“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed”. Based on these, the Lord’s words to the apostle Thomas, we are able to glean insights into our spiritual life and progress.
First, if we seek to be present there where prayer happens –where God speaks to us and where we are blessed –then we will be filled with grace.
And what an amazing experience it is to have no other thoughts but those which proceed from faith, i.e., that by prayer we persevere through the onslaught of thoughts, which act –in this way or that –as temptations, as trials, or as difficulties.
And yet, they are nothing! Don’t pay them any mind, even if it seems the Lord is not present,or that he doesn’t hear you cry out, and doesn’t answer you. Just leave these things. And by faith, you will become, in reality, blessed. What more could you want?
Indeed, we must believe without seeing,without the Lord showing us anything (i.e., some allegedly miraculous thing, just as Thomas expected). This is what the Lord wants –what he waits for. This is the faith that moves mountains and puts sin to death, puts the self to death, and puts faithlessness to death. And by this, man becomes a truly heavenly human being.
You shouldn’t be obsessed with seeing some supposed miracle, with feeling a certain way, with understanding as you think you should, or with living some lofty experiences and then believing. No. You must simply run to Christ. And right there where you stand and say a few words of prayer, Christ will be alive and present in your soul, through which he will work miracles.
Holy Hesychasterion “The Nativity of Theotokos” Publications.
Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos
