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Hi,
I have been praying the Jesus Prayer off and on for decades, I have asked numerous times for help in finding a spiritual Father, but never got a reply other than "let me think about that"............
I have read the Pilgrim and numerous other books, but have no guidance from an experienced guide as always recomended by the books etc. I have asked seminary, Bishop and numerous Fathers..
I am presently reading the Philokalia book that has the specific texts for Hesychists. It's a great book too, but once again suggests you need a guide.
Is there anyone on the forum who knows of any Byzantine and/or Orthodox guides I could get in touch with? I only have use of the internet at a library, so I can't use the forum often. I could get email more often at my name at hotmail
Thanks to anyone who can help!

Dear Servant of Christ,

Finding a guide in the Jesus Prayer is like finding a needle in a haystack. But you must ask the Lord and He will send you one in His good time.

When a guide is not to be had, it is the teaching of the Fathers that we are to recite the Jesus Prayer slowly and fulfill a modest rule daily.

St Ignatius Brianchaninov comes closest, I believe, in his book on the Prayer of Jesus to offering a real "best practices" approach - even to the point of suggesting a low stool, a wet face-cloth nearby and the like.

If thoughts cloud our mind, we are to recite the Prayer out loud, using it as a club to beat down our spiritual enemies with.

One may have a formal time for praying it, say for ten minutes, morning and night and then move onto lengthier periods of time when we feel comfortable doing it.

We should say it throughout the day.

St Seraphim of Sarov recommended this prayer rule for all laity:

Say three Our Father's, Hail Mary's and one Creed, morning, noon and night.

In between, we are to say the Jesus Prayer constantly and even when we speak to people, we are to continue with the shortened "Lord have mercy."

In the afternoon, we can say "Lord Jesus Christ, by the Theotokos, have mercy on me a sinner."

Frequency of use is what it is all about.

Some use the Jesus Prayer to replace the Psalter of David (i.e. 300 Prayers for each Kathisma) or the Horologion (3,000 prayers minimum, according to one Rule, to replace the Hours).

If we keep focused on the recitation of the Prayer while trying to keep thoughts and images out of our mind, using the Sign of the Cross and bows, we will have the Holy Spirit as our Guide.

Alex

Your inability to find guidance speaks volumes about our times. One has to do the best one can. However, I would avoid reading anything too advavced if there is no one appropriate to give guidance. I would pay no attention to the advice in pop spirituality about the different breathing for different parts of the prayer; that too is advanced. Just soldier on and bear in mind that this is not just a spiritual exercise (it definitely is exercise) but words spoken to Him directly.

Have you talked to your confessor about this? For many people, their confessor and spiritual father are the same person.

The only advice I can give you is: Don't take any spiritual direction from anonymous people on an internet forum.

And stay away from overly-zealous converts!

"How does a convert wear a prayer rope? No one really knows - there's never only just one . . ."



Alex

Correction: While some converts to Catholicism and Holy Orthodoxy can be full of zeal for the faith...I would certainly not recommend that you "stay away" from them. That is rather uncharitable. I have met some wonderful "overly-zealous" Catholic and Orthodox converts.

But again, you will want to pray and fast so that God will send you a good spiritual father.

It depends on how "zealous" those converts are.

There are more stories about them and they can be a real turn off spiritually to others around them.

One should watch out for one's own soul first and so should avoid the company of such.

As for being uncharitable, charity begins at home (with one's own soul).

I have all kinds of stories, true stories that I've witnessed over the years, about such overly-zealous converts.

But it's the Great Fast . . .

Alex

Please explain the use of bows and the Sign of the Cross while praying the Jesus Prayer. What are the sources of this method?

Jeff

No it doesn't. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ wants us to love all our brethren. There are many converts that start out very zealous....and then they settle in.


One should always be watchful...but that does not mean that we should shun our brethren.


Everyone has a "story".....eh? It's usually best to keep our "stories" to ourselves.

Dear Jeff,

The desert Fathers began to say the Jesus Prayer in this way and the Church canonized the practice.

The Sign of the Cross was made using the Jesus Prayer and the Orthodox Old Believers (and others) say this was the original way of making the Sign of the Cross.

(The Old Believers, of course, refused to change and for this the Russian state persecuted them, even to the point of executing them after interrogation as to how one was to say the Jesus Prayer.)

The bows allowed one to worship Christ with one's whole body using the beautiful inclination of the head down to the ground before the holy icons. The Church, following St Basil the Great, canonized a series of bows to substitute for the Hours and the Psalter. There is also the Rule of Optina which prescribes bows from the waist (metanoia) and full bows to the floor or prostrations. The Old Believers place a pillow or cloth on the floor on which the right hand is placed when making a full prostration so that the right hand, by which we make the Sign of the Cross, is not soiled.

Every monastery, however, has developed its own rules for Prayers and Bows.

Alex

If zeal is understood by some to mean an outward and immodest show of piety - then that is false zeal and it applies to everyone, not only to converts who, in some cases, may go over the top.

I was once like that and my confessor pointed out that I was actually being disobedient by not following the rule of prayer and behaviour he had prescribed for me and what amounted to false zeal.

Yes, converts can get all excited about their new faith and yes they settle down. That doesn't mean they can't be boorish and annoying. If someone likes that kind of behaviour that they evince, fine. It can turn others off piety and so it is best to avoid such persons in such a case. That is just common sense - something also that is often in short supply with the overly zealous.

Alex

You are not the one to judge what may (or may not) be "false zeal." I wonder if fools for Christ were ever accused of being "over-zealous".....or having "false zeal"....or having no zeal at all...or having no common sense?


It is important to be obedient to our spiritual father.


One does not have to have an over abundance of zeal to become annoying and boorish.


I suppose you can avoid who you please.


Now you are judging those who are perhaps struggling with an over abundance of zeal....as having no common sense?

Dear Recluse,

No, I am not and that is not my intention, if you have read that into what I said.

I apologise for giving that impression.

Can we return to the topic at hand?

Alex