Always be joyful; pray continuously; give thanks whatever happens; for this is what God wills for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-17
Being joyful, praying continuously and giving thanks is challenging in this time of uncertainty and confinement. How do I stay present to the moment when what I really want most is for a speedy resolution of the pandemic? Since the beginning of this crisis, I have not allowed myself to dwell on the activities I no longer participate in. Instead I have focused on my daily routine of homeschooling Spanish, taking short walks in the neighborhood, and supervising my grandchildren’s play two afternoons per week.
On days when I become aware of my anxiety and restlessness, I find myself silently uttering, “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” or “Lord Jesus, help me,” or “Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy.” Christians have prayed these habitual prayers or prayers of the heart also known as the Jesus Prayer, since the dawn of Christianity.
For many centuries Eastern Orthodox monks have taught the Jesus Prayer as a way to pray without ceasing. It became known in the West through
The Pilgrim’s Tale,
a story about a Russian Orthodox 19
th
century peasant who practiced the prayer until it became the background of all his interactions and activities. In the 21
st
century this prayer has the same power to connect our hearts to the transcendent Spirit that dwells within each of us. You can pray the Jesus Prayer anytime, anywhere, all the time. Praying the Jesus Prayer helps me retain a sustaining awareness of God in my heart throughout the day. It is not magic, but it has never failed to infuse me with peace, faith, love, gratitude and joy.
As you begin to practice, it may be helpful to start with a quiet, still period of prayer following the instructions from
The Pilgrim’s Tale.
Sit in silence and alone. Bend your head. Close your eyes. Breathe ever more quietly. With the imagination look inside your heart. Carry your intellect, that is your thought, out of your head and into your heart. As you breathe say quietly with your lips or in your intellect alone: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” Try to drive away your thoughts. Keep restful patience and repeat this process very frequently. (p.61, The Pilgrim’s Tale)
To have the sustaining awareness of the Holy Spirit in your daily routine, silently utter “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me” any place, any time, all the time. Before long, you may be comforted by the Holy Spirit in your heart and mind.
You may also be led to pray without ceasing for others as an intercessory prayer – “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on _____________ (my mother, my father, my daughter, my neighbor, or on the world, etc.)
You may also feel a shift that prompts you to utter “Christ have mercy; Lord have mercy,” or “Lord, help me (us).”
There is no “correct” way to pray without ceasing. The prayer that arises from your heart is the prayer that you need at the precise moment when it arises. The suggestions I offer may be helpful or not. Listen and become aware of what the Indwelling Spirit is uttering in your heart. Let us remember that God wills for us to be always joyful; pray continuously; give thanks whatever happens.
