Gift I was Created and born.
There is also the sigh of my earthly people,
And especially the sigh of my Parents, my Destiny being to Redeem them.

Your IMAGE is like a DIVINE SUN in me,
There is an Icon Light, the Image of the MOTHER of GOD.
There is the Saint-Holder of the Light and the Flame of my Parents,
And in these Lights is my Life.

I must Worship Your IMAGE,
Fill up the Icon Light with the Oil of my Faithfulness,
In the Holder I must always kindle the Flame,
And keep celebrating my Service.

I myself must be like a Church,
With the ALTAR of Your PRIESTHOOD-IMAGE.


Published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, pp. 63-67. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.

Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The Romanian (Original) Version can be found here.
The German Version can be found here.

Ieromonk Ghelasie: "LAUD to All Saints" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

Holy Ap. Peter, tempera painting by monk Ilie




















Oh, Saints who Love GOD
And are unconquered by evil,
You alone are truly worthy
Of the One Who Created You...

OH, You GOD Loving Saints,
You are just as prone to weaknesses as we are,
Yet You BELIEVE so strongly
In the boundless LOVE,
That Your Nature turns into OVER-NATURE
And thus You nevermore fall out of GOODNESS.

Oh, You Saints, You never fall out of LOVE!
Yet the Greatest MIRACLE of all
Is that in Your Holiness You TAKE ALONG
Sinners as well, to Redeem...


Published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, p. 81. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.

Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The Romanian (Original) Version can be found here.
The German Version can be found here.

Ieromonk Ghelasie: "Song to my Saint" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

Sfântul Ioan Botezătorul, tempera painting by Georgeta Marioara


















Oh, my Saint, my Saint,
You are the Father that GOD chose as intercessor
To Create me from His GIFT.

It is you also by Your intercession
That my Parents Begot me,
For lest You adopted me first,
My Begetting would never have been.

You, my Saint, are the first
To Believe that I the sinner
Will depart from sin in the end...

Oh, my Saint, Your Faith in my Salvation
Is held by GOD Himself,
And in your Faith I do believe myself!


Published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, p. 73. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.

Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The Romanian (Original) Version can be found here.
The German Version can be found here.

Ieromonk Ghelasie: "The Mystery of the LITURGY" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

Lord JESUS, my Heart beats in the RITUAL LONGING for You.
IN CELEBRATING the LITURGY-EUCHARIST.
Come, Godly SPIRIT, into me with God’s LONGING,
Come into me, oh JESUS, where I too shall sing for you,
Come, Godly FATHER, so I may fall into YOUR ARMS,
So I may partake of the HOLY SUPPER.

Rejoice, oh HESYCHY,
The Mystery LITURGY of Christ’s LOVE.
You Heart aflame with the LONGING God,
Open up your Depths,
Open your door for God-the WORD to step in,
Light up, oh my Heart, for the One Who is LITURGY, is slowly approaching,
Be the CHALICE whereto the Divine EUCHARIST is descending,
Be the Holy Table of the IMAGE Above,
So the great PRIEST JESUS may Celebrate the LITURGY of DIVINE LOVE.

Come, Mind, and kneel down into my Heart
And listen to the LITURGY of LOVE.
Take off the shoes of all “natural moves”,
Bow thy forehead beyond the floor of flesh,
Step into the Heart of the Treasury of Mysteries.
You Heart, Church of Creation,
Be the Shed of Bethlehem,
Be the Temple where the curse-Redeeming LAMB is sacrificed,
Be the tomb of the Crucified,
So you may Resurrect with the One Who vanquished sin.

Oh JESUS, the Singing of Divine LOVE,
JESUS, Come LITURGISE into my Heart,
JESUS, descend Your Peace onto the earthly,
Rejoice, oh HESYCHY,
Mystery of Christ’s LITURGY OF LOVE.


*

A certain Word of Yours EMBODIES, Creating my Being,
And this Word is the sparkle that Creates me,
An Icon of God Embodied into an Icon of Creation.
A certain Icon-Word of Yours Created me,
My Being is the Icon-Image of this Word of Yours
And in this ICON we MEET and find each other.

*

Lord, the mystery of my Creation fills me with awe.
A Word-Image of Yours
Also Creates an Image of Creation for me.
You Yourself become my Brother
And my Life goes along with YOUR LIFE,
And my Life and Yours go apart no more.
My Life of Creation must be along YOUR LIFE
For You descend into me, Creating my Life,
And I ascend into You, Partaking of YOUR LIFE.
YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE and mine,
And I must live likewise,
You Embody in me in Eternity.
And so do I endlessly “Ascend” into You.

*

Before God the FATHER everything must be Perfect.
The Perfect State of Creation is the very Image of Christ,
For through the Vestment of HIS IMAGE all those below can reach perfection.

The imperfection of sin brings on the “Cry of sorrow”
Brings about the grief of death-the contrary.
LOVE struggles between Life and death,
Yet LOVE can never die.

LOVE’S Impossibility to die
Becomes the Altar of the LITURGY-the RESSURECTION,
The Altar of Immortality Reborn to LIFE.
LOVE SACRIFICED on the Altar of Sorrow
Brings back to Life the IMAGE OF LOVE out of the fallen grave.

Oh Lord, LOVE is LIFE lived in Never-ending LOVE,
LOVE and LIFE are the Ceaseless LITURGISING,
And both MEET in Reciprocal COMMUNION.
Not one moment may the LITURGY OF LOVE stop.

Though You have RISEN from Your Cross,
Our sins still “pain” Your LOVE
And “open the Wounds of Your Passions” . . .

Oh, LORD, DIVINE LOVE beyond words,
Through YOUR endless LITURGISING
From “sin” YOU “bring us back” to LOVE again.

*

The LITURGY is Endless RESURRECTION,
LOVE is an Endless “opening” of LIFE
AND BOTH GIVE Image to one’s HEART and BREATHING,
In LITURGISING Together at the same time,
Eternal LIFE and Eternal LOVE.

(published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, pp. 21-24. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.
Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The Romanian (Original) Version can be found here.
The German Version can be found here.

Ieromonk Ghelasie: "The ICONIC Prayer" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

I

LORD,
I STAND before You
In PROSTRATION!
I cannot SEE You,
For I am blinded by sin.

I try to REGARD You
With my Mind,
Yet I avoid
Thinking of You,
Lest I fall for delusions.

I try to feel You
Yet I fear
My sinful senses.

I STAND TO Your FACE
I Call for You in PRAYER...

I wish I could stretch my Arm,
And TOUCH You.
Bow my head,
And simply know that You ARE PRESENT
Forever.


II

All of a sudden I startle...
It is as if I see my Image
REFLECTED in You
And likewise
Your IMAGE in me...
Without confusion,
Still FACE to FACE,
I stand in PROSTRATION
Unmoved,
In awe for Your PRESENCE.

My Mind and senses
STAND still...

Where ARE You, LORD,
In me,
Or “outside” of me?
Where am I?...
One thing I KNOW though:
That we STAND FACE to FACE,
And in-between US
There IS BOTH OF US.

I Bear You SEALED
Onto my Image,
Where You
Yourself are PAINTED,
Where I myself Reflect,
Like a CROSS of ENCOUNTER
A SILVER ICON
RADIANT Token of GRACE
That KINDLED between Us.


III

I wish I could STAND
Like this FOREVER.
As in an ICON
Un-moved,
With Mind and senses
STANDING still,
Just in PROSTRATION.
CRUCIFIED on the CROSS
Between Us,
As an EMBRACE
Of LOVE.
MYSTERY of the ICON
And of PRAYER,
Over the BORDERLAND
No one can pass,
The ENCOUNTER
In the UNSEEN,
And the SEEING
Into a STILL MYSTERY,
The ALTAR of PARTAKING
THE HOLY SUPPER!

(published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, pp. 45-48. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.

Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The Romanian (Original) Version can be found here.
The German Version can be found here.