BOSTON COLLEGE | THE CHURCH IN THE 21ST CENTURY CENTER
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