HESYCHASM. THE MYSTICISM OF CHRISTIAN LITURGY (translation from Romanian by Simona Ionescu)

Motto:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
In the beginning was the Liturgy (the Word), and the Liturgy was with God, and the Liturgy was God.


1. Hesychasm – Relentless Extension of Christian Liturgy

Hesychasm is a relentless Christian Liturgy in the chanting of the Heart's Mind and of the Soul directly. Hesychastic Prayer is the Chant of Relentless continuous Liturgy Serving in those who wish to be the Living Church of Christ. Hesychasm is Mystical Unification through Christ. Christ is Eucharistic Liturgy. Liturgy is in the Rite of the HOLY SPIRIT and in the Chanting of the Church. The Creation is Image of Church and God is the Image of Priesthood. Without Rite and Liturgy, the Church becomes desecrated to the point of laicization. Those looking for a profound Sacred Experience have found the 'Hesychastic Way'. Hesychasm is a relentless Extension of Christian Liturgy Serving. Hermits and monks have felt the need for a relentless experience of Christ's Liturgy. Nowadays more and more people, even those living in the world, wish for this Experience. That is why Hesychasm 'descends' into the world and becomes a way for many. Hesychasm is an Extension of Christ's Church into an Inner Church, in which the Extension of Christ's Liturgy is Served continuously. The Hesychastic Way is the same for all without discrimination. Many attempt a Christianity outside the Church. Be careful. The Church is the Dwelling Place of Christ's Liturgy and Christ's Liturgy cannot be Served outside the Church. The Image of the Church is the Image of the Creation in which God the Creator Serves His Liturgy of Creation, descending into the Creation and Giving the Creation the Eucharist of His Own Godliness. To receive God, the Creation must be a Church-Consecrated Temple of the Liturgy-Descent of God into the Creation. Hesychasm is the Mystery of Grace of Christ´s Liturgy in the Rite of the IMAGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Hesychasm is the Sacred Rite of the Church of Creation precisely because it is the Descent of the Liturgy of Christ's Love into the Creation. Mysticism means Unification. Religion means connection with God. Following the sin of falling from Grace, the Connection with God weakens.
We break away from God, yet God never parts with us. That is why God relentlessly descends into the Creation through Christ's Liturgy. From the Christian perspective, our Created being is in the Image and Likeness of GOD´S IMAGE (Genesis 1:27). Hence, Hesychasm is the Mysticism of the Unification with God beyond the Created being. Christianity is not Pantheistical, but Creationist. Hesychasm means Unification first with God, through which our Soul will then distinguish itself. God Is the One Who 'Opens the Door' to our Soul, for He holds the Key... That is why Christianity begins with Receiving Christ, He then Accomplishing what we cannot accomplish. Christ descends into the Creation out of LOVE, LOVE is LITURGY. And so God's descent into the Creation is the descent of the Liturgy of His Love which becomes EUCHARIST-KINGDOM.


Published in the volume Ieromonk Ghelasie Gheorghe, "THE MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE OF THE DIVINE LITURGY", Platytera Publishing House, 2009, pp. 109-110. Translation from Romanian: Simona Ionescu.

Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.

The German Version can be found here.