The Fellowship Of The Spirit

Οἰκείωσις δὲ Πνεύματος πρὸς ψυχὴν οὐχ ὁ διὰ τόπου προσεγγισμὸς, πῶς γὰρ ἄν πλησιάσαις τῷ ἀσωμάτῳ συματικῶς; ἀλλ' ὁ χωρισμὸς τῶν παθὼν, ἂπερ, ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς τὴν σάπκα φιλίας ὕστερον ἐπιγινόμενα τῇ ψυχῇ, τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ οἰκειότητος ἠλλοτρίωσε. Καθαρθέντα δὴ οὖν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἴσχους, ὅ ἀνεμάξατο διὰ τῆς κακίας, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐκ φύσεως κάλλος ἐπανελθόντα, καὶ οἰον εἰκόνι βασιλικῇ τὴν ἀρχαίαν μορφὴν διὰ καθαρότητος ἀποδόντα, οὕτως ἐστι μόνως προσεγγίσαι τῷ Παρακλήτῳ. Ὁ δ', ὥσπερ ἡλιος, κεκαθαρμένον ὅμμα παραλαβὼν, δείξει σοι ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἀοράτου. Ἐν δὲ τῷ μακαρίῳ τῆς εἰκόνος θεάματι τὸ ἄῥῥητον ὅψει τοῦ ἀρχετύπου κάλλος. Διὰ τούτου καρδιῶν ἀνάβασις χειραγωγία τῶν ἀσθενούντων, τῶν προκοπτόντων τελείωσις. Τοῦτο, τοῖς ἀπὸ πάσης κηλίδος κεκαθαρμένοις ἐλλάμπον, τῇ πρὸς ἑαυτὸ κοινωνίᾳ πνευματικοὺς ἀποδείκνυσι. Καὶ ὥσπερ τὰ λαμπρα καὶ διαφανῆ τῶν σωμάτων, ἀκτῖνος αὐτοῖς ἐμπεσούσης, αὐτά τε γίνεται περιλαμπῆ, καὶ ἑτέραν αὐγὴν ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν ἀποστίλβει· οὕτως αἱ πνευματοφοροι ψυχαὶ, ἐλλαμφθεῖσαι παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, αὐταί τε ἀποτελοῦνται πνευματικαὶ, καὶ εἰς ἑτέπρους τὴν χάριν ἐξαποστέλουσιν. Ἐντεῦθεν μελλόντων πρόγνωσις, μυστηρίων σύνεσις, κεκρυμμένων κατάληψις, χαρισμάτων διανομαὶ, τὸ οὐράνιον πολίτευμα, ἡ μετὰ ἀγγέλων χορεία, ἡ ἀτελεύτητος εὐφροσύνη, ἡ ἐν Θεῳ διαμονὴ, ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν ὁμοίωσις, τὸ ἀκρότατον τῶν ὀρεκτῶν, Θεὸν γενέσθαι. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Περὶ Του Ἅγιου Πνευματος, Κεφαλη Θ’ Source: Migne PG 32.109a-c

But the Spirit does not possess the soul by nearness in space, for how could there be a corporeal approach to the incorporeal? But the association comes from withdrawal from the passions, which passions coming gradually on the soul because of its friendship to the flesh have alienated it from its possession by God. Thus only after purification from disgrace, which pollution is acquired through wickedness, and returning again to natural beauty, and, as it were, cleansing the royal image and restoring it to its pristine form, only thus is it possible to draw near to the Paraclete. And He, like the sun, being grasped by the purified eye, will show you in Himself the image of the invisible, and in the blessed spectacle of the image shall be seen the unspeakable beauty of the archetype. Through Him weak hearts are taken by the hand and lifted up, and they who are advancing are perfected. Shining on those who have been cleansed of every blemish, He makes them spiritual by fellowship with Himself. Just as a sunbeam falls on bright and transparent bodies and they themselves blaze up and emit a fresh brightness from themselves, so do souls that bear the Spirit, being illuminated by the Spirit, become spiritual and send forth their grace to others. From which comes foreknowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, discovery of things that are hidden, distribution of good gifts, heavenly citizenship, a place in the chorus of the angels, joy without end, abidance in God, being like God, and greatest of all these desirable things, being God. Saint Basil of Caesarea, On the Holy Spirit, Chapter 9