Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me a sinner.
As we started this journey to understand the Jesus Prayer, by the grace of God, we first completed the four strands of the Jesus Prayer and then followed it with understanding the two ways of praying the Jesus Prayer - the free use and the fixed use. We understood that it is important to persist with a concentrated effort in the actual recitation of the Jesus Prayer.
There are a few things that can assist us in the recitation of the Jesus Prayer. We will be discussing only three of them, of which the first is more personal and the rest are more external.
A 'SOUL' FRIEND
In the first place, it is highly recommended to find a 'soul friend' - a spiritual father or mother, an elder (geronta - in Greek, starts - in Russian), who can advice us in the practice of the Prayer. Such a person need not necessarily be a priest. S/he may also be a lay monk or a nun, or someone in the 'world', man or woman. What is important is that the 'soul friend' should possess personal experience. We can simply take an example of a mountaineer. If a person is climbing a particular mountain for the first time, he would do well if he ascends the mountain with someone who has been up that mountain before and who knows the way. So it is with the ascent of prayer.
What if we cannot find a spiritual guide? Does that mean we should not use the Jesus Prayer? Absolutely not. Even without guidance, there is no danger in adopting the Jesus Prayer, so long as we say it simply, humbly, and for limited periods of time. But it is much better to have a 'soul friend'. If we search, God will give us the support that we need.
THE PRAYER ROPE
On a somewhat different level, we may be assisted in saying the Jesus Prayer by using a prayer rope. This is a circle or chaplet, usually made of wool or twine, with perhaps a hundred knots, but the number may vary. One Jesus Prayer is said at each knot. The prayer rope can be made of leather, or it may consist beads, in which case it might resemble the Catholic Rosary, except that it accompanies the invocation of Jesus, not the Hail Mary.
While the prayer rope can be used to measure the number of times that we say the Jesus Prayer, this is not it's only function. It should be understood that mere quantity is not of primary importance while reciting the Jesus Prayer. In the words of St. Isaac the Syrian, "I do not want to count the milestones, but to enter the bridal chamber." The main purpose of the prayer rope is not to act as a measurement rod, but to assist us to concentrate. It is a fact of experience that if, when praying, we involve the body, giving our hands something to do, this will steady and centre us. The act of passing the knots of the prayer through our fingers will stop us from fidgeting and will establish a regular rhythm in our invocation
To be continued...
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me a sinner.
Reference: The Jesus Prayer - Bishop Kallistos Ware
