The Name Above Every Name Retreat

The Jesus Prayer and the Revelation of Christ in the Heart

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”

— Philippians 2:10

For nearly two thousand years, Christians have cherished the holy Name of Jesus. From the deserts of Egypt and Palestine to the monasteries of Mount Athos, from hidden hermitages to parish churches and family homes, countless believers have learned to call upon the Name of Christ as the continual prayer of the heart.

Yet the Jesus Prayer is far more than a spiritual practice or devotional exercise. It is a response to the living Christ who has first sought us and given us His own Name. Through the faithful invocation of that Name, the Holy Spirit gradually purifies the heart, teaches us repentance, gathers together what has become scattered within us, and draws us ever more deeply into communion with the Father.

Drawing primarily upon the writings of Archimandrite Zacharias of Essex, especially his profound reflections in Monasticism, this retreat will explore the mystery of the Jesus Prayer in the light of Holy Scripture, the Desert Fathers, the Philokalia, St. Silouan the Athonite, Elder Sophrony, St. Isaac the Syrian, and the living tradition of Eastern Christianity.

Rather than approaching the Jesus Prayer simply as a method, we will seek to understand it as a lifelong participation in the life of Christ—a way of standing before God with humility, watchfulness, repentance, and love until the holy Name becomes the very atmosphere in which the heart lives.

Each evening will consist of approximately two hours of reflection with opportunities for silence, personal reflection, and questions.

Retreat Schedule

Saturday, July 11

Receiving the Name

The Gift Before the Method

The Christian life does not begin with a technique but with an encounter. We will reflect upon why the Church treasures the Name of Jesus, how the Incarnation transforms our understanding of prayer, and why every authentic spiritual life begins not with our search for God but with His loving search for us.

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Saturday, July 18

Guarding the Heart with the Name

The Jesus Prayer and the Hidden Battle

As the light of Christ enters the heart, it reveals the thoughts, passions, distractions, and fears that quietly shape our lives. Drawing upon the Philokalia and the teaching of the Fathers, we will consider watchfulness, humility, spiritual warfare, and how the continual remembrance of Christ gradually restores the freedom and unity of the human heart.

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Saturday, July 25

The Broken Heart and the Descent into the Heart

Learning to Stand Before God

Repentance is far more than sorrow for sin; it is learning to stand truthfully before the living God. This conference will explore the mystery of the broken and contrite heart, the healing power of divine mercy, and the gradual enlargement of the heart through humility until it becomes capable of bearing both its own weakness and the suffering of the whole world.

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Saturday, August 1

Becoming Prayer

When the Name Becomes Our Life

The goal of the Jesus Prayer is not simply continual repetition but communion with Christ. As the prayer becomes rooted in the heart, it quietly transforms every aspect of life, leading us into thanksgiving, compassion, hidden intercession, and participation in the love of Christ for the whole Adam. The retreat will conclude by reflecting upon the ultimate vocation of every Christian: to become transparent to the presence of Christ and to bear His love into the world.

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Dates and Time

July 11, 18, 25, and August 1

7:00–9:00 p.m. EDT

Registration

Please register through the Philokalia Ministries website.

Participants will receive the Zoom link and a PDF of each conference on the Friday preceding each Saturday session.

Whether you have prayed the Jesus Prayer for many years or are encountering this tradition for the first time, all are welcome. Together we will seek to rediscover the beauty of the holy Name—not merely as words upon our lips, but as the living presence of Christ who continually draws us into the mystery of His love.