Chapter 72

The Natural Fruits of the Jesus Prayer

The skillful practice of the Jesus Prayer…, its simple performance with attention in the heart or walking in the remembrance of God are our labor and have by themselves their own natural—not grace-filled—fruit. This fruit is the gathering of thoughts, reverence and fear of God, remembrance of death, the calming of thoughts and a certain warmth of heart. All this are natural fruits of inner prayer. One must hold this firmly so as not to trumpet it before oneself and exalt oneself before others.

As long as we have only natural fruits, we are not worth a cent both in the matter itself and in the judgment of God. We have worth when grace comes. For when it comes, this means that God has looked upon us with a merciful eye. But until it comes, whatever we do, whatever ascetic labors we undertake, it means that we are chaff-like persons, upon whom God does not even deign to look.

In what exactly this action of grace is manifested, I [here] cannot tell you [see below]; but this is certain, that it cannot come before all the fruits of inner prayer mentioned above appear. (6, 18)

The fruit of prayer—the chief fruit—is not warmth and sweetness, but fear of God and contrition. These must be continually rekindled, we must live with them, and breathe them. (10, 176)