Alexandros Christodoulou, Theologian In general terms, Saint Païsios set the greatest store in the spiritual struggle on repentance and unceasing prayer. It was through repentance that he received revelations from heaven. He used to say that the life of a monk was one of repentance and prayer. The monks Read more
Saint Theophan the Recluse What can we do when the mind wanders here and there and we can’t gather it in prayer? If we’re alone, at home, we can delay the start of prayers, or, if we’ve already started, take a short break. If, after a little while, the Read more
(edited by Stelios Koukos) Noetic prayer is also called prayer of the heart. You ask if oral prayer can also be called prayer of the heart. Unless it’s pure, neither noetic or oral prayer can be called ‘of the heart’. It’s prayer of the heart when the heart literally swallows Read more
Metropolitan Agathangelos of Fanari The contrast in the image of the parable is stark. ‘Two men went up to the sanctuary to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a publican’. In the first scene of the parable, the attitude of the Pharisee at prayer is described, as Read more
Saint Theophan the Recluse Coldness May the grace of God be with you. You write: ‘My prayer is somewhat cold and weak’. The coldness and weakness aren’t in the prayer, but in the person praying. Try to pray as you should and your prayer will go better. If a Read more
Saint Ignatij Brianchaninoff The gates of the senses have been closed. The tongue is silent, the eyes shut and the ears hear nothing of what’s happening all around. The mind casts off the yoke of worldly thoughts, clothes itself in prayer and descends to the inner chamber of heart. Read more
Metropolitan of Pisidia Sotirios At every Vespers, we hear the prayer: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen your salvation …” (Luke 2: 29-31). As St. Luke the Evangelist writes, it is with these words that the Righteous Read more
When you look around your church, do you see other kids too? Jesus invites all the kids to be close to Him. And church is a special place where we can worship all together—young people and old people, and everyone in between. Today, we celebrate a very special feastday of Read more
Protopresbyter Georgios Dorbarakis How often do we do something considered spiritual- prayer, church attendance, fasting, some alms-giving- and think we’ve become ‘Saint Anthony’. Because we compare ourselves… to ourselves. We ourselves are the criterion. It’s like somebody going on a run and thinking they’re running quickly. Then a proper Read more
We Should Go to the “Church of the Home” Seven Days a Week “Icon Corner” by Ted ©2011, Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 Psalm 88:8(9) Every day I call upon You, O Lord; I spread out my hands to You. In the last reflection, we discussed how the primary activity of Read more