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 IV)
By Saint Symeon the New Theologian
If now you wish to learn the way to achieve this, I will tell you.
There are three things you should preserve above anything else: disinterest in everything reasonable or unreasonable and vain, in other words detachment from anything; then clear conscience in everything, as we have said, by no causing its judgment for anything; then finally complete peace, having your mind detached from anything earthly. When you have all these, find a quiet place, sit lone in a corner, shut the door (Matthew 6:6) and cease your mind from anything ephemeral and vain...try to find the place of your heart...having practiced this method of attention...you will find--greater wonder! The mind, through struggle, will have reached the place of the heart, where you will see the things you have never seen or known. There you will see the heaven which is within you, inside the heart, you will find yourself enlightened, full of all grace and virtue.
From there on, if any kind of evil thought (logismos) ever appears from any direction, before even being considered or take shape, you will immediately push it aside and dissolve it by the name of Jesus with his prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me." Hence forth the mind will begin to bear grudge and animosity against the demons, being in an incessant war. It will raise its justified wrath and hunt them, attack the, dissolve them. As for the things following beyond that, those you may find out yourself, with God's help, through your effort and the attention of your mind, keeping Jesus in your heart with His prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me."
[Question: Why is it not possible to achieve all this through the first and the second way?]
Answer: Because we are not using them as we should. Saint John Climacus compares these ways with a ladder of four steps and explains: There are those who lessen their weaknesses and humble them, others who chant, praying with their voices, others who are absorbed in the spiritual prayer and other who reach observance. Those, therefore who wish to climb these steps, do not start from the top one coming down but begin from the lower ones and go upwards. They step on the first step and the on the second, the on the third one and finally on the fourth. It is by this way that one is able to be lifted from the earth and ascend to heaven. First of all one needs to fight to diminish and cease his weaknesses. Only then he should become absorbed in chanting: praying with his voice. It is once one has diminished his weaknesses that prayer brings pleasure and sweetness to the tongue, and he may be considered near to and appreciated by God. Then one needs to start praying with his spirit, and finally he will reach observance. The first is of the beginners, the second of those who are increasing their virtues, the third of those who have reached the fulfillment of virtue, whilst the fourth belongs to the perfect...
"...As we have repeatedly said, the first and the second way do not bring any spiritual advancement. When we want to build a house, we do not make the roof first and then lay the foundations--for this is impossible!--but we firstly lay the foundation, then build the house and then add the roof. We should do the same in spiritual matters: first lay the foundation, which is to guard the heart and cast out its weaknesses; then build the spiritual house, which is to cast out the evil spirits fighting us through our senses; finally, having overcome the war as soon as possible, add the roof, which is to depart from all things earthly, and give ourselves completely to God. Thus we complete our spiritual house in Christ Our God, to Whom All Glory is due, unto the ages of ages. Amen. (Source: Myriobiblos. On Line-Library of the Church of Greece)
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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