Meditation 68
The Angelic Cross of the Desert Fathers
All the spirituality
discussed in preceding meditations is as focused in the Angelic crossof the Egyptian desert fathers. [1]
It was not perchance that I have selected it to decorate The
Chaplet of the Sparkling Jewels in order to remind us
all confessing the holy and apostolic tradition of this common origin.
Once a friend of mine – actually an Orthodox and historian – said to
me, “But this cross is not Christian at all!”
It is right that the abbas in the Egyptian desert took the ancient Egyptian ankh cross as a pattern in its making. The ankh cross was a symbol of life among the ancient Egyptians – a key of life – and while on earth our Lord said, “Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn't enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered” (Lk 11. 52). Still today this attitude is not unusual among theologians adoring speculative theology as pure science without a living faith, having no experience of a living God. and as Saint Silouan the Athonite said so rightly, “Many philosophers and scholars have arrived at a belief in the existence of God, but they have not come to know God. To believe in God is one thing, to know God another.” [2]
This is indeed what the desert fathers did, that is, strived to learn to know God by using this “key of knowledge” and became illuminated or canditus – but not in accordance with a human knowledge – but by reading the Book of Life which in a way is far more worthy than numerous volumes on theology as it reveals the creation of our Creator and God. Regarding the remark of my orthodox friend I agree with Gregory bishop of Nyssa (d. 395) who pointed to the fact that Moses' basket was made of pagan Egyptian reed, and as this was a sacred symbol favored by God, Christians should not repute the cultural inheritance of ancient times, but rather cultivate it in the light of the faith. This is indeed what the church fathers did when they exposed the faith within the framework of Greek philosophy,
That is the reason why this cross is so dear to myself as the key of David and reminds me continuously on the humbleness of the desert fathers. Thus it becomes also a “key of knowledge” into the divine mysteries. They said that once the devil visited one of the abbas and he said, “You must be mistaken, I am unworthy to receive a visit by such a dignitary.” And the devil left! We can learn much from the meekness of the abbas and ammas.
The uppermost part of the Angelic cross reveals the cross as the source of this fountain of grace discussed in previous meditation, actually the sanctification in the Tetramorph. From the Tetramorph's center the four streams of grace flow as a life giving river down to earth where the four streams are conjoined in one point where the vertical line or the pillar meets the horizontal line or beam in the union of God's will and the human will,
The Angelic Cross is actually Our Father engraved in metal, just as Our Father was the core of the prayer life of the abbas, which we will discuss in following meditation. In Our Father our Lord thought us next to ask for the epiousian or super mundane bread as was mentioned above (Med. 22, n. 2), the Eucharist. This mystery is exposed by the seven strings which connect the pillar and the beam: they refers to the seven lamps of the lamp stand and the seven spirits which rested upon our Lord in His humanity on earth (Is 11. 2) and thus also the seven sacraments which reveal the effective grace of the Holy Spirit when He descends into human hearts in His sevenfold gifts. It is as the ancient Icelandic father said, “That part of the cross which is highest refers again to divine love, but the arms to the love of our neighbors both friends and enemies.” [3] And while our Lord was still on earth one of them asked,
He did also say, “But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (Lk 7. 46, 47). Everything is brought together in this love, or by the words of Elizabeth of the Trinity,
And it is also Saint Paul who added, “It is all to bind them together in love and to encourage their resolution until they are rich in the assurance of their complete understanding and have knowledge of the mystery of God in which all the jewels of wisdom and knowledge are hidden” (Col 2. 3).
Next appear following words of Our Father in this metallic Bible of the abbas,
No one can approach this mystery who hate his brother and as the Angelic Cross reveals it is the Eucharist which is the focal point of the seven sacraments enkindling this super human transformation in human relationship. When this will of God has been accomplished the flowers or almond blossoms begin to bloom on the beam of the Cross which attain to fruition in the union with God in love. The flowers on the beam reveals the fullness of the beatitudes which appear after the divine union has been accomplished fully in a human soul.
The cross reveals thus also the key position of the human being in God’s creation on earth: man is the link between the higher and lower order of this creation: plays a key role. The greatest temptation of Satan is that the man forgets this role of his and thus our Lord added,
Thus the streams of grace flows down to other created beings through the human heart, even down to purgatory and hell. This was God's intentional plan from the beginning, “May the whole world be filled with his glory!” (Ps 72. 19). It is this mystery which is also exposed on the cross by the flow of grace down to its feet.
The Angelic Cross is a treasure house and key of divine knowledge and as a metallic account of the prayer life of the desert fathers which we will scrutinize in next meditation.
It is right that the abbas in the Egyptian desert took the ancient Egyptian ankh cross as a pattern in its making. The ankh cross was a symbol of life among the ancient Egyptians – a key of life – and while on earth our Lord said, “Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn't enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered” (Lk 11. 52). Still today this attitude is not unusual among theologians adoring speculative theology as pure science without a living faith, having no experience of a living God. and as Saint Silouan the Athonite said so rightly, “Many philosophers and scholars have arrived at a belief in the existence of God, but they have not come to know God. To believe in God is one thing, to know God another.” [2]
This is indeed what the desert fathers did, that is, strived to learn to know God by using this “key of knowledge” and became illuminated or canditus – but not in accordance with a human knowledge – but by reading the Book of Life which in a way is far more worthy than numerous volumes on theology as it reveals the creation of our Creator and God. Regarding the remark of my orthodox friend I agree with Gregory bishop of Nyssa (d. 395) who pointed to the fact that Moses' basket was made of pagan Egyptian reed, and as this was a sacred symbol favored by God, Christians should not repute the cultural inheritance of ancient times, but rather cultivate it in the light of the faith. This is indeed what the church fathers did when they exposed the faith within the framework of Greek philosophy,
Here is the message
of the holy and true one who has the key of David, so that when he
opens, no one will close, and when he closes, no one will open (Rv 3.
8).
That is the reason why this cross is so dear to myself as the key of David and reminds me continuously on the humbleness of the desert fathers. Thus it becomes also a “key of knowledge” into the divine mysteries. They said that once the devil visited one of the abbas and he said, “You must be mistaken, I am unworthy to receive a visit by such a dignitary.” And the devil left! We can learn much from the meekness of the abbas and ammas.
The uppermost part of the Angelic cross reveals the cross as the source of this fountain of grace discussed in previous meditation, actually the sanctification in the Tetramorph. From the Tetramorph's center the four streams of grace flow as a life giving river down to earth where the four streams are conjoined in one point where the vertical line or the pillar meets the horizontal line or beam in the union of God's will and the human will,
They Kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as in heaven!
The Angelic Cross is actually Our Father engraved in metal, just as Our Father was the core of the prayer life of the abbas, which we will discuss in following meditation. In Our Father our Lord thought us next to ask for the epiousian or super mundane bread as was mentioned above (Med. 22, n. 2), the Eucharist. This mystery is exposed by the seven strings which connect the pillar and the beam: they refers to the seven lamps of the lamp stand and the seven spirits which rested upon our Lord in His humanity on earth (Is 11. 2) and thus also the seven sacraments which reveal the effective grace of the Holy Spirit when He descends into human hearts in His sevenfold gifts. It is as the ancient Icelandic father said, “That part of the cross which is highest refers again to divine love, but the arms to the love of our neighbors both friends and enemies.” [3] And while our Lord was still on earth one of them asked,
“Teacher, which is
the greatest commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “You shall
love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and
with all your mind.” This is the first and great commandment. A second
likewise is this, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mt 22.
36-39).
He did also say, “But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little” (Lk 7. 46, 47). Everything is brought together in this love, or by the words of Elizabeth of the Trinity,
Instaurare omnia in Christo – that
he would bring everything together under Christ, as head (Ep 1. 10). It
is till Saint Paul who enlightens me, he who had so deep insight into
God's predestination and says that “he determined beforehand to bring
everything together under Christ.” In order to be able to follow this
plan Saint Paul helps me once again who himself has written the maxim,
“Live your life in him,” he says, “be rooted in him and built up in
him, held firm in the faith you have been thought, and overflowing with
thanksgiving” (Col 2. 6. 7). [4]
And it is also Saint Paul who added, “It is all to bind them together in love and to encourage their resolution until they are rich in the assurance of their complete understanding and have knowledge of the mystery of God in which all the jewels of wisdom and knowledge are hidden” (Col 2. 3).
Next appear following words of Our Father in this metallic Bible of the abbas,
And forgive us our
trespasses as we forgive those who trespasses against us.
No one can approach this mystery who hate his brother and as the Angelic Cross reveals it is the Eucharist which is the focal point of the seven sacraments enkindling this super human transformation in human relationship. When this will of God has been accomplished the flowers or almond blossoms begin to bloom on the beam of the Cross which attain to fruition in the union with God in love. The flowers on the beam reveals the fullness of the beatitudes which appear after the divine union has been accomplished fully in a human soul.
The cross reveals thus also the key position of the human being in God’s creation on earth: man is the link between the higher and lower order of this creation: plays a key role. The greatest temptation of Satan is that the man forgets this role of his and thus our Lord added,
And lead us not into
temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
Thus the streams of grace flows down to other created beings through the human heart, even down to purgatory and hell. This was God's intentional plan from the beginning, “May the whole world be filled with his glory!” (Ps 72. 19). It is this mystery which is also exposed on the cross by the flow of grace down to its feet.
For thine is the
Kingdom, the power and glory, for ever and ever.
The Angelic Cross is a treasure house and key of divine knowledge and as a metallic account of the prayer life of the desert fathers which we will scrutinize in next meditation.
[1]. See C. C. Walters, Monastic Archeology in Egypt,
Warminister, 1974.
[2]. Wisdom from Mount Athos, p. 44.
[3]. Book of Homilies, p. 54.
[4]. Ecrits spirituelles d’Elisabeth de la Trinité, 151.
[2]. Wisdom from Mount Athos, p. 44.
[3]. Book of Homilies, p. 54.
[4]. Ecrits spirituelles d’Elisabeth de la Trinité, 151.
