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THE JESUS PRAYER by Joseph Wong, O.S.B.,
Today, one of the major challenges of trying to be a contemplative while living in a modern city is learning how to cultivate inner silence, or inner stillness, in the midst of the clamor and the hectic activities of a busy life. Yet I have known from childhood that the kind of recollectedness which can lead to inner stillness can in fact be maintained in an urban setting. I grew up in Hong Kong, and I used to hear my grandmother, who was a devout Buddhist, reciting the Buddha’s name throughout the day. Turning her prayer beads in her hand, she would chant “Nan-Mu E-MiTo-Fo” (which means “Homage to the Buddha Amitabha”). When I greeted her, she would interrupt her recitation, exchange a few words with me, and then continue chanting “Nan-Mu E-Mi-ToFo.” Later
I attended a Catholic school and became a Catholic. When I first learned about the Jesus Prayer, I was greatly struck by the similarities between this prayer and my grandmother’s recitation of the Buddha’s name. In this essay, I shall present the Jesus Prayer as a way that can lead us to inner stillness and unceasing prayer, whether we are living in a city or in the countryside. The Jesus Prayer—also known as the Prayer of the Heart—had its origin in the tradition of the desert monks in fourth-century Egypt. Later, having passed through Mount Sinai, the Jesus Prayer was introduced to Greece, where it flourished on Mount Athos during the Middle Ages. From there it spread FAITH FEEDS PRAYER RESOURCES - THE JESUS PRAYER | 1
BOSTON COLLEGE | THE CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY CENTER
to Eastern Europe and became an important element HOW TO PRAY THE JESUS PRAYER of Eastern Orthodox spirituality. In the middle of the The Jesus Prayer is normally practiced in two different last century it entered the Western Church and is ways: structured and spontaneous. The structured now widely known and practiced in the West as well. way of reciting the Jesus Prayer is to set aside a period of time every day, such as twenty or thirty minutes. Many Christians have learned about the Jesus Prayer The spontaneous way of reciting the Jesus Prayer is through the nineteenth century Russian classic Way to freely repeat the prayer throughout the day. As the of a Pilgrim, which has been translated into some two ways complement each other, spiritual masters forty languages. Its anonymous author teaches the normally recommend adopting both ways, especially Jesus Prayer by way of telling stories about himself. for beginners. After spending some set time every One day when he was in church, so the narrative be- day in saying the Jesus Prayer, the prayer will gradugins, he heard the Scripture reading of Paul’s injunc- ally accompany us in our daily living. That is, the holy tion to the Christians to “pray without ceasing” (1 name of Jesus will spontaneously appear on our lips Thes. 5:17). Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the pilgrim and in our hearts at different times and on different felt that Paul’s words were addressed to him person- occasions throughoutthe day. ally. He was determined to put the command into practice, but first he needed to learn how to culti- The Jesus Prayer is a way, proven over the centuries, vate unceasing prayer. He frequented a number of to achieve hesychia, or inner stillness and unceasing churches and listened to famous preachers for some prayer. As a prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer is a time, but he was greatly disappointed because no concrete expression of the Holy Spirit praying conone presented any practical instruction in how to tinuously in the hearts of Christians, “with sighs too pray unceasingly. Finally, by the grace of God, he met deep for words” (Rom. 8: 26). an elderly monk in a small village who taught him the Jesus Prayer as a concrete way of praying continuous- Joseph Wong, O.S.B, Cam., is a member of the ly. The monk also gave him a copy of the Philokalia, Camaldolese Benedictines and resides in which contained the teachings on the Jesus Prayer Camaldoli, Italy. given by ancient spiritual masters. Thus, under the guidance of this spiritual father, the pilgrim read the Excerpted from Religion East and West, Issue 5 and can Philokalia with great interest and thereafter recited also be found in Catholic Spiritual Practices: A Treasury the Jesus Prayer continuously as he pursued his path of Old and New, Paraclete Press, 2012. as a pilgrim. Then, after a period of time, due to his earnestness, and with the special assistance of the By Karen Kiefer Holy Spirit, the pilgrim was able to obtain the gift of unceasing prayer. The standard formula of the Jesus Prayer is: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” In practice, various forms are used. For example, the designation “a sinner” may be added to the ending: “Have mercy on me, a sinner.” Some omit the title, “Son of God,” and say: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.” Or the prayer can be simply shortened to the following invocation: “Lord Jesus, have mercy.”
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THE JESUS PRAYER “The ceaseless Jesus Prayer is a continuous, uninterrupted call on the holy name of Jesus Christ with the lips, mind, and heart; and in the awareness of His abiding presence it is a plea for His blessing in all undertakings, in all places, at all times, even in sleep.” —The Way of a Pilgrim, And the Pilgrim Continues His Way Summary
Joseph Wong, OSB, describes the practice of the Jesus Prayer as a resource for people seeking a contemplative approach to prayer, even in the midst of urban life. The practice, long practiced in Eastern Christianity, invites us to “pray always” by continually invoking the name of Jesus throughout each moment of life. Over time, the prayer allows one to develop inner stillness as the Holy Spirit helps to form the practicioner through constant prayer.
Questions for Conversation
1. What do you think of the call to “pray always”? How have you responded to this idea in the past? Would something like the Jesus prayer change the way you approach the invitation to constant prayer? 2. The Jesus Prayer is a prayer of both intentional time, and of ongoing prayer in everday life. What would you say is your practice of everyday prayer? Is there somethign you do or expereince daily that you might consider prayer? How does it inform your daily life? 3. The Jesus Prayer is an example of prayer being shared across traditions. How can engaging in such a practice help us to live in better relationship with members of other faith traditions?
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