Chapter 72

On Attentive Prayer and Images in Prayer

72.2.1 The mercy of God be with you!

72.3.1 I’ve been meaning to write for a whole month, and I’ve barely managed to do it. Are you afraid of images? You shouldn’t fear all images, but only fanciful ones—and particularly those that relate to God’s nature, which is invisible and utterly beyond any image. Everything that relates to creatures is capable of being imaged and imagined. And the Lord Saviour, according to His human economy, may be imagined. Moreover, during prayer one should not hold images in the intellect, but, standing noetically before the invisible God, utter a reverent word to Him. This must be sought, and it will be found.

72.4.1 According to the Psalter with Appended Offices, one can conduct the service, and when it is necessary to serve. And it can be shortened by, for example, substituting prostrations for the kathismas, as indicated in the same Psalter. One can also perform all the services with prostrations, as again indicated in the same Psalter... There two measures are given: for laymen and lazy monks, and for zealous monks. If the last measure seems too great, you can take a middle course between it and the first. Don’t indulge slothfulness. Fervent prayer is never long—that is, it doesn’t seem long.

72.5.1 It’s possible to go through the Jesus Prayer with the intellect in the heart, without moving the tongue. This is better than vocal prayer. Let vocal prayer serve as an aid to noetic prayer... Sometimes vocal prayer is needed to make noetic prayer firm.

72.6.1 When after prayer with attention and feeling the intellect wanders away from prayer and becomes distracted, you must bring it back to its place, rebuke yourself, be contrite before the Lord, and pray again with attention and feeling. Good prayer is always the mercy of God and a gift of grace... You mustn’t boast but give thanks to the Lord.

72.7.1 What Saint Symeon the New Theologian wrote about defective prayer is completely true... What’s to be done? You must pray properly, driving away inattention, indifference, and negligence: for these are in our hands.

72.8.1 Seek, and you will find.

72.9.1 Be saved!

72.10.1

72.11.1