January 13, 2014 – Fraternized

It is true that much of Orthodox spiritual and ascetical literature was written by monks and for monks, and not for the non-monastic reader whether clergy or lay. Still, there are many passages in this literature which all of us can benefit from, even when we have to translate the stories or advice into patterns of thought that can be used by or made sense by the ‘secular’ Orthodox. Monastic advice often treats the cell of the monk or nun, their private prayer and living space, as a very special place that can teach the monk all they need to know about following Christ in a monastic manner. In some ways the cell is simply the “closet” to where Christ instructs all of us to withdraw in order to pray:

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)

Since many spiritual teachers in Orthodoxy say the heart is that closet to which we can withdraw at any time we choose, the heart and the cell can be considered two ways by which we can refer to a spiritual space for prayer. The space, whether the cell or the heart, is metaphorical. As such, every Christian can withdraw to this space for prayer – whether it is a room where we can pray undisturbed or whether we withdraw into the heart to pray. In one lesson in the desert fathers, we find advice on what this ‘cell’ should be for the monk, but which really describes a spiritual space that every Christian needs, whether it be in one’s heart or in one’s home.

And make your cell a hall of judgement of yourself, and a place for striving against devils and evil passions, and let there be depicted therein the kingdom of heaven, and Gehenna, and death and life, and sinners and the righteous, and the fire which never is quenched, and the glory of the righteous, and the outer darkness, and the gnashing of the teeth, and the light of the righteous, and their joy in the Holy Spirit, and the Passion of our Lord, and the memorial of His Resurrection, and the redemption of creation. (adapted from The Paradise or Garden of the Holy Fathers (Volume 2), Kindle Loc. 5014-17 )

Our prayer room, our prayer closet, our heart, is to be a hall of judgment, decorated not with icons or paintings of heaven and hell, but spiritually with images of the Kingdom and of Gehenna. We are to remember both in prayer. We are not trying to forget our struggle on earth, nor are we trying to forget hell, nor to be taken solely into heaven. When we remember both hell and heaven, we are brought to think about forgiveness and repentance. We remember that we will face God’s judgment and so should forgive those who have offended us in order that we might be forgiven by God. In forgiving others, we open heaven not only to ourselves, but to them for God will forgive them as we forgive them. We remember hell is where we go when we fail to love others, and so hell is a reminder to repent of our sins and to love others, including our neighbors and enemies. We remember heaven and that there we will be if we forgive others their sins against us and if we repent of our own sins. Hell reminds us of the sorrow of sinners which we do not want to experience for all eternity, and so we don’t wish it for anyone else either. Heaven reminds us of the joy of the righteous, and that to attain it we must forgive and love and pray for all. So, in the writings of the desert fathers, the question is asked:

What is the kind of prayer which is not acceptable before God?

And the Elder replies that we should not pray for …

The destruction of enemies, or for evil things to come upon those who do harm to us, or for the health of the body, or a multitude of possessions, or an abundance of off spring. Prayers for these things are not acceptable before God. But if God bears with us while we are sinners and commit offences against Him, how much more is it right that we should bear with each other? ( adapted from The Paradise or Garden of the Holy Fathers Volume 2, Kindle Loc. 4800-4803)

OK, we know there are some things for which we should not pray, but what are things we should pray before God? The Elder replies that we should pray…

For the return of sinners, and the finding of the lost, and the bringing near of those who are afar off, and friendliness towards those who wrong us, and love towards those who persecute us, and a sorrowful care for those who provoke us to wrath. If a person does these things, repentance is in their mind, and sinners will often live and their souls will be redeemed in life. For the prayer which our Lord delivered unto us for the need of the body is a word which covers the whole community, and was not uttered solely for those who are strangers to the world and who hold in contempt the pleasures of the body (i.e. Christ’s teachings are not just for monks! They are directed to everyone). For the person in whose dwelling the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof are found lacks nothing, even when he doesn’t ask for anything. (adapted from The Paradise or Garden of the Holy Fathers Volume 2, Kindle Loc. 4808-14)

St. Maximus the Confessor (d. 662AD) teaches us: