Saint Gregory Palamas
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Palamas Slava Day card by email which will come with the following text
and your choice of a nice icon:
Description of Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas
This divine Father, who was from Asia Minor, was from childhood reared
in the royal court of Constantinople, where he was instructed in both
religious and secular wisdom. Later, while still a youth, he left the
imperial court and struggled in asceticism on Mount Athos, and in the
Skete at Beroea. He spent some time in Thessalonica being treated for an
illness that came from his harsh manner of life. He was present in
Constantinople at the Council that was convened in 1341 against Barlaam
of Calabria, and at the Council of 1347 against Acindynus, who was of
like mind with Barlaam; Barlaam and Acindynus claimed that the grace of
God is created. At both these Councils, the Saint contended courageously
for the true dogmas of the Church of Christ, teaching in particular that
divine grace is not created, but is the uncreated energies of God which
are poured forth throughout creation: otherwise it would be impossible,
if grace were created, for man to have genuine communion with the
uncreated God. In 1347 he was appointed Metropolitan of Thessalonica. He
tended his flock in an apostolic manner for some twelve years, and wrote
many books and treatises on the most exalted doctrines of our Faith; and
having lived for a total of sixty-three years, he reposed in the Lord in
1359.His holy relics are kept in the Cathedral of Thessalonica. A full
service was composed for his feast day by the Patriarch Philotheus in
1368, when it was established that his feast be celebrated on this day.
Since works without right faith avail nothing, we set Orthodoxy of faith
as the foundation of all that we accomplish during the Fast, by
celebrating the Triumph of Orthodoxy the Sunday before, and the great
defender of the teachings of the holy Fathers today
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