But think, as the Holy Scriptures say, that the three are one. For it is good to say one and the same thing, because thinking and talking about one and the same thing delights him who knows how to find divine pleasure in it, and the divine word sanctifies his spiritual feelings. The Spirit is God the Father, as our Lord says. The Spirit is also the Son, as begotten of Him.

God is called triune – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, not so that you may think that there is any separation and inequality in the Holy Trinity, but in order to teach you by these names that there are three persons in God, or these three hypostases – and nothing more. And after you have come to know this, having been taught and enlightened how to reason about God, seek no more, and do not investigate anything higher than this, but, having accepted it with faith, stand firm in it, maintaining and confessing that everything else that is higher than this is utterly incomprehensible.

If you want to enter into meditation on what is proper to the Divine nature, that is, how God is, what is around God, what is of God and what is in God, listen to what I tell you. God is light, and infinite light, and that which is in God, is light, being one in the unity of nature and inseparably divided in persons. Dividing the inseparable, I will tell you about each of these persons separately. The Father is light, the Son is light, and the Holy Spirit is light; three - one light, simple (not divisible into parts. - Ed.), uncomplicated, timeless, contiguous, equal-honorable, equal-glorious.

All this and other things that one hears from the Prophets and Apostles about the ineffable and all-existent Divinity are essentially one beginningless Principle, worshipped in the unity of the Trinitarian light. Thus it behooves you to think. For there is one God in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being the unapproachable and pre-eternal Light, which has many names and is called all that we have said, and is not only named, but also effectively produces in us, as those who have learned this have taught us by experience.

Wishing to show you other lights of God, besides those of which I have spoken, I say that His goodness is light, mercy is light, kindness is light, His kiss is light, kindness is light, rod and consolation are light. Though many similar things are said of us, yet we are spoken of as men, and of Him as of God. I will not be lazy to explain this to you by examples: God is called the Father - people are also called fathers; Christ is called the Son of God - we are also called sons of men; The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of God, and our souls are also called spirits. God is life - we also have life; God is love, and many sinners have love among themselves. So, what then? Of human love, can you say that it is God? Let it not be. And the peace that we have among ourselves, when we do not quarrel or quarrel over anything, can you call peace that surpasses understanding? Nohow. Likewise, if you do not speak a false word to someone, will you call it God's truth? Of course not. Human words are fluid and empty. The Word of God is living and active. In the same way, the truth of God is more than the mind and word of man, the immutable God, who is present and alive. Finally, this water, which we have, is not like this living water, and this bread, which we usually eat, is not like this animal bread. But, as we have said above, all this is light, and God is one light, and whoever partakes of this light, together with its communion, partakes of all the good things of which we have commemorated, is meek and humble, and ready for all good, because these goodnesses together with others are the light, and he who has received the light, Together with the light, he also has these qualities. Then God moves the soul in which He dwells to every good, and is for it every good, and the soul that has God as its inhabitant does not lack in any good, but is full and abounds always with all these ineffable blessings of God, rejoicing and abiding with the ranks of the heavenly powers. What blessings of God would all be vouchsafed to receive richly, through the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and dominion with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Homilies of St. Symeon the New Theologian. Part 2. - Moscow: Pravila very, 2001, pp. 43-52.

Homily Sixty-Three. 1. Of those who think that they have the Holy Spirit, without any complete consciousness and sense of His work, and of those who say that in the present times no man can behold the glory of the Holy Spirit. 2. That the saints do not have the slightest envy, when we also try in every possible way to become like them by excelling in virtues. How can we behold God? 4. Whoever has attained such a measure as to behold, as far as possible, God, learns in the present life to know what blessedness will be granted to the saints in the future life. 5. That the prophets and apostles proclaimed what they saw, being enlightened by the Holy Spirit, who was always with them. 6. Whoever transgresses or misinterprets his words sins against the Holy Spirit.

Behold, again I want to speak of those who say that they have the Holy Spirit without any consciousness of it, and think that they have received Him into themselves from divine Baptism, wherefore they assert that they have in themselves the treasure of grace, although, knowing themselves, they cannot but see that they are empty of it.

They usually say: "If you are baptized into Christ, put on Christ," says the Apostle. Since we have been baptized into Christ, it is evident that we have also put on Christ. But I say to them, Since you have put on Christ, tell me, what is Christ? He is, of course, the true God, Who was made man at the end in order to make us gods. But he who puts on God feels, of course, what he has put on. Just as a naked person, when he puts on a garment, feels it and sees what kind of garment it is, so he who is naked in soul, when he puts on God, feels it and knows it. If he who puts on God does not feel that there is what he has put on, then it follows that he is not alive, for only the dead do not feel when they are clothed. Wherefore I am afraid that those who speak thus are not dead and naked.

Then they offer the following saying of the Apostle Paul: "Quench not the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19). But in saying this, they do not understand the purpose for which it is said. They reason; Whoever says to another to whom, "Do not extinguish the lamps," does not say this, of course, about a lamp that does not burn, but about one that is kindled and shines with its proper light. To this we say to them: The Spirit, of whom you say that He is kindled in you and shines with His light, do you see clearly kindled and shining in your souls, as this should be of itself? But not only do they not answer this, but immediately change their face and turn it in the other direction, as if they hear some kind of blasphemy, intolerable to them. Then, assuming a more meek appearance, they answer, saying, "And who then will dare to say that he sees, or has ever seen, the Holy Spirit?" Cease blasphemy, and do not say this, for the Divine Scripture says that God is nowhere to be seen (John 1:18). "Oh, blindness and insensibility! Tell me, human, who said this? "The Only-begotten," he says, "the Son of God is in the bosom of the Father, He said this." Thou speakest the truth, and verily is thy testimony, but it goes against thee. For if I prove that this same Son of God and God the Word says that this is possible, then what have you to say? Hearken therefore to what Christ says: "He who has seen Me is in the sight of the Father" (John 14:9). And He said this not to him who looked at the body of Christ, but to him who beheld His Divinity. For if we think that Christ the Lord said this to him who looked at His body, then it follows that those who crucified Christ saw the Father, because they saw Christ in the body, and after this there will be no distinction between the faithful and the unfaithful, and no advantage for the former over the latter, but all equally received the desired blessedness, all saw God. But it is not so in practice, not so, as the same Christ said again when He spoke to the Jews: "If they knew Me, they knew My Father also" (John 8:19).

And that it is possible for us to see God, as far as it is possible for men to see Him, listen to what Christ Himself says: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God" (Matt. 5:8). What do you say to this? But I know in advance what you will say. You will say: yes, the pure in heart will definitely see God, but not here, but in the age to come. Since you do not believe in the blessings that God gives us in the present life, and do not have a zealous desire to receive them for yourself, then you resort to the thought of the future age. But tell me, beloved, who hope to see God in the age to come, how is it possible for that of which you speak? If Christ said that with a pure heart we shall see God, then it certainly follows that at all times, as soon as a man purifies his heart, he will also see God. You yourself, if you ever purify your heart, will surely see God and know the truth of my words. But since you never thought in your mind to do this (purify your heart), and did not believe that it truly happens (that the pure in heart see God), you have neglected the purification of your heart and are not vouchsafed to behold God. Tell me, is it possible for a heart to become pure in this life? If it is possible, then it follows that everyone who is pure in heart sees God in the present life. If you say that God is seen only after death, then you must say that purity of heart comes only after death. In this way, it may happen to you that you will not see God either in the present or in the next age. For after death you will no longer be able to do God-pleasing deeds, so that by means of them you will make your heart pure. But what does the Lord say to us? If you have my commandments and keep them, that is to say, you will love Me... and I will love him, and I will appear to him Myself (John 14:21). When is this manifestation of Christ the Lord promised, in the present life or in the life to come? Obviously, in real life. For where the commandments of God are carefully fulfilled, there also is the appearance of our Saviour Jesus Christ. After this appearance of the Saviour, perfect love also comes. For if Christ does not appear in us, then we can neither believe in Him nor love Him as we should.

It is written: Thou shalt not love thy brother, whom thou hast seen, God, whom thou hast not seen, how can thou love? (1 John 4:20). Whoever cannot love God certainly cannot believe in Him. Listen to what the Apostle Paul says: "Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but there is love more than these (1 Corinthians 13:13). Therefore, since faith is combined with hope, and hope accompanies love, it is evident that he who does not have love does not have hope, and he who does not have hope does not have faith, that is, he who does not have faith does not hope, and he who does not hope does not love. For how is it possible for love to exist when there are no causes that produce it, that is, faith and hope? Just as it is impossible for a roof to hold without a building on which it would rest, so it is impossible for the love of God to be found in the soul of a person when there is no faith and hope in it. And he who does not have love will not receive any benefit from the other virtues, as the same Paul asserts.

As for what it is possible and how it is possible to behold God in the present life, listen again to the divine Paul, who says: "We see now, as a mirror in divination, then face to face; now I understand in part, then I will know, as I am also known (1 Corinthians 13:12). But as soon as they hear this, they say, "It was Paul." And I say to them, Was not Paul also a man who was obsequious to us in all things? They again answered: O proud and presumptuous man! Who ever appeared like Paul? And you dare to compare us sinners with Paul! - Answering them to this, it is not I, but the Apostle Paul himself who calls out with a loud voice and says: Christ has come into the world, - listen! to save sinners, of whom I am the first (1 Timothy 1:15). Thus, he is the first of the sinners to be saved; become the second, become the third, become the fourth, become the tenth, become one of the thousands and myriads of those who are being saved, and you will count yourself with the Apostle Paul, and thus you will honor Paul, as he himself says: "Be ye imitators of me, as I am also of Christ" (1 Corinthians 11:1), and in another place: "I will, that all men may be as I also" (1 Corinthians 7:7).

2. Therefore, if you want to praise or honor Paul, you must imitate him and become like him in faith. That is when you will truly honor him! And he will receive you, and will boast of you, counting to himself glory that you bowed to his words, and followed him, and became like him. If, however, saying that it would have been a disgrace for Paul, to think that someone else can become like him, you despise your salvation and neglect it, then know that as much as you deceive yourself in this way, so much does St. Paul turn away from you and displeasure you. Do you want me to prove to you that you will honor him much more, and make him happy, and glorify, if you try to make yourself greater and closer to God than he is? Listen to what Paul himself says: "I prayed that I myself be excommunicated from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:3). You see? He prefers to be excommunicated from Christ himself, so that only you may be saved, and you say that he will consider it a disgrace for himself if I want to become jealous like him? No, my brother, not so. There is no envy among the saints of God. They do not seek precedence and greater honor and glory than others. They, all these friends and lovers of God from the beginning to the end of the ages, have one precedence, one preference, one glory, delight, and repose, to see God. Those who see God are devoid of all curiosity; they cannot turn away from the sight of God, in order to look at anything of this world, or at any person, or to think of anything that is inconsistent with their constitution, but they are completely free from all curiosity, and their minds do not wander away to anything else, which is why, as long as they are so, they remain unfalling and do not return again to evil.