Macarius of Corinth

Saint Makarios of Corinth
Born	1731 Corinth, Greece
Died	April 17, 1805 Hermitage of St. Peter, Chios
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church
Feast	April 17

Part of a series on the
Eastern Orthodox Church
Mosaic of Christ Pantocrator, Hagia Sophia
Overview
Structure Theology (History of theology) Liturgy Church history Holy Mysteries View of salvation View of Mary View of icons
Background Crucifixion / Resurrection / Ascension of Jesus Christianity Christian Church Apostolic succession Four Marks of the Church Orthodoxy
Organization Autocephaly Patriarchate Ecumenical Patriarch Episcopal polity Clergy Bishops Priests Deacons Monasticism Degrees of monasticism
Autocephalous jurisdictions Constantinople Alexandria Antioch Jerusalem Russia Serbia Romania Bulgaria Georgia Cyprus Greece Poland Albania Czech lands and Slovakia North America
Ecumenical Councils Seven Ecumenical Councils: First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Seventh Other important councils: Quinisext Council Constantinople IV Constantinople V Jassy Jerusalem
History Church Fathers Pentarchy Byzantine Empire Christianization of Bulgaria Christianization of Kievan Rus' Great Schism Russia Ottoman Empire North America
Theology History of Orthodox Theology (20th century (Neo-Palamism)) Apophaticism Chrismation Contemplative prayer Essence vs. Energies Hesychasm Holy Trinity Hypostatic union Icons Metousiosis Mystical theology Nicene Creed Nepsis Oikonomia Ousia Palamism Philokalia Phronema Sin Theosis Theotokos Differences from the Catholic Church Opposition to the Filioque Opposition to papal supremacy
Liturgy and worship Divine Liturgy Divine Services Akathist Apolytikion Artos Ectenia Euchologion Holy Water Iconostasis Jesus Prayer Kontakion Liturgical entrances Liturgical fans Lity Memorial service Memory Eternal Omophorion Orthodox bowing Orthodox marriage Praxis Paraklesis Paschal greeting Paschal Homily Paschal troparion Prayer rope Prosphora Russian bell ringing Semantron Sign of the cross Sticheron Troparion Vestments Use of incense
Liturgical calendar Paschal cycle 12 Great Feasts Other feasts: Feast of Orthodoxy Intercession of the Theotokos The four fasting periods: Nativity Fast Great Lent Apostles' Fast Dormition Fast
Major figures Athanasius of Alexandria Ephrem the Syrian Basil of Caesarea Cyril of Jerusalem Gregory of Nazianzus Gregory of Nyssa John Chrysostom Cyril of Alexandria John Climacus Maximus the Confessor John of Damascus Theodore the Studite Kassiani Cyril and Methodius Photios I of Constantinople Gregory Palamas
Other topics Architecture Encyclical of the Eastern Patriarchs Orthodox cross Saint titles Statistics by country

Macarius of Corinth [birth name: Macarius Notaras (Greek: Μακάριος Νοταρᾶς)] was born in Corinth in 1731 and died in Chios in April 1805. St Macarius as Metropolitan bishop of Corinth, was a mystic and spiritual writer who worked to revive and mostly sustain the Orthodox Church under Turkish rule. He is most famous for working with St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain in collecting and compiling the ascetic text of the Philokalia.^[1]

Prayer of the Heart

With his friend St. Nicodemus, Makarios compiled the five tomes of the Philokalia that were first published in Venice in 1782. It was the publication of these sacred and spiritual texts that lead to a renewal of the hesychast movement within the Orthodox.

Beauty shall save the World

The term used Philokalia (love of the beautiful) for the texts, was to enshrine the history of the Jesus Prayer (the Prayer of the heart) and the spiritual practice of this is called Hesychasm. It is this love of beauty that revives and gives faith to the hopeless. The history of the prayer begins with its earliest fathers including St Anthony the Great and the text ends with St Gregory Palamas. The title conveys the contemplative tradition. In that it teaches understanding of the inner or mystical Kingdom of God within each person. The spirit of God is an ember, one must cultivate the ember into an open fire. This perpetual fire burns in the heart, in love for all things, which is to share in the energy of God, which is love. (Leviticus 9:24) It is within the Philokalia that one learns how to properly navigate through the passions and depravity of existence called the World. The object of contemplation being "the love of beauty" or infinite beauty which is God. For if existence was truly evil it could not contain nor express beauty. This expression conveys the truth about the divine (ascetic) life and purpose which the heart learns through practise of the Prayer. Which is called Hesychasm. God in his energies is love. However God is also the source of all that is truly beautiful, resplendent with divine glory. It is this beauty, the Russian philosophers held, that would "will save the World".^[2]

See also

• Theosis (Eastern Orthodox theology)
• Theoria
• Ritual purification
• Praxis
• Sacred Heart as a Catholic doctrine of devotion.

References

1. ↑ A New Dictionary of Saints: East and West by Michael Walsh pg 378, Published by Liturgical Press, 2007 ISBN 0-8146-3186-X, 9780814631867
2. ↑ Scripture in tradition: the Bible and its interpretation in the Orthodox Church by John Breck. Published by St Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2001 ISBN 0-88141-226-0, ISBN 9780881412260

External links

• Prayer of the Heart