St. Porphyrios on the Jesus Prayer

St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia about prayer.

Very often the Elder repeated that "God is everything," and said that without prayer to God there is nothing. "Prayer," he instructed, "is the mother of all blessings, as long as it is always done with humility, is completely devoid of selfishness, and is full of love for Christ.

A novice monk visited the elder Porphyrios at Oropos and in conversation asked him:

"Geronda, I would like to hear from you something about the prayer of Jesus. How is it to be done? Some say that you must hold your breath, others say that you must sit on a low bench with your head on your chest and thus keep your mind from being scattered, and so on. So I want you to tell me, with your experience, how to do the Lord's Prayer."

"I, my child," replied Geronda, "am not familiar with these things. But I know a story from which, when I tell it to you, you will understand it.

A young girl was my spiritual daughter. She loved me very much and always consulted me and was very obedient. She went to university. One day they came to me and said:

"Geronda, I was at my friend's birthday party yesterday and I met a guy there. I was so attracted to him, so in love with him, that I can't forget him and I want to find him and tell him that I want us to start a family. That's why I came to you, to ask your advice."

"Hear me out, my child," I answered. "Don't get mixed up in this now, or your whole studies will go upside down. Be patient until you graduate, and then you'll have your whole life to do it."

She listened to me and left. A week later she comes in again and says:

"Geronda, you know how much I love you. I'm trying to get this guy out of my head, and I can't. I can't stop thinking about him."

I gave her some more advice and she left. A week later she came in again and said:

"Geronda, I didn't come here to give you advice. I came simply to tell you that I will go to him today, because I cannot live without him. I fell in love with him: when I sit down to read, I can't, because I think of him; when I go to cook, I think of him again. And in general, no matter how hard I tried, no matter how hard I fought, I couldn't get the memory of him out of my head."

You see, this girl, seeing the young man once, put his image in her mind, in her heart, and then no matter how hard she tried to take him out, she could not, all her efforts were in vain.

And now we are trying to find a way to love God, who has done us so many favors! I don't know these methods with the bench, holding my breath, etc. There's only one way I like, and that's what I'm telling you about now."