On the Jesus Prayer (Part 3)

In the practice of the Jesus Prayer, and of prayer in general, that form of humility called “weeping” preserves fully and with entire fidelity. Weeping is the heartfelt feeling of repentance, of salvific grief over one’s sinfulness and the manifold, numerous infirmity of man. Weeping is a “spirit broken, a heart contrite and humble,” which “God will not despise” (Ps. 50:19)—that is, He will not deliver it into the power and mockery of demons, as He delivers to them a heart that is proud, filled with self-conceit, self-assurance, and vainglory. Weeping is the sole sacrifice that God receives from the fallen human spirit, prior to the renewal of the human spirit by God’s Holy Spirit. Let our prayer be penetrated by the feeling of repentance, let it be joined with weeping—and spiritual delusion will never gain power in us.[1] Saint Gregory of Sinai, in the final article of his work178—in which he sets forth for ascetics of prayer the warnings against soul-destroying spiritual delusion—says: “It is no small labor to attain precisely to truth and to become pure from everything contrary to grace: for the devil is accustomed to show his delusion, especially before novices, in the guise of truth, giving the evil the appearance of the spiritual. For this reason, one who strives in hesychasm to attain pure prayer must travel the mental path of prayer with great trembling and weeping, seeking guidance from the experienced, always weeping over his sins, grieving and fearing lest he fall into torment or fall away from God, become separated from Him in this age or in the age to come. If the devil sees that the ascetic lives in weeping, he does not remain near him, not enduring the humility that proceeds from weeping… It is a great weapon—to have weeping together with prayer. Prayer free from delusion consists in warmth together with the Jesus Prayer, which (the Jesus Prayer) casts fire into the soil of our heart—warmth that burns up the passions as stubble and produces in the soul joy and quietness.[2] This warmth does not come from the right side or the left, nor from above, but springs up within the very heart itself, like a spring of water from the Life-giving Spirit.179 Love to find and gain this warmth alone in the heart, keeping your mind ever free from imaginings and alien from concepts and thoughts, and do not fear. He who said: ‘Take courage: it is I, do not be afraid’ (Mt. 14:27)—He is with us. He is the One we seek. He will always defend us, and we need not fear or sigh in calling upon God. If some have gone astray and suffered mental disorder, know that they suffered this from self-will and pride.” Today, owing to the complete dearth of Spirit-bearing instructors, the ascetic of prayer is compelled to be guided solely by Holy Scripture and the writings of the Fathers.180 This is far more difficult.[3] A new reason for redoubled weeping!