Few weeks ago, I had the joy of sharing some of the most beautiful and heartfelt moments of praise and worship with a small vibrant prayer group for God. The chosen biblical text was the Gospel account of the healing of two blind men. As soon as they sensed that Jesus was passing nearby both of them, who happened to be “sitting by the roadside” (Matt 20, 30), they lifted their voice and cried: “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” (verse 30). And, when the crowd tried to silence them, they were brave enough to cry out his name even louder! “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” (verse 31).

Their uncommon cry suddenly attracted Jesus’ attention. He came in front of them and asked: “What do you want me to do for you?” (verse 32). Their automatic response was: “Lord, let our eyes be opened” (verse 33). Captivated and moved by their strong faith, Jesus “in pity, touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight and followed him” (verse 34). This short healing episode is pregnant with meaning. Most of all it manifestly portrays the powerful impact of the Jesus Prayer.

Saint Paul urged the early Christian community of Thessalonica to “pray constantly” (1 Thes 5: 17). Likewise, in his letter to the Romans, he teaches the community to “be constant in prayer” (Rome 12:12). From his personal experience he perfectly knew the power of prayer because he practised it himself. “And we also thank God constantly for this” (1 Thes 2:13). Furthermore, Paul comforted Timothy, his “true child in the faith” (1 Tim 1:2) with the following encouraging words: “I remember you constantly in my prayers” (2 Tim 1:3). Saint Paul’s ongoing challenge of praying continually overtly shows that to pray essentially means to think and live one’s life in God’s Presence. One of the most fruitful ways of doing that is precisely by praying the Jesus Prayer, or, as sometimes it is referred to, the prayer of the heart.

The Jesus Prayer is offered as a vehicle of concentration, as a sort of focal point to one’s life. Normally, the most used version of the prayer is the subsequent: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Its simplicity and clarity is clearly identified in the Scriptures. The Scriptural roots of the Jesus Prayer that form its concrete and theological content are: Matt. 6:7-8; Phil. 2:9-10; Luke 10:17; John 14:13 14; Acts 3:6-7; Luke 18:38; Luke 17:13; Luke 18:14; 1 John 1:8; and 1 Cor. 12:3. According to the 19th century Russian spiritual writer, Theophan the Recluse, the Jesus Prayer starts as an oral prayer. From its “verbal expression and shape” the prayer leads the prayerful person to pray without distraction. When “the mind is focused upon the words” of the Prayer, “speaking them as if they were (his/her) own” the prayer reaches the ultimate level when it becomes a prayer of the heart. Here, the prayer defines the person himself/herself. The Jesus Prayer becomes the prayer of adoption, when “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Gal 4:6).

The Jesus Prayer bears two everlasting fruits. Firstly, it completely changes our relationship with the material creation around us. The world becomes for us delightful and marvellous, a sign, a means of communicating God’s presence. Secondly, it changes our relationship with each other. We are readier to forgive and show the compassion of the crucified and risen Lord to other people.

In Paul Evdokimov’s words, the Jesus Prayer totally transfigures “our whole life, every act and gesture” because we necessarily “become prayer-prayer incarnate”. Let us pray it constantly!

■ Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap

San Ġwann