Глава 5. О том, что такое эта священная Иисусова молитва по качеству своему и действию

Having laid such a preparation, that is, blessed obedience, as the firm and unshakable foundation of this Divine prayer, it is now time to show from the teaching of the holy fathers what this sacred prayer is in terms of its quality and action. And this is so that anyone who wants to learn her spiritual work can see to what great and indescribable success she raises the ascetic in all sorts of virtues, and this would be encouraged in his desire to cleave to the sacred work of this mental prayer with great zeal and Divine zeal. Saint John Climacus in the 28th word about prayer, at the beginning says: “prayer, in its quality, is communication and union of a person with God: and in action - the affirmation of peace, reconciliation with God, the mother and again the daughter of tears, the cleansing of sins, the bridge through temptation, the wall against sorrows, the destruction of wars, the work of angels, the food of all incorporeal, future joy, boundless work, the source of virtues, the reason talents, invisible prosperity, food for the soul, enlightenment of the mind, ax for despair, proof of hope, cessation of sorrow, wealth of monks, treasure of the silent, reduction of irritability, mirror of prosperity, indication of measure, detection of fortune, indication of the future, sign of glory. Prayer for the one who truly prays is the judgment seat, judgment and throne of the Lord, even before the future judgment.” Saint Gregory of Sinai, in chapter 113, says: “Prayer in beginners is like the fire of joy emitted by the heart; in those who are perfect, it is like active, fragrant light.” Or again: “prayer is the preaching of the Apostles, the act of faith, or better yet, immediate faith, the notification of those who hope, the action of love, the Angelic movement, the power of the disembodied, their work and joy, the gospel of God, the notification of the heart, the hope of salvation, the sign of sanctification, the formation of holiness, the knowledge of God, the appearance of baptism, the cleansing of the font, the betrothal of the Holy Spirit, the joy of Jesus, the joy of the soul, the mercy of God, the sign of reconciliation, the seal of Christ, the ray of the mental sun, the day of hearts, the affirmation of Christianity, the manifestation of God’s reconciliation, the grace of God, the wisdom of God, or better - the beginning of self-wisdom, the manifestation of God, the work of monks, the residence of the silent, the cause of silence, the sign of the residence of the Angels.” Blessed Macarius the Great says: “The head of all good diligence and the summit of all corrections is to endure in prayer, through which we can acquire, through asking God, all other virtues. Through prayer we more worthily participate in the holiness of God and spiritual action, and the union of the mind with the Lord with ineffable love. He who always forces himself to endure in prayer is kindled with spiritual love into Divine zeal and a fiery desire for God, and accepts, to a certain extent, the grace of spiritual sanctifying perfection” (Conversation 40, Chapter 2). Saint Hesychius, presbyter of Jerusalem, says: “Light-bearing and lightning-generating, and light-emitting, and fiery-bearing, let the preservation of the mind be appropriately and by the same name. It surpasses, truly speaking, all the countless physical virtues. So, this virtue should be called by the most honest names because of the luminous light born from it. Having loved her, the sinful, the profane, the vile, the foolish, the foolish and the unrighteous can become righteous, wholesome, pure, holy and reasonable in Christ Jesus. And not only this, but also to contemplate the Divine sacraments and theology. And, having become visual, they swim to this purest and infinite Light, and touch It with ineffable touches, and live and abide with Him, since they have tasted that the Lord is good (Ps. 33:9), then this Divine Davidic word is clearly fulfilled in such first angels: both the righteous will confess to Your name, and the righteous will dwell with Your face (Ps. 139:14). Truly, these alone truly call and confess to God, and they always love to talk with Him, loving Him” (chapter 171). Saint Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonites, says about this sacred prayer: “This Divine prayer, this invocation of our Savior: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me,” is both prayer and supplication, and confession of faith, and the giver of the Holy Spirit, and the giver of Divine gifts, and the purification of the heart, and the casting out of demons, and the indwelling of Jesus Christ, and the source of spiritual thoughts and Divine thoughts, and deliverance from sins, and healing of souls and bodies, and the giver of Divine enlightenment, and the source of God’s mercy, and the giver of revelations of Divine mysteries to the humble, and salvation itself; because there is bearing the saving name of our God. This very thing is the naming of the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God upon us” (chapter 296). In exactly the same way, other God-bearing fathers, writing about this sacred prayer, with their teaching, filled with God’s wisdom, express its action, the ineffable benefit that comes from it and the success through it in the Divine gifts of the Holy Spirit. Who, seeing that this most sacred prayer leads the ascetic to such a heavenly treasure of various virtues, will not be kindled by God’s zeal for the constant practice of prayer, so that through it he can constantly contain the All-Sweet Jesus in his soul and heart, constantly remembering within himself His most dear Name, and thereby become inflamed with His ineffable love? Is it only the one who, diligent to worldly thoughts, is bound by the chain of bodily cares, which lead many away and remove them from the kingdom of God, which is within us. Isn’t he only going to be overzealous about touching on the mental doing of mental prayer, who by deed and experience has not tasted the spiritual throat of the ineffable Divine sweetness of this most useful work, and does not know how much this thing has hidden spiritual benefits within itself. And those who want to be united by love with the sweetest Jesus, having spat upon all the beauties of this world, all the pleasures and the most bodily peace, will want nothing else in this life but to constantly practice the heavenly practice of this prayer. You might be interested in: