THE ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVE ON PRAYER

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE ORTHODOX PERSPECTIVE ON PRAYER

Saint John Chrysostom speaking on prayer says, "As Christians we are obligated to honor and appreciate the Saints of God for two reasons: The first reason is because all the Saints had placed the hope of their spiritual salvation upon the sacred prayers. The second reason is because the prayers which they offered to God with joy and fear have been preserved in their writings. Thus their spiritual treasures, having been transmitted to us, may draw all subsequent believers toward the zeal of these Saints. The way of life of the teachers must be transmitted to their pupils. Thus the pupils of the Saints, that is, us Christians, must prove ourselves to be imitators of their righteousness. This we may do by always being preoccupied with prayer and the worship of God, considering thus as life and health and wealth and the end of all good things our prayer toward God with a pure heart and an incorruptible soul. For as the sun illumines the body so also does prayer ILLUMINE THE SOUL. If then the blind person is deprived because he cannot see the sun, how much more IS THE CHRISTIAN DIMINISHED AND HARMED WHO DOES NOT PRAY CONSTANTLY, AND WHO, CONSEQUENTLY, DOES NOT GATHER INTO HIS OR HER SOUL, THROUGH PRAYER, THE LIGHT OF CHRIST."

" PRAYER therefore must begin with some sort of a retreat that is both a spatial retreat and a moral retreat. The Lord Himself taught His Disciples to pray "IN SECRET," That is, to RETREAT FROM THE CROWDS AND TO AVOID PRETENTIOUS PRAYER THAT IS MEANT TO BE NOTICED BY OTHERS. Prayer is always personal, inasmuch as it is always a person who prays. And indeed, it is only the human person who can stand before God, face to face, as we have already noted, and pray to Him Who is "in sec\ret." One must retreat into solitude in order to be able to pray effectively. This solitude is not merely a retreat into our room, but it is more importantly also a spiritual severance from the world of evil passions, imaginations and concerns of a worldly life. This spiritual action of separation from the world is most difficult precisely because it is often these very passions and concerns of this world that we want to bring to God in our prayers so that He may help and serve us! The walls of our room with the closed door and every other external barrier cannot by themselves protect and guard our attention, nor can these external barriers keep us from sin."

The spiritual solitude and concentration required to pray in truth and in spirit is realized only through an intensive ascetical and inner struggle, with a steadfast and constant discipline and exercise, as well as with a total orientation of our life toward God. When our personality is liberated from sin and the passions, then the old self can be reborn and gradually grow by grace in the Holy Spirit, according to the stature of the New Adam, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Saint John of the Ladder states, "PRAYER IS THE COMMUNION AND UNION OF MAN WITH GOD." it is the apex of the human relationship with God and the most intimate, personal, and transcendent moment in the life of a believer. As such it is like a mirror which reflects they mystical level of the heart and reveals the secrets of the soul.

LET US PRAY TO THE LORD!

Kyrie Eleison

A PRAYER FOR ALL TIMES

O Master and God, Father Almighty,
Lord, and Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
and Holy Spirit,
one Divinity and power,
have mercy on me a sinner,
and save me, Your unworthy servant,
in any way You know;
for You are Blessed unto the ages of
ages. Amen.

A MORNING PRAYER TO THE HOLY TRINITY

O Lord, Yours is the day and Yours in the night;
You have perfected the light and the sun;
You have made all good things of the earth,
and we ask You:
cause Your rich mercies
to rise on our lowliness,
together with the daylight.
Free us from the darkness
and the shadow of death
and from every evil thought
and device of the devil.
For Yours it is to have mercy
and to save us, O God,
and to You we send up glory,
to the Father and to the Son and to
the Holy Spirit, now and ever and
unto ages of ages. Amen.

A MORNING PRAYER TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST

O Christ our God, the ever-shining and most bright sun of
righteousness, You Who shone with Your flesh in the
darkness of our ignorance and called all people to the
deep knowledge of Your ineffable glory, consume in the
fire of Your incomprehensible Divinity our wickedness
which furiously desires material things.
Extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one.
Shine within our hearts Your pure Light of the knowledge
of God, and open the eyes of our mind that we may
understand Your Gospel teachings and be aware of Your
marvelous works.
Instill in us also the fear of Your Blessed commandments
so that by trampling down all the desires of the flesh,
we may live a spiritual life, thinking and doing all those
things that are pleasing to You;
for You are Blessed unto the ages of ages. Amen.

A THANKSGIVING PRAYER AFTER HOLY COMMUNION

O Christ, Master and God, King of the ages and Creator of all,
I thank You for all the good gifts You have given me, and for
the participation in Your immaculate and Life-Giving Mysteries.
Therefore, I pray to You, O Good Lord Who loves mankind:
guard me under Your protection and under the shadow of Your
wings; and grant me until my last breath, that I may partake
worthily and with the pure conscience of Your holy Gifts, unto
remission of sins and Life Everlasting.
For You are the Bread of Life, the Fountain of Holiness, the
Giver of every good, and to You we send up glory, together
with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto
the ages of ages. Amen.

A FOURTH PRAYER BEFORE HOLY COMMUNION

I believe, O Lord, and I confess that You are truly the Christ,
the Son of the Living God Who came into the world to save
sinners, of whom I am the first.
I also believe that this is indeed Your Immaculate Body, and
that this is indeed Your Precious Blood.
Therefore, I pray to You:
Have mercy on me, and forgive me m transgressions,
voluntary and involuntary, in word and in deed, in knowledge
and in ignorance; and make me worthy without condemnation
to partake of Your immaculate Mysteries, unto remission of
sins and unto life Eternal. Amen.

A PRAYER TO THE MOST-BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Rejoice! O Lady, Mother of mercy,
life, sweetness, and our hope,
rejoice!
To You we cry, the children of Eve in exile.
Upon You we gaze, groaning and wailing in this valley of
lamentation.
Wherefore, go ahead, our Defender, turn Your
compassionate eyes to us and with this look show us
Jesus, the Blessed Fruit of Your womb,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

A PRAYER FOR ALL TIMES

The Father is my hope,
the Son is my refuge,
the Holy Spirit is my shelter;
O Holy Trinity, glory to You.

To You, O Mother of God,
I commit all my hope;
keep me under Your protection.

PRAYER BEFORE THE MAIN MEAL

The poor shall eat and be satisfied, those
who seek the Lord shall praise Him.
Their hearts shall live forever" –Psalm 22:26

The Blessing

Christ God, bless the food and drink of Your
servants, for You are Holy always, now
and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

After Meals

We thank You, O Christ our God, for You
have satisfied us with Your earthly
blessings.
Deprive us not of Your heavenly Kingdom, but
as You came to Your Disciples and granted
them peace, so come to us and save us, O
Savior!

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George