For almost 20 years as an Orthodox Christian, I have struggled to find a prayer practice that I can stick to amid all the distractions that life throws at me - some voluntary, some involuntary. I truly love the services of the Church, but when I try to read them at home, I am invariably interrupted by one thing or another and I loose my momentum and don't resume wherever I left off. I also love the Jesus Prayer, but the continual repetition is a mental challenge for me and I cannot seem to do it for long.
In the Lives of the Saints, we read how central the Psalter was to many, often being their only form of prayer, especially when living isolated ascetic lives. After my husband died a year ago, I prayed the Akathist for the reposed a lot during the first 40 days, but Akathists don't really resonate with me. For some reason, they feel kind of "silly" to me. So I stopped reading it and really didn't pray for him in any other way after that.
This was bothering me and weighing heavily on my conscience. I have always loved the tradition of reading the Psalter, along with the Prayer for the Reposed after each Kathisma, over the body before the funeral and burial. So about a month and a half ago, I decided to start doing this on a daily basis, as a priority, for my husband, before and instead of reading other Orthodox material - all of which is good in its own right, but is not PRAYER. This had been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my Orthodox Christian life. It has been a game-changer really. Reading the Psalms regularly has proven to be the perfect antidote to the bombardment of life's distractions.
For me, the Psalms are like a clear, gently flowing stream that cleanses and refreshes my heart, mind, and soul. I can easily step in and step out without feeling like I have lost momentum. If I have been interrupted by something, I simply return and pick up where I left off. It all feels very natural and seamless. Since I started this practice, I have been able to read 1/4-1/2 of the Psalter each day. And at the conclusion of the 20th Kathisma, I also read the Prayer for the Reposed from the Midnight Office, inserting all the names of the Reposed on my prayer list. This has proven to be a very meaningful and sustainable form of prayer for me personally.
I just wanted to share my experience in case it might help others struggling to find a form of prayer that works in this world of distraction.
"Bombarded" is exactly the right word to describe those never-ending distractions that assault us every day.
I followed several news podcasts for years, thinking it was my civic duty to keep abreast of all latest twists & turns. (Dare I admit, I followed "religiously")? Earlier this spring, though, it dawned on me I was always agitated--& stayed that way for hours.
What's worse, much of that agitation morphed into vainglory, as I imagined myself in charge & giving "what for" to those many miscreants who deserved a righteous comeuppance. In retrospect, of course, it was totally idiotic behavior. But try telling that to your brain at 2 in the morning!
On the day I took to heart the warning that we're all just passing through this world--that our true citizenship is elsewhere--I pretty much disconnected from daily news shows. Call it "going Amish" or "returning to the 1950s." Either way, my stress level plummeted. I don't carry a cellphone in my pocket or scroll through social media, either. It's been quite liberating, and frees up time to focus on spiritual matters.
I did get quite a chuckle over the story about that old monk. After my husband retired, we lived on the road for a few years and often had no idea what day of the week it was, or even what month. We used to joke we'd be in big trouble if paramedics ever asked us those questions! So I can relate--although that "Old Calendar" perspective was a totally unexpected plot twist!
Thank you for a wonderful sermon. I'm saving it & will review it often.
Thank you Father. As you said in a previous post a couple of years ago, so much of the spiritual life comes down to remembering what you already know. This was a much needed reminder for me and is a confirmation of some of what I’ve been feeling challenged to recently. This also brought to mind one of my favorite quotes from St. John Chrysostom,
"Therefore, do not be cast down, I beseech you. For there is only one thing, Olympia, to fear, only one real temptation, and that is sin. This is the refrain that I keep chanting to you ceaselessly. For everything else is ultimately a fable – whether you speak of plots, or enmities, or deceptions, or slanders, or abuses, or accusations, or confiscations, or banishments, or sharpened swords, or high seas, or war engulfing the entire world. Whichever of these you point to, they are transitory and perishable, and they only affect mortal bodies; they cannot in any way injure the watchful soul. This is why, wishing to express the paltriness of both the good and the bad things of this present life, the blessed Paul stated the matter in one phrase, saying, 'For the things that are seen are transient' (2 Cor. 4:18). So why are you fearing temporal things, which flow past like rivers streams? For this is the nature of present things, whether they be pleasant or painful.”
I have no inclinations towards politics or news, but I sometimes feel guilty that I don't know a little bit more so that I can pray more specifically for the world. So, what I do during the morning prayers is pray for the deliverance of the most vulnerable, lonely, broken, trapped in society.
For almost 20 years as an Orthodox Christian, I have struggled to find a prayer practice that I can stick to amid all the distractions that life throws at me - some voluntary, some involuntary. I truly love the services of the Church, but when I try to read them at home, I am invariably interrupted by one thing or another and I loose my momentum and don't resume wherever I left off. I also love the Jesus Prayer, but the continual repetition is a mental challenge for me and I cannot seem to do it for long.
In the Lives of the Saints, we read how central the Psalter was to many, often being their only form of prayer, especially when living isolated ascetic lives. After my husband died a year ago, I prayed the Akathist for the reposed a lot during the first 40 days, but Akathists don't really resonate with me. For some reason, they feel kind of "silly" to me. So I stopped reading it and really didn't pray for him in any other way after that.
This was bothering me and weighing heavily on my conscience. I have always loved the tradition of reading the Psalter, along with the Prayer for the Reposed after each Kathisma, over the body before the funeral and burial. So about a month and a half ago, I decided to start doing this on a daily basis, as a priority, for my husband, before and instead of reading other Orthodox material - all of which is good in its own right, but is not PRAYER. This had been one of the best decisions I have ever made in my Orthodox Christian life. It has been a game-changer really. Reading the Psalms regularly has proven to be the perfect antidote to the bombardment of life's distractions.
For me, the Psalms are like a clear, gently flowing stream that cleanses and refreshes my heart, mind, and soul. I can easily step in and step out without feeling like I have lost momentum. If I have been interrupted by something, I simply return and pick up where I left off. It all feels very natural and seamless. Since I started this practice, I have been able to read 1/4-1/2 of the Psalter each day. And at the conclusion of the 20th Kathisma, I also read the Prayer for the Reposed from the Midnight Office, inserting all the names of the Reposed on my prayer list. This has proven to be a very meaningful and sustainable form of prayer for me personally.
I just wanted to share my experience in case it might help others struggling to find a form of prayer that works in this world of distraction.
Thank you for another very "good word," Father!
I’ve also been feeling a call to the Psalms lately. I appreciate you sharing your experience as further encouragement to do just that.
"Bombarded" is exactly the right word to describe those never-ending distractions that assault us every day.
I followed several news podcasts for years, thinking it was my civic duty to keep abreast of all latest twists & turns. (Dare I admit, I followed "religiously")? Earlier this spring, though, it dawned on me I was always agitated--& stayed that way for hours.
What's worse, much of that agitation morphed into vainglory, as I imagined myself in charge & giving "what for" to those many miscreants who deserved a righteous comeuppance. In retrospect, of course, it was totally idiotic behavior. But try telling that to your brain at 2 in the morning!
On the day I took to heart the warning that we're all just passing through this world--that our true citizenship is elsewhere--I pretty much disconnected from daily news shows. Call it "going Amish" or "returning to the 1950s." Either way, my stress level plummeted. I don't carry a cellphone in my pocket or scroll through social media, either. It's been quite liberating, and frees up time to focus on spiritual matters.
I did get quite a chuckle over the story about that old monk. After my husband retired, we lived on the road for a few years and often had no idea what day of the week it was, or even what month. We used to joke we'd be in big trouble if paramedics ever asked us those questions! So I can relate--although that "Old Calendar" perspective was a totally unexpected plot twist!
Thank you for a wonderful sermon. I'm saving it & will review it often.
Thank you Father. As you said in a previous post a couple of years ago, so much of the spiritual life comes down to remembering what you already know. This was a much needed reminder for me and is a confirmation of some of what I’ve been feeling challenged to recently. This also brought to mind one of my favorite quotes from St. John Chrysostom,
"Therefore, do not be cast down, I beseech you. For there is only one thing, Olympia, to fear, only one real temptation, and that is sin. This is the refrain that I keep chanting to you ceaselessly. For everything else is ultimately a fable – whether you speak of plots, or enmities, or deceptions, or slanders, or abuses, or accusations, or confiscations, or banishments, or sharpened swords, or high seas, or war engulfing the entire world. Whichever of these you point to, they are transitory and perishable, and they only affect mortal bodies; they cannot in any way injure the watchful soul. This is why, wishing to express the paltriness of both the good and the bad things of this present life, the blessed Paul stated the matter in one phrase, saying, 'For the things that are seen are transient' (2 Cor. 4:18). So why are you fearing temporal things, which flow past like rivers streams? For this is the nature of present things, whether they be pleasant or painful.”
That is a beautiful passage.
I have no inclinations towards politics or news, but I sometimes feel guilty that I don't know a little bit more so that I can pray more specifically for the world. So, what I do during the morning prayers is pray for the deliverance of the most vulnerable, lonely, broken, trapped in society.