St Gregory Palamas

St. Gregory points out that Christ is not only the Sole Revealer of God, He is also the Sole Revealer of God’s purpose in His creation of man. In simple terms, what is true of Christ’s humanity can also be true for us – by grace. Christ is unique in that the union of human nature with His divine Person is hypostatic or personal. But the consequences of this hypostatic union, namely, the exchange of the natural properties of each of His two natures serves as a model for our own salvation and deification. What is true of Christ’s humanity can also be true for us – by grace, that is to say, as gift.

This is how the Eastern Church understands the mystery of salvation. It does not understand salvation in merely moral or ethical terms, but as the attainment of Christ like perfection. This is the purpose of our human existence – to become by divine grace (God’s help) what Christ is by nature.

This understanding is contrasted with the Western idea that to achieve salvation, one must refrain, by God’s help, from performing acts which can be called evil or sinful. Some may say that this is just a matter of semantics. Perhaps. There is a subtle difference and, I believe, this difference truly captures to a greater extent, the intent of God when He created humankind.

The Eastern approach highlights the fact that being called to be Godlike is a high calling and one which only God Himself can accomplish in us. But it is attainable and the Church sets before us the example of Gregory Palamas on the Second Sunday of the Great Fast precisely in order to emphasize the importance of personal experience in the life of the Church.

On the Second Sunday of the Great Fast, the Church has us remember Gregory as a prime example of what man can become, when he voluntarily unites his will and his life to God. It also is a clear statement that it is such persons as   Gregory, a true master of and certainly a trustworthy guide in the life in Christ, that shows us that it becoming more like Christ is truly achievable by us. In fact the history of the Church is replete with examples of such saints, both men and women, who stand as proof to us that this salvation – perfection in Christ – is possible. As Paul says: we have a cloud of witnesses who testify to this truth. It is within our power to truly become saints, if we so desire!