How is your prayer?

Published by

Michael K. Marsh

February 17, 2009

Theophan the Recluse was a Russian priest and bishop of the 19th century. In the latter half of his life he lived in solitude. Much of his life was spent writing and teaching about the life of prayer. In one of his homilies on prayer he offers the following:

Let me recall a wise custom of the ancient Holy Fathers: when greeting each other, they did not ask about health or anything else, but rather about prayer, saying “How is your prayer?” The activity of prayer was considered by them to a be a sign of the spiritual life, and they called it the breath of the spirit. If the body has breath, it lives; if breathing stops, life comes to an end. So it is with the spirit. If there is prayer, the soul lives; without prayer, there is no spiritual life.

theophan-the-recluse2

Theophan’s understanding that prayer is the breath of life fits nicely with Rabbi Heschel’s teaching that prayer is the essence of life .

Prayer, Saints

Breath of the Spirit, Spiritual Life, Theophan the Recluse

6 responses to “How is your prayer?”

Henry Karlson

February 21, 2009

St Theophan is great, though I’ve always wondered why it is ROCOR or their like which tends to be the ones of the Orthodox world which bring him up (while others, like you and I, can appreciate him without all the baggage the ROCOR folks bring)?

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marshmk

February 22, 2009

Thank you for your comment. I have just recently started reading Theophan. I like his clarity and directness. I am not sure what you mean by the baggage of the ROCOR folks. Can you explain a little more to help me understand? Thank you.

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Henry Karlson

February 22, 2009

ROCOR tends to be more fundamentalistic in mentality, rigorist in intent, and legalist in how they deal with their spiritual life; so those in ROCOR who take Theophan’s advice make it more than mere advice but rules which must be followed. The spirit is lost for the letter — ROCOR was out of communion with Moscow for quite some time because of this (among other things, ROCOR is strongly opposed to the New Calendar). I like some of what comes out of ROCOR, but I do know it attracts a bent which is minor within Orthodoxy.

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July 27, 2010

[…] each other, did not ask about health, life, family, or anything else. Instead, they would ask, “How is your prayer?” How we pray, or even whether we pray, says much about who God is for us, our life and concerns, the […]

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January 31, 2011

[…] Related post: How is your prayer? […]

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7 Thoughts on Prayer | Interrupting the Silence

June 25, 2013

[…] “How is your prayer?” As our prayer goes, so goes our life. Daily life and prayer are integrally related. I am not speaking here of prayer that seeks to accomplish a result or achieve an outcome but prayer that sustains, enlivens, and awakens. “Prayer is the test of everything.” […]

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