According to the Teaching of the Sacred Scriptures, the
Holy Fathers, and the Teachers and Writers of the Church
Published by the Russian
Skete of Prophet Elias, Mount Athos
English translation by Mrs. Valentina
Merritt of Brookwood, Surrey, UK
Source: The Shepherd: An Orthodox
Christian Pastoral Magazine, Saint Edward Brotherhood, Woking, UK, as
serialized from Vol. XX, No. 5, January 2000 to Vol. XXXI, No. 9, May 2001.
FOREWORD
EACH ONE of us prays, but not
everyone knows what true, God-pleasing and saving prayer is. The present
collection of thoughts from the Sacred Scriptures, the Holy Fathers and the
Church teachers and writers, has in view to explain what prayer is requisite
and to encourage the reader to its diligent practice. The ideas are explained
under three chapter headings, with more particular sub-divisions in each, not
so much to maintain a strict order, which is of little use with regard to these
spiritually edifying subjects, but rather so as to make them clear by a
comparison of the similarities in their exercise. Although primarily we had in
view to describe the spirit of prayer,* we have not left without attention the
outward aspects of prayerful activity, with its rules and orders, because these
are closely connected with interior prayerful dispositions.
[Footnote: * Just as “Concerning
Prayer and Sobriety,” the great collection of St. Theophan, has.]
I. GENERAL
INFORMATION ON PRAYER
1. The Concept and
Definition of Prayer
Lord, teach us to
pray. (Luke 11:1).
When thou prayest,
dost thou not converse with God? (St. John Chrysostom).
WHAT IS PRAYER? The lifting up of
the mind and the heart to God, manifest in the reverential words of a man to
God - Catechism of St. Philaret of Moscow
Prayer, by reason of its nature,
is the converse and union of man with God, and by reason of its action upholds
the world and brings about reconciliation with God; it is the mother and also
the daughter of tears, the propitiation for sins, a bridge over temptations, a
wall against afflictions, a crushing of conflicts, a work of angels, the food
of all the bodiless spirits, future gladness, unending activity, a source of
virtues, a means of obtaining graces, invisible progress, food of the soul,
enlightenment of the mind, an axe against despair, a demonstration of hope, a
cure for sorrow, the wealth of monks, the treasure of hesychasts, the reduction
of anger, the mirror of progress, the disclosure of stature, an indication of
one’s condition, a revelation of future things, and a sign of glory. For him
who truly prays, prayer is the court, the judgment hall and the tribunal of the
Lord before the judgment to come. - The Ladder of Divine Ascent of St.
John Climacus.
Prayer is a great weapon, the
treasure that will never grow scarce, riches that never will be expended, an
undisturbed refuge, imperturbable peace; and of innumerable blessings the root,
the source and the mother is prayer. It is more effectual that the authority of
kings. – St. John Chrysostom.
Prayer is the rise of the man who
has fallen, and is repenting, to God. Prayer is the lament of the man who has
fallen, and is repenting, before God. Prayer is the pouring forth of the
heart’s desires, the supplication, the sighing before God of a man slain by
sin. – St. Ignatius Brianchaninov
Prayer is the constant feeling of
one’s spiritual poverty and weakness, contemplation within oneself, in people
and in nature, of the works of the wisdom, the goodness and the almighty power
of God; prayer is a constant disposition of thanksgiving. - St. John of Kronstadt
2. The Content or
Subject – Matter of Prayer
We know not what
we should pray for (Romans 8:26).
After this manner
therefore pray ye: Our Father ... (Matt. 6:9).
That
supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made (1
Timothy 2:1)
Before all else, let us list
sincere thanksgiving first on the scroll of our prayer. On the second line, we
should put confession and heartfelt contrition of soul. Then let us present our
petition to the King of all. This is the best way of prayer, as it was shown to
one of the brethren by an angel of the Lord. - The Ladder.
Firstly, pray that you might be
cleansed from the passions, then that you might be delivered from ignorance and
forgetfulness, and thirdly that you might be delivered from every temptation
and from abandonment - St. Nilus of Sinai.
It is right not only to pray for
one’s own purification, but also for the purification of every one of one’s
fellows, imitating the example of the Angel’s prayer. - Ibid.
What should we ask of our
Kind-hearted Heavenly Father? We should ask everything that has regard to His
glory and to our profit, both corporal and temporal, as well as spiritual and
eternal, that which is commanded and promised in His holy Word, and that which
His holy Will, revealed in the Sacred Scriptures, desires. Spiritual profit
covers those good things which are necessary for salvation and the inheritance
of eternal life, such as: faith, remission of sins, His grace, renewal of the
heart, constancy in faith, patience in affliction and in oppression, and the
rest. Corporal benefits cover everything that is necessary for our body, for
the maintenance of its life, such as: blooming health, intelligence, a
sufficiency of necessities, food, clothing, repose, and the rest Spiritual good
things should be requested in a fitting manner and awaited without any
doubting, as being indispensable necessities for our true blessedness. For God
Himself, making no exceptions, promised to grant them to us, when we ask for
them appropriately: Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be
saved (Roman 10:13); and He confirmed this on oath: He has no pleasure in the
death of the sinner (Ezek. 33:11). If ye then, being evil, know how to give
good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father Which is in
heaven give the Holy Spirit unto them that ask Him (see Matt 7:11), said
Christ, Who will have all men to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the
truth (I Tim. 2:4). So, it is not right to say: "O Lord, if Thou desirest
what is profitable for me, forgive my sins, grant me Thy grace, and so
on," because it is known that without any doubt God desires what is
profitable for me, such as the remission of sins, essential for salvation, and
all the rest. However when asking for the temporal good things, like health,
continuation of life, prosperity and the rest one must not ask directly but
must add: "if this is well-pleasing to His holy will and is unto the
profit of us who ask," because the Apostle says, we know not what we
should pray for as we ought (Rom. 8:12). - St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.
3. The Importance
and Use of Prayer
Call upon Me in
the day of thine affliction, and I will deliver thee (Ps. 49:16).
IT IS NATURAL for the poor to
beg, and for a man who has been impoverished by his sins to pray - St. Ignatius
Brianchaninov.
The Lord does not need our
prayers! Before we ask, He already knows what we need. He is exceedingly
merciful, even upon those who do not ask of Him He pours out abundant mercies.
But we need prayer; it draws a man closer to God - Ibid.
Prayer or the calling upon the
name of the Lord is a threefold duty: a duty towards God, a duty towards
oneself, and a duty with regard to our neighbour. Our duty to the Lord obliges
us to show our faith in Him through prayer and calling upon Him, - to show that
we truly believe in Him, that we know no other, that we confess Him to be the
source of all that is good, that we hope on Him, as a true Father, Who loves
His children and gives them what they ask. We turn to Him, just as children of
the body approach with their petitions not someone else's father, but the one
who begat them. The Apostle says: How then shall they call on Him in whom they
have not believed? (Romans 10:14). And the Lord Himself said: "I am the
Lord thy God. That is: "You must know Me Alone, confess Me, and place your
hope in Me Alone, and seek every good thing from Me." Call upon Me in the
day of thine affliction, and I will deliver thee (Ps. 49:16). Our duty with
regard to ourselves obliges us to search with faith for all that is good from
the Giver of all goodness, the Heavenly Father, because in spiritual good
things, just as we are in things physical, we are barren, poor and destitute.
Our duty with regard to our neighbour obliges us to pray for them as we do for
ourselves, begging good from God, as the Apostle says: Pray one for another,
that ye may be healed (James 5:16). Christian love demands this.
God knows what we need before we
ask for it, as Christ says: Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of
all these things (Matt. 6:32), that is: food, drink, clothing and everything
necessary for life; and He gives His good things both to the righteous and to
sinners, because He is merciful and generous - He maketh His sun to rise on the
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matt.
5:45). He also knows about the spiritual things that we need for our salvation,
that is: faith, grace, peace of conscience, and the rest. But we should know
that every good gift comes from God, - Every good portion and every perfect
gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of Lights (James 1:17); and
for this reason we should ask these things of God with faith, and we must learn
and recognize that we receive everything from God, and in receiving it we
should thank Him, Who as our Benefactor, freely has mercy upon us....
God Himself tells us to pray and
to call upon Him: Call upon Me in the day of thine affliction, and I will
deliver thee (Ps. 49:16). Ask, seek, knock - says Christ (Matt. 7:7). And in
other places in the Sacred Scriptures, we find the same injunction. Our needs,
both bodily and spiritual, urge us to pray. Our bodily needs make us ask for
what is temporally necessary for our fleeting life, and our spiritual needs
bring us to ask for what relates to the salvation of our soul. We have many
sorrows, tribulations, oppressions, afflictions and temptations, which we are
unable to overcome ourselves, without God's help, which is given to those who
pray. The profit that comes from prayer is beyond expression, for humble prayer
asks all things of the Merciful and Good God; of this we can find many examples
in various places in the Sacred Scriptures. God's great blessing is that man is
granted to converse with the Unapproachable God, the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit, to bring his needs before Him and make supplication regarding
them, to praise, to hymn and to thank Him, that all this comes about through
true, faithful and humble prayer, as says Saint Chrysostom: "When thou
prayest, dost thou not converse with God? Tell me, when thou readest, dost thou
hearken unto the One, Who converseth with thee?" A man regards himself as
fortunate then he talks with earthly sovereigns; so the Christian counts it the
greatest blessing that he is permitted to converse with the King of the
Heavens, with the most good and merciful God, and yet he is not only permitted
this but he is encouraged to do so both by the commandments and by the promise
that his petition will be heard! - St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.
What is obtained by frequent and
prolonged prayer is firm and lasting - The Ladder.
He who keeps constant hold of the
staff of prayer will not stumble. And even if he does, his fall will not be
fatal. For prayer is a devout coercion of God (see Luke 18:5) - Ibid.
If you constantly converse with
the Heavenly King concerning your enemies, take courage when they attack you.
You will not labour long, for they will soon retire of their own accord. These
unholy spirits do not want to see you receive a crown for your struggle against
them through prayer. And moreover, they will flee as from fire when scourged by
prayer - Ibid.
I think that it is clear to
everyone that without prayer it is impossible to have virtue as one's
companion, and to journey along the path of life with her. For how can anyone
begin to struggle in virtue, without supplicating and often falling down before
the One, Who is the Giver and Bestower of virtue? - St John Chrysostom.
IF ANYONE loves virginity or
fervently honours the chastity of marriage; if anyone tames his anger and wants
to have meekness as his companion, if he wishes to keep himself pure of envy or
has zeal for any of the other virtues, he will easily and comfortably fulfil
his pious intentions if he takes prayer as his guide, and with it paves the way
of his life. For those who ask of the Lord chastity, righteousness, meekness
and kindliness, it is impossible but that they should receive what they ask
for. Ask, says the Lord, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find;
knock and it shall be opened unto you: for everyone that asketh receiveth; and
he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened (Matt.
7:7). With these words and with these promises, the Lord persuades us to pray
diligently, and in obedience to the Divine injunction it remains to us to pass
our lives in hymnody and prayers, being zealous to please God in this
inspirational way. Only by living in this way, shall we live life as man
should. - St. John Chrysostom.
Perhaps someone who is lazy does
not want to pray with diligence and with attention, and thinks to justify
himself with the Lord's words: Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father
Which is in heaven (Matt. 7:21). I will answer this by saying that if I
considered prayer alone was sufficient for salvation, then anyone could justly
turn my words against me. But because I say that prayer is the glory of all the
virtues, the root and foundation of the life of salvation, no one can use these
words as a cover for his laziness with regard to prayer. Neither chastity on
its own, nor care for the poor, nor kindness, nor any other of the praiseworthy
acts can bring salvation; but rather all the virtues must be united in our
soul, and prayer too as the root and as the foundational laid beneath them.
Just as the base of a ship or of a house makes them sure and stable, so prayers
make our life firm, without them [prayers] there is nothing we have which is
good and unto salvation. - Ibid.
Just as at sunrise all the
animals run away and hide in their lairs, so it is when prayer, like a sun ray,
appears from our lips and our tongue; then the mind is enlightened, all the
irrational and bestial passions make themselves scarce, disperse and hide in
their holes, - we only have to pray as is fitting: with a vigilant soul and
sound mind. Then if the devil is near, he is sent away; if a demon, he flies. -
Ibid.
Prayer is the golden link between
man, the Christian, who is a stranger and sojourner on the earth, and the
spiritual world, of which he is a member, and more than all else it is a link
with God, the Fountain of life; it was from God that the soul came, and it
always returns to God through prayer. Prayer is greatly profitable to the one
who prays: it grants peace to the soul; it not only grants peace to the one who
prays (Peace I give unto you), but often it grants peace to the souls of our
departed forefathers, fathers and brethren. See how important prayer is! - St.
John of Kronstadt.
The holy mother of all the
virtues, Prayer, invites: Come ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you
the fear of the Lord (Ps. 33:11). I will teach you the fear of the Lord through
experience itself, I will bring the feeling of it into your hearts. I will
teach you the fear of those making a start, whereby each one is turned away
from evil, even that pure fear of the Lord, which endures for ever and ever
(see Ps. 18:9), that by which the Lord is feared by all that are round about
Him (see Ps. 88:7), through which He is terrible even to the flaming Cherubim,
and the most glorious, six-winged Seraphim. Abandon your vain and useless
attachment to everything temporal, with which you will have to part in any
case! Abandon seductive entertainments and pleasures! Abandon your idle talk,
joking and garrulity, which devastate one's soul! Remember, observe and be
convinced that you are here, on earth, as a temporary stranger, and that your
homeland, your everlasting habitation, is Heaven. You need a faithful and strong
leader to take you there. That leader is me, and there is none other. All the
Saints who ascended from earth to Heaven, made their way in no other way but by
me. I reveal to those who enter into union with me the fall and the sinfulness
of man, and I deliver them as from a deep pit. I reveal to them the princes of
the air, their nets and chains, and I strike those princes and drive them away.
I explain the Creator to the created one, and the Redeemer to the redeemed,
reconciling man with God. I reveal to my disciple, to my beloved one, the
boundless majesty of God; I bring him into a disposition of reverence and
obedience before Him, such as the created must have before the Creator. I sow
humility in the heart; I made the heart a fountain of an abundance of tears; I
make my communicants communicants of the Divine grace. I do not abandon those
whom I guide, until they come before the face of God, until they are united to
God. God is the unfulfillable fulfilment of every desire both here and in the
age to come. - St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
II. PRAYER’S
GREATNESS
The effectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much - James 5:16.
Let my prayer come
before Thee - Psalm 87:2.
Let my prayer be
set forth as incense before Thee. - Psalm 140:2.
PRAYER should be preferred to
everything. Martha gives hospitality to the Lord, and Mary sits at His feet.
Wonderful zeal is seen in both the sisters, but you should distinguish their
deeds. The Lord approved of the zeal of both women, but He preferred Mary to
Martha. Martha is an example of active service to one's neighbour; Mary is an
example of standing before God meditatively in prayer. You can imitate which
you will, both ways bear the fruit of salvation, however the second way is
higher than the first. Mary hath chosen the good part (Luke 10:42). If you wish
to be one of Christ's initiates, then sit at His feet and abide in prayerful
contemplation of Him - St. Basil the Great.
There is nothing stronger than
prayer, nothing to equal it. The king decked in purple is not as splendid as
the one who prays and is adorned with conversation with God. Furthermore just
as anyone who, before the whole army, the war leaders and the commanders,
approaches the king, and begins to engage him in conversation face to face,
would attract the attention of everyone present and would at the same time be
the subject of admiration and honour in everyone's eyes, so it is with those
who pray. Just imagine what it means for someone, as a man, in the presence of
the Angels, of the Archangels in attendance, of the Seraphim and Cherubim and
of all the other Incorporeal Powers, to approach with great boldness and
converse with the King Himself of those Powers! Does this not array him with
honour? - St. John Chrysostom.
What should one seek most of all?
That a man might be enabled to remain unceasing in prayer. Because as soon as
he has achieved that, he will come to the height of the virtues, and will
already be made a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit - St. Isaac the Syrian.
Holy, great and soul-saving is
the struggle of prayer. It is the main and the first of the monastic struggles.
All the other struggles are struggles auxiliary to this one. They are all to
make the struggle of prayer more of an achievement, that the fruits of prayer
might be more abundant. - "the summit of living piously," said St
Macarius the Great, "be apt of every good deed is the constant abiding in
prayer." - St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
O beloved Christian! taste and
see how good our Lord is (Ps. 33:9). He not only allows us, the unworthy and
sinful ones, to come to Him, but He draws us to Him, and not only draws us, but
He teaches us how to draw near to Him and to pray. Thus He discloses to us the
Lord's Prayer, of which Christ said: after this manner therefore pray ye (Matt.
6:9). And what is this "after this manner"? Our Father! That is, call
upon God as Father. And who are we? Men, who have incurred His wrath,
unprofitable servants, sinners, dust and ashes. Oh, our Most Kind-hearted God!
Everywhere, wherever we turn, we meet Thy goodness towards us, and whatever we
regard we find an occasion to marvel at the exceedingly great riches of Thy
goodness. Without a doubt we are encouraged to pray by the promise that our
prayer will be heard: Amen, amen, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the
Father in My name, He will give it you (John 16:23), says the Truth, Christ - St.
Tikhon of Zadonsk.
For beginners, prayer is like a
fire of joy, fanning out from the heart; but for the perfect it is like a
fragrant light active within him. Or again: prayer is the preaching of the
Apostles, the action of faith, better yet it is spontaneous faith, the foundation
of hope, the revival of love, an Angelic movement, the strength of the
Incorporeal ones, their work and their joy, the Gospel of God, the heart's
summons, the hope of salvation, the sign of sanctification, the symbol of
sanctity, knowledge of God, the revelation of Baptism, the cleansing in the
laver of regeneration, the betrothal of the Holy Spirit, the rejoicing of
Jesus, the joy of the soul, the mercy of God, the sign of reconciliation, the
seal of Christ, a ray of the noetic sun, hearts' day-break, the confirmation of
Christianity, evidence of reconciliation with God, the grace of God, the wisdom
of God, or better yet the beginning of self-wisdom, the matrix of God, the work
of the monks, the habitation of the hesychasts, the reason for quiet, a sign of
the Angelic life. But why speak much? Prayer is God working all things within
everyone, for one is the activity of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, which works all things in Christ Jesus - St. Gregory of Sinai.
Praying is great! The holy
Apostles refused to serve their neighbours in their bodily necessities for the
sake of prayer and the ministry of the Word. It is not reason, they said, that
we should leave the word of God, and serve tables ... We will give ourselves
continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word (Acts 6:2-4), that is, to
converse with God in prayer and to converse about God with their neighbours,
telling them of the Tri-hypostatic God and the incarnate God the Word - St. Ignatius
Brianchaninov.
What human condition can be
higher, or can be compared with the state of the man who, through prayer, is
permitted to converse with the King of kings, with the God of gods, with the
Creator, with the Almighty Master of all things visible and invisible, or
material and spiritual creation? - Ibid.
All things,
whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive (Matthew
21:22).
What things soever
ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them (Mark 11:24).
1. Faith and
Constancy
Men ought always
to pray and not to faint (Luke 18:1).
Continuing instant
in prayer (Romans 12:12).
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING in
praying, and that which one should be most concerned about, is a living,
evident faith in the Lord; represent Him vividly before yourself and within
yourself, and then whatever you ask for Christ Jesus’ sake in the Holy Spirit
will be bestowed upon you. Ask simply without any doubts, and then God will be
everything for you, creating great and wondrous things in the space of a
moment, just as the sign of the Cross effects great powers - St. John of Kronstadt.
Ask for that which is worthy of
God, and do not cease beseeching, until you receive it. In this regard, the
Lord spoke the parable about the man who received bread from his friend at
midnight through his persistence (Luke 11:15) - St. Basil the Great.
Therefore beseech the Lord
persistently concerning all those things that pertain to your salvation and to
the achievement of good, and assuredly you will receive them. But at the same
time, you must be aware that on your side you must also do everything within
your power: cry out to God for help, that He might be a helper for you. For if,
due to his inconstancy, anyone surrenders himself to lusts (those things
contrary to the commandments), then God does not help him and does not hear his
prayers, because he has already made himself alien to God through sin - Ibid.
Whether you receive what you ask
for, or whether you do not receive it, abide in prayer. And be grateful not
only when you receive, but also when you do not receive. For not to receive,
when God desires that, is no less a good thing than to receive. For we know not
what is to our profit, as God knows. This is why both receiving and not
receiving should be considered equal blessings, and we must thank God both for
the one and for the other - St. John Chrysostom.
Do not say, after spending a long
time at prayer, that nothing has been gained: for you have already gained
something by spending time at prayer. And what higher good is there for a man
to cling to the Lord and persevere in unceasing union with Him? - St. John Climacus
With regard to the fulfilment of
those things which you ask of God in prayer, you must believe that it is as
easy for the Lord to fulfil your every word, and in fact incomparably more
easy, as it is for you to pronounce the words; and if there is a word there is
a deed, for the Lord has no words without deeds, for, according to His word
(Esaias 55:11), His words do not return to Him void. Constantly remember in
prayer, that God is Being - all things are from Him: a thought about anything,
a word about anything, an action, everything - because He is the most wise,
almighty and all-good - St. John of Kronstadt.
However many times have I prayed
with faith, God has always heard me, and has fulfilled my prayer - Ibid.
Sometimes, at the time of prayer,
there are moments of deadening darkness and oppression of heart, which come
from lack of faith (lack of faith is a darkening). Do not lose heart during
these moments, but remember that although the Divine light has been cut off
from you, yet it shines in God in all its radiance and greatness; it shines in
the Church of God, both heavenly and earthly, and in the material world, in
which His Ever-Existing Power and Divinity are manifest (Romans 1:20) - Ibid.
What things soever ye desire,
when ye pray, believe that ye shall receive them, and ye shall have them (Mark
11:24), the Lord proclaims. Therefore, leaving aside every doubt and
double-mindedness, remain in unceasing prayers before the Lord, Who commands us
always to pray and not to faint (Mark 11:24), that is not to be cast down on
account of the constriction of prayer, which, especially at the beginning, is
distressing, unbearable for the mind which is used to wandering everywhere - St.
Ignatius Brianchaninov.
Prayer, being converse with God,
is itself the highest good; indeed so great is it that a man might pray, and
the Merciful God does not fulfil his prayer but leaves the petition at his
prayer, so that he should not lose that, that he should not be deprived of this
higher blessing [i.e. praying itself] when to receive the blessing he asked for
would be incomparably a lesser thing - Ibid.
We often ask God for what is
harmful to us, and for that which is contrary to His holy will. People who ask
God to deliver them from their cross, from affliction, illness and other
distresses, without realizing that it is incomparably more beneficial for them
to be in a state of misfortune rather than in one of good fortune, are just
like small children who go and ask their mothers to excuse them from bathing,
which is very wholesome for them. The physician knows what is dangerous and
what is profitable for his patient, but often the patient will ask the
physician to give him ice instead of medicine, but a discerning physician will
not do so. Before God we are all like patients, like children, not knowing what
is to our benefit, and we often ask for that which could bring us spiritual
death; this God, being a Kind-hearted Father and the One Who takes good care of
us, does not desire, and therefore He does not wish to grant what is asked by
His sons: a stone instead of bread, a serpent instead of fish, a scorpion
instead of an egg (Luke 11:11). It is for this reason that, when asking for
temporal blessings, we should ask thus: "O Lord, if it please Thy holy
will and is profitable for me, grant my petition, and if not, may Thy will be
done." The Son of God gave us an example of this, when, before His
voluntary Passion, He prayed to His Heavenly Father thus: O My Father, if it be
possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou
wilt (Matt. 26:39). - St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.
The loquacity (Matt. 6:7-8) which
the Lord condemns in the prayers of the pagans, consists in the multitude of
petitions for temporal blessings, such as fill the prayers of the pagans, in
the oratorical mode of expression in which their petitions are couched (this,
according to the interpretation of the Blessed Theophylactos of Bulgaria), in a
certain rhetorical adornment, in the physical sonority and power of the sounds,
all of which have the same effect upon God as they can have on the hearing and
the nerves of us, men of flesh. In condemning this loquacity, the Lord does not
condemn continuance in prayer, as some of the heretics contend. He Himself
blessed continuance in prayer, Himself abiding long in prayer. He continued all
night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12), as the Gospel tells us of the Lord - St. Ignatius
Brianchaninov.
Hasten to prayer, O soul
thirsting for salvation, hasten to follow the Saviour, accompanied by the
limitless number of His disciples. Call after Him in prayer like the woman of
Canaan (Matt. 15:22); do not be embittered if for a long time He pays no attention;
with good heart and with humility bear the afflictions and the humiliations,
that He sends you in prayer's way. To succeed in unceasing prayer, the help
that temptation affords is necessary. According to your faith, for your
humility, for your persistence in prayer, He will grant you the comfort of the
healing of the daughter demonized by the actions of the passion, that is, the
healing of your thoughts and feelings, converting them from passionate ones to
passionless ones, from sinful ones into holy ones, from carnal ones into
spiritual ones. Amen. - Ibid.
2. Reverent
Attention
Watch [keep vigil]
and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. (Matt. 26:41).
I will pray with
the understanding. (1 Cor. 14:15).
Watch unto prayer.
(1 Peter 4:7).
He who prays attentively scorches
the demons, but he who prays absent-mindedly is mocked by them - St. Ephraim
the Syrian.
Let us love reverence: let them
scoff at us, let them give us blows, we will not abandon it. For it is a
treasury, filled with good things. It inclines God to regard the one who has
chosen it, according to the scripture: Upon whom shall I look? Even upon him
that is meek, and quiet and trembleth at My words (Es. 66:2). And blessed is he
who disdains everything for the sake of reverence - Ibid.
How can one achieve the state of
not being distracted? Without any doubt by being convinced that God is before
our very eyes. If someone sees his superior or boss before him and engages him
in conversation, he does not turn his attention away from him; so much the more
so is it with him who prays to God (with manifest conviction); He will possess
his mind, without inclining away from the One Who Searches the heart and inward
parts, thus fulfilling the scripture: lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dispersion
(1 Tim. 2:8) - St. Basil the Great.
Is it possible to achieve
undistractedness all the time and at every time, and how can one achieve this?
That this is possible is shown by him who said: Mine eyes are ever toward the
Lord (Ps. 24:15), and: [beheld the Lord ever before me, for He is at my right
hand, that I might not be shaken (Ps. 15:8). And how this, which is spoken of
above, is possible is precisely thus: that to achieve it one not grant the soul
time to be empty of thoughts of God and of the Divine acts and gifts, nor to
refrain from confessing and giving thanks for all - Ibid.
Before all else, we must by every
means hold fast the thoughts, and establish over them the mind's attentive
supervision, so as not to permit the soul to give itself over to the
unrestrained urges of the body's inclinations. Just as physical sight is in the
eye, so the eye of the soul is in its own innate mind - Ibid.
Since we are human beings, it is
not in our nature to pursue birds through the air or to fly as they do.
Similarly, without watchful and frequent prayer we cannot prevail over
bodiless, demonic thoughts, or fix the eye of the intellect fully and intently upon
God. Without such prayer, we merely hunt after earthly things - St. Hesychius
the Presbyter.
As long as a man lives, he has
need of attentiveness, carefulness and vigilance in order to safeguard his
treasury. And one must not only work for this temporarily until one sees some
fruit; but it is essential to labour until one's very end. For not infrequently
the fruit which was perceived perishes in a sudden storm - St. Isaac the
Syrian.
But when your mind is distracted,
rather than prayer occupy yourself with reading. But not every writing is
profitable. If possible, preface your standing [in prayer] with reading, for
reading is a source of pure prayer - Ibid.
Continuous watchfulness along
with reading, accompanied by frequent prostrations, will not be slow to
vouchsafe the zealous the blessing of spiritual prosperity (which is sweetness
of heart) - Ibid.
The soul of prayer is attention.
As a body without a soul is dead, so is prayer without attention dead. Without
attention the prayer that is offered becomes empty words, and he who prays thus
is numbered among those who take the name of the Lord in vain (Proverbs 30:9) -
St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
Pronounce the words of the prayer
unhurriedly; do not permit the mind to wander everywhere but enclose it in the
words of the prayer. For the mind, which is inclined to wander freely about the
universe, this path is narrow and afflicted, but it is the path to
attentiveness. Who tastes the great blessing of attentiveness, will love to
confine his mind to the path with leads to blessed attentiveness - Ibid.
At the time of prayer, struggle
to make your mind deaf and dumb, and you will possess the possibility of
praying (as you should) - St. Nilus of Sora.
The whole unremitting warfare
waged between us and the unclean demons consists in nothing else but in
spiritual prayer: for it greatly fights against them and without let, and
towards us it is saving and favourable - Ibid.
If you really wish to cover your
evil thoughts with shame, to be still and calm and watch over your heart
without hindrance, let the Jesus Prayer cleave to your breath, and in a few
days you will find that this is possible - St. Hesychius the Presbyter.
Letters cannot be written on air;
they have to be inscribed on some material if they are to have any permanence.
Similarly, we should weld our hard-won watchfulness to the Jesus prayer, so
that this watchfulness may always be attached to Him and may through Him remain
with us for ever - Ibid.
Attentiveness is the heart’s
stillness, unbroken by any thought. In this stillness the heart breathes and
invokes, endlessly and without ceasing, only Jesus Christ, Who is the Son of
God and Himself God. It confesses Him, Who alone has power to forgive our sins,
and with His aid it courageously faces its enemies Through this invocation
enfolded continually in Christ, Who secretly divines all hearts, my soul does
everything it can to keep its sweetness and its inner struggle hidden from men,
so that the devil, coming upon it surreptitiously, does not lead it into evil
and destroy its precious work - Ibid.
The intellect cannot conquer a
demonic fantasy by its own unaided powers, and should never attempt to do so.
The demons are a sly lot: they pretend to be overcome and then trip us up, by
filling us with self-esteem. But when we call upon Jesus Christ, they do not
dare to play their tricks with us even for a second - Ibid.
Be watchful as you travel each
day the narrow but joyous and sweet road of the mind, keeping your attention
humbly in your heart, reproaching yourself, ready to rebut your thoughts,
thinking of your death and invoking Jesus Christ. You will then attain a vision
of the Holy of Holies and be illumined by Christ with deep mysteries. For in
Christ "the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are hidden (Col. 2:3),
and in Him "the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily" (Col. 2:9) - Ibid.
Watchfulness and the Jesus
prayer, as I have said, mutually reinforce one another; for close attentiveness
goes with constant prayer, while prayer goes with close watchfulness and
attentiveness - Ibid.
3. On the Prayer
of Jesus
Praying at every
time... in the Spirit (Eph. 6:18).
Whatsoever ye
shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you (John 16:23).
I will pray with
spirit, and I will pray with understanding also (1 Cor. 14:15).
Properly speaking, the holy
Fathers call the prayer, which goes thus: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have
mercy on me the sinner, the Prayer of Jesus. Saint John Climacus says of the
hesychasts, that "one of them chants, and devotes the greater part of his
time to this chanting, and the others continue in prayer." By chanting
here, we must understand the prayerful recitation of the psalms [for in those
days they did not have the other forms of prayer used now], and by prayer we
must understand the prayer of Jesus. [This practice is continued to this day in
the reading of the kathismata in church - ed.] The Prayer of Jesus comes
in two forms, oral and mental. The ascetic changes from oral prayer to mental
prayer according to the circumstance, when oral prayer is attentive. The
essential requirements for this prayer are: attention, holding the mind within
the words of the prayer, being extremely unhurried in pronouncing it and
contrition of spirit. Although these things are necessary for every prayer,
they are more easily safeguarded and are more necessary in the practice of the
Prayer of Jesus. In the Prayer of Jesus, the mind is concentrated on one
thought: the thought of the sinner being forgiven by Jesus. This activity
appears to be the driest of all, but practice therein will desires to behold
Divine visions and is not able to see them, conjures up visions from within for
itself, and is deluded by them and puffed up; so too the heart emboldened to
taste of Divine sweetness and other Divine feelings, and not finding these
within itself, conjures them up for itself and deceives itself with them, is
elated, deluded, and ruins itself, moving into the domain of falsehood, into
contact with demons and falling under their influence, being enslaved to their
authority - Ibid.
Nothing will so instruct him who
has the zeal to pray as the practice of prayer itself. The labour of praying
itself, practised with patience, will lead him to the very highest degrees of
prayer - St. Theophan the Recluse.
But what are the weak and
indolent people to do, and especially those who, before they have understood
the true nature of prayer, have become hardened by outward routine, and cooled
by their formal reading of the appointed prayers? As a refuge and source of
strength they can still use the art of mental prayer, of prayer to the Lord.
And is it not chiefly for them that the art of the activity, or rather,
technique was introduced, so as to bring the mental prayer of Jesus into their
hearts? - Ibid.
THE PRECEPTS of the Fathers who
loved the Good, who were practisers of mental prayer, indicate that for a
period physical techniques are useful, but the essence of the matter does not
lie with these techniques. They dedicate all their attention to giving guidance
towards best achieving the action of mental prayer, or rather that the mind
might stand before the Lord in the heart, which is indeed the essence of the
matter. It would not be contrary to the meaning of what they have written
before to say that, however you wish to position yourself, hasten on to the
achievement of this latter end. So we suggest to you those positions which they
used to practice, and from them you will receive profit. There are, however,
among these physical actions, some that as it were support mental prayer, and
one should never abandon these. It is absolutely necessary that one establish
the attention in the heart, it is absolutely necessary that the body is
restrained by a conscious effort of the mind, and that attention is not dissipated
and distracted by the outward impressions of the feelings. These conditions, in
whatever way you wish and can, you must fulfil. A dark and solitary place is
necessary to cut out outer distractions; but if you are able to distance
yourself from these impression even in the midst of a crowd, stay as you wish.
To sit on a low stool, to control the breathing, to be pained in the shoulders,
neck and chest, they advise so that there is a conscious control of the body;
but if you can achieve this in some other way, or can effect it by a conscious
mental effort, do as seems best to you, only do not allow the members of the
body to be uncontrolled. Establishing the mind in the heart by way of breathing
is advised for the case when you do not know where to establish the attention,
or where the heart is; but if without all this, you know how to find the heart,
act as you know how, only be established in the heart. We are told to call upon
the Lord with these words, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me; but
you may change these words or shorten them, or replace them by others, or even
wordlessly stand with the mind before the Lord; for the power is not in the
words, but in the disposition of the mind and heart. Be aware, however, that
you must not disregard what has been said about bodily position. For each
person it is necessary to somehow position their body, and if, as experience
has shown, such and such a position is very conducive to the doing of mental
prayer and to its achievement, then what need is there of ignoring it or
inventing something new? The more so is this the case because for the
achievement of progress in prayer, these [techniques] are themselves discarded
at certain stages, just as one takes away scaffolding when a house is built - St.
Theophan the Recluse.
This teaching of the Fathers has
created and continues to create many perplexities for its readers, although in
fact there is nothing difficult about it. We advise our beloved brethren not to
try to practise this mechanical technique unless it establishes itself of them
of its own accord. Many who have attempted to learn it by practical experience
have damaged their lungs and achieved nothing. The essential thing is for the
mind to unite with the heart at prayer, and this is accomplished by Divine
Grace in its own time, determined by God. The mechanical method described is
fully replaced by an unhurried repetition of the prayer, a brief pause after
each prayer, quiet and steady breathing, and enclosing the mind in the words of
the prayer. With the aid of such means we can easily achieve a certain degree
of attention. Before long the heart begins to be in sympathy with the attention
of the mind as it prays. Little by little the sympathy of the heart with the
mind begins to change into a union of mind and heart; and then the mechanical
method suggested by the Fathers will appear of itself - Ibid.
Prayer is the first thing. What
we chiefly seek in prayer is the reception of a small spark, such as was given
to Maximos of Kapsokalyvia. This spark is not to be attracted by any artifice,
but is freely given by the Grace of God. For this the unwearied effort of
prayer is necessary, as Saint Macarius writes: "If you wish to acquire
true prayer, persevere steadfastly in praying, and God, seeing how strenuously
you seek prayer, will give it to you" - Ibid.
The Prayer of Jesus, made with
faith in simplicity of heart is always profitable for the soul. Artifice, which
can be united to it, can show itself to be injurious - Ibid.
Now we do not know how to
practice the Prayer of Jesus. We have completely forgotten the essential thing
about it. Therefore it happens that someone merely stops at the words,
repeating over and over, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, but without
any thought or feeling. But the essence of this prayer is simply - to stand
with the mind in the heart before God and to cry out: Jesus Christ, Son of God,
have mercy on me, the sinner. Merciful God, have mercy on me, the sinner. Or
other such words. Its power is absolutely not in the words but in the thoughts
and feelings - Ibid.
When we do this prayer without
abstaining from those sins and sinful inclinations, of which our conscience
accuses us, then this can bring about inside a deep disorder, which dispels all
peacefulness of heart. From this we can become disturbed in the head, and our
understanding can be confused and perturbed - Ibid.
Revelation of thoughts is always
beneficial; to read books is also good; and on occasion this can restore one's
senses, but there, in the Philokalia, a general instruction is written, and in
particular instances it is better to seek elucidation from a living master of
the work - Ibid.
When reading the Fathers one must
not lose sight of the fact that the measure which beginners achieved in their
times is the measure that in our times the accomplished achieve - St. Ignatius
Brianchaninov.
4. Purity of Heart
I entreated Thy
countenance with my whole heart - Ps. 118:58.
Therefore hath thy
servant found it in his heart to pray this prayer unto Thee - 2 Kings 7:27.
My prayer is pure -
Job 16:17.
WE SHOULD watch over our heart
with all vigilance (Proverbs 4:23), not only to avoid ever losing the thought
of God or sullying the memory of His wonders by vain imaginations, but also in
order to carry about the holy thought of God stamped upon our souls as an
ineffaceable seal by continuous and pure recollection. In this way we shall
excel in the love of God, which at the same time animates us to observe the
Lord's commandments, and by this, in turn, love itself will be lastingly and
indestructibly preserved - St. Basil the Great.
We are by nature desirous of the
beautiful... What is more admirable than Divine Beauty? What desire of the soul
is so poignant and so intolerably keen as that desire implanted by God in a
soul purified from all vice and affirming with sincerity, I languish with love
(Song of Songs 2:5) - Ibid.
By nature we possess love and a
good disposition towards our benefactors, and are ready to undergo any hardship
that we might make a return for what they have granted us. But what words can
fully describe the gifts of God? So many are they in number that they even defy
enumeration; so great and marvellous are they that even a single one of them
would claim for the Giver all our gratitude - Ibid.
Out of the depths have I cried
unto Thee, O Lord (Ps. 129:1). What does out of the depths mean? Not simply
from the lips, or off of the tongue, for words can pour forth without any
thought; but from the depths of the heart, with great sincerity and fervour,
from the very foundations of the soul. Such prayers have great power and force;
they are not dispersed and are unshaken even when the devil makes vicious
attacks. But the prayer that proceeds only from the lips and from the tongue
cannot even reach God without the heart's participation. Those who pray thus
make a sound with their mouths, but their heart is empty and their mind idle - St.
John Chrysostom.
From those who pray, God does not
demand beauty of speech or a clever construction of words, but rather
warm-heartedness and effort. If, with such a disposition, one pronounces those
things that please Him before Him, then from Him he will receive everything - Ibid.
We must pray not only with our
tongue, but with the heart: that is, prayer must proceed from the heart. For in
prayer we must express our heart’s desires to God, and for this to be so the
mind must reflect and the heart must possess that desire which the tongue and
the words express. Otherwise there is no prayer at all, only empty words - St.
Tikhon of Zadonsk.
This is marvellous and worthy of
wonder, something inaccessible to the proud and beyond speech for the lowly.
That which is inaccessible to every mind enters into the heart, and abides
therein. He Who is hidden from those who behold Him [i.e. the angelic powers]
abides in the heart. The earth cannot bear his steps, but the pure heart bears
Him within itself. The heavens are too confined for His span, and yet the heart
is His habitation. All creation is unable to contain Him within its confines,
but if the heart seeks Him, then even that little heart can contain Him. God
chooses that little place within man as His dwelling place, and man is made a
temple of God, in which God dwells and abides. The soul is His temple, and the
heart a holy altar, on which the sacrifice of praise and doxology is offered;
the priest, then, is the mind, which stands and offers the sacred rites there -
St. Ephraim the Syrian.
Bodily labours without purity of
mind are like a barren womb and dried-up breasts, because through them alone it
is impossible to approach the vision of God. They tire the body, but are unable
to root out the passions in the mind, and for this reason nothing is reaped - St.
Isaac the Syrian.
If you are pure, you will have
heaven within you; and within you will behold the Angels and their light, and
with them and in them you will behold the Master of the Angels Himself - Ibid.
How did the ascetics, our fathers
and teachers, inflame the spirit of prayer within themselves and confirm it?
The thing that they most sought after was to make their heart burn for the one
Lord unceasingly. God demands the heart, because therein are the streams of
life. Where the heart is, there is understanding, attention and mind; there is
the whole soul. When the heart is in God, then the whole soul is in God and it
sets man in the unrelenting worship of Him in spirit and in truth - St. Theophan
the Recluse.
One must needs pray, but not be
stained with defilement. You say: But what if I fall into transgression? Get
yourself clean! How? Weep, sob, give alms, be reconciled with those whom you
have offended, purify the tongue that you sin no more against God, that you not
hear the Lord say unto you, even if you multiply your supplication, I will not
hear you - St. John Chrysostom.
He who wants to appeal to God,
and receive what he desires, must abandon sins and through faith in Christ the
Son of God must reconcile himself with God. Fornication and every impurity,
rapine, theft, enmity, anger, love of money, extortion, slander, swearing,
cursing, drunkenness, lying, flattery, slyness and other sins like these close
the doors to prayer, as long as a person remains in them. Let him who wishes to
call upon the name of the Lord, abandon all this – St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.
Those who wish to pray in truth
should not only control their anger and lust, but they must distance themselves
from every passionate thought – St. Nilus of Sinai.
A man who is bound cannot run,
and a mind enslaved to any passion cannot behold the place of spiritual prayer;
it is constantly caught and drawn hither and thither by passionate thoughts and
has no steadiness - Ibid.
From constant guarding of the
heart purity is born in it, purity in which the Lord is beheld, according to
the assurance of Eternal Truth: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall
see God (Matt. 5:8) - St. Seraphim of Sarov.
Your soul's vesture must shine
with the whiteness of simplicity. Nothing there must be complex! Evil thoughts
and feelings of vainglory, hypocrisy, pretence, man-pleasing, haughtiness,
sensuality, these dark and stinking stains, which besprinkled the spiritual
vesture of the Pharisees when praying, must not be found there - St. Ignatius
Brianchaninov.
5. Fasting
When they had
fasted and prayed they sent them away (Acts 13:3).
(Anna) served God
with fastings and prayers night and day (Luke 2:37).
THE CHIEF of the virtues is
prayer; their foundation is fasting. The combination of fasting and prayer is
wonderful! Prayer is powerless, if it is not rooted in fasting; and fasting is
fruitless, if prayer is not built upon it - St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
The table of a man who
continually perseveres in prayer is sweeter than the scent of musk and the
fragrance of perfumes, and the lover of God yearns for this as for a priceless
treasure. Take for yourself the remedy of life from the table of those who fast,
keep vigil, and labour in the Lord, and so raise up the dead man in your soul.
For the Beloved reclines in their midst bestowing sanctification and He
transforms the bitterness of their hardship into His ineffable sweetness. His
spiritual and heavenly ministers overshadow both them and their lowly foods. I
know one of the brethren who has seen this with his own eyes - St. Isaac the
Syrian.
The man who during his whole life
loves the conversation of these yoke-mates, fasting and vigil, is a friend of
chastity. Just as the satisfaction of the belly is the source of all evils, and
as the slackness of sleep kindles the lust of fornication, so fasting, vigil,
and wakefulness in God’s service by withstanding the sweetness of sleep through
crucifying the body throughout the day and night, are God’s holy pathway and
the foundation of every virtue - Ibid.
As the desire for light is
natural to healthy eyes, so the desire for prayer is natural to the fasting
which is observed according to reason - Ibid.
Be on your guard, moreover, not
to exhaust your body completely, lest lethargy gain strength against you, and
you chill your soul to the savour of her work. It behoves every man to weigh
his discipline as though on scales. At a time when you have taken your fill, be
on guard for a while against being free with yourself - Ibid.
The fast does not bring the
benefits that it should: In the day of your fast, says the Lord, ye do your
will (Es.58:3), that is, your evil thoughts, and you offer them as whole-burnt
offerings to the idols, that is to the passions, which you recognise as if they
were gods, and you offer them the sacrifice of your freewill, which is more
precious than any smoke [of sacrifice], and which should be dedicated to Me,
through your good deeds and the purity of your conscience - Ibid.
The foundation of every good
thing is contained in the two following practices: to collect yourself in
solitude and always to fast, that is, wisely and reasonably to establish for
yourself a rule concerning restraint of the stomach, to remain in one place
without going about, and constantly to have one's attention in thoughts of God.
From this comes a humbling of the feelings, from it comes soberness of the
mind, from it a taming of the wild passions which rise up in the body, from it
comes illuminated movement of the thoughts, diligence regarding the practice of
the virtues, remembrance of death; from it man's true freedom - Ibid.
At the very outset the devil
exerts himself to impede the continuous prayer of the heart; and then he
incites grumbling against the established times of prayer and against the rule
which one has to fulfil physically. And in this way, at the outset thought is
surrendered perhaps to the weakness of partaking of a little food before the
time, or some other inconsequential and slight thing... and then, one after
another, other things will rise up within - Ibid.
If, through self-will, we exhaust
our body, so that the soul becomes exhausted as well, such aggravation is
senseless, even if it is undertaken in order to achieve some virtue - St. Seraphim
of Sarov.
Unreasonable fasting is as
harmful or even more harmful than intemperance itself. The enfeeblement of the
body, which ensues from lack of nourishment, prevents one from completing one's
prayers in the required quality and with the required strength - St. Ignatius
Brianchaninov.
6. Tears
He had offered up
prayers and supplications with ... tears (Heb. 5:7).
What is the sign that purity has
begun to appear in the heart? When a man is deemed worthy to receive the gift
of abundant tears which come over him without effort. For tears are established
for the mind as a kind of boundary between what is bodily and what is
spiritual, and between passionateness and purity. Until a man receives this
gift, the activity of his work is still in the outer man and he has not yet at
all perceived the activity of the hidden things of the spiritual man - St.
Isaac the Syrian.
Tears during prayer are a sign
that the soul has been deemed worthy of God's mercy in her repentance, and that
her repentance has been accepted, and through her tears the soul has begun to
enter into the plain of limpid purity - Ibid.
When during the time of the
service (the prayer rule), you are granted the gift of the sweetness of tears,
do not call it slackness in prayer, because the grace of tears is the fullness
of prayer - Ibid.
There are tears that burn and
there are tears that anoint as if with oil. All tears that flow out of
contrition and anguish of heart on account of sins dry up and burn the body. At
first a man must necessarily come to this order of tears and through them a
door is opened unto him to enter into the second order, which is superior to
the first; this is the realm wherein a man receives mercy. These are the tears
that are shed because of insight; they make the body comely and anoint it as if
with oil, and they pour forth by themselves without compulsion - Ibid.
The saints continued in weeping.
If the saints wept, and if, until they were translated from this life, their
eyes were always full of tears, then who would not weep? If those who were
perfect and victorious wept here, then how can those who are covered in sores
cease from weeping? He who has a corpse lying before him, or he who realizes
that he is dead in sin, can one think that such an one needs to be taught how
to use his tears? Your soul, which is more precious to you than the whole
world, is dead in sin, and it lies before you; does this fact not necessitate
your weeping? Because if we obtain this blessing [weeping], with its help we
shall achieve purity. He who weeps cannot be disturbed by the passions - Ibid.
The beginning of a good life is
tears during prayer. Tears during prayer are a great gift. Pray to God, pouring
out tears before His grace, then your prayer will be as incense (Ps. 140)
before Him - St. Ephraim the Syrian.
Water hoses are put into action
when there is a fire, and tears during temptation. Water douses the flames, and
tears during prayer douse evil desires - Ibid.
Use tears, as a tool to receive
your every petition. For the Master rejoices when you pray with tears - St.
Nilus of Sinai.
When during prayer you are
shedding a fountain of tears, in no way become conceited as if you were higher
than others. Your prayer has vouchsafed you this aid, so that you could more
readily and sincerely confess your sins and with your tears propitiate the
Master. But don't turn your weapon against the passions into a passion, lest
you further anger Him Who gave this gift (i.e. tears) to you - Ibid.
From the outpouring of tears for
their sins, many, who forget the purpose of this, become filled with fury and
are deflected (from the right way: which does not mean they become mad, but
that they become extremely puffed up with pride) - Ibid.
The Holy Fathers conjoin all the
work of the monk, all his life, with weeping. What does a monk's weeping mean?
It is his prayer. The Holy Spirit, when He abides in a man, maketh intercession
for us with groaning which cannot be uttered. If, when He abides in us, the
Holy Spirit mourns concerning us, then all the more, before we receive this
All-holy Stranger within, we should weep for ourselves. Weeping should be an
inalienable characteristic of our prayer, its constant and inseparable
companion and facilitator, its very soul - St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
He who combines weeping with
prayer struggles according to the precepts of God Himself; he struggles
properly, lawfully. When the time comes, he will reap an abundant harvest: the
joy of salvation assured. Those who deprive their prayer of weeping labour in
opposition to the commandments of God; they will not reap such a harvest.
Furthermore, they will harvest the tares of self-opinion, self-delusion and
destruction - Ibid.
The heart of those who pour forth
tears of tenderness is illuminated with the rays of the Son of righteousness,
Christ God - St. Seraphim of Sarov.
7. Humility and
Meekness
They will raise up
their humble supplication before the face of the Lord (Jeremias 36:7)
Learn of Me, for I
am meek and lowly in heart (Matt 11:29)
ALL you who are beginning to
serve the Lord in prayer, learn to be like Him, meek, humble and of a sincere
heart - St. John of Kronstadt.
O GOD, be merciful unto me, the
publican cried out, and he left the Temple more justified than the Pharisee
(see Luke 8:13). So it was that the words were manifest as higher than deeds,
and what he said surpassed his actions. One showed off his righteousness,
fasting, tithing, and the other said words, without any deeds, and was granted
forgiveness of all his sins. Why is it thus? Because God was not only listening
to the words, but was the more paying attention to the feeling with which they
were pronounced, and finding him broken-hearted and humble, He had mercy and
showed him His wonted love for man. I say this, not that we should sin, but
that we should be humble-minded - St. John Chrysostom.
HOW does one incline the mercy of
God? This is how: Establish prayer in your heart, and add humility and meekness
thereunto. For the Lord says: Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly of heart,
and ye shall find rest for your souls (Matt. 11:29). And David chants: A
sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God
will not despise (Ps. 50:17). The Lord loves nothing so much as a meek and
humble soul - Ibid.
DO NOT SAY: I am sinful, and have
no boldness, and do not dare to pray. He has boldness, who thinks that he has
no boldness; and on the contrary, he who thinks that he has boldness, like the
Pharisee, loses power on account of his boldness. He who considers himself to
be rejected and without boldness, the same, like the Publican, will be best
heard - Ibid.
REPENTANCE is that which, when
completed by the prayer of contrition, brings the unremitting supplication for
the forgiveness of that which is past and concern to be safeguarded in the
future close to God. For this reason the Lord showed support for our weakness
to be in prayer, saying: Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation
(Matt. 26:41). Because the Lord knows, that even unto death He will not deprive
us of the freedom to turn away from virtue to vice, He has given us the precept
of being diligent and struggling always in prayer - St. Isaac the Syrian.
IT IS NOT deeds that open the
doors of the locked heart, but rather that the heart is broken and the soul
humble, when one conquers the passions by humility - Ibid.
ONE of the Saints wrote: "If
one does not consider himself a sinner, his prayer will not be accepted by the
Lord" - Ibid.
WHEN YOU STAND before God in
prayer; in your thoughts make yourself like an ant, like a dumb child. Before
God, do not speak things from your own learning, but as it were with the
thoughts of an infant draw near to Him, and walk before Him so that He vouchsafes
you His fatherly providence, such as fathers have for their own children, for
it is written: The Lord preserveth the infants - Ibid.
DO YOU DESIRE to master prayer to
God? Then make mercy your own in the heart, which is commanded us that we might
imitate the Heavenly Father and achieve the perfection of grace. Force your
heart toward mercy and goodness; submerge all your soul and clothe it in these
characteristics, until you experience within yourself love of man, like unto
that of Him, Who makes His sun shine on the evil and on the good, and sendeth
rain on the just and on the unjust (Matt. 5:45) - St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
WHEN, from the heart, you forgive
all your neighbours their sins: then all your own sins will be revealed unto
you. You will observe, how greatly you are in need of the kind-heartedness of
God, how much all mankind needs it: you will weep before God for yourself and
for mankind - Ibid.
WITH AFFLICTION of heart abide in
communication, and with the labour of prayer and with the disposition of the
heart, and through your supplications a fountain of mercy will be opened up
unto you - St. Isaac the Syrian.
MAY you always have a care for
the preponderance of mercies. A cruel and unmerciful heart is never cleansed. A
merciful man is the physician of his own soul, because like a strong wind he
blows the dark passions out of himself - Ibid.
NOTHING can bring the heart close
to God as does mercy, and nothing leads to such quiet in the soul as voluntary
poverty - Ibid.
IF YOU are clothed in all
meekness and freedom from anger, you will not have much trouble in loosing your
mind from captivity - The Ladder of St. John Climacus.
WHEN SOMEONE goes with a peaceful
disposition, he scoops up spiritual gifts as if with a spoon - St. Seraphim of
Sarov.
WHEN A MAN strives to possess
within a humble heart and a mind not puffed up but rather peaceful, then all
the enemy's machinations are ineffectual; for where there is peace of mind,
there the Lord God Himself abides: His place hath been made in peace (Ps. 75:2)
- Ibid.
WHATEVER you do to avenge a
brother, who has wronged you, it will all be a temptation for you (and will
disturb you) at the time of prayer - St. Nilus of Sinai.
PRAYER is the manifestation (the
issuance, the breaking through) of joy and thanksgiving - Ibid.
THOSE WHO collected to themselves
the sorrows (of this age) and thoughts of evil memories, and persist in prayer
(with this disposition) are like those who draw water and pour it into a cask
with holes in it - Ibid.
III. THE OUTER
ACTION OF PRAYER
Therefore glorify
God (in prayer) in your body, and in your spirit (1 Cor. 6:20).
I will therefore
that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands (1 Tim. 2:8).
1. The Connection
between Outer and Inner Prayer
DOES NOT inward prayer alone
suffice without the outward? This question is as if one should ask, whether the
soul alone might suffice for man without the body! It is idle to ask this,
seeing that God has been pleased to make man consist of soul and body; likewise
it is idle to ask, whether inward prayer alone may not suffice without outward.
Since we have both soul and body, we ought to glorify God in our bodies, and in
our souls, which are God's, and this is only natural, that out of the abundance
of the heart, the mouth should speak. Our Lord Jesus Christ was spiritual in
the highest degree, but even He expressed His spiritual prayer both by words
and by devout gestures of the body: sometimes, for instance, lifting up His
eyes to heaven, sometimes kneeling, or falling on His face to the ground. See I
Cor 6:20; Matthew 12:34; John 17:1: Luke 22:41; Matt. 26:39 - Catechism
of St. Philaret of Moscow.
THE BODY, which has itself
struggled in prayer, will on the day of Resurrection be taken up into the air,
and without any shame will look upon its Lord; with Him it will enter into the
bridal chamber of light, there to delight with Angels and with those men who
have also struggled in vigil and in prayer - St. Ephraim the Syrian.
FROM a certain Elder; I heard:
"Every prayer, in which the body did not struggle and for which the heart
was not afflicted, can be considered to be the same as the aborted fruit of the
womb, because such prayer has no soul in itself" - St. Isaac the Syrian.
IF WE are alone at the time of
standing (i.e. the appointed hour of prayer), then interiorly, in our soul
itself, let us imprint the image of one who prays. And if the ministers of
praise are not with us, then outwardly, with the body we should take up a
prayerful disposition, for with the imperfect, the mind often conforms (models
itself) on the disposition of the body - The Ladder of St John Climacus.
MAN LOOKETH upon the outward
appearance, but God looketh upon the heart (I Kings [1 Samuel] 16:7); but in
man the disposition of the heart largely corresponds with the expression on his
face, his looks. That is why we should maintain the most reverent disposition
of the body during prayer. Stand, like one condemned, with your head bowed, not
daring to look up to heaven, with your hands hanging down or clasped behind you
- [this is a practice which is not approved of in Russian churches today, as it
can appear too casual - ed.] - as if they were bound with thongs, just as those
who are apprehended at the very site of their crime are bound. Let the sound of
your voice be the pitiful sound of weeping, the moaning of the man who has been
mortally wounded with a weapon, or is suffering some dreadful illness - St. Ignatius
Brianchaninov.
IN correct spiritual activity,
even the struggles of the body have an enormous significance, because
repentance and humility are expressed by the actions of the body. Behold my
lowliness and my toil, and forgive all my sins (Ps. 24:18). the holy David prayerfully
chants to God, combining his bodily labours with deep repentance and with
abject humble-mindedness in his pious struggles - Ibid.
ONE CAN PRAY standing, sitting,
waking, lying down, doing something with one's hands, on your own or in the
assembly [or always, in every place, and during all our activities, when eating
or drinking, or in God-pleasing conversations, we can lift up our hearts and
minds to God, we can bring our needs before Him with humility and faith, we can
beg of Him mercy and say the "Lord, have mercy" Thus Moses, in the
midst of a countless people, which he had led up from Egypt, when he saw them
in danger, cried out to God in his mind and his heart; and although it says
nothing in Scripture about the words of his prayer, yet God asked him:
Wherefore dost thou unto me? (Ex. 14:15). The pious king Hezekiah prayed, lying
on his bed, and God heard him. Jonas prayed in the belly of the sea-monster and
was heard by God. The Three Children prayed in the burning furnace and were
saved. For God does not regard external appearances and the disposition of the
body as such, but He has regard for the heart, for humility, faith and the
desires of the heart. For which reason it is written: The desire of the poor
(that is, the humble) hast Thou heard, O Lord; to the preparation of their
heart hath Thine ear been attentive (Ps. 9:37) - St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.
THE FOLLOWING external signs of
prayer are mentioned in the Holy Scriptures: the bowing of the knee (3 Kgs
8:54), the raising of the hands (Ex. 9:22), the lifting of the eyes to heaven
(John 1:41). But all these signs are completely useless, without an inner true
knowledge of God and striving, because God has regard for the heart, and not
outward appearances, and He hearkens not to the outer but to the inner voice - Ibid.
WHETHER you pray with the
brethren or alone, try to stand at prayer not only to fulfil the general rule,
but so that you can pray with feeling - St. Nilus of Sinai.
THEY OFTEN call prayer what is
not prayer at all. One goes to church, stands there, looks at the icons or at
the people, at their faces or their dress, and says: I prayed to God! One stood
at home before the icons, bowed one's head, pronounced the prescribed words
without any understanding or feeling, and says: I prayed to God, even though
with the thoughts and the heart one did not pray at all, but was as if in some
other place, with other people, and other things, but not with God - St. John
of Kronstadt.
2. Particular Prayerful
Activities
The Sign of the
Cross
Let us run with
patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, Who ... endured
the Cross, despising shame (Hebrews 12:1-2).
THE SIGN of the Cross, made with
faith by a movement of the hand or in any other way, is the same as the name of
Jesus Christ the Crucified pronounced with a movement of the mouth - The
Catechism of St Philaret of Moscow.
INSTEAD of a shield, defend
yourself with the sign of the Cross, sealing your members and the heart. Make
the sign of the Cross upon yourself not only with the hand but in every
activity impress it upon your thoughts, both in your coming in and your going
out, at every time, in sitting down, and in arising, upon your bed, and in
undertaking any service, before all else seal yourself (with the sign of the
Cross) in the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit - St.
Ephraim the Syrian.
NO ONE should be ashamed of the
honourable sign, the source of good, the means by which we live and have
existence; rather like a crown we should bear the cross of Christ. For all our
mysteries (sacraments) are effected thereby - St. John Chrysostom.
IT SAYS in the ancient Prologue:
"For many people are unaware of the fact that, when making the Cross, they
are simply waving about in front of their faces and labouring in vain because
they do not make the sign of the Cross properly over their persons, and the
demons rejoice observing them wave about thus. When one crosses himself
properly, he places his hand on his forehead and on the stomach, on the right
shoulder and on the left, and the Angels then rejoice seeing the Cross truly
signed upon these persons."
MAKING the sign of the Cross
carelessly can never be justified. For with the sign of the Cross we confess
our Faith in the crucified Lord Jesus Christ and we commemorate His passion
upon the Cross. For this reason, making the sign of the Cross is the Lord's
work, and in the Sacred Scriptures it is said: "Cursed is the man that
doeth the work of the Lord carelessly" (Jer. 48:10). One cannot confess
his Faith through incoherent, inattentive reading and mumbling. Then how can
one confess Christ's sufferings waving his hand about? Indeed, is it right that
we do this, that we make the Cross carelessly, and at the same time want to
demonstrate that we are confessing the Cross of Christ? Can slovenliness be
permitted in confessing the sufferings of Christ? We confess Christ's
sufferings and at the very same time are too lazy to raise our hand and
delineate the Cross of Christ properly!
THE SIGN of the Cross, made in
the accepted way, represents the whole essence of the Christian Faith: the
tri-unity of the Divine Being, the incarnation of the Son of God, and the
unconfused and indivisible union within Him of the two Natures, the Divine and
the human, His redemption of us from sin by the Cross, the gift to us in Christ
of the blessing and all the power necessary for life and piety, and of all the
good things that we beseech of God; for it is said: "He that spared not
His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things" (Romans 8:32). Wherefore with watch attention,
understanding and feeling we should make the sign of the Cross! - St. John of Kronstadt.
[The Three Persons of the Most
Holy Trinity are confessed by our holding the thumb, index finger and middle
finger of the right hand together at their tips, and the Two Natures of Christ
are confessed by our folding the ring and little finger into the palm, as we
make the sign of the Cross - ed.]
Standing in Prayer
'When ye stand
praying, forgive...' (Mark 11:25).
THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE of the
practice of praying while in a standing position is this: Jesus Christ said to
the disciples, "Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation" (Luke
22:46) - St. John of Kronstadt.
THE CUSTOM of standing signifies
that we stand before the King of kings as His servants, ready to fulfil His
will; the custom of sitting signifies the mercy of the Lord toward those His
servants who keep vigil and wait upon Him, the Lord, and it also reminds us of
the following words of His from the parable: 'Blessed are those servants, whom
the Lord when He cometh shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that He
will gird Himself and make them to sit down and will come forth and serve them'
(Luke 12:37). And from the word of God the basis of our making prostrations is
Jesus Christ, Who "kneeled down and prayed" (Luke 22:41) - St. John
of Kronstadt.
AS A BABY, Saint Nicolas remained
standing in the font for three hours to the glory of the All-Holy Trinity, and
yet grown men cannot stand to hear of God, with reverence and with attention,
for one hour in church. And if they do stand, they do it like insensitive
statues; they have ears but they do not listen to what is read or chanted, and
if they do happen to hear they pay no attention - St. Dimitri of Rostov.
Prostrations
(Jesus Christ)
kneeled down and prayed (Luke 22:41).
CONSTANT VIGIL together with
reading, and followed by frequent prostrations, will swiftly bring progress in
spiritual good things - (sweetness of the heart) - to the zealous - St. Isaac
the Syrian.
FROM MAKING PROSTRATIONS the body
will be somewhat relieved and warmed, and the heart will come to a state of
contrition; in such a condition the ascetic is able to pray more sincerely,
warmly and attentively. One will experience a completely different taste in
praying, when they are read after prostrations - St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
DO NOT be concerned about the
quantity of prostrations; all one's attention should be turned to the quality
of the prayer one is making with the prostrations. A small amount of
prostrations, done properly as described above, will have a better effect on the
body itself (to say nothing about the soul), than a large number done with
haste, without attention, and just for the sake of the number of them - Ibid.
TO EDIFY our beloved brethren, we
should not be silent about what follows:- prostrations, made for the sake of
their quantity, without the right frame of mind and without activity of the
heart, are more harmful than profitable - Ibid.
Veneration of
Icons
We worship Thine
immaculate icon, O Good One, asking the forgiveness of our failings...
(Troparion of the Sunday of Orthodoxy)
YOU LOOK upon the icon of the
Saviour and you see that He is looking upon you with the most luminous eyes, -
His gaze is an image of the fact that He is actually looking upon you with
those eyes of His which are clearer than the sun, and that He sees your every
thought, He hears the longings and sighings of your heart. An image [icon] is
just an image, but through its lines and symbols it represents that which
cannot be depicted or explained but only apprehended through faith. Then
believe that the Saviour is always regarding you and sees you all, with all
your thoughts, all your circumstances, your afflictions, sighings, as if they
were in the palm of His hand - St. John of Kronstadt.
EACH ONE of the brethren is
obliged daily to venerate the wonder-working icon or the sacred relics, which
are found in the monastery. This veneration must be done with three reverent
prostrations, accompanied by that heartfelt prayer that the saints help him to
complete his monastic journey to the glory of God and unto the salvation of his
soul - Ibid.
The Burning of the
Lamps
Let your lights be
burning (see Luke 12:35).
YOU LIGHT a candle before a holy
image, and you consider this some service before God. But what does your
service of lighting a candle before an icon mean, and how can it be pleasing to
God and His saints? It must be a visible sign of the spirit burning within you,
of your pious effort - St. Philaret of Moscow.
THE BURNING CANDLES on the Holy
Table represent the Uncreated Light of the Trinity (for the Lord dwells in
Light unapproachable) and the fire of the Divinity which consumes our
iniquities and sins; the candles in front of the icons of the Saviour signify
that He is the true Light, that enlighteneth every man that cometh into the
world (John 1:9), and is furthermore the Fire that consumes or quickens our
souls and bodies; the candles before the icons of the Mother of God signify the
she is the Mother of the Light unapproachable, as well as her flaming love for
God and her love for the race of man; the candles before the icons of the
Saints symbolize the Saints' love for God, for Whose sake they sacrificed
everything that man considers precious in life, even unto life itself, as did
the holy Apostles, the martyrs and the rest; they represent that they are lamps
for us which burn and shine through their lives, their virtues, and that they
are ardent intercessors for us before God, praying for us day and night; the
burning candles also represent our burning ardour for them and our heartfelt
sacrifice, which out of our reverence and gratitude we offer them for their
mediation for us before God - St. John of Kronstadt.
The Censing
The smoke of
incense, which came up with the prayers of the saints (Rev. 8:4).
THE CENSING of the icons
expresses the idea that through His becoming man Christ made fragrant the
earth, which had been made to stink because of the sins of man, and that the
saints are before God as it were a fragrant ointment, and furthermore it represents
the supplication whereby they (the saints) fill us with the ointment of a
spiritual fragrance and cast out from us the foetid passions - St. John of Kronstadt
THE CENSING of the Holy Table,
the holy icons and those present is extremely significant and instructive! The
incense, which smokes and is dispersed throughout the church, represents the
life-creating grace of the Holy Spirit, which overshadows at Its advent all
those who are sincerely praying and which eternally abides in the saints, who
were made saints Thereby, and It abides in them; the burning censer represents
the heart, in which there must burn faith, hope and love towards God, towards
His saints, and towards each other; it represents that we must pray warmly,
must glorify and thank God, the Mother of God and the saints the friends of
God; the censing of the Holy Table, the Holy Gifts - the Divine Body and Blood,
- the holy icons, symbolizes our living faith and our reverence towards God and
the dread and life-creating Mysteries, and to the Mother of God and the
God-pleasers, our loving, holy bond of prayer with the heavenly Church, our
faith in the intercessory and protective role of the saints in our communal and
in our private prayers; it represents that they are ever living and to be found
with us; the censing of the people represents the benevolence desire of our
Mother, of the Church towards her children, that they might escape the stench
of sin and be filled with the fragrance of the grace of the Holy Spirit, with
every virtue, with all the fruits of the Spirit; the censing of those who are
ministering and of the people also represents the honour that should be
accorded them as members of the Church and members of Christ - Ibid.
3. The Church and
Communal Divine Service
My house shall be
called the house of prayer (Matt. 21:13)
These all
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication (Acts 1:14).
THE CHURCH is an earthly heaven.
Standing therein, we must stand with reverence, in an orderly way, like the
holy Angels, having our eyes cast down to the ground, not leaning against the
wall, with our hands hanging free and not clasped together, not unevenly upon
our feet, but standing on both evenly - St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
THE GRACE of God is an
inalienable component of the house of God; in the visible world there is always
air, and within the house of God the grace of God is always there and we should
stand in God's house, relying upon its grace-filled activity, just surely as we
rely upon the activity of the air when we breathe it in. Thus, we can say, that
in the house of God it is impossible that we should not be filled with God's
grace, unless we alienate it ourselves and hinder its acting upon us. If you
wish that the grace of God, which abounds in God's house, should act upon you,
then do not hinder its activity upon you, and put away from yourself everything
inimical, everything sinful; lay aside all that pertains to the life of this
world if it distracts you from the sacred rites; it is better even to restrain
within yourself even the most prayerful feelings if they are not in accord with
the Church prayers. In church it behooves us to pray as the Church is praying,
and not reflect upon only what is happening there. It is through the sacred
rites that even the grace of God acts upon us, and in those very prayers there
is contained a power which is saving. See how close the grace of God, which
abides in God's house, is to us; only we have to regard it with a reverential
simplicity; only we have to pay heed to it with peaceful attentiveness; then,
it, like the light of the sun in the middle of the day, will shine into our
soul, and like the fragrance in a beautiful garden it will grant sweetness to
our heart - Archpriest Putyatin.
Everything earthly is an image
and shadow of the heavenly. Thus the form of the Divine service on earth is an
image of that in heaven. The beauty of the church is an image of the
unapproachable Divine glory in the Heavens; the fragrance of the incense is an
image of the ineffable fragrance of the saints there; the chanting here is an
image of the indescribable doxology of the Angels - St. John of Kronstadt.
GOD does not need a church
[building], for Heaven is His Throne and the earth His footstool, and the
Universe cannot contain Him, but it is man who requires one that he might take
refuge in God by estranging himself as much as possible from the worldly vanities
in which the feeling of God's presence is lost - St. Philaret of Moscow.
THE CHURCH SERVICES, through
their rites and the continuation of the prayers, readings and chanting, inspire
a deep thankfulness towards God and a mutual community and love for each other,
no matter who the other persons are, as well as a consciousness of our
numberless sins, and unremitting repentance for them, combined with the
frequent repetition of the prayer of the publican in its short form: Lord, have
mercy! - St. John of Kronstadt.
IN CHURCH God is present in a
special way, and that is why our prayer has more access to Him. Here the
propitiatory sacrifice is offered to God, and that is why He quickly fulfils
our prayer. Here we all pray to God together, and He especially loves it when
two or three pray to Him together. Here, even if your prayer does find access
to God, others are supplicating Him for you. And so, when you are in church,
never forget that the others are also praying for you and with you; and even if
you have no trust in your own prayer, then take comfort in the thought that God
hears the prayers of those others who are praying for you. Here if you lack
enough diligence in prayer, then it will be born in you, and looking at the
others praying you will begin to pray - Archpriest Putyatin.
IN GOING from your cell to the
church to stand before the face of God, you must maintain reverence in your
walk, do not run or look around, have your eyes cast down to the ground, do not
gesticulate with your hands, but let them hang down loose - St. Ignatius
Brianchaninov.
GENERALLY in church we must
maintain as great a reverence and good order as is possible both unto the glory
of God and also for one's own spiritual benefit and the spiritual benefit of
the people there present, and let this be edified by the reverence of the
monastics. On the other hand, there [the people's] reverence is disturbed,
tried and dispersed by irreverence. One should not leave the church before the
time, one should not permit even the smallest infringement of the rule of good
order and reverence. From carelessness in small things, carelessness in the
more important things and indeed in everything proceeds. In order to maintain
attention to one's primary duties, one must keep a watch over oneself and be
attentive to everything, even the slightest of actions - St. Ignatius
Brianchaninov.
IT IS GOOD to come to Divine
service before everyone else, but it is not good to leave the service before
the dismissal without some necessity - St. Ephraim the Syrian.
HOW DO WE DARE to leave the
Divine service before the dismissal when there is no need to do so? If a rich
man were to invite you to supper, would you dare to rise up from among those
sitting at table with you and go home? Would you rather not wait patiently
until everyone else rose from table? - Ibid.
4. On the Prayer
Rule
Seven times a day
have I praised Thee (Psalm 118:164)
WHEN you are saying the prayers,
the rule, especially from a book, do not rush from one word to the other,
without experiencing its truth, without placing it in your heart, but try,
always try, to feel the truth of what you are saying in your heart; your heart
will resist this, sometimes through slothfulness or a stony insensitivity to
what you are reading, sometimes through doubts and lack of faith, by a kind of
inner fire and constraint, sometimes though absent-mindedness and an
inclination to all kinds of worldly subjects and problems, sometimes though the
remembrance of offenses caused by neighbours and thoughts of revenge and hatred
towards them, sometimes by the thought of the pleasure of reading a novel
instead or other worldly books. Do not give in to self-love, conquer your heart
and offer God a well-pleasing sacrifice: My son, give Me thine heart (Proverbs
23:26), - and your prayer will aid you, will unite you, to God and to all the
heavens, and you will be filled with the Spirit and His fruits: righteousness,
peace and joy, love, meekness, long-suffering, heartfelt compunction. Do you
want to finish your prayer rule quickly so as to give rest to your tired body?
Pray from the heart and you will have a peaceful, quiet and healthy sleep. Do
not rush your prayers. Half an hour's prayer will win three full hours of
healthy sleep for you. Are you in a rush to get to the service or to work? Get
up earlier! Don't overleap, but pray diligently; this will bring you peace,
energy and success in your activities throughout the day. Is your heart
striving after the vanities of this life? Constrain it; let its treasure not be
worldly vanity, but God, instruct your heart how to be attached to God through
prayer and not to the vanities of this world, lest you be ashamed during the
time of sickness or at the hour of your death, being rich in worldly vanities
and a pauper with regard to faith, hope and love. If you do not pray as I have
told you, you will not succeed in life, nor in faith and nor again in spiritual
understanding - St. John of Kronstadt.
FOR THE BEGINNER solitary prayer
is not profitable; for this reason the Church typicon, while forbidding
self-motivated prayers, lays down that those living in a monastery offer their
prayers to God together in God's church, with the exception of those who are
sick and are confined to their cells through infirmity, and the elders who are
experienced in solitary prayer in their cells - St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
IF ANYONE asked me how I consider
prayerful activity, I would say to him: train yourself to walk in the presence
of God or to maintain the remembrance of God and to be reverent; to maintain
this memory [of God] choose several short prayers, or simply take the
twenty-four prayers of Chrysostom [these are recited in the Prayers before
Sleep in the Russian practice - ed.] and frequently repeat them with
appropriate thoughts and feelings. While you are practising this, your head
will be enlightened with the remembrance of God and your heart will be warmed.
In this condition, God's spark, a ray of grace, will eventualy penetrate your
heart. Nothing can constrain it to do so, it comes straight from God. Then you
will be able to remain only with the Prayer of Jesus, and the spark of the
prayer will kindle a flame. This is the straight path. - St. Theophan the
Recluse.
ONE CANNOT start straightaway on
this prayer [Prayer of the Heart - ed.], and at the beginning everyone must
become accustomed to praying from the heart the appointed prayers and the
prayers in church. Then when you go deeper into prayer, you may say the Prayer
of Jesus continuously, binding it to the remembrance of God in fear and
reverence - Ibid.
NEVER tie yourself to a rule, and
do not think that having a rule is an aim in itself and that you have always to
fulfil it. The whole purpose of the thing is fall down in heartfelt adoration
before God - Ibid.
IN EVERYWAY, one must flee from
formalism and mechanicalness in prayer. Rather, every time, let it be a
deliberate and free decision that one does, fulfilling it with understanding
and with feeling, and not willy-nilly. One must approach the rule in full
freedom. One must never turn to God carelessly. Always with great reverence.
Our prostrations are not necessary to Him, nor are our long-winded prayers. A
cry from the heart, short and strong, is what will reach Him! And one can do
this even when walking. This means that you can pray constantly. And this
should be our main concern. They asked Saint Epiphanius: at what particular
hours should we pray? Hours! There are no particular hours for prayer; prayer
must continue at every hour and at every minute. They asked St Basil the Great:
How can we pray constantly? He replied: Have a prayerful disposition in your
heart and you will be constantly praying. Work with your hands and lift up the
mind to God. The Apostles went about over all the earth. How many were their
labours! And amid all this, they prayed without ceasing. They it was who
recorded this commandment. The spirit of faith, hope and devotion to the will
of God; it is with this that you must be warmed in heart - Ibid.
WHEN YOU ARE READING a long
prayer rule aloud in the hearing of others, the enemy will attack your heart
and silence the word on your lips with the thought that the people do not
understand any of the words and that such prayer is a waste of time [Of course,
St John is talking of a situation in which the liturgical language being used
was somewhat different from the modern spoken language of his time - ed.].
Quite obviously, it is nonsense. But what about the Holy Spirit, the Guide to
all truth? Does He remain idle and not act to enlighten the heart of man? Have
you never experienced this enlightenment of the heart by the Holy Spirit? At
first you do not understand certain words and phrases, but then of a sudden the
Holy Spirit opens up your mind to comprehend the words and phrases that
formerly you did not understand, and suddenly this light is illuminating your
heart; believe me, the same thing also happens with other people. Read with
conviction of heart; do not give way to destructive mistrust. Sow the seed -
God will cause it to grow - St. John of Kronstadt.
THE KEEPING of the aforementioned
rules concerning the maintenance of prayer can improve the conduct of the
monastic and of the pious layman to the edification, teaching them how to be
constantly reverent and how to conduct themselves. Those who order their
conduct thus can be compared to a well-made vessel, without any flaws in it, in
such a vessel one can safely put precious ointments and be absolutely sure that
they will be safe there - St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
AFTERWORD
From the collection of thoughts
about prayer presented above, the reader can see how particularly important the
significance of prayer is - it is the Queen of the virtues, of which it is also
the source. Essentially it is that love towards God, which was praised in the
person of Mary by the very lips of the Lord Himself as being the "one
thing needful." From it, we can see the significance of the silence of the
monastic life, which is so indispensable for the maintenance of the mental
prayer of the heart, the practice of which was in ancient times incumbent not
only on the monastics but also on the lay people (St. Gregory Palamas);
nowadays it is falling into neglect and even into complete oblivion, because of
the present-day enfeeblement of the monastic life.
