“You must run after the Prayer (the “Prayer” is the Jesus Prayer).  To have the Prayer you must continually pray inside.  Run after the Prayer, do not be talking rather only be praying.”

blessed Geronitssa Makrina

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“When saying the Jesus Prayer keep your mind empty; with the Jesus Prayer your mind will be clean and full of light.  You will see your every fault.  With the Jesus Prayer you will always say it is my fault NOT someone else’s fault.”

blessed Gerontissa Makrina

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That censer of ours, it is probably twenty some years old. It has a well worn oft used sweet smelling incense patina on the inside and a “let my prayer arise as incense” luster on the outside. Recently – in the past year – it has become unhinged. Not pictured is the candle wax dripped scribbled names in the margin and some crayon markings from the kids Jordanville prayer book which also has pages falling out. So many times I have come so close to purchasing a shiny new brass or nickel censer and crisped white no writing on the pages brand new unbroken spine prayer book but then I always put them down.

Unlike the pages falling out of the prayer book, no page of prayer falls out of the book of God’s heart. The censer : a visual reminder that prayer is oft born of the unhinged censer of a broken and contrite heart… it is such a prayer that arises as incense, a prayer that God knows before even it is spoken and one that God will not despise.