“Wealth without work Pleasure without conscience Science without humanity Knowledge without character Politics without principle Commerce without morality Worship without sacrifice. https://vidjambov.blogspot.com/2023/01/book-inventory-vladimir-djambov-talmach.html Before going away... St. Theophan the Recluse ON THE LORD'S TRANSFIGURATION THROUGH HIS TRANSFIGURATION THE LORD SHOWS TO WHAT GLORY HE ELEVATES HUMAN NATURE IN HIMSELF BUT TRANSFORMING THE INTERNAL MAN IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT DIVINE GRACE, GRANTED IN THE HOLY MYSTERIES. Celebrating the Transfiguration of the Lord, we commit ourselves to learn its meaning and to portray in ourselves its meaning. It was not for himself that the Lord made visible through transfiguration the glory of His Divinity in man's body. being illustrious from time immemorial. He wanted to show to what glory he elevates the human nature in Himself, and — through Him — every man, as well: the glory of transfiguration is our glory in the Lord Jesus Christ. He seems to be telling us, that's what all of you shall be! True is the word of the Lord! Indeed, that's what all those who believe in His name are destined to be. But we shall appear like that at the Second Coming of Christ, upon the Resurrection of all and the [incomprehensible] renovation of the universe [возустроении всяческих – of all sorts, Ed.]; we shall appear like that when we find ourselves worthy of this. The question now is, how do we make ourselves worthy of this?! – In this life [span] we are vouchsafed to transform inwardly, so that in the future we may assumes the glory in which the Lord showed His mankind in the transfiguration. That's what all our care and concern should be in after this – namely, to build ourselves up after the inward man [Rom. 7:22] transformed into him from glory to glory ... by the Spirit of the Lord [2 Cor. 3:18]. As you know, we have in us an inward man or a hidden man of the heart. You have, of course, heard what the Apostle Peter spake to women: Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. [1 Pet. 3:3-4]. Or what the Apostle Peter said in another place: [I pray] That he would grant you, (according to the riches of his glory,) to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man [2 Eph. 3:16]. It is that hidden man that we shall elevate from glory to glory. I – the Light of the world – have come, says the Lord. This light is the light of truth, that He brought to the earth, the light of Divine knowledge. Our mind is darkened and has become darkness. The Lord comes and enlightens it. When instead of truth lies come into the mind, it is darkens, and when the truth comes back again unto it, it is enlightened and enters its glory. The mind's glory is knowing the truth. The more it masters the truth, the more it goes up from glory to glory. — Would you want therefore to usher your mind in the glory of the transfiguration? — To fill it up with the truth that the Lord has brought to the earth. You know the essence of this truth. The Symbol of Faith [Creed] explains it to us and the Catechism interprets it for us. It [the Truth] professes that God is – and He is in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – the Trinity: one in essence and indivisible; [it professes] that God created the world by His Word, He takes care of it and of every being in it, but more so – of man; [it professes] that in addition to this visible world there is another, invisible world of bodiless spirits, part of which have fallen and fiercely fights against God; [it professes] that we are created for bliss, but having transgressed by the inspiration of the spirit of evil, we fell in the ancestors, and live in misery by the just judgment of God; [it professes] that God has revealed to us infinite mercy, vouchsafing that the Son of God come down to the earth, be incarnate, and suffer for us, that this Lord — by the death on the cross — absolved us, opened to us the entrance to the abundant gifts of the Holy Spirit; [it professes] that this Spirit — upon the Lord's ascension to heaven — poured down onto the Holy Apostles — and through them — onto all mankind, established on earth the Holy Church — our healer [establishment], educator and enlightener; [it professes] that he who has coupled with the Church, as a member with a body, walks in her spirit, only that one walks in truth and prepares for oneself a blissful eternity; [it professes] that the death separates the soul from the body, which after the resurrection shall unite again and be together – either living blissfully or suffering eternally, judging by the ways one had acted on earth. Here are the truths! He who masters them for oneself one after the other, he chases away lie after lie, darkness after darkness for more and more enters the light. And he whose mind is filled with the entire truth and thus couples with it and is so permeated by it that he not only does not allow any thoughts of the enemy, but to the contrary, he subordinates to it – and checks through it – each and every thought of his and all his work of mind, that one banishes from oneself all the darkness and becomes fully bright and luminous. That one has the mind of Christ. [1 Cor. 2:16], according to the Apostle. He is transformed from man's into Divine, and clothes from darkness into light, and shines in himself and enlightens all around. This is the only way of being renewed in the spirit of your mind [Eph. 4:23]. Through this renewing the mind gets transformed [Rom. 12:2-3], knowing that all other teachings are – according to the Apostle – Perverse disputings of unruly and vain talkers, men of corrupt minds, (destitute of the truth,) seduced and deceivers. [1 Tim. 6:5; 2 Tim. 3:8; Tit. 1:10]. Let's go further. May the Lord help you be thus, so that – transformed here – you may be vouchsafed the honor to enter His glory in the age to come. Amen. August 6, 1863