One correction. The beatific vision is actually a vision of the essence of God, mediated by the light of glory which is the perfected form of sanctifying grace. In other words, if God were the universe, the light of glory would be the ability to look at more or less of the universe simultaneously. Meaning that the more grace you have, the wholer your vision of God is. But everyone sees the essence just to different degrees of vision. In this sense the Catholic doctrine is actually more mystical than the Orthodox because there is a vision of the essence and not of some intermediary called energy.
You are well informed. Can i add something? God is indeed a Light and is indeed the universe. The Light comes from seven lampstands. The Menorah would be one. Can you name the other six?
We don't know or see even humans in their essence (only the experience regarding the body is available to us, and that's not the entire human and thus not the whole essence), but they make themselves knowable to us through their energies - only the spirit of the person knows what is within that person and what she is like. If that's the case with the image of God, why it would be different with the preimage Himself? Energies are what transforms an object into an agent on the relational field. They are not intermediaries, but natural extension of essence. And "mysticism" by Christian definition requires the idea of unreachable, incomprehensible, and invisible subject that makes itself knowable and experienceable. That's why sacraments are called holy mysteries. Perceiving the very essence of God kinda lowers Him into the same level with the creation, even if the access to that seeing is available only by His grace.
@@HomoEucharistica All rational creatures have implanted in us a desire to come to know the first cause of all that exists, that is the divine nature. If we merely saw the "energies" of God, but not the divine essence, then we would never see the ultimate source of all being, but merely its effects, and thus we would never reach the ultimate source of our happinness. We would reach one step above the created effects, but to mere effects nonetheless. That's why it is necessary to say that saints in Heaven see the very essence of God, and this doctrine was taught by the Church Fathers.
@@the4gospelscommentary If God the Father is seen in Jesus' very person, then the ultimate source of existence is "perfectly" made known through energies (since "being visible" is a type of energy in itself). The only way to "see" God's essence is to become one with God (or rather, become gods by grace), and even then the essence is _experienced_ due to energies of God, and not observed.
![Lord of Spirits - When God Became Man [Ep. 104]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ey3T6Inxliw/mqdefault.jpg)
One correction. The beatific vision is actually a vision of the essence of God, mediated by the light of glory which is the perfected form of sanctifying grace.
In other words, if God were the universe, the light of glory would be the ability to look at more or less of the universe simultaneously. Meaning that the more grace you have, the wholer your vision of God is. But everyone sees the essence just to different degrees of vision.
In this sense the Catholic doctrine is actually more mystical than the Orthodox because there is a vision of the essence and not of some intermediary called energy.
You are well informed. Can i add something? God is indeed a Light and is indeed the universe. The Light comes from seven lampstands. The Menorah would be one. Can you name the other six?
We don't know or see even humans in their essence (only the experience regarding the body is available to us, and that's not the entire human and thus not the whole essence), but they make themselves knowable to us through their energies - only the spirit of the person knows what is within that person and what she is like. If that's the case with the image of God, why it would be different with the preimage Himself? Energies are what transforms an object into an agent on the relational field. They are not intermediaries, but natural extension of essence.
And "mysticism" by Christian definition requires the idea of unreachable, incomprehensible, and invisible subject that makes itself knowable and experienceable. That's why sacraments are called holy mysteries. Perceiving the very essence of God kinda lowers Him into the same level with the creation, even if the access to that seeing is available only by His grace.
@@HomoEucharistica All rational creatures have implanted in us a desire to come to know the first cause of all that exists, that is the divine nature. If we merely saw the "energies" of God, but not the divine essence, then we would never see the ultimate source of all being, but merely its effects, and thus we would never reach the ultimate source of our happinness. We would reach one step above the created effects, but to mere effects nonetheless.
That's why it is necessary to say that saints in Heaven see the very essence of God, and this doctrine was taught by the Church Fathers.
@@the4gospelscommentary If God the Father is seen in Jesus' very person, then the ultimate source of existence is "perfectly" made known through energies (since "being visible" is a type of energy in itself). The only way to "see" God's essence is to become one with God (or rather, become gods by grace), and even then the essence is _experienced_ due to energies of God, and not observed.