A HOMILY FOR THE EVE OF THE FEAST OF THE PROTECTION OF THE MOST HOLY THEOTOKOS
About Prayer; Its Significance and Necessity, and How to Prepare for It
Brothers and sisters!
Tonight we shall hold the Vigil for the feast of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos, when we commemorate the Queen of heaven’s appearance in the church of Blachernae at Constantinople, where she was seen during the Saturday evening Vigil service praying for the people while they were at prayer. This being the case, what could be a more fitting subject for our homily today, as we prepare to meet the feast, than prayer, its significance, and its necessity?
Saint John Chrysostom tells us that he who does not pray is dead, without soul or intelligence. If the person who frequently speaks with wise men or reads their books becomes wise, then what can we say of the person who frequently speaks with the all-knowing God? Conversely, if the person who never speaks with wise men or reads their books forever remains ignorant and unwise, then what can we say of the person who never speaks with the Lord?
In ancient times, the Christians regarded nothing as highly as prayer, and whenever the holy fathers met one another, their greeting always included the question, “How goes your prayer?” Success at prayer was regarded as the surest sign of success in the spiritual life, but it was understood that simply to stand at prayer is not the same thing as true prayer. Prostrations before icons, reading prayers from books, memorizing prayers, and listening to prayers being read: these are only the context of prayer. The heart of prayer lies in feelings of self-abasement, devotion, thanksgiving, glorification, forgiveness of others, repentance, contrition, submission to the will of God, and so forth. It is relatively easy to make prostrations and read prayers, but often extremely difficult to lift up one’s heart to the Lord. For the spirit of man to ascend to God, inspiration is needed and, much more often than not, inspiration requires force. Habitual forcing of oneself is essential if one is to acquire the spirit of inspired prayer.
If prayer is to become a necessity for us, our chief joy in life, something extremely near and dear to us, then we must continuously nurture in ourselves the spirit of prayer.
Besides this, it is extremely important to understand that prayer is the mother of all the virtues, for prayer avails us of the grace of God, Who is the Fount of every blessing. Without prayer, one cannot become a virtuous Christian. Only through prayer can one enter fully into communion with the Lord. Through prayer, we not only speak to God, but He speaks to us. It is during prayer that the Lord’s Most Holy Spirit instructs us, through the voice of our conscience and the illumination of grace. Furthermore, only prayer allows us to ask whatever we need of God, and in the spiritual life, asking is the precondition to receiving.
At this point, the question follows: how to nurture the spirit of prayer? How to commence? Every important undertaking begins with reflection and preparation. When we decide to pray, we must focus our thoughts; tear them away from worldly interests and concerns; and stand, sit, or even walk about quietly for a few moments. Best to stand before the holy icons, to focus on the image of the Lord, and to consider Whom you intend to address. Then, in your own words, thank God for all the blessings He has bestowed upon you, and ask Him to grant you the spirit of tranquility, humility, and devotion. After this, make several prostrations and begin to pray unhurriedly. Try to let the meaning of every word sink not only into your mind, but also and especially into your heart. When you say, Cleanse me from my sin,[1] remember that you can hardly think a single thought or say a single word without sinning. When you say, Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,[2] pardon others and beseech the Lord’s pardon for your sins. Pray either from the Prayer Book or the Psalter, or repeat the Prayer of Jesus – as you wish. But one way or another, compel yourself to a devout disposition from the beginning to the end of your prayer. If you have come to church to pray, by all means try to arrive a few minutes early, so that you can make your offering, purchase your candles, and prepare for the common prayer, before the service begins.
This order of preparation and application corresponds exactly to the advice of the great teacher of the spiritual life, Saint John Climacus, in his famous book The Ladder of Divine Ascent. In its twenty-eighth step, On Prayer, he writes, “Before all else, let us list sincere thanksgiving first on the scroll of our prayer. On the second line, we should put confession and heartfelt contrition of soul. Then let us present our petition to the King of all. This is the best way of prayer, since it was shown to one of the brethren by an angel of the Lord.”
Nevertheless, even if we have prepared ourselves as we should for prayer and begun in a fitting manner, we should be under no illusion as to the difficulty of the task of prayer. Once, a certain brother asked Abba Agathon, great among the fathers of the Egyptian desert, “What is the hardest of the virtues to attain?”
“Forgive me,” replied Agathon, “but I think that the hardest thing of all is to pray to God. When a man intends to pray, our enemies try to lead him astray, for they know that nothing so undermines them as prayer to God. Whatever spiritual struggle a man undertakes, he enjoys repose after a period of forcing himself. But prayer requires struggle until one’s final breath.”
And what a struggle it requires! Prayer calls for a merciless battle against the ease-loving flesh, against one’s irresolute will; against doubts, unbelief, and the other innumerable snares of the adversary. But if you offer your petitions with sincere faith and persist in prayer, then you will prevail in the battle, for the Lord promises, All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive,[3] and He told the Parable of the Unjust Judge to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.[4]
However, you must remember as well: if what we have said today is true, then it follows that if we are inattentive at prayer, eager to get on with other matters, or full of doubts about the efficacy of prayer, no good will come out of our prayer. God will not reward it with His divine grace or any other gift, and we will achieve nothing except to offend Him by our irreverence and unbelief.
O most holy Lady Theotokos! Help us the slothful, weak, unwise, defiled, incorrigible, downcast, wretched, unbelieving, and despairing, and shelter us with the mighty protection of thy prayers. Beseech for us the spirit of prayer, for naught is more needful, and by thine entreaties the Lord grants worthy prayer to those who beg it of thee. Ever come to our aid, O our joy, for thou art our hope, refuge, and salvation unto ages of ages! Amen.
[1] Ps. 50:2
[2] Matt. 6:12
[3] Matt. 21:22
[4] Luke 18:1
