Семь слов о жизни во Христе

Джерела християнського Сходу #12

by Nicholas Cabasilas, Николай Кавасила

В своих словах о жизни во Христе Николай Кавасила рассуждает о том, что новая благодатная жизнь, даруемая верующим во Христа, получается ими и поддерживается в них силой спасительных Таинств, и деятельностью человека, сообразной с законом Христовым. В шестом и седьмом словах Кавасила рассказывает, до какой нравственной высоты может достигнуть христианин еще здесь на земле, если только употребит старание сохранить и возрастить в себе сокровище благодатных даров.

Genres: Theology, Christianity, Religion, Spirituality, Prayer, Christian, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1390

About the author

Nicholas Cabasilas (Greek: Νικόλαος Καβάσιλας; born 1319/1323 in Thessalonica; died 1392) was a Byzantine mystic and theological writer.

Cabasilas is a saint within the Orthodox Church. His feast day is June 20. The Roman Catholic Church uses extracts from his Life in Christ as readings in the Liturgy of the Hours (Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the Fifth Week of Easter in Year II of the two-year cycle for the Office of Readings).

He was on intimate terms with the emperor John VI Cantacuzene, whom he accompanied in his retirement to a monastery. He was once thought to have succeeded his uncle Nilus Cabasilas as archbishop of Thessalonica; however contemporary records of that see do not show Nicholas as serving in the capacity of archbishop. It is more likely that he served as a priest at the Manganon monastery near Constantinople. In the Hesychast controversy he took the side of the monks of Mount Athos and Saint Gregory Palamas.

His chief work is his Περὶ τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ ζωῆς, ("On the Life in Christ"). in which he lays down the principle that union with Christ is effected by the three great mysteries of baptism, chrismation, and the eucharist. He also wrote homilies on various subjects, and a speech against usurers, printed with other works in Migne, Patrologia Graeca, c. i. A large number of his works is still extant in manuscript.

Cabasilas' major works are Life in Christ and Commentary on the Divine Liturgy. These works display a profound understanding of the sacramental and liturgical life of the Eastern Orthodox Church and are accessible to and instructive for any Christian today worshiping in either the East or West.

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, although it took much longer to read than I thought. I was hoping to finish by Easter! However, it was written by St. Nicholas Cabasilas in the 14th century and the original language was Greek. The book covers Orthodox theology regarding Baptism, Chrismation (what the Western Church calls Confirmation), and Eucharist (Holy Communion).

I bought this book in 1999, but it was only now that the Holy Spirit pushed my to pick it up and read it. I'm still not sure that I fully understood all of it and will have to meditate and pray on it for some time to come.

Then again, much of what I learned in the book about these mysteries fits in with what I learned at the Denver Catechetical School...

1) Until a person is washed in the waters of Baptism, they are an enemy of God. Okay, according to Cabasilas, the un-baptised are not enemies of God but are unknown to God. Our parents participate with God in the creation of a new life, but until the soul is Baptized, they are not known by God.

2) Confirmation (Chrismation) completes the instruction in the life of the Church.

3) Eucharist is the most important of these three mysteries or sacraments. By partaking of this meal, where we eat the Body of Christ and drink the Blood of Christ, we become the Body of Christ. At least in the case of the soul then, we truly are what we eat.

The final two "books" or chapters deal with what is required of the Christian to nurture the grace we receive from these mysteries or sacraments and how we train our will toward virtue and goodness in order to fully participate in the joy God wishes for us, with Him, in His kingdom. These are the chapters that I must re-read at some point in the future and pray on for now in order that I may gain a complete understanding of Nicholas Cabasilas.

[Taylor Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Combining sophisticated theology with practical application of Scriptures, The Life in Christ (books 6 and 7 in particular) is a must-read for any Christian hoping to emulate St. Paul for whom to live was Christ and to die was gain.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! One of the best books for Orthodox lay people to read, written by an Orthodox layman who had a challenging and demanding career In the last years of the Byzantine Empire. He shows we lay people can have great spiritual depth and insight and holy reverence if we live as Christ commands. He also shows how bright Orthodox faith and worship can shine even in the midst of a nation's gasping, death throes. This is an enriching and encouraging book; it is difficult to read it and not grow in yearning for Christ and a greater desire to love and serve Him.

[w gall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is somewhat of an exception, in my opinion, to the general difficulty that reading the Church Fathers involves. At least for Orthodox Christians and other traditional Christians. Protestants generally do not accept the divine power of the mysteries (sacraments), which are explained in detail in the first part of the book. The second part elaborates the inward and outward outworking of our life in Christ. The first couple times I read the book his reasoning in this second part escaped me, but I grasped it in my further readings. This book is a treasure to which I return yearly.

[Matt Root · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent and useful book for Christians, but this volume suffers in some unfortunate translation choices that seen very odd to the Orthodox reader.

[Silouan · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Now indeed Christ is present in each of the Mysteries. It is with Himself that we are anointed and washed; He also is our Feast. He is present with those who are being initiated and imparts His gifts to them. The mode, however, is not entirely the same. As He washes them in Baptism He cleanses them from the filth of wickedness and imposes His own form upon them; when He anoints them He activates the energies of the Spirit of which He, for the sake of our flesh, became the Treasury. But when He has led the initiate to the table and has given him His Body to eat He entirely changes him, and transforms him into His own state. The clay is no longer clay when it has received the royal likeness but is already the Body of the King. It is impossible to conceive of anything more blessed than this.
It is therefore the final Mystery as well, since it is not possible to go beyond it or to add anything to it.
The first Mystery [Baptism] clearly needs the middle one [Chrismation], and that in turn stands in need of the final Mystery. After the Eucharist then, there is nowhere further to go. There we must stand, and try to examine the means by which we may preserve the treasure to the end.
Now then, when we were baptized the Mystery achieved for us all that belonged to it, but we were not yet perfect. We were without the gifts of the Spirit which depend on the most holy chrism. For those who had been baptized by Philip (Acts 8:12) the Holy Spirit was not yet present to bestow these graces, but in addition to Baptism the hands of John and Peter were needed, for as it says, "He had not fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:16-17).
When we have obtained this and the sacred rite has displayed its power in us we possess the grace which has been given. Yet it is by no means inevitable that our subsequent life be in keeping with the Benefactor. We may well incur punishment. Even without destroying what has been given nothing prevents one from having been initiated in the Mystery and yet being deficient in that which is neédful. Of this there are many witnesses. It happened to some Corinthians while the apostles were yet living. They were filled with the Spirit, they prophesied, spoke with tongues, and displayed other gifts; yet so far were they from being in a divine and spiritual state that they were beset with envy and untimely ambition, with strife and suchlike evils.
For these things Paul blames them when he says, "you are of the flesh and behaving like ordinary men" (1 Cor. 3:3). Even though they were spiritual in terms of participating in divine graces, yet it did not suffice them for casting out all evil from the soul.
In the case of the Eucharist there is none of these evils. In those in whom the Bread of Life has produced the effects by which they have warded off death- no evil is present as they partake of the feast, nor do they introduce any, nor may they be accused thereof. It is not at all possible for this mystic rite to be wholly efficacious and have those who are its initiates share in any wickedness whatever.

Why is this? Because the efficacy of this mystic rite consists in this, that those who are consecrated thereby should lack none of its fruits. In accordance with His promise we dwell in Christ by means of the feast and Christ dwells in us, for He says,
"he abides in me, and I in him" (Jn.6:57).
But when Christ dwells in us, what else is needed, or what benefit escapes us? When we dwell in Christ, what else will we desire? He dwells in us, and He is our dwelling place. How blessed are we by reason of this dwelling place, how blessed are we that we have become a dwelling for such a one as He! What good thing is lacking for those Who are in such a state?
What have they to do with wickedness who have entered into such brightness? What evil can withstand so great an abundance of good? What evil thing can continue to be present or enter from without when Christ is so evidently with us and completely penetrates and surrounds us?
By placing Himself as a shield on every side He prevents the darts which are hurled at us from without from touching us, Since He is our dwelling place. If there is anything wicked within He thrusts it away and expels it, for He dwells within the house and wholly fills it with Himself. That of which we partake is not something of His, but Himself.”

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot expound on the merit of this treatise on becoming one with Christ better than the other reviews. St. Nicholas Cabasilas was a 14th Century scholar and mystic who practiced hesychism.
In this book (which is a slow read due to its theology) he lays down the principle that union with Christ is effected by the three great mysteries of baptism, christmation and the Eucharist (Holy Communion). This is covered in 7 chapters, or books. Take your time. Read a bit. Put it down. Meditate, maybe pray, then continue to read a bit more.

[Phillip Stoffregen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book. Cabasilas has a way of writing very simply, very illustratively, and very helpfully. The book focuses first on the three main divine Mysteries and then moves into how these things affect our life in Christ. His final sections on love and joy being the essence of the life in Christ were most especially beautiful. A book which I will likely revisit in years to come.

[Andrew Finney · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books that I will undoubtedly read multiple times and walk away with new revelations each time I read it. Steeped in scripture this book is a must read that I think all orthodox Christians will appreciate!

[Leonardo]

Usado en La Oración del Corazón Pág.25

[Mat Rueter · Rating 4 out of 5]

God indeed wills all good things for all people and imparts to all alike of all His own gifts, both those which benefit the will and those which restore nature.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So beautiful. I will definitely read this again. This book is saturated with love and joy. Such a delight to read.

[Josiah Hasbrouck]

Helpful introduction to eastern Christian sacramentology

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my 2nd time through the book, I first read it 40 years ago. I was impressed with the book both times. As with many patristic writers, they is a lot of commentary that doesn't interest me, but the things that do attract my attention are really worth reading. At least in this book, I found myself reading a soul mate in his understanding of Christ and salvation. No focus on a piety of "you must do more" nor on demanding asceticism as the only way to follow Christ. St. Nicholas makes Christianity possible for everyone. And he sees life in the Church - through the sacraments - as really being salvation for us rather than our having to earn salvation through out ascetic efforts.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give it 4 stars our of 5, not because it wasn't great, but because the language tended to get a little stale to me every once in a while. I would imagine it was more to do with the translation than the content, but it was kind of hard to read for me in a few places. Theologically, it is excellent, although Cabasilas tends to lean toward a legalistic interpretation of the atonement rather than the so-called classical idea. Overall a recommended read, but I doubt I would give it initially to catechumens or inquirers. There are others out there that are better for that purpose.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read three times love it and learn more every time.