Dialogue with Elder Joseph: "The Purpose of Man is to Find God"

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The previous dialogue with the geronda was dedicated to the correct attitude towards prayer. The elder emphasized that prayer should evoke special feelings in a person's soul: love, grace, and tenderness. But for conscious prayer, it is necessary to understand its purpose. The vision of this purpose will come to us after we answer an important question:

What is the meaning of life?

Such a profound question has tormented the minds of thinkers of different eras. Individual philosophers and entire philosophical schools dedicated their discussions and treatises to studying this topic. Everyone wanted to lift the veil of mystery, to understand the designs of God or the Universe regarding man and the purpose of his earthly existence.

The flow of epochs changed people's perceptions of the meaning of their lives.

Philosophers of antiquity associated the search for such meaning with a person's striving for virtue, happiness, and perfection. The desire to live «for one's own pleasure» (hedonism) and «in harmony with oneself» (stoicism) the modern world inherited from ancient ancestors. So, Ecclesiastes was right in saying that «there is nothing new under the sun» (Eccl. 1:9).

Medieval philosophy largely Christianized the question of the meaning of life. Blessed Augustine and Thomas Aquinas wrote that man is called to know God and serve Him to prepare the soul for eternity.

The Age of Enlightenment introduced its corrections into the paradigm of thinking. With the development of science and belief in the «omnipotence» of man (recall the idea of the «superman» by F. Nietzsche), the focus of philosophy shifts to intellectual knowledge. The manifesto of personal freedom is proclaimed. The main slogan of the New Age became the saying of R. Descartes: «I think, therefore I am».

After another turning point in civilization in the 20th century, man suddenly came to the conclusion that there is no external, objective understanding of the meaning of life. Instead, there is a personality that, being free, can determine such meaning for itself. The philosophy of existentialism is built on this point of view.

With the development of postmodernism, the model «man - master of life» becomes more and more entrenched.

To this day, in society, similar to «physicists» and «lyricists», there are «God-lovers» and «God-fighters».

And if the former live for eternity, the latter not only live solely for earthly pleasures but also criticize and mock Christians, whom they see as people «not of this world».

With the extremely important question: «What is the meaning of life?» we turn today to Elder Joseph the Hesychast. And we will hear the answer from his lips:

«The purpose of man, after he is born into this life, is to find God». However, the spiritual father adds: «A man cannot find God if God does not find him first».

What astonishing words from the spirit-bearing mentor! Our entire life should be spent in constant search for God's will, but such a search will never be successful unless God Himself assists us in this.

How does God find us?

How and when exactly can God find us? When He deems it necessary. But this inevitably happens and always, so that at the Last Judgment a person cannot justify themselves by the absence of Divine visitation.

Another matter is that we often do not notice this visitation or stubbornly resist the Lord's intervention in our measured and sinful life. Whether we want it or not, sooner or later God meets each of His children face to face: in joys and in sorrows. But more often, still - in sorrows.

Here's what Elder Joseph says about this:

«Passions have closed our spiritual eyes, and we do not see. However, when our most gracious God turns His eyes to us, then we, as if waking from sleep, begin to seek our salvation».

Joseph the Hesychast on the three graces

What happens to a person when they finally understand the true meaning of their life and find God? After this truly pivotal meeting, the most mysterious stage of spiritual life begins - communion with God. It begins with sincere prayer from a believing heart and ends with the soul being filled with Divine grace.

We give the floor to the abba, who will tell us more about this:

«The spiritual state is divided into three ranks, and grace acts in a corresponding, threefold way in a person», - the spiritual father believes.

This is a very interesting observation by Elder Joseph, stemming from the depth of his prayerful experience! It turns out that the grace of God, although it flows from one source - our Creator and Lord - differs in the nature of its impact on a person's soul.

Let's listen to how the geronda will further develop this thought:

«The first grace is purifying. It is also called the feeling-action, for the one praying has felt the Divine movement within themselves. This grace prompts a person to repentance», - says the elder.

The Athonite spiritual father emphasizes that the first grace does not depend on our will, acting as a gift from God. One's aspiration for spiritual life is already a gift of grace. But to receive the next gift from the Lord, a person needs to realize their sins and repent of them. Otherwise, the Divine call may be short-lived and soon disappear if we ignore it.

If a person humbly accepts the first grace and begins to cleanse their soul with tears of repentance, the Lord will not delay in enriching the ascetic with the second grace. Which exactly - the elder continues:

«Another grace is called enlightening. Through it, a person receives the light of divine knowledge, is elevated to the contemplation of God».

Despite the attractiveness of this spiritual gift, for most of us, it unfortunately remains inaccessible. Not because we have not earned it, for the path to God is open to everyone, but because we lack the spiritual skill for confident ascent to the heights of prayer. Abba Joseph warns about this, saying that enlightening grace is given only to perfect hermits and only under the guidance of an experienced spiritual father.

Finally, the third state of the soul, which the geronda describes, is overshadowing by grace, the holiness of the soul.

«After all the previous, this is the grace leading to perfection, which is a great gift!» - exclaims the elder.

Venerable Joseph the Hesychast had the right to discuss such elevated and inaccessible spiritual matters for us, as he himself burned with love for God, receiving from Him an abundance of gracious gifts.

What do his words mean for us - weak and lazy in spiritual development people, who have access, perhaps, only to the first - purifying grace?

The elder, like an experienced instructor, points us to the rocky peak of holiness as the goal of Christian life. We, seeing this goal before us each time, will humbly conquer for now small obstacles - our everyday sins, receiving from God in reward the grace of purification. But this, albeit modest grace, will already become for us a tangible and healing touch of God's right hand to the wounded soul. And we will surely feel the fullness of the Lord's presence later - already at a personal meeting with Him beyond the earthly life.

On this note, we say goodbye to Abba Joseph, agreeing to talk with him next time about methods of spiritual struggle with various temptations. The elder sees us off with these words: «Remember, as soon as the action of prayer lasts in you for a long time - paradise will come to your soul!».

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