Have you ever noticed how noisy the world has become?
Noise outside us.
Noise inside us.
Constant motion of thoughts, fears, and distractions.
From the apophatic path of holy unknowing arose a deeply contemplative life in the Church.
That life came to be known as Hesychasm.
The word comes from the Greek hesychia which means inner stillness.
Stillness of the heart.
Stillness before God.
Rooted
in the witness of the Desert Fathers, this tradition flowered
especially on Mount Athos during the Middle Ages. There, monks sought
not speculation about God, but communion with Him.
Among
its great voices was Symeon the New Theologian. He taught that a true
“theologian” is not simply one who studies God, but one who experiences
Him. One who encounters the divine light. One who is transformed.
Do we dare to believe that?
Hesychast prayer is simple, but not easy.
A bowed head.
Steady breathing.
Attention turned toward the heart.
And the repeated cry:
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
The Jesus Prayer.
Not magic words.
Not a technique to control God.
Not a spiritual trick.
The posture helps concentration. The breathing calms the body. But the goal is not a method.
The goal is grace.
The goal is to open the heart so fully that the mercy of Christ may dwell there.
In
a restless age, stillness feels foreign. But the Kingdom of God is not
found in frenzy. It is discovered in repentance, humility, and the quiet
invocation of the Holy Name.
What would happen if we gave five minutes today to stillness?
What might Christ do in the silence?
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.
