Krikščioniškosios Sirijos Mistika: Shafyut Lebba Ir Vidinė Qurbana
Syriac Christian Mysticism: Shafyut Lebba and the Inner Qurbana

Summary/Abstract: The spiritual writers of Christian Syria emphasised the necessity of a radical purification of the heart. Purity of the heart is necessary for the so-termed “pure prayer” which Eastern Christianity considers an important aspiration for a Christian life. Syriac authors used the shafyut lebba concept to describe the complete clarification of the heart. The mysterious Qurbana – an internal transformation – must occur in the heart of every person. Qurbana – this is a concept used by Syriac writers with multiple meanings to express the mystery of the Eucharist. The transubstantiation of bread and wine at the time of the Eucharistic celebration is the symbol of the analogical process in a person’s heart. Syriac teachers compare the Christian prayer with the sacrifices of the Old Testament: when the sacrifices pleased God, God would send fire from heaven to burn them up as a sign of acceptance. God would accept sacrifices due to the purity of a person’s heart not because of the sacrifice itself. It is the same with prayer: when it comes from a pure heart, God accepts it and sends the fire of the Holy Spirit, which transforms the believer and fills him/her with the spirit of holiness. The clarified heart and the pure prayer rising from it have an epiphanic effect – the presence of God is manifested. Nevertheless, a full-fledged, personal manifestation of God is only possible if the believer has achieved an absolutely “pure prayer”.

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