St. Nicholas of Serbia: “you want to know what those three letters mean, which are depicted on the icons of the Savior, on the halo above His head. These are three Greek letters — O W N.
These Greek letters are translated into the Slavic language as one word: “Sy”, or “Existing”, into the Serbian language they are translated into three words: “He who is.” So we also read in the Old Testament: God said to Moses: I am who I am… so say to the children of Israel: He who is (Jehovah) has sent me to you (Ex. 3:14). In the Revelation of John the Theologian we read the following about the name of God: John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is (Rev. 1:4). in the word O W N, — the same, eternally existing, — the Divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ is expressed. From the eternal Father, the Light is the Father, the Light is God, and the Son is God. How could it be otherwise?
We see the same image on earth, in earthly corporeal beings: as is the nature of the parent, so is the carnal parent, and the mortal parent. offspring. The parent is limited by time and space. Eternity has no boundaries, and therefore the Son of God is of the same nature as His eternal Father. If the Father is eternal, eternally existing, eternally unchangeable, so is the Son of the eternal Father. Therefore, the Son of God could say about Himself: I and the Father are one (John 10:30).
But due to the fact that God is Spirit, The eternal birth of the Son should be understood spiritually. As a rule, it is very difficult for people to free themselves from temporary symbols and ideas about carnal birth when they think about God and the Son of God. But imagine how love gives birth to wisdom: this will help you in understanding the inexhaustible heavenly mysteries. A person who has acquired pure love will not discover wisdom either. Mysteries require measure and humility. Isn’t it enough for us that by the grace of God it was revealed to us that the Son of God appeared in the world in the flesh, born from the Ever-Virgin Mary. He clothed His spiritual Divine being in human soul and flesh and appeared among people as a Man, but at the same time He did not separate for a moment from eternity, nor from His eternal Parent. Eternal, O W N. He was subject to change, like a man: he grew, starved, suffered, died, but, like God, He remained unchanged: a perfect God and a perfect Man.
One ancient folk legend says that in ancient times swallows did not know how to move to warmer regions in the cold season, and when snow fell and frost struck, they suffered cruelly and died, seeing this, one merciful man took pity on them. and began to do everything he knew and knew to teach the swallows to fly to the south. He gave them signs — the swallows did not understand them, he lured them with food towards the south — it did not help, he frightened them and drove them — nothing worked for him. Then he began to pray to God that God would fulfill his desire and turn the man into a swallow that could think and feel like a man. Then the swallow man easily explained himself to him. swallows and took them to warm lands in the fall. Since then, the swallows have learned to fly to the south. Of course, this is only a poetic fiction. But let it help you, at least to some extent, to understand how eternal Wisdom, born of eternal Love, became incarnate and became a Man among people, so that they, chilled by earthly bitterness, could be led in a new way, to warm lands, to the Kingdom of God, “where there is no sickness or disease.” sadness, not sighing.» But even in a small, human body, the great Lord remained Existing, Unchangeable, Eternal. Always as He was from the ages in the infinity of His Kingdom and His ineffable glory.» fond Holy Land
Investments in Soul!
