A Prayer Rule

A prayer rule is a set of prayers taken from the Prayer Book that is said every single day without fail. One should always discuss one’s Prayer Rule with their spiritual father/father confessor before deciding on their own what it should be. Most of the time, the Rule is said in the morning and the evening, with shorter prayers, such as the Jesus Prayer, used throughout the day. In addition, prayers before and after meals should be incorporated into one’s daily routine. The goal of the Prayer Rule is union with God. When using a rule of prayer we must be flexible and do what works for us; our goal is to maintain the connection with God and cultivate a real relationship, not just fulfill our ‘rule’ of prayer.

Though we should pray unceasingly, our prayer rule must not and cannot be said, for example, when the TV is blaring or the kids are running about and screaming, but rather alone, in front of the icons, Gospel, and Cross in the quiet. Preferably we should say our rule with a lit oil lamp or candle and, if possible, the room lights should be dimmed. It is important to remember that we will never have time for God but rather we must make time for God, for the “Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matt. 11:12).

The Holy Spirit has descended! From Heaven to Earth!

We hear, in the reading for Pentecost from Acts chapter 2, about how the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles, and they began to preach in languages they did not already know. There is a great deal of confusion about what speaking in tongues is in our time, especially among heterodox churches. Some contemporary saints warn us to avoid counterfeits of spiritual gifts that can cause spiritual harm. Discernment is necessary!

Here is a modern account of “speaking in tongues” that happened in our time, which is the real thing.

I heard about this from other sources. I don’t know who the author of this particular account is:

The former atheist Frenchwoman and Saint Porphyrios.

A French historian, atheist and nihilist visited Elder Porphyrios at his Hermitage in Milesi, Attica. She did not expect, being a University Professor to learn anything great from a 2nd Grade graduate, but for the sake of her friends she agreed to go.

The Elder asked the two of them to talk without the presence of others or an interpreter, which caused the question of her friends who knew that the Frenchwoman did not speak Greek at all, nor did the Elder speak French.

The theological and existential discussion finally took place with the two of them alone, for quite some time.

The door opened and the atheist woman came out in tears, tears of repentance. When her friends asked her how she got along with the Elder, she replied:

“But he speaks fluent French.”

The same happened with a German Doctor, with a Serb, with a Romanian, with an Irishman.

When his spiritual children asked him how he knew foreign languages ​​while he was never taught them, he replied:

“I speak to them in Greek and the Holy Spirit interprets them in their minds and hearts”

This is the New Language of the Holy Spirit that Christ promised to His Disciples, the language of Paradise which was confused by pride in the Tower of Babel and from Pentecost returned by the Holy Spirit through the Church to All Saints of times.

With Saint Paisios too we have many such examples and with Russian Saints too.

The Holy Spirit, the Heavenly Fire with which the Fire of the Altar once lit on the Day of Pentecost is always in the Church and has been burning for twenty centuries now. It was never erased by human weaknesses and mistakes.

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever “.

Every other “new fire of spirit” which is advertised nowadays with characteristic conceit and arrogance as being authentic, genuine and unique on earth by heretics is foreign “Alien Fire and not Divine”.

In the photo is the atheist French historian, Nun Magdalene in the Sinai desert, where she practiced asceticism afterwards, alone for 18 years in very difficult conditions, having renounced wealth, career, fame and useless philosophies of life.

Reading the Psalter over the Departed

In the Orthodox Church of Christ, there is a pious custom of reading the Psalter over the dead body of a monk or a layman (see Novaia Skrizhalj) continuously (except during the time when the funeral or a Panikhida [Memorial Service] is served at the coffin,). Even after the burial, the Psalter may be read for the dead according to a prescribed formula.

Reading the Psalms over the dead is one of those pious institutions of the Church of Christ, which derives from her maternal care for her children, carefully providing for their salvation, from birth to death, and not leaving them even after death. As a fundamental expression of her spirit and to address an essential need of the faithful, this reading of the Psalter over the dead has its beginning in the earliest days of the Church, serving as a prayer to the Lord for the deceased and at the same time giving consolation and edification for the living.

It is itself clear that the Psalms have to be read “with affection and warm compunction, reasonably, with attention, but not struggling like trying to understand the word with the mind”. Therefore it is necessary to be circumspect in the choice of persons with whom to charge the sacred reading. Of course, everyone who is capable of this and understands the sacredness of this ministry can participate in this reading. Especially welcome would be those of the major and minor clergy or monastics who are thoroughly accustomed to chanting the Holy Psalter.

The position of reading the Psalter over the departed is the position of prayer and therefore one needs to stand during this reading, if some special need or disability necessitates, it is possible to replace this position with sitting.

Services of Holy Week and Pascha in the Orthodox Church

The eight days that compromise Holy Week in the Orthodox Church express the spiritual summit of the Church’s liturgical life. The focus on the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ proceeds in a physically, psychologically and spiritually moving series of services that defy the limitations of space and time to bring the Orthodox Christian into the moment of the events commemorated. The elegant beauty of the services so move the faithful that it is not uncommon to see tears flow as people feel themselves mystically participating in the events of the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry.

Lazarus Saturday (the day before Palm Sunday) recalls the last public miracle of Jesus in raising Lazarus from the dead. This act serves as a reassurance that the Passion Jesus Himself will face in the week ahead will not end in death and corruption. The hymnody emphasizes that Christ is fully human and Divine.

Palm Sunday is a celebration of the Lord’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The Vigil Service includes a blessing of palm branches, which are held by the faithful for the remainder of the Vigil and throughout the Divine Liturgy. The hymnody reflects both the raising of Lazarus and the humility of the King who enters Jerusalem on the foal of an ass.

The evenings of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday feature the Bridegroom Matins. (Essentially, all the services for the following week are pushed forward twelve hours to allow more active participation of the faithful. Thus the morning service for Monday is celebrated Sunday evening, etc.) These services focus on the End Times. There is an urgency in the tone of the services as, successively, the innocent suffering of the Patriarch Joseph in the Old Testament, the parable of the Ten Virgins, and the anointing by the sinful woman is brought to mind in anticipation of the events to follow. Of particular beauty is the “Hymn of Kassiani” on Tuesday night, in which the faithful identify themselves with the sinful woman, both repentant and grieving at the suffering Jesus will endure for our salvation.

Wednesday Evening is the often occasion for the Sacrament of Holy Unction. More than a blessing of Holy Oil for the sick, the service functions as a transition from the expectation of the Passion to a spiritual participation in the last days of Christ. The focus is on repentance and the assurance of healing (spiritual as well as physical) through the Person of Jesus Christ. All those who are anointed must be Orthodox Christians, must be sick (soul or body), and MUST have been to Confession, in accordance with Bishop’s Ukaz (decree.)

NOTE: The Unction Service at St. Nicholas will be served the Thursday before Holy Week this year.

On Holy Thursday morning the Vesperal Liturgy of the Last Supper is celebrated (moved from the evening to the morning as noted above). The Gospel Reading is a masterful combination of readings that recount the Last Supper, institution of the Holy Eucharist, and betrayal, arrest, and condemnation of Jesus. The hymnody centers on betrayal of Judas with allusions to the three Old Testament readings which each focus on the innocence of Jesus as a lamb led to the slaughter.

Thursday evening the Matins of the 12 Passion Gospels is served. The complete Passion narratives of each of the Gospels are read to dramatically tell the story of the Passion and Death of Jesus. During the service, the faithful are spiritually transported into the events being described by the carrying of the Cross. A priest exits the Sanctuary with a large cross, which he carries in procession through the Church. The Cross is placed in the center of the temple. An icon of “The Crucified One” corpus is suspended upon the cross. The sense of terror and despair becomes palpable, and it is not uncommon for people to weep at this point. The service continues with a growing sense of dread and grief as the Gospels recount the Death of Jesus. It is during this service that we hear the moving Hymn of Light “The Wise Thief”  as everyone prostrates.

Holy Friday is truly a day of mourning. In the morning the Royal Hoursprovide a meditation on the theme of Christ’s sacrifice for us on the Cross. In the afternoon, the Vespers of the Burial of our Lord Jesus Christ occurs. Prophecies, Readings and Hymns again bring the faithful into the midst of events as the story of the Crucifixion is recounted and death of Jesus is affirmed. At the point of the Gospel narrative wherein Jesus is taken down from the Cross, the priest or acolytes exist the Sanctuary and remove the Icon corpus from the cross, wrap it in a white shroud and slowly take it into the Sanctuary. Again, the silence of the moment can prove overwhelming and often tears are seen on the faces of many. As the service proceeds, the priest emerges again, this time carrying the Plaschanitsa or Epitaphios (a large stiff cloth with the icon image of Jesus being laid in the tomb). The procession ends at a Tomb in the midst of the temple — where the Plaschanitsa  is laid out to be reverenced by the faithful.

On Friday Evening, the faithful gather for the Matins of the Lamentations, or “Praises.” The Church joins with the Angelic Hosts in mourning the death of the Deathless One. The Plaschanitsa is carried in procession in a funeral cortège around the outside of the Church. The sense of desolation reaches a breaking point, as the faithful reverence the Plaschanitsa, and take a flower to remember Jesus.

Holy Saturday begins with the Vesperal Liturgy of the First Proclamation of the Resurrection. The Resurrection is proclaimed with a strong association drawn to Passover and Baptism. Before the Gospel the priest scatters bay (laurel) leaves and/or rose petals throughout the whole church as a sign of Christ’s triumph and victory over death. Traditionally, converts to Orthodoxy are baptized either before or immediately after this service.

The Night of Holy Saturday features the most moving and joyous celebration in the Orthodox Church. The Procession begins with hymns that mount in tension, urging the faithful to watch and wait. The Church grows ever darker until all lights and candles are extinguished. Suddenly, the priest exits the Sanctuary with lighted candles, singing, “Thy resurrection O Christ our Saviour…”” The tension that has been building throughout the week breaks as one by one, candles are lit from the paschal candles, the church suddenly breaking forth into light. Singing the Hymn “Thy Resurrection O Christ our Saviour,” all process outside the Church, the doors are closed. The Matins of the Resurrection begins outside the church with jubilant singing of “Christ is Risen” and incensing of the faithful. When the doors are finally opened the Church is resplendent with all lights on and candles burning. The Royal Doors are open (and remain open throughout Bright Week – the period between Pascha and the Sunday of St. Thomas). Matins concludes in an air of joy and celebration. The clergy and faithful continuously shout “Christ is Risen!” “Indeed, He is Risen!” throughout the remainder of the Service. The usual ending of the service is replaced with the singing of Christ is Risen and the celebration of the Resurrectional Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom.

Holy Week in the Orthodox Church is more than attending a series of services, it is a week long experience of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The hymnody, readings, and overall arrangement of the services combine to powerfully witness to the central Truth of our Salvation. Those who faithfully participate in the services truly walk the way of the Cross and experience the joy of the Resurrection.

Govenie: The Path of a Virtuous Life

In the St. Theophan Study Group, we are reading “The Spiritual Life and how to be attuned to it” by St. Theophan the Recluse. St. Theophan is one of those 19th century Saints who are especially valuable for us, because he is closer to us in time, understood the modern mindset, and can “translate” the wisdom of the more ancient Holy Fathers for us who are further removed from their time and place.

“The Spiritual Life” is a collection of letters to a young woman who has asked for guidance from St. Theophan. She has been raised in the church, but she is not yet a fully conscious spiritual struggler who has taken responsibility for the actions of her own faith. The saint counsels her in various actions by which she can form a resolve that becomes a center that directs the actions of her life.

One of the activities that St. Theophan instructs her in is Govenie. This is defined as reverential activity during a fast (particularly Lent), by which one focuses a bit more on their spiritual life and preparation to receive the holy mysteries. One traditional time for this is clean week or the first week of Lent. Govenie is made up of time in church, with the penitenital nature of the services (especially the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete), as well as time in prayer and reading at home. Many of us confess and commune regularly, so what is so special about this preparation? It is a time to go a bit deeper, looking more closely at the patterns of thoughts and behaviors, and deepening our resolve to live for Christ. Govenie implies that we are setting aside our normal activities and schedule as much as is possible, and instead, dedicate time to our preparation and repentance. Some of the activities that can be enaged in at this time:

• A more attentive participation in the church services
• Extra prayers at home
• Spiritual Reading that inspires and instructs us
• A deeper examination of ourselves with the aim to do a complete confession and to form a better resolve to live for Christ – considering how we should conduct ourselves as Chistians.
• Fasting from both foods, distractions and other passions. Having a measure of stillness so that we can more easily examine our selves and hear the still small voice in our conscience
• A small non-distracting handcraft to keep us busy in-between.

The above is the ideal. Most of us will struggle to balance such activities with jobs, family responsibilities, energy levels, etc., but we should try to do what we can. You might notice that when you make an effort to do extra spiritual labors, that it seems like resistance and temptations multiply! That is to be expected – we should not be discouraged by the problems that come up, but rather see them as challenges to help us. We might find ourselves becoming more anxious, irritable, discouraged and the like. At those times, we should stop and recognize that these things are valuable to help us know ourselves, and repent more deeply. The temptations and problems are created by the friction that is created when we resist our normal patterns for more spiritual work. When looked at prayerfully, these problems can become fuel for the fire of greater zeal, repentance, self-knowledge, war against the passions and prayer. When these temptations arise, we can stop, look inside ourselves to identify what is happening, and then use the Jesus Prayer to transform our trouble into growth.

Lent is a valuable time to work on our spiritual growth, and Govenie is a toolbox with a good set of tools for spiritual growth. Having washed ourselves with repentance during the fast, we may find our sense of freedom and joy increased when we celebrate the bright resurrection of Christ!