PHILOKALIA MINISTRIES

On Hypostatic Prayer and the Birth of the Person “He who has known himself has known all things.” — The Fathers ⸻ There is a kind of prayer that does not arise from the lips, nor even from the mind, but from the deepest chamber of one’s being. The Fathers speak of it rarely, and when they do, they speak cautiously, because this prayer cannot be manufactured. It cannot be imitated. It cannot be learned as a method. It is not a technique. It is a state of being. For a long time

The Prayer of the Spiritual Father as Descent into the Heart of Another “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2) ⸻ A man may desire to guide others. He may desire to speak a word. He may desire to help. But unless something is placed in his heart by God, he remains outside the mystery. ⸻ Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou does not speak of the spiritual father first as a teacher, or even as a counselor. He speaks of him as one who prays .

A Dialogue on Embracing the Whole Adam in Prayer “A merciful heart is a heart burning for the whole creation… for men, for birds, for animals, for demons, and for every created thing.” — Isaac the Syrian The disciple came to the elder at the hour when the desert was turning toward evening. The wind had fallen. Silence lay over the rocks like a mantle. “Father,” he said, “I have been praying the prayer you gave me.” The elder nodded. “And what did you find?” The disciple hesit

It was said of Abba Macarius that one day, as he was walking in the desert, he found the skull of a dead pagan priest lying on the ground. He touched it gently with his staff and said: “Who are you?” And the skull answered him. “I was the chief of the pagan priests who lived in this place.” Macarius asked him: “What is your condition now?” The skull replied: “When you have compassion on those in hell and pray for them, they feel a little comfort.” Macarius asked: “What sort o