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St. Maximus, the great 7th century Byzantine Saint, reached a vision and height of understanding that few have ever fathomed. A philosopher, a statesmen, a rhetorician, a poet, a God-seer, St. Maximus challenges our anthropocentric or man/me centered universe in a fundamental way: He calls us to invert the universe – to see Christ first, as the first principle, rather than our selves and the fleeting accomplishments of our civilization – making everything Christ centered, not me centered. Man in this perspective is seen as he says “as a revelation of God….”
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“Prior to the Incarnation of the Logos of God, the Kingdom of Heaven was as far from us as the sky is from the earth; but when the King of Heaven came to dwell amongst us and chose to unite Himself to us, the Kingdom of Heaven drew near to us all.” (Philokalia, Vol. 4, pp. 372-3.)

“The Divine Logos, who once for all was born in the flesh always in His compassion desires to be born in Spirit in those who desire Him. He becomes an infant and molds Himself in them through the virtues… The great mystery of the Incarnation of Christ remains a mystery eternally. Not only is what is not yet seen of it greater than what has been revealed… but also what is revealed still remains entirely hidden and is by no means known as it really is… for when He wished to come down to the level of being, He became being in a manner which transcends being… for the manner in which He became man always remains unrevealed, for He was made man in a way which transcends man.” (Philokalia, Vol 2, pp. 166-7.)