Evagrius Ponticus on Prayer
Some highlights from "On Prayer," Philokalia, vol. 1:
When you pray as you should, thoughts will come to you which make you feel that you have a real right to be angry. But anger with your neighbor is never right. If you search you will find that things can always be arranged without anger. So do all you can not to break out into anger.
Take care that, while appearing to cure someone else, you yourself do not remain uncured, in this way thwarting your prayer.
Often when I have prayed, I have asked for what I thought was good, and persisted in my petition, stupidly importuning the will of God, and not leaving it to Him to arrange things as He knows is best for me. But when I have obtained what I asked for, I have been very sorry that I did not ask for the will of God to be done; because the thing turned out not to be as I had thought.
If you are a theologian, you will pray truly. And if you pray truly, you are a theologian.
Whoever loves true prayer and yet becomes angry or resentful is his own enemy. He is like a man who wants to see clearly and yet inflicts damage on his own eyes.
He who bears distress patiently will attain joy, and he who endures the repulsive will know delight.
Blessed is the monk who looks with great joy on everyone's salvation and progress as if they were his own.
If when praying no other joy can attract you, then truly you have found prayer.
Take care that, while appearing to cure someone else, you yourself do not remain uncured, in this way thwarting your prayer.
Often when I have prayed, I have asked for what I thought was good, and persisted in my petition, stupidly importuning the will of God, and not leaving it to Him to arrange things as He knows is best for me. But when I have obtained what I asked for, I have been very sorry that I did not ask for the will of God to be done; because the thing turned out not to be as I had thought.
If you are a theologian, you will pray truly. And if you pray truly, you are a theologian.
Whoever loves true prayer and yet becomes angry or resentful is his own enemy. He is like a man who wants to see clearly and yet inflicts damage on his own eyes.
He who bears distress patiently will attain joy, and he who endures the repulsive will know delight.
Blessed is the monk who looks with great joy on everyone's salvation and progress as if they were his own.
If when praying no other joy can attract you, then truly you have found prayer.
Labels: Spirituality
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