The Ascetical & Pastoral Theology of St Silouan the Athonite and Archimandrite Sophroy
This article by Very Rev. Paul O'Callaghan, pastor of St George Cathedral in Wichita, KS, was first printed in the May 2001 issue of The Word Magazine. It is edited to fit the space.
This year for our clergy retreat we were greatly blessed by the presence and teaching of a true Orthodox spiritual father, Archimandrite Zacharias of the Monastery of St. John the Baptist in Essex, England. He is the spiritual son of the founder of the Monastery, the late and highly revered Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov), the disciple of St. Silouan the Athonite (+1938). The theme of the retreat was "The Pastoral and Ascetical Theology of St. Silouan the Athonite and Elder Sophrony.
Archimandrite Zacharias stands in the direct spiritual lineage of these saintly elders. Accordingly, one senses in him a man of profound spiritual attainment. The fragrance of holiness emanate from his childlike simplicity, radiant joy, and deep humility. It is said that the true theologian is the one who truly prays. The depth of Father Zacharias' prayer is apparent upon meeting him. However, he also possesses an acute intellect and is able to give rational voice to the ineffable mysteries of the Spirit. His several addresses were masterpieces of theological eloquence, containing a powerful message urging mutual striving in the Church to realize salvation for ourselves, the people in our care, and the whole world.
His Grace Bishop Basil presided over the gathering and Father John Mack of Ss. Peter and Paul Church in Topeka, KS served as ephimerios for the divine services. The presence in our midst of Father Zacharias, a true man of prayer, and the sacred relics of St. Silouan which he carried with him for our veneration, only deepened the reverential atmosphere of the daily services.
In his first talk, Archimandrite Zacharias painted spiritual portraits of Archimandrite Sophrony and St. Silouan. Having lived as the disciple of Archimandrite Sophrony for 27 years at St. Panteleimon Monastery of the Holy Mountain, he was familiar with many of the intimate details of Father Sophrony's relationship with St. Silouan. The stories of how Father Sophrony first met St. Silouan and was illumined as to his spiritual stature were most impressive. Father Sophrony was granted to see what monks who had lived for years with Saint Silouan failed to perceive: a man bearing the divine life. Consequently, he did everything in his power to remain close to him and imbibe his wisdom. After leaving the Holy Mountain, Archimandrite Sophrony published a number of works in Saint Silouan and spiritual subjects. Thus the knowledge of the unknown Athonite, Saint Silouan, spread throughout the world and greatly inspired thousands upon thousands of the faithful, resulting in his glorification by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1987.
The personal reminiscences of Archimandrite Zacharias concerning Father Sophrony were especially touching. He recounted personally observing a number of stupendous miracles wrought by the staretz; for instance, he saw a man's disfigured face restored before his eyes as Father Sophrony prayed. As impressive as these were, Father Zacharias emphasized that Archimandrite Sophrony's ability to give a salutary word to all that approached him was even more astounding. Often he would only speak one sentence or a few words to those who sought his counsel. Yet, unfailingly, that word would unleash the power of spiritual transformation in the individual. Even eight years after Archimandrite Sophrony's death, Father Zacharias could barely speak of him without weeping. In this regard, perhaps his quotation of Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos was most telling: "If Archimandrite Sophrony was not a saint, there are no saints."
His following lectures expanded upon the teaching of these God-bearing saints. A favorite image of Father Zacharias's was that of "the inverted pyramid." He explained that, in the world, the powerful are as it were on top of the pyramid, controlling and oppressing the many social strata of people beneath them. In Christ, however, this pyramid was inverted, so that all the weight of humanity's oppression fell upon His shoulders. The saints, Father Zacharias pointed out, willingly "go down" to identify with Christ and bear the burden of the world's sorrow. They undertake to suffer with Him the pain of humanity's alienation from God and subjection to sin.
One of the expressions he frequently used
was "we must go down before we go up." That is, we cannot expect to ascend to
the heights of glory with Christ unless we are willing first to adopt His voluntary
humility. What Christ did, He did sinlessly out of pure love for mankind. In our
case, our willingness to humble ourselves is the only appropriate stance before
God in view of our sin.
In this vein, he emphasized the life-giving potential of the word given by Christ
to St. Silouan: "Keep your mind in hell and despair not." This paradoxical formulation
at once teaches us to live with the awareness of the damnable nature of our sin
and to hold fast to the saving power of Christ. A person who "keeps his mind in
hell" is ever aware that only one fate is appropriate for his deeds, eternal damnation.
This consideration sears humility into his soul, as he finds himself utterly unable
to lift his eyes toward the face of God. Yet this very movement of "going down"
is motivated by grace, and that same grace enables one to fend off temptations
to despondency. One's wretchedness before God is excruciatingly and unremittingly
apparent, and yet in that very moment joy is born into the soul as the supreme
love of God is revealed as the vanquisher of sin, rescuing him from the abyss
of despair.
Another theme that Archimandrite Zacharias emphasized was "prayer for the whole world." Following the living experience of his saintly predecessors, Father Zacharias described how true prayer of the spirit realizes the ontological unity of humanity. That is, the ascetic experiences that all humanity is one organism in the New Adam, Christ. Thus, he experiences the burdens of others as his own and ultimately feels the weight of the sin of the whole world. His only recourse in the face of this overwhelming realization is to intercede ceaselessly for the whole world. He can no longer make a distinction between yours and mine," or his own salvation and that of all. The Spirit compels him to pour forth tears that "all might be saved."
The clergy brethren were awed by the person and teaching of Archimandrite Zacharias. Of course, his presentations contained many other vital topics. It is worth noting, however, that his final address was on confession and the role of a spiritual father. This proves to be of immense help to the priests, as he outlined the characteristic approach of an Orthodox confessor and warned about various pitfalls, particularly abuses of authority and false notions of obedience.
Presently Fr. Zacharias is a monk in the monastery founded by Elder Sophrony: The Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist, Tolleshunt Knights by Maldon, Essex, England.
This series of talks was given at the 2001 Clergy Brotherhood Retreat February 6-9 to the clergy of the Southwest Region & the Mississippi Valley Deanery of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Church. “
The Retreat concluded on Friday, February 9 with the Divine Liturgy and homily served by Father Zacharias in the Chapel of the Holy Unmercenaries at St. George Cathedral in Wichita.