Ieromonk Ghelasie: "The Spiritual Father, Image of the SON as Likeness of the FATHER" (English translation: Alice Butnar)

The IMAGE of the SON is eternity
And cannot change into
Another IMAGE,
The SON is eternally Reborn
Still as the IMAGE of the Son.
Yet the SON in His eternity,
Reveals from within Himself
The FATHER of Whom
He was born,
And He is His FATHER’S Likeness.

This is the Mystery
Of the SPIRITUAL TRINITY,
Where the Son
Has the Semblance
Of the FATHER
And of the ALLHOLY SPIRIT.
Yet each
In His Own Image
Of Depth,
With no confusion.

Whoever sees the SON,
Sees the FATHER,
And both SON and FATHER
Are Revealed
By the Light
Of the ALLHOLY SPIRIT.

Likewise, in the Created World,
Man, the Image of the SON,
Must open up in himself
The Image of the FATHER,
And thus the SON
Affirms in eternity
The FATHER,
The ABSOLUTE
Who has Born
And Created Everything!

Man, as Image of the SON,
Undergoes an Eternal Growth,
That is the Revealing of his Self,
In Likeness of the FATHER.
As a child, Man
Grows Big
When he Shows
More and more his Semblance
Akin
To the FATHER.

The Mystery of the SON’S PRIESTHOOD
Resides precisely in His Likeness with the FATHER’S IMAGE,
That bestows all those of the FATHER
Upon the SON,
Who in His turn makes them a GIFT,
ALTAR of GOD,
IMAGE of the SON
In PROSTRATION!

Thus, the SON
In His IMAGE of PRIESTHOOD,
Becomes the BEARER
Of all things to the FATHER,
And more than this,
The BEARER of the FATHER
Toward all, is the SON.
The FATHER Himself BLESSES,
The HAND is the SON’S,
Only the BLESSING
Is the FATHER’S,
And thus the SON,
As PRIEST and Spiritual Father,
Is the WORKING of the FATHER
That is done through the SON.

Oh, ICON of the Spiritual Father,
The FATHER is WORKING
Through the SON,
The SON is the BEARER of the FATHER
And of His Own GIFT.
The SON brings everything
Before the FATHER,
And HE Offers His BLESSING
Upon everything.


The Spiritual Father
Is the SON,
Who mirrors in everything
The IMAGE and WORK of the FATHER.
And thus the FATHER receives
His SON’S GIFT
In the most HOLY
PROSTRATION,
That receives the ABSOLUTE
BLESSING.
And there is no Absolute BLESSING
Lest through the Spiritual SON!

*

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

May your Hands descend Heaven to me,
May the GRACE shine through your Eyes,
May GOD Himself SPEAK to me through your Words.

Avva, be my Father,
A Father I can Faithfully Trust
That I myself shall be Saved.

Published in the volume "Hesychasm", Platytera Publishing House, Bucharest, 2007, pp. 85-88. Translation from Romanian: Alice Butnar.

Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

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