glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- elevating the soul's beauty from glory to glory It is 4:20 PM late Friday afternoon. I just woke up from a nap. I will now quote from the book "Following the Footsteps of the Invisible: The Complete Works of Diadochus of Photike" Introduction, Translation, and Notes by Cliff Ermatinger. "89. Through the regeneration of baptism holy grace obtains two benefits for us, one of which infinitely surpasses the other. It grants us the first immediately, since we are renewed in the water itself which washes us of every stain of sin and it restores all the etchings of the soul-that is, making evident what is "the image"-cleansing it of every stain of sin. The other part, which is "the likeness," he hopes to bring about with our cooperation. When the mind begins to taste the goodness of the Holy Spirit with profound sentiments, then we ought to know that grace is beginning to paint the likeness over the image. In the same way, in fact, that painters first sketch the figure of a person in one color, and then little by little make it flourish with one pigmentation upon another, reflecting even the model's hair faithfully, so too the grace of God first establishes a sketch of "in the image" through baptism as when the human was first created. When grace sees that we desire with all our heart the beauty of the likeness and to be naked and without fear in its workshop, then it makes virtue flourish upon virtue; thus elevating the soul's beauty from glory to glory, it places upon it the distinguishing marks of "the likeness." In this way the spiritual sense reveals that we have been formed "in the likeness," yet it is through illumination that we will know the perfection of likeness. The mind receives all the other virtues through sense, proportionately advancing with ineffable rhythm; but no one can attain spiritual love if he is not illumined in all certainty by the Holy Spirit. Since the mind does not perfectly receive "the likeness" by divine light, even though little by little it attained nearly all the other virtues, it would still remain deprived of perfect love. Indeed, when it has been made alike to God's virtue-I mean, according to the measure in which a person accepts to be made similar to God-he then bears the likeness of divine love. Just as in all portraits the flourishing details of colors added to the image retain the likeness of the model-even in his smile-so too in those who have been painted "in the likeness" by divine grace. When love's illumination is applied to "the image," it is clear that "the likeness" is wholly beautiful. No other virtue attains impassibility for the soul save love alone, "because love is the fullness of the law" Rom 13:10. As our inner man is renewed in the taste of love day by day, so is its perfection accomplished (2 Cor 4:16)." pg.117,118 Diadochus of Photike The above book was on top of these books in my library. "The Letter To The Galatians" (The Bible in Medieval Tradition) translator and editor Ian Christopher Levy "The Dynamics of Grace: Perspectives in Theological Anthropology" by Stephen J. Duffy "God's Many-Splendored Image: Theological Anthropology for Christian Formation" by Noona Verna Harrison "Transforming Conversion: Rethinking The Language and Contours Of Christian Initiation" by Gordon T. Smith "A Concise History Of Christian Thought" by Tony Lane "Dictionary of the Presbyterian & Reformed Tradition In America" General Editor D. G. Hart "Fides Et Ratio: On the Relationship between Faith and Reason" Encyclical Letter of John Paul II The Greek New Testament I will close to go look for something to eat for dinner. Existence keeps flowing. 4:49 p.m. - 2012-01-27 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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