2. The Beginning of Christian Liturgical Language
Hesychasm is the Holy Mystery of the Word-the Son of God descended into the Creation. The Christian Revelation speaks of the mystery of the Holy Trinity as Divine Life in Itself.
God the Father is the absolute LOVE, the Holy Spirit is the absolute AFFECTION-the Memory in Motion of the LOVE, and the Son is the absolute DEVOTION-LITURGY-EXPRESSION. Here is the origin of all origins. Christ Our Lord comes with the revelation of this IMAGE of God. ''He who has seen Me has seen the Father'' (John 14:9). The Son is the Word of the Father. ''In the beginning was the Word'' (John 1:1). Hence the Image of God is DISCOURSE-EXPRESSION-LITURGY.
Here the Hesychastic Mysticism identifies its existence. ''TO BE'' means ''TO EXPRESS-TO SERVE LITURGY''. The WORD is IMAGE-PERSON; Christianity comes with the rediscovery of the Image in itself, which means PERSON. The First Christian Liturgical Word is IMAGE-PERSON. Hesychasm is the Mystery of the COMMUNICATION IMAGE-PERSON, as a PERSON to PERSON. The Fall from Grace darkens this Existential Communication. The Mystery of the IMAGE-PERSON is the TRIPLE EXISTENCE IN ITSELF, the IMAGE is Absolute Existence-Totality of the self, indestructible Permanence in an endless opening of the self. The IMAGE as Wholeness is the TRIPLE EXISTENCE OF THE SELF, as ONE Who is already open in Itself as a Potency of Self-expression.
The absolute IMAGE is God the FATHER, Who is already in Himself the IMAGE-FATHER-TRIPLE EXISTENCE, as a Potency of the Proceeding of THE HOLY SPIRIT and the Nativity of the SON. Hence the IMAGE or PERSON is inherently IMAGE-TRIPLE EXISTENCE of the Self. And God's IMAGE Descends into the Creation through the PERSONAL IMAGE OF CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD. ''He who has seen Me has seen the Father'' (John 14:9).
The Second Christian Liturgical Word is PRIESTHOOD, meaning the descent of God's IMAGE into the Creation. Hence the connection made by Christ's PERSONAL IMAGE. Therefore the fundamental Christian LITURGICAL IMAGES are the IMAGE-PERSON, PRIESTHOOD-CHRIST, and Church-Creation. From this further generate all the other Liturgical Images. It is worth mentioning that at the basis of the LITURGY of these IMAGES lies the LITURGICAL RITE, THE IMAGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. Divinity in Itself is the absolute HOLINESS, God the FATHER in the RITE-MOVEMENT-GESTURE of the Holy SPIRIT, as a LITURGY OF THE SON. This IMAGE of Divinity in Itself, that is beyond all the Images of the Creation, Descends into Images of the Creation through the Creation LITURGY SERVING of the Very LITURGY of the SON of God. Hence the Hesychastic experience is HOLINESS-IMAGE OF GOD in the RITE OF GRACE-IMAGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT through the LITURGY OF CHRISTIAN EUCHARISTIC PRIESTHOOD. The Hesychastic
experience is a relentless extension of RITE and CHRISTIAN LITURGY. Hence the so-called 'Ladder' of Mystical Hesychastic Liturgy Serving.
a) IMAGE OF GOD, beyond all Images, yet the generator of all Images;
b) IMAGE OF CHRIST-IMAGE of God descended into the Creation, PRIESTHOOD-CHRISTIAN LITURGY;
c) Image of Created Being, the Church;
d) THE RITE-Liturgy Serving in the Creation;
e) THE HOLY COMMUNION-EUCHARIST-UNION between God's Image and the Image of the Creation;
f) THE TRANSFIGURATION-UNIFICATION in experiencing All of the Above.
The Hesychastic Experience is the experience of DIVINE LOVE felt by the Creation. Hesychasm is LONGING for God-Permanent SPIRIT in Itself in a Relentless LAMENTING-CHANTING-LITURGY SERVING. THE RITE OF THE SPIRIT-LONGING FOR GOD is the Heart of the Soul that relentlessly beats for GOD'S LOVE in the LITURGY SERVING-LAMENTING-BREATHING- EXPRESSION of the Soul directly.
O Lord JESUS, my Heart Beats in the RITE OF MY LONGING for You
IN LITURGY SERVING-HOLY EUCHARIST.
Come O Holy SPIRIT, dwell in me with the LONGING for God,
Come O JESUS, dwell in me where I may sing to you,
Come Heavenly FATHER, so I may fall into YOUR ARMS,
so I may partake of THE LAST SUPPER.
Published in the volume Ieromonk Ghelasie Gheorghe, "THE MYSTICAL EXPERIENCE OF THE DIVINE LITURGY", Platytera Publishing House, 2009, pp. 111-113. Translation from Romanian: Simona Ionescu.
Copyright: Platytera Publishing House.
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