On the Saints: Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas

by Gregory Palamas, Christopher Veniamin (Editor)

On the Saints is the third volume in the series, Sermons by Saint Gregory Palamas, consisting of seven sermons devoted to the saints of the Old and New Testaments, and including St. Gregory's wonderful homily on his fellow patron saint of Thessalonica, the Great Martyr Demetrius the Myrrhstreamer (3rd century).

Genres: Theology

80 pages, Paperback

First published November 20, 2008

About the author

Saint Gregory Palamas (1296-1359) was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece and later the Archbishop of Thessalonica known as a preeminent theologian of Hesychasm. He is venerated as a Saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Though he is not widely venerated in the Roman Catholic Church he is recognised as a saint. The second Sunday of the Great Lent is called the Sunday of Gregory Palamas in those Churches that commemorate him according to the Byzantine Rite. Some of his writings are collected in the Philokalia, a highly regarded book in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Palamas is perhaps most well-known for his central role in the defense of the doctrine of Hesychasm, which was upheld in 1351 at the Council of Blachernae.

Reviews

[Ethan DeCock · Rating 5 out of 5]

St Gregory Palamas brilliantly teaches us in this work how theosis works itself out in the lives of God’s people. The life of one who has given themselves over to God in every way ends In their glorification and theosis, even if that end (or perhaps especially) is in a horrific martyrdom. We see this clearly through the scriptures he cites and the lives of the saints he articulates.

St Gregory Palamas is a great and shining star of the church among many great and shining stars. This collection of his homilies on a selection of saints testify to his great understanding and divine grace working within him. The homily of his patron Saint, St Demetrius the Myrrhstreamer was perfect as well as his homily of St. John the forerunner and Baptist.

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

One that I read a bit at a time - they weren't the most amazing sermons I have ever read, but it was neat to read the one on St. Dimitrios right at his Feast Day, and to be reading his words when Pres. Jeanie Constantinou mentioned that he was from Thessalonica.

[Ted · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this particular collection of sermons to be of less interest to me than some other sermons by Palamas. There is the main collection - Saint Gregory Palamas, THE HOMILIES - which has in it many more interesting sermons from the church liturgical year.