No other weapon more powerful
In the First Epistle of Saint Paul to the Thessalonians, it is written: "Pray without ceasing!"
The Holy Fathers, interpreting these words, say that "to pray without ceasing" means to continuously call upon the holy name of the Lord. This is even more clearly seen in the Epistle to the Philippians, where Saint Paul writes: "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."
Saint John of Karpathos says that when we recite the Jesus Prayer (that is: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner"), with each invocation of His Holy Name, the Lord secretly replies to us: "Son, your sins are forgiven!"
And Saint John Chrysostom says that no matter how sinful we may be, this prayer cleanses us when we say it with a sincere heart. There is no other weapon more powerful in heaven and on earth than the Holy Invocation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
When we say: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me!", through these words we confess all the mysteries of our faith, for (as some of the Holy Fathers say) these words contain the entire Gospel in brief.
These are the five words mentioned by Saint Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians, where he says: "I would rather speak five words with my mind than ten thousand words with my tongue." For this reason, the Jesus Prayer is also called the Prayer of the Mind.
And when we also recite the other words of the Jesus Prayer (that is, "have mercy on me, a sinner!"), we confess our unworthiness and lowliness, asking for mercy from the Lord, for if we have His mercy, then we have all good things.
(excerpt from Saint John Jacob of Neamț - the Hozevite, For those with a soul as needy as mine... Complete Works)






















