The Devout Chanter Radiates the Grace of God

 

Saint Porphyrios the Kafsokalivite: The Devout Chanter Radiates the Grace of God

“Byzantine ecclesiastical music is a teaching... It softens the soul of man and gradually raises him to other spiritual realms through his voice, which sows spiritual delight, joy, and thanksgiving, and leads him into another spiritual world. This is how it truly is, my children. So do not look at where you are or at what you hear them doing. When you do this slowly, you enter into it spiritually, and you feel what you ought to do.

The chanter may be selfish, swaying and taking pride in himself, and thus he may be hollow. Perhaps he possesses a voice that affects others, but when the true saint chants, he carries something else. He does not possess merely his voice; rather, together with his voice, which pours forth in waves of melody, he also radiates grace in mysterious waves that reach the souls of people and move them more deeply.

As for the “hollow musician”—let us call him that—he is the selfish one who possesses pride and takes pleasure in it. But the holy musician sends forth spiritual waves together with his voice. And this is a very great mystery. Therefore, if you go to the Holy Mountain and hear the monks chanting, even if your heart is frozen like a stone, as soon as you hear them, you say: “There he is. This chanter can truly move souls...”

Saint Porphyrios once said of Saint Romanos the Melodist: “Romanos was entirely in the grace of Christ, and everything he wrote was perfect.”

Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us. Amen!