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[[Image:Gregory Palamas.jpg|right|frame|St. Gregory Palamas]]
Our father among the [[saint]]s '''Gregory Palamas''' (1296-1359), [[Archbishop]] of [[Thessalonica]], was a [[monk]] of [[Mount Athos]] in Greece (at [[Vatopedi Monastery (Athos)|Vatopedi Monastery]] and [[Esphigmenou Monastery (Athos)|Esphigmenou Monastery]]), and later became Archbishop of Thessalonica. He was a preeminent theologian and a proponent of [[hesychasm|hesychastic]] theology. His [[feast day]]s in the Church are [[November 14]] and the second Sunday of [[Great Lent]] as the [[Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas]].
==Life==
==Theology==
Contrary to Barlaam, Gregory asserted that the prophets in fact had greater knowledge of God, because they had actually seen or heard God himself. Addressing the question of how it is possible for humans to have knowledge of a transcendent and unknowable God, he drew a distinction between knowing God in his '''essence''' (in Greek, ουσιαουσία) and knowing God in his '''energies''' (in Greek, ενεργειαιενέργειαι). He maintained the Orthodox doctrine that it remains impossible to know God in his essence (God in himself), but possible to know God in his energies (to know what God does, and who he is in relation to the creation and to man), as God reveals himself to humanity. In doing so, he made reference to the [[Cappadocian Fathers]] and other early Christian writers.
[[Image:St Gregory Palamas Cathedral.jpg|right|thumb|300px|St. Gregory Palamas Cathedral, Thessaloniki, Greece, where the saint's holy [[relics]] are [[shrine|enshrined]]]]
Probably one of the most significant writers of our day regarding the theology of St. Gregory is [[Metropolitan]] [[Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos]], whose prolific published writing makes frequent reference to Gregory's theology, even when hesychasm or the saint are not the primary subject of his work.
==Quotations==
"When we strive with diligent sobriety to keep watch over our rational faculties, to control and correct them, how else can we succeed in this task except by collecting our mind, which is dispersed abroad through the senses, and bringing it back into the world within, into the heart itself, which is the storehouse of all our thoughts?"
"Because the Deity is goodness itself, true mercy and an abyss of loving bounty - or, rather, He is that which embraces and contains this abyss, since He transcends every name that is named and everything we can conceive - we can receive mercy only by union with Him. We unite ourselves to Him, in so far as this is possible, by participating in the godlike virtues and by entering into communion with Him through prayer and praise. Because the virtues are similitudes of God, the participate in them puts us in a fit state to receive the Deity, yet it does not actually unite us to Him."
==Hymns==
[[Troparion]] ([[Tone]] 8) [http://www.oca.org/FSTropars.asp?SID=13&ID=103303]
:O light of Orthodoxy, teacher of the Church, its confirmation,
:O ideal of monks and invincible champion of theologians,
:O wonder working Gregory, glory of Thessalonica and preacher of grace,
:always intercede before the Lord that our souls may be saved.
[[Kontakion]] (Tone 8) [http://www.oca.org/FSTropars.asp?SID=13&ID=103303]
:Holy and divine instrument of wisdom,
:joyful trumpet of theology,
:together we sing your praises, O God-inspired Gregory.
:Since you now stand before the Original Mind, guide our minds to Him, O Father,
:so that we may sing to you: "Rejoice, preacher of grace."
== See also ==
*[[Metropolis of Thessalonica]]
==External links==
*[http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b16.en.saint_gregory_palamas_as_a_hagiorite.00.htm St. Gregory Palamas as a Hagiorite] by Metropolitan [[Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos]] (excerpts)
*[http://www.monachos.net/patristics/palamas_historical.shtml Gregory Palamas—An Historical Study] by Dr. [[M.C. Steenberg]]
*[http://www.monachos.net/library/Gregory_Palamas:_Knowledge,_Prayer,_and_Vision Gregory Palamas: Knowledge, Prayer, and Vision - Monachos.net]
*[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/florovski_palamas.html St. Gregory Palamas and the Tradition of the Fathers] by Fr. [[Georges Florovsky]]
*[http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/christou_palamas.html The Teaching of Gregory Palamas on Man] by Panayiotis Christou
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsLife.asp?FSID=103303 St. Gregory Palamas the Archbishop of Thessalonica] ([[OCA]])<!-- http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=103303 --->
*[http://www.comeandseeicons.com/g/phn66.htm Icon and Story of St. Gregory Palamas]
===Writings by St. Gregory===
*''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (3rd ed.)'', p. 713
[[Category:Featured Articles]][[Category:Athonite Fathers]]
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[[Category: Bishops of Thessalonica]]
[[Category:14th-century bishops]]
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[[Category:Hesychasm]]
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[[ar:غريغوريوس بالاماس]]
[[fr:Grégoire Palamas]]
[[mk:Свети Григориј Палама]]
[[pt:Gregório Palamas]]
[[ro:Grigorie Palama]]
