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Before returning to the Catholic Church under the Bizantine Rite I was in the Russian Orthodox Church.I was studying about the prayer rope,the Jesus Prayer and making the Jesus Prayer what the Russian Monks called the Prayer of the heart.I was really getting into praying the Jesus prayer yet everythig I read almost always had a Caution(which kind of scared me off);which said"The Prayer of the Heart should only be undertaken with supervision of a Spiritual Father or Elder".I took that caution,word for word, out of a booklet called Prayer of the heart by Archbishop Theodore.Can any of the Monks or priests explain why this caution, and was it ment for all lay people or just monks undertaking the prayer as part of their vows or was this strickly a Russian Orthodox thing .I still pray the Jesus prayer and try to make it a part of my life.Greg

Dear Greg,

The Jesus Prayer, also called "Prayer of the Heart" or "Prayer of the Mind" (Umnaya Molitva) when it is undertaken as seriously as Orthodox Monastics are supposed to, is a spiritual struggle that should always be conducted under the guidance of a spiritual Father.

And we lowly laity should also strive to seek out a Father for guidance, even our own parish priest.

We should also read the Philokalia and other spiritual books where the Fathers of these latter times such as St Theophan the Recluse, St Ignatius Brianchaninov and others share their counsels, as Elders, with us.

The Jesus Prayer is a difficult spiritual path to follow. There is always the danger of "prelest" the danger of false dreams and visions etc.

This is all just meant as a check on our spiritual activity to keep us on the straight and narrow.

Alex

Dear Greg,
I would agree with Alex and add that The Jesus Prayer is a lifelong struggle and even then perfection is not guaranteed. It would be wise to seek counsel on your journey. Your feelings, weepings, etc. need to be directed. If however you search does not produce an experienced guide, you might want to increase your reading, i.e. Philokalia, The Art of Prayer, etc. There are a number of Orthodox books on this subject.

I've been practicing The Jesus Prayer for a number of years and can share with you that in the beginning I was mistaken by what was happening. Guidance is highly recommended. The only problem is finding someone who is knowledgeable enough to lead you on the right path.

Take a look at Monachos [monachos.net] . They have an extensive forum on The Jesus Prayer.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Greg, you might also try reading the "Way of the Pilgrim" if you haven't already. It is a wonderful synthesis in a very readable prose story form of one man's pilgrimage with the Jesus Prayer and ties in the role of the spiritual father, the Philokalia, Scripture, etc.

The spiritual father or starets is a vital part of Byzantine spirituality. This is much more than just a confessor, this is someone we can tell all aspects of our personal life, hopes, fears, spirituality and deeper "noetic self" to.

The writer you might be referring to is St. Theophan the Recluse who is responsible for the wonderful work "The Art of Prayer" in which he discusses many of these things you are discussing.

It is in human nature to be compulsive. Because of this there is a danger of "diving in the deep end" so to speak spiritually when one wants to do so many seemingly very efficacious spiritual endeavors. Without the starets we may overindulge spiritually and not be able to handle the resulting "noon day devil" or accedie, spiritual listlesness, etc.that will eventually come to everyone engaged in the spiritual life, which can be very discouraging without someone to guide you through the forest.

Another good book, while generally taken in monasteries during the Great Fast, the "Ladder of Divine Ascent" of St. John Climacus is also a wonderful stepwise voyage through the virtues and growth in the spiritual life.

Thanks Alex,Anastasia,and Diak.I have read "The Way of the Pilgrim".My copy also contains "The Pilgrim Continues His Way"I think I'll read it again.I always seem to get more out of a book on the second time around.I looked at that Monachos site and put it on my Fav. list,It looks like a helpful site.I just started "The Ladder of Divine Ascent". I never did get into the "Philokalia" but i did read "Vol. 1 St Seraphim, of the Little Russian Philokalia"and have vol 2 4 and 5,vol 3 being out of print.I just pray I will find a spiritual father or monk,one of these days,to guide this sinner, if aand when I need one.Again thanks for the help.Greg

Greg, a great one-book smaller collection of some of the real gems of the larger Philokalia is "Writings from the Philokalia on Prayer of the Heart" which is Kadloubovsky's translation of the older single-volume "Dobrotolybie" and takes those excerpts from the larger Philokalia dealing specifically with prayer of the heart and puts them under one cover.

It was Kadloubovsky who also spearheaded the translation of Igumen Chariton of Valaam's collections of Theophan the Recluse and others in the "Art of Prayer". He has done a great service by making these spiritual gems available in English.

They even have "Writings from the Philokalia" at the local Borders and Barnes and Noble stores here.

Dear Greg,

I just wanted to share with you that the Jesus Prayer has been most powerful to me when I say it informally during the day.

It is then that I really feel inspired by it. Temptations are readily put to flight with it. As one Father said, "Beat your (spiritual) enemies down with the Name of Jesus."

One monastic Rule that is very "doable" is that of the Skete Manjavskyj in Ukraine way back when.

One did twelve prayer ropes during the day and twelve at night. The first 25 Prayers were done with prostrations.

We can also make the Sign of the Cross frequently with the Jesus Prayer, especially when we wake up.

The "Monk of the Eastern Church" Fr. Lev Gillet simply used the Name of Jesus alone when praying the prayer and he said it over everyone he met throughout the day - a kind of Epiclesis.

And the Fathers did refer to this prayer as the "Epiclesis of the Holy Spirit."

A newly glorified Orthodox Saint, St John of the Holy Mountain in Ukraine, lost his eyesight and said the Jesus Prayer exclusively.

He said, "When you rise, rise with Jesus! When you walk, take Jesus along with you! When you sit down to eat, let Him sit down beside you! When you work, let Him help you!"

The best kind of exercise in the Prayer of the Heart really!

Alex

Another "Jesus Prayer Testimony". (Perhaps we can form a "Jesus Prayer-Anon" support group here )

Before I finally looked into treatment for severe sleep apnea (God bless my wife and Hegumenessa for putting up with that for years ), I would settle down again after the nightly occurrances of suddenly waking up (which usually happened several times each hour) with the Jesus Prayer in rhythm with breathing. I find myself doing it often, even when not trying to sleep. The Prayer is my comfort, strength, and joy.

My spiritual director is my Latin Rite priest. He thinks quarterly is frequent enough for spiritual direction meetings. When I asked for it to be more frequent than that, he said, "OK, every two months."

I just got The Way of the Pilgrim and The Ladder of Divine Ascent and started the Jesus Prayer. Is every two months frequent enough to meet with my spiritual director if I'm starting the Jesus Prayer? (He is also my confessor, so I do see him weekly, but there really isn't time in confession for any in-depth discussions when there is a line of people outside waiting their turn.) What do you guys think?

Yes. Every two or three months should be sufficient.

As you read The Way of the Pilgrim note that the pilgrim was given limitations on how many times he could pray the Jesus Prayer each day. Model that behavior and do not do more than your spiritual director tells you to do.

Thank you.

Dear Tammy, I know of people who meet with their spiritual fathers even weekly or bi-weekly. Depending on the level of spiritual guidance you and he feel you need, ask him about the frequency and be open so he can guide you accordingly.

A signficant part of spiritual guidance in the Byzantine tradition is obedience to the guidance of the spiritual father.

The frequency is often dictated by distance. You obviously could see someone who lives nearby much more often. Mine is about 1000 miles away so I don't get to see him as often... I try to keep a journal or notes of what I want to discuss with him because of the distance and my own ever lapsing memory :rolleyes:

Dear Tammy,

The Administrator is quite right.

Often, our spiritual guide will set down what he thinks a "formal maximum" of daily Jesus Prayers should be for us.

But, as other Rules prescribed, we should try and be "in the Prayer" as we go about our daily tasks.

As Alexander Schmemann said, this was all about making prayer our life.

Alex

Slava Isusu Christu!

The Best Book I have read of the Jesus Prayer is:
"A Night in the Desert of the Holy Mountain: A Discussion with a Hermit on the Jesus Prayer" translated by Effie Mavromichali. It can be purchased through Birth of the Theotokos Monastery: http://www.pelagia.org/htm/index.htm

It is one of the most INSPIRING and POWERFUL books on the subject around.

Here is a snipet for you from (pp.92-93)

"The purpose of the Jesus Prayer is to bring Christ the King, Jesus, into our hearts; to make manifest within us the Kingdom of God; to light up the spark of grace which is now covered by the ashes of sin. It is in this way that the request. e.g. "Thy Kingdom Come" will be fulfilled. However, the heart now, as I said before, is darkened by the cloud of sin and the demons act over it. On the heart's surface (not in it's center, because only the uncreated energy of the Holy Spirit, being uncreated, can be united with the soul) the devil has declared his authority and controls everything. Believe me my father sometimes I feel my heart is like a zoo. All the passions within are like howling animals. The God-Bearing St. Gregory Palamas describes it well: "Man who was destined to be a child of God, alas, has become a murderer; being comparable not only to the wild beasts but also to the reptiles and venomous animals, he becomes a scorpion, a snake, an offspring of vipers." Through the Jesus Prayer, then,- after the mind has assimilated the sweetest name of Jesus - we strive for Him (Christ) to descend into the heart in all His Glory and grandeur and to expel the devil, who darkens the soul with the various passions after covering again the grace which he finds there. Thus, the soul is illumined by the presence of Christ. It received" grace for grace." Well, then, the more the Lord descends into the heart, the more the devil disappears with cries and woes for the defeat he underwent, and the echoes and these cries are the temptations that he causes for us...the descent of Christ into the heart is connected with his (the devil's fleeing) and him being bound. It is natural for him to howl, roar and cry out aloud. The Lord "came to destroy the works of the Devil" (1 John 3:8).

That is just a sample of this God-inspired work.

If you get it it most definately inhance your understanding of the Jesus Prayer a thousand times.

In the Desert Fathers,


Robert Horvath

Boy, that sounds a lot like St. Teresa of Avila in The Interior Castle which I am reading... When you find parallel ideas in various writings, it sure makes you sit up and take notice!