Categories: prayer, spiritual-writings
Date: 20 March 2012 10:58:03
I have reached the chapters of prayer in St Ignatius Brianchaninov's The Arena where he writes not only on prayer's purpose and benefits, but the need for preparation before and a right attitude to prayer. Having seen some quotes from my patron saint's (John Climacus) work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, which St Igantius quotes from regularly, I thought I'd read the section in The Ladder on prayer.
Prayer is discussed throughout the book, but in particular in Step 28 (though I'm barely on Step 1 of 30 on the spiritual ladder...); and here are some quotes from that chapter that I found helpful, illuminating and challenging -- and as relevant now as when they were when they were written 1,400 or so years ago. And hopefully writing typing them may help me to remember them and put them in action. All quotes are from the Paulist Press translation (1982), which comes with a wonderful introduction by the well-known Most Reverend Metropolitan Kallistos Ware.
Prayer is by nature a dialog and a union of man with God. Its effect is to hold the world together. It achieves a reconciliation with God.Prayer is future gladness, action without end, wellspring of virtues, source of grace, hidden progress, food of the soul, enlightenment of the mind, an axe against despair, hope demonstrated, sorrow done away with.
Pray in all simplicity. The publican and the prodigal son were reconciled to God with a single utterance ... In your prayers there is no need for high-flown words, for it is the simple and unsophisticated babblings of children that have more often won the heart of he Father in heaven. Try not to talk excessively in your prayers... One word from the publican suffered to placate God, and a single utterance saved the thief.
But heartfelt thanksgiving should have first place in our book of prayer. Next should be confession and genuine contrition of soul. And after that should come our request to the universal King. This method of prayer is best, as one of the brothers was told by an angel of the Lord.