Be the Bee # 170 | The Light of Orthodoxy (Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas)

"O Gregory the Miracle Worker, light of Orthodoxy, support and teacher of the Church, comeliness of Monastics, invincible defender of theologians, the pride of Thessalonica, and preacher of grace, intercede forever that our souls may be saved."
(Apolytikion for the Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas)
In this Episode:
00:00 Sunday of St Gregory Palamas
01:15 Who Jesus Is
03:02 Can We Know God?
04:19 Healing of Paralytic
07:39 Essence & Energies
09:42 Walking with God
What this Episode is About:
Is it possible to know God? How could a perfect God have anything to do with His imperfection creation?
These are some of the questions Saint Gregory Palamas faced in the 14th century. And they're questions the Church faces today. We dedicate the Second Sunday of Great Lent to this important saint because he taught an important theological truth that's at the core of the Christian life:
That God is both knowable in His Energies and unknowable in His Essence.
And this mystery is shown to us when Jesus heals the paralytic in Mark 2.
As always, we've prepared a FREE downloadable workbook to help you act on what you'll learn.
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End Theme:
"Noahs Stark," by krackatoa
freemusicarchive.org/music/kra...
"Be the Bee" is hosted by Steven Christoforou, the Director of Y2AM.
Questions you might be struggling with, that we'll touch on in the video:
Triodion Period
Orthodox Great Lent
Second Sunday of Great Lent
Sunday of Saint Gregory Palamas
Saint Gregory Palamas
Essence and Energies
Essence And Energies Distinction
Palamite Essence-Energies Distinction
Divine Energy vs Essence
Divine Energies
Divine Essence
Hesychasm
Mark 2
Hebrews 1
Hebrews 2
Walking with God
Orthodox videos
Thanks for watching. God bless you!
#BeTheBee #SaintGregoryPalamas #EssenceAndEnergies

[@y2am]

Download the workbook for this week's episode: mailchi.mp/goarch/bethebee170

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

I hope everyone's having a spiritually fruitful Great Lent!

[@---cl7ge]

I’m from Ethiopia, really appreciate your videos and enthusiasm . God bless you my Christian brother 🕊

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

God bless you, too!

[@deandinas5253]

May all our Eritrean+Ethiopian brethren, suffering and among us, be encouraged in Great Lent.

[@fabriciojuarezalmonacid]

Greetings from a Catholic argentinian Man. God bless you all

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

God bless you, too! Thanks for stopping by.

[@josephjude1290]

It's a great way of understanding God. Other churches have so many different understandings and levels of grace.

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Glad this was helpful!

[@Terri7665]

Beautiful 🙏☦️

[@Anthony-vm9gz]

Well done video. Complex topic handled with care, attention, and brevity. Very instructive! Thanks!

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Glory to God!

[@Maine-Life]

This is the first time I actually understood the "essence/energies" concept. People love to make things far more complicated and opaque then they need to be.

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Glory to God! So glad it was helpful. I wonder if internet "theology" delights in its sense of superiority rather than in spreading the Gospel. May God preserve us from such temptations!

[@antipaburghelea9809]

Thanks from Romania! Axios!

[@emiliosantoniou]

THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN BROTHER IN CHRIST STEVE! EXCELLENT VIDEO 👌👍💛! THANK YOU!

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Glory to God!

[@greekgirlinlove]

Wow Steve, I think you've explained Orthodoxy in one beautiful video. So well put, so thorough and easy to follow. Thank you!

[@msm1876]

Saint Gregory, pray for me, sinner that I am!

[@siresausage4076]

Thank you for another video i watch them with my dad on Sundays

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Glory to God! I'm glad this is something you can watch together.

[@josephzammit8483]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/qX-8en-upptojs0

[@orthochristos]

Πραγματικά υπέροχη εξήγηση! Ο Θεός να σε ευλογεί

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

God bless you, too!

[@batnayanineveh6082]

Very good informative clear video explanation, St Gregory Pray for us!

[@otelders]

Thank you for your continuous efforts!

[@johnandrei3667]

ACTUALLY TO BE HONEST AND TRUE GOD IS THE ONLY TRUE, AND EVERLASTING PART OF OUR LIVES OUR SOULS OUR HEARTS OUR BODIES OUR SPIRITS OUR ALL, TO HIS GLORY

[@justinaacuriouswanderer1496]

that was unutterably beautiful

[@thealleys]

That was a great take on this Gospel story! Subscribed.

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Glory to God! Christ is risen!

[@DMichiganWol21]

Beautiful! Thank you

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Glory to God!

[@henrythornton7931]

Great lesson. Thank you !

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Glory to God!

[@dropsofink1336]

Excellent video! Wonderful message and great quality production. 😁

[@henk4868]

Greeting from ethiopian orthodox☦ Pray for us🤲🙏

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

God bless you!

[@henk4868]

Amen

[@patriciapeters8788]

Thank you. I'm trying pass it on to my teenager🤞 but he may not be old enough

[@eagle7757]

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV, Ephesians 2:8-9, Jesus Christ is the only way..

[@peterorthodox360]

Great Video Steve. KYRIE ELEISON ☦

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Glory to God!

[@johnvaporis8022]

Steve, thank you for the new series. I was wondering if there is a transcript of the video. Thank you and hello from Transfiguration in Lowell, MA We remember your time at our church. καλή δύναμη. dn john

[@johnvaporis8022]

Steve, never mind I figured out how to get the transcript from the video. Thank you again, dn john

[@jakipetropoulos8086]

How do I go back to the beginning presentation? I have loved the ones I’ve watched but, would like to see all of them!

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Here's the link to the full series: kzbin.info/aero/PLbyQMR-_r8bJTrcWpWxSUPdJHdZJsq_zG

[@baoduong2203]

Any recommendations for further reading for the essence/energy distinctions? I’m currently learning Augustine’s metaphysical concept of God present in all being. (Holenmerism)

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

St Gregory Palamas' "The Triads" is where he lays it out. For some secondary works that can give some explanatory context, you can try "A Study of Gregory Palamas" by John Meyendorff. And "The Deification of Man" by Georgios Mantzaridis.

[@baoduong2203]

@@stevenchristoforou1667 Thank you for the recommendations, I will definitely take a look at them. I’m relatively new to metaphysics, but I’m interested in perhaps writing a research thesis on this. (One day I want to understand Palamism, thomism, scotusism. But augustinism is a start. Holy Week is almost here for you!

[@paulinho_eletron]

Steven, i have a question : Can God the father be represented in icons ?

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

Good question! The short answer is no (though you will occasionally see icons with an "old man" that is supposed to represent the Father). But those representations shouldn't be necessary. The Son is "the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15).

[@TheFeralcatz]

@@stevenchristoforou1667 What about the theophany icon?

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

@@TheFeralcatz I think you're thinking of the icon with the "old man" who represents the Father. I believe that one originated in other Christian traditions and then Orthodox Christians adopted the style. Strictly speaking, it raises some questions. I should amend my previous answer by mentioning the Hospitality of Abraham icon, which does represent the entire Trinity. That one doesn't raise the same questions.

[@TheFeralcatz]

@@stevenchristoforou1667 Well, in many depictions of Theophany that i've seen, it shows some sort of floating aura that the holy spirit is proceeding from. Which to me is a representation of God the Father. I could be wrong. I'm definitely against showing him as some bearded old man.

[@stevenchristoforou1667]

@@TheFeralcatz Oh yes, good point. I'd characterize that as more of an attempt at a figure-less presentation: an attempt to show that the Father can't be depicted in a visual way. It's a visual depiction of the limits of our visual language.

[@Thhuradshfefnbck]

Remove the background music

[@Jesus1145]

I don’t get it. Is it not obvious that we know God when we are born again ? I don’t understand why this was a discussion , I mean the Holy Spirit, the new heart , new life, all of that comes from God, knowing the father by Jesus Christ. I don’t understand did they not have the experience of knowing the Holy Spirit ? Of Gods forgiveness? Are you saying that there where Christian’s who said that we cannot know God? When it is pretty much what the Bible teaches ? And what every born again believer experiences? Is it not clear in the word of God ? I don’t get what st Gregory did or explained? You read from scripture that which every Christian read from scripture, and affirm.

[@user-pj7sq7ce1f]

Paul shows the essence energies distinction in greek 1 cor 12:6 Θεός ______ ενεργηματα God______ energies and just before he says διαιρέσεις

[@Jy3pr6]

Playing clips from movies that are filled with glorifications of sin during a video intended for children cannot possibly be right. Kids are curious about everything so you're needlessly sparking there curiosity about the origin of those clips. We always ought to remember what Christ said about the person who leads a little one to sin