The Three Ways of Attention and Prayer (Part II)

My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

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THE THREE WAYS OF ATTENTION AND PRAYER (Part II)
By Saint Symeon the Theologian

[The Second Way of Attention and Prayer]

The Second Way is this: when someone concentrates his mind in himself, detaching it from all that is earthly, guarding his senses, and gathering his thoughts so that they are not scattered to the vain things of the world. Sometimes he examines his thoughts and sometimes he pays attention to the words of the prayer he recites. Sometimes he returns to his thoughts that were trapped by the Devil and were drawn to that which is evil and vain, and sometimes with much effort and struggle he comes back to himself, after being defeated and possessed by some weakness.

Having this battle and war with himself, he cannot find peace nor time to do the virtuous good deeds and receive the crown of righteousness. For this man is like the one who fights a war against his enemies in darkness and night; who hears the voices of the enemy and suffers being stabbed, yet he cannot see clearly who they are, where they came from, and how, and why they are attacking him. For this damage is caused by the darkness in his mind and the confusion in his thoughts and therefore he can never escape from his enemies, the demons so that they will stop defeating him. The piteous suffers in vain, for he loses his reward being possessed by vanity without realizing it, by thinking that he is worthy to become shepherd or rational sheep, guiding others. He is like the blind person who promises to guide other blind people!

This is the Second Way; anyone who wishes to find salvation needs to start by learning the damage that it causes to the soul, and be cautious. This Second Way is, nevertheless, better than the first, for the sky with Moon is better than the dark night without it. (Source: Myriobiblos. On-Line Library of the Church of Greece)

(To be continued)

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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!"--Saint John Chrysostom

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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry)
The sinner and unworthy servant of God

+Father George