Section 02: Prayer
The prayer section covers St. Paisios’s teachings on the Jesus Prayer, the broader life of prayer, and the liturgical-sacramental life. Prayer was the center of the Elder’s life and the subject to which he returned most frequently in his counsels. His approach combined the rigor of the Athonite hesychast tradition with pastoral warmth and practical wisdom for people at every stage of the spiritual life.
Contents
| File | Topic |
|---|---|
| The Jesus Prayer | St. Paisios’s teaching on the Jesus Prayer: practical instruction, stages of prayer, warmth of the heart, divine consolation, the Philokalia tradition, and his own prayer life |
| Prayer Life | The broader life of prayer: types of prayer, the prayer rule, intercessory prayer, night vigil, prayer for the departed, and the relationship between prayer and humility |
| Liturgical Life | The sacramental and liturgical dimension: the Divine Liturgy, Holy Communion, Confession, feasts and fasting, and the Elder’s reverence for the Church’s worship |
How to Use
- Start with The Jesus Prayer for the Elder’s most characteristic prayer teaching.
- Read Prayer Life for the broader context of daily prayer and intercession.
- Read Liturgical Life for the sacramental framework within which all prayer operates.
Cross-References
- For the broader Orthodox tradition of the Jesus Prayer, see The Jesus Prayer
- For the Orthodox prayer rule, see The Orthodox Prayer Rule
- For the Divine Liturgy, see The Divine Liturgy
- For theosis as the goal of the prayer life, see Theosis
- For the monastic context of prayer, see Monasticism
- For Fr. Seraphim Rose on divine revelation and the heart, see God’s Revelation to the Human Heart