by Milica Yaksich

  For some time now I've struggled with the question of whether it is possible to explain certain principles of faith. It is one thing to know something and quite another to tell it. Even the telling is relative to knowing and what is already known and understood by the one who is being told. If a thing or a place is described to someone who has never seen or experienced anything like it, then hearing about it can never truly describe it the way seeing or experiencing it can. This renders the exercise somewhat useless and futile, except that it may entice the hearer to desire that experience enough to seek and one day find it.

  So much has been written about the extraordinary and miraculous, and these gifts from God certainly are wondrous and a testament to the greatness of our Lord. In our daily lives we are surrounded by God's gifts, His miracles and also temptation to put our faith in that which is not what it seems. The smoke and mirrors of this world go beyond the virtual realities (unrealities) of technology. We are encouraged constantly to indulge in fantasy, to create thin veneers of lies about ourselves and our existence, and to speculate about mysteries we have no ability to fathom yet alone decipher! All this is about image: our own graven image! For in this present society, every wonder, every miracle, every great endeavour worthy of praise and reward, and every desire, every expectation , every satisfaction, every pleasure, every glory, etc. appears to be to the glory of man. Man did this, man can look like that, man can attain... and even God, when He is mentioned, is often referred to in terms that suggest that He is only one more accreditation to validate man's existence! How is it that we are so great? In his undying search for fulfillment, the filling of that emptiness inside, that clawing need for something, that hunger that can never be satisfied, man has blinded himself to the one and only true fulfillment that can give him satisfaction and completeness: the Love of God. Man can never be satisfied as long as he seeks satisfaction from himself and from this world. Now, I am not suggesting that we travel to another world, or any mumbo-jumbo. Let's get real. There is truth, and there are lies. Truth is singular in nature. There can only be one truth. That's nice and simple. Lies, on the other hand, are plural in nature. There are as many lies as there are ways to consider something. That's awfully complicated and can be confusing. There are mysteries. We needn't concern ourselves with them because they are not for us to understand. That's why they are mysteries. After all, who do we think we are to try to uncover something that God has covered up! This is the first step to seeing clearly.

  One cannot seek and hope to find if one cannot see clearly. One cannot see clearly if one is standing in a fog. Being confused by lies (or the temptation to believe in or put one's trust in something false) is like standing in a fog. Truth is clear and undiluted light: it reveals everything , hides nothing. God our Lord is often referred to in the Scriptures as the Light. When light is seen through a fog it is diffused, unclear, and it is unclear from where the light is coming. It is in fact difficult to find one's way or see anything in a fog and much is hidden. Let us not confuse the hidden things in a fog which are deception with mysteries. The All-knowing God has revealed to man that there are mysteries: those things which God has chosen not to reveal to man either because man is not capable of comprehending them or because the time is not right for man to have such knowledge. God has not hidden the existence of mysteries, only their substance. Just as a parent protects a child from certain situations or substances, we should realize that there is a reason for God determining that some knowledge must be denied to man. When a child begins to walk and cannot balance or coordinate all his movements he must be protected from situations and places like stairs and open windows because a knowledge of them may cause injury or death. The same is true of substances which can burn or poison. The devil tempts man to seek that which is impossible because he enjoys seeing man waste his time and energy and often hurt himself in the process, which in turn prevents or delays man from coming closer to God and attaining the salvation which is possible.

  It 's all so clear, unless you are in the fog, being distracted and confused. Pride and vanity are the worst sins. I used to think I'm not vain because I have nothing to be vain about. I'm not attractive, etc., etc. Oh, how we deceive ourselves. Even the feeling of dissatisfaction with one's appearance, wishing we were better looking (the nose, the figure, the skin, the hair, whatever), is all vainglory! The Pharisees were so proud of being correct that they completely defeated themselves. It wasn't just the cold and empty formality of how they worshipped, rather they got that way because they were so concerned with themselves and their own accomplishments and how that impressed those around them that they forgot about God.

  What got me going on this path was a simple and seemingly innocent thing really. Someone said something one day about how something miraculous had happened. I won't repeat it now because the details weren't important except that it seemed rather trite and without purpose. Now sometimes people relate things of a spiritual nature which are inspiring and give glory to God. I've heard about experiences people had during someone's illness or passing wherein they testified to how God helped to strengthen or comfort them during a difficult time. There are miraculous healings and all manner of miracles. When I was just a child I was taught that one should not talk about such things. That if one had a spiritual experience, a vision, etc. that one should first attempt to discern if this was temptation, and secondly resist the temptation to speak of it so as to avoid feeling prideful because of it. The devil, known also as the great deceiver, can appear as a beautiful angel to the unsuspecting. This is what I mean when I say a vision can be temptation. If a soul desires to be more important, then the devil can deceive that soul into thinking that he is "special" or "chosen" and thereby puff up his self-esteem by giving him a vision or something of the sort. When the person talks to others about it he makes it worse if he feels pride because of being the one to have been "graced" by such a miracle. Though such individuals seem to be glorifying God, they are in fact glorifying themselves. I'm not saying that this is always the case, but that we must guard against such perils. That is why the holy fathers warn us to avoid any imaginings, resist the temptation to desire to see anything during prayer. In the most pure form of prayer the mind has been emptied of all thoughts and images and the heart is aware only of the invisible God.

  St. Simeon the New Theologian explains: "When the devil with his demons had succeeded in having man banished from the garden of Eden through transgression, and in separating him from God, he acquired access to the reasoning power of every man, so that he can agitate a man's mind by day or by night; sometimes a little, and sometimes exceedingly. And there is no protection against this except through constant remembrance of God; in other words, if the memory of God, engraved in the heart by the power of the cross, strengthens the mind in its steadfastness.". Humility, inner peace and contentment (being satisfied with what God has given us and not lusting after that which was not meant for us), brotherly love, generosity, patience, temperance, diligence, compassion, chastity and love, hope and faith are our strongest weapons against being led astray. What makes this subject so problematic is that we are all led astray at times. There is a word for this: 'prelest'. It is the word the Russians use and the closest English translation would be 'beguilement'. "The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat" (Gen.3:13) There is much written by the Holy Fathers on the subject of prelest which clearly shows that the meaning is actually broader and more technical. In the Russian translation of the Philokalia (collection of writings by the Holy Fathers in Greek) which is called Dobrotolubiye meaning the Good Love the word prelest is used to translate a Greek word which literally means 'wandering' or 'going astray'. "Prelest is the resulting state in the soul which wanders away from Truth. If we may paraphrase Bishop Ignatiy Brianchaninov (d. 1867), we could define prelest as the corruption of human nature through the acceptance by man of mirages mistaken for truth; we are all in prelest." (E.Kadloubovsky & G.E.H. Palmer: Writings From the Philokalia On Prayer of the Heart). Now we have a name for this state of spiritual corruption wherein the soul is so guilefully led astray. The important thing, however is not what we call it, but whether we can recognize it. How well can we differentiate between faith and superstition? How well do we understand our Orthodox Faith? Do we understand enough to penetrate the mirages and lies that attempt to deceive us and lead us away from the narrow path? Let me close with this, then. Our Lord came to us in the humble poverty of a stable, not in the vanity of a royal palace. He demonstrated humility, serenity, love , mercy and righteousness, that we may learn from His example what is possible for us. He sacrificed Himself for us and gave us love, hope and faith that we may be saved. Plainly put, He is the Light that makes all things clear, the Truth that gives life. Sometimes it's hard to believe that something so glorious and amazing can be so clear. Don't seek truth in the dark and veiled corners of superstition and the 'paranormal'. All God created is normal, even His miracles. Guard your heart and avoid all that is vain and prideful. The Omnipotent has no need to play parlour tricks or engage in the fanciful or frivolous. Those truly graced by God are overwhelmed with and humbled by the greatness of His love. The mystical and miraculous events in the lives of the saints were generally recorded and made known only after their passing from this world.

  I pray this is of benefit and please forgive your unworthy servant for any errors. Glory and praise be to God now and forever. Amen.