The Indwelling of the Spirit

Οἰκείωσις δὲ Πνεύματος πρὸς ψυχὴν οὐχ ὁ διὰ τόπου προσεγγισμός. Πῶς γὰρ ἄν πλησιάσαις τῷ ἀσωμάτῳ σωματικῶς; Ἀλλὸ ὁ χωρισμὸς τῶν παθῶν, ἄπερ, ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς τὴν σάρκα φιλίας ὕστερον ἐπιγινόμενα τῇ ψυχῇ, τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῠ οἰκειότητος ἠλλοτρίωσε. Καθαρθεντα δὴ οὖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀἴσχους, ὅ ἀνεμαξατο διὰ τῆς κακίας, καὶ πρὸς τὸ ἐκ φύσεως κάλλαος ἐπανελθόντα, καὶ οἰον εἰκόνι βασιλικῇ τὴν ἀρχαίαν μορφον διὰ καθαροτητος ἀποδόντα, οὕτως ἐστι μόνως προσεγγίσαι τῷ Παρακλήτῳ. Ὁ δ', ὥσπερ ἥλιος, κεκαθαρμένον ὅμμα παραλαβὼν, δείξει σοι ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἀοράτου. Ἐν δὲ τῷ μακαρίῳ τῆς εἰκονος θεάματι τὸ ἄῥῥητον ὄψει τοῦ ἀρχετύπου κάλλος. Διὰ τούτου καρδιῶν ἀνάβασις, χειραγωγία τῶν ἀσθενούτων, τῶν προκοπτόντων τελείωσις. Τοῦτο, τοῖς ἀπὸ πάσης κηλίδος κεκαθαρμένοις ἐλλάμπον, τῃ πρὸς ἑαυτὸ κοινωνίᾳ πνευματικοὺς ἀποδεικνυσι. Καὶ ὥσπερ τὰ λαμπρὰ 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 μνευματικαὶ, καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους τὴν χάραιν ἐξαποστελλουσιν. Ἐντεῦθεν μελλὸντων πρόγνωσις, μυστηρίων σύνεσις, κεκρυμμένων κατάληψις, χαρισμάτων διανομαι, τὸ οὐράνιον πολίτευμα, ἡ μετὰ ἀγέλλων χορεία, ἡ ἀτελεύτητος εὐφροσύνη, ἡ ἐν Θεῷ διαμονὴ, ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν ὁμοίωσις, τὸ ἀκρότατον τῶν ὀρεκτῶν, Θεὸν γενέσθαι. Ἅγιος Βασίλειος ὁ Μέγας, Περὶ τοῦ Ἅγιου Πνευματος, Κεφ. Θ

But the indwelling of the Spirit with the soul is not by proximity in space. For how indeed could there be a corporeal approach to the incorporeal? Rather it is from withdrawal from the passions which, coming afterwards gradually on the soul from its friendship to the flesh, have estranged it from its amity with God. Only then after a man is cleansed of the shame whose stain he incurred through wickedness and has returned to his natural beauty, and as it were wiping clean the Royal Image and restoring its original form, only thus may he approach the Paraclete. And He, like the sun, by the means of your purified eye, will show to you in Himself the image of the invisible. And in the blessed vision of the image you shall behold the unspeakable beauty of the archetype. Through Him is the elevation of hearts, the leading of the weak by the hand, the perfection of those who are advancing. He shines upon those that are cleansed from every spot, He by fellowship with Himself makes them spiritual. And as when a ray of sun falls on bright and transparent bodies and they themselves shine and send forth brightness from themselves, so those souls bearing the Spirit, illuminated by the Spirit, themselves become spiritual, and send forth their grace to others. Thus comes knowledge of the future, understanding of mysteries, apprehension of things hidden, distribution of graces, heavenly citizenship, a place among the angels, joy without end, abidance in God, likeness to God, and, highest of all things to be desired, to be God. Saint Basil of Caesarea, On The Holy Spirit, Ch. 9