Practical Advice

Since we have been in the mode of Ecclesiastes, with a little English literature thrown in, offering "good advice" and ignoring theology for a few days, maybe just one more day of the same.  Well, not quite.  This is good, practical advice with theology all at the same time.  I credit my homilist who interrupted the regularly scheduled lectionary topic for some practical advice, perhaps urgent practical advice.  Having spent some time at the side of a hospital bed of a parishioner who was unable to read or communicate verbally, the priest attempted to teach the parishioner the so-called "Jesus Prayer" (aka "prayer of the heart").

Lord Jesus Christ, (thou) son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.

This may have had its origins it an ancient hesychastic tradition, referring to Gospel injunctions to pray secretly and without ceasing.  Hesychasm - Greek, for stillness, quiet.  The tradition following Saint Matthew's Gospel may imply a stern asecticism, but this is a great and noble prayer, encapsulating an acknowledgement of who man is in relation to God, and provides a means of quiet and interior "apartness" that will go with you in your busy lives.  Busy lives that are in need of God's mercy.

Pray this prayer.  It will stay with you (to say the least).

(There is another one of those wonderful books, this one anonymous from 19th century Russia, that each of you should read: The Way of a Pilgrim.  This is a book about praying this prayer and about studying the Philokalia, a collection of ancient Eastern Christian texts.)

Image of Christogram with Jesus Prayer encircling in Romanian (Doamne Iisuse Hristoase, Fiul lui Dumnezeu, miluieste-ma pe mine pacatosul.) from Wikimedia Commons.