"Kyrie Jesu Christe, Elaison...Learn it in Russian, learn it in Greek. Say it. Pep up your spiritual life with the Jesus Prayer in the various languages. It's a fine prayer."
--Thomas Merton
I was happy to see this feast day on the calendar, as I've recently taken an interest in the "Jesus Prayer" that provides such an important foundation to spirituality in the Orthodox Church. In particular, I've been reading Merton & Hesychasm: The Prayer of the Heart, and practicing the simple, repetitive prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on my a sinner." The prayer can modified and simplified even further. A friend meditatively prays, "Jesus" on his in-breath and "Mercy" on the outbreath. Following Merton's advice, lately I've started praying the short version in Greek, "Kyrie Jesu Christe, Elaison."
"Hesychasm" means "stillness," representing the grace of inner calm and peace that often flows into the heart of one who perpetually invokes the name of Jesus. This prayer is based on the notion that the name of the Lord, when called upon in faith, has the potential through grace to unleash enormous power in into the world both visible and invisible. Orthodox Bishop Kallistos Ware explains:
The invocation of the divine Name possesses a sacramental character, serving as an efficacious sign of His invisible presence and action. For the believing Christian today, as in apostolic times, the Name of Jesus is power.
While we typically associated the Jesus prayer with the Eastern Christian tradition, devotion to the Name has a long-standing importance in the Christian West as well. Abbot Elias Dietz of the Abbey of Gethsemani reminded monks of St. Bernard's thoughts on the holy name during his chapter talk last weekend:
"O blessed name, oil poured out without limit. From heaven it pours down on Judea and from there over all the earth, so that round the whole world the Church proclaims: “Your name is oil poured out.” And what an outpouring? It not only bathes the heavens and the earth, it even bedews the underworld, so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld should bend the knee in the name of Jesus. . ." (CS 15.4; CF 4:108)This is heavy - and beautiful -- stuff. In my own prayer practice, I have often invoked the Jesus Prayer in times of panic and despair, or when I could not muster any other words. But as I practice this prayer on a more regular basis - driving the car, walking to the office, waiting in line at the grocery - times of ordinary life, it becomes more like breathing. And while I may not yet perceive Christ's presence with the clarity of St. Bernard, I feel a measure of hesychia - of stillness - that is his grace.
As he goes on to say, the name of Jesus is both precious and cheap: precious for the depth of mystery and wealth of mercy it contains, cheap, because it is so accessible to us, even when we are at our weakest and worst:
"Hidden as in a vase, in this name of Jesus, you, my soul, possess a salutary remedy against which no spiritual illness will be proof. Carry it always close to your heart, always in your hand, and so ensure that all your affections, all your actions, are directed to Jesus. . . . The name of Jesus furnishes the power to correct your evil actions, to supply what is wanting to imperfect ones; in this name your affections find a guard against corruption, or if corrupted, a power that will make them whole again." (SC 15.7: CF 4:111)
The name of Christ is so accessible to us that we are free to use it in reference to ourselves:
"Made a sharer in the name, I share too in its inheritance. For I am a Christian, Christ’s own brother. If I am what I say, I am the heir of God, co-heir with Christ." (CS 15.4).
Kyrie Jesu Christe, Elaison!
Posts
2 comments:
I watched a 60 Minutes article on the monasteries at Mt. Athos. As these monks worked, they were constantly praying simple repetitive prayers. Your post reminded me how my perception of divine presence has changed. I had once felt the immediate presence of Christ as an every present reminder of my failures. Of how I could never earn the gifts of salvation, so it was fruitless to try. I now see the presence of Jesus as supporting and encouraging. Of course, I am still challenged to use these gifts better but no longer with the gloom and doom I had inflicted on myself prior. While I probably could not function at Mt. Athos, I now know I can cheer them on as there is plenty of work to do here in the secular (profane) world.
Beautiful reflections, Kenny! Thanks for your thoughts.
Post a Comment