Saint Justin Popovic, Philosophy of Christ

(Translation)

I am really glad in my Lord my beloved Gregory,

I wish you every good and nothing but the best from the Lord! In this human world every good to a man is from a God-man, from faith in Him. From there we have the good news: “for whatever is not from faith is sin”(Rom 14:23). Actually, everything that is not for God-man and according to the God-man is a sin. Man was created Christ-like, so that with the help of that Christ-likeness and on the basis of that Christ-likeness, he would build himself with his Christ-like freedom “to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”. And all of this was, and is happening, in immortal living and live giving God-mans body of Christ – The Church. In her and with her only man is experiencing Christ-like fullness of his being (Eph 4:1-32). In God-man, man is slowly deified with the help of the Holy Sacraments and Holy Virtues, and with his entire being is experiencing the Truth of the Gospel. The God-man is the value and all-worth of all beings and all things, visible and invisible; the God-man is a measurement and all-measure for all beings and things, visible and invisible.

My beloved, why do I write this to you? Because you are a philosopher. And in all of these philosophies of all times and periods major problem is gnoseology. God-man is also here all new. “Philosophy according to the Christ” responds very perfectly on all of these questions of all philosophies of this world. Truth? It’s Him: His God-mans character. Measurement, it’s him; All-worth, Him; Goodness, Him; Beauty, Him; Eternal Life, Him; Perfection and perfections, Him. Why? Because of Him. He is the only True God in man, in the human body; and that is why, and with that, he is the Only True Man in all of these worlds. And we, with faith in him, and life in him, are experiencing graceful Christ-like fullness of our human being; and because of that, the all-thundery gospel of the Greatest Thunderer of all worlds says: “we have the mind of Christ”. Actually, Christianity even is not “theology”, in philosophical “scientific” meaning, but a new life, life God-manlike: man with his own soul, all of his hearth, mind and strength transfers himself in God with His Holy Love, and other Holy Virtues. Importantly with the help of the holy prayer. Because: “love is from the prayer”. This holy good news is from most empiric orthodox philosopher, Isaac the Syrian. That is why, for us, christian prayer is most necessary virtue. It is leading us in three virtues: it is planting them in us, it is even perfecting, it even immortalizes and perpetuates. From there is a commandment, and good news of the gospel: “pray without ceasing”. Direct your prayer of self, your entire mind, soul, heart and will, that is our daily accomplishment. “Prayer is the choirmaster in the choir of virtues”, and that is a good news of the Holy Fathers. Holy prayer corrects and fixes every virtue in us, with one wish: to bring to their final perfection. Let the heart be awake even when body sleeps...When mind is fully directed towards prayer, in him branches eternal spring. Prayer, eternal spring of the mind. Prayer, eternal spring of the soul, heart and will. Prayer drives away from a man winter of sins, winter of passion and every sweet self-defense, sweet prelest, and rules in him never-ending heavenly spring of Eternal Truth of Christ, Truth of God-man, Truth of Man… In this lost earthly paradise wanting you, my beloved child, all imperishable joys of Lord of joys,

Best regards and love in the Lord, your father Justin.