Chapter 143

On the Same Subject (143)

I regret that you are not succeeding with a brief prayer. You choose one more commonly used: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” All of you will recite it steadily, and you will become accustomed to it. Introduce it into your morning and evening prayer rule. Repeat it several times before your prayers and after them. Repeat it 5–10 or more times. Or 33 times, according to the number of years the Lord Savior spent on earth. But do not forget that the power is not in the words, but in the thought and feeling. A brief prayer is an aid, but the thing itself is unceasing remembrance of the Lord, or walking in the sense of his presence, with reverence. If this were always in us, we would not need words at all. But because distraction and a flood of impressions throw us off course, to counter them it is advised to practice making brief prayers. When the tongue becomes accustomed, it will read them all by itself and turn back wandering thoughts.

(Letter 956. Vol. 6, pp. 51–52)