The idea of praying without ceasing has always intrigued me. Two years ago when I began aprayerdiary, I wrote about the Jesus Prayer, Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me, a sinner. The prayer comes from the Eastern Orthodox tradition and particularly from Startets, the spiritual guides of Russia. “Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) were the very words that compelled the Staret to set out on his journey in “A Way of the Pilgrim”.
I have been saying the Jesus Prayer for over three years. It’s very simple to do; just say the phrase over and over again (I leave out the a sinner part). I started by reciting it out loud, but soon I noticed that I was thinking it, and that was just fine. It has become my meditation mantra, which I say while watching the sunrise here at the cottage, walking the beach, doing the dishes, driving in the car, going to sleep, you name it. Nowadays I often ‘say’ the prayer without even thinking about; it must be in my unconscious, or should I say, in my heart?
The following is from The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality, by Kyriacos C. Markides. The quotes are attributed to Father Maximos, an Anthonte monk and friend of Markides.
“It (the Jesus Prayer) is the practical way of mobilizing the mechanism of the heart to open up to Grace….embedded in the name of Jesus is the very power of God. By invoking, therefore, the sacred name repeatedly we invite the Grace of God to take possession of hour hearts and mind, protecting us from harmful effects.
“{The Prayer}opens the road for Grace to visit the heart. And when that happens, then the heart works by itself independently of whatever else you do. It enters into an ongoing relationship with God" (p.56).
I have been saying the Jesus Prayer for over three years. It’s very simple to do; just say the phrase over and over again (I leave out the a sinner part). I started by reciting it out loud, but soon I noticed that I was thinking it, and that was just fine. It has become my meditation mantra, which I say while watching the sunrise here at the cottage, walking the beach, doing the dishes, driving in the car, going to sleep, you name it. Nowadays I often ‘say’ the prayer without even thinking about; it must be in my unconscious, or should I say, in my heart?
The following is from The Mountain of Silence: A Search for Orthodox Spirituality, by Kyriacos C. Markides. The quotes are attributed to Father Maximos, an Anthonte monk and friend of Markides.
“It (the Jesus Prayer) is the practical way of mobilizing the mechanism of the heart to open up to Grace….embedded in the name of Jesus is the very power of God. By invoking, therefore, the sacred name repeatedly we invite the Grace of God to take possession of hour hearts and mind, protecting us from harmful effects.
“{The Prayer}opens the road for Grace to visit the heart. And when that happens, then the heart works by itself independently of whatever else you do. It enters into an ongoing relationship with God" (p.56).
RSS Feed