Eastern Christian Meditation

Nov 4, 2019
1 min

Real and Lasting Happiness

The happiness we perceive in this life is never permanent. It fleets and it fools. It is most often dependent on the actions of others. And it always seems to rely on various levels of pleasure and prosperity. The only real and lasting happiness is in the Lord. Seek Him and you will find a deeper contentment. As the great saint says: "Do not gravitate to the earth. All is corruptible; only the happiness beyond the grave is eternal, unchanging, true, and this happiness depends

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Oct 22, 2019
1 min

Repent and Acquire a Haven of Peace

"Do not fritter away the time given you for repentance. Do not rivet your eyes to the earth on which you are a momentary actor, on which you are an exile, on which by the mercy of God you are given a chance to change your mind and offer repentance for the avoidance of hell's eternal prisons and the eternal torment in them. Use the short spell of your pilgrimage on earth to acquire a haven of peace, a blessed refuge in eternity. Plead for the eternal possession by renouncing e

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Oct 21, 2019
1 min

Remember Death or Die Spiritually

"Our mind is so darkened by the fall that unless we force ourselves to remember death we can completely forget about it. When we forget about death, then we begin to live on earth as if we were immortal, and we sacrifice all our activity to the world without concerning ourselves in the least either about the fearful transition to eternity or about our fate in eternity. Then we boldly and peremptorily override the commandments of Christ; then we commit all the vilest sins; the

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Oct 16, 2019
1 min

Be Born from Above: Follow the Spirit

"The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). To be born from above means we must let down our barriers and allow the Father to continue the creating that He began in us long before our parents knew each other. To be born from above means we must let go our of our sins and allow the Son to continue the redeeming and recapitulating in us tha

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Oct 7, 2019
1 min

Thinking About God While Working

"The body at work but the thought with God - such should be the state of a true Christian. "We should set in order our inner state as soon as we open our eyes each morning. In this same state of inner order we should keep ourselves all day, and in the evening warm and strengthen it and so fall asleep. It is a good thing to set limits to our personal affections, avoiding particular friendships, and making all our relationships with others of the same nature. When inner prayer

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Sep 23, 2019
1 min

Be Fully Alive: Unite Mind and Heart

"May the Lord help you to be fully alive and to preserve sobriety. But do not forget the chief thing, to unite the attention and mind with your heart, and remain there unceasingly, before the Lord. Every effort that you make in prayer must be directed towards this. Pray to the Lord, that He may give you this blessing: it is the treasure hidden in the field, the pearl beyond price." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "Hidden Treasure." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timoth

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Sep 16, 2019
1 min

Concentrate Within Yourself

"Be concentrated within yourself and try not to leave the heart, for the Lord is there. Seek this state and work for it. When you have attained it you will realize how precious it is." - St. Theophan the Recluse. "Concentrated within yourself." The Art of Prayer: An Orthodox Anthology, Timothy Ware, ed., Faber and Faber, 1966, p. 194. #StTheophantheRecluse #Lord #God #Concentration #within #luminousdarkness #MeditativePrayer #meditation #secretmeditation #prayer

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Aug 19, 2019
1 min

The Divine Cloud Transfigures Us

The Transfiguration of Jesus can be found in Matthew 17:1–8, Mark 9:2–8, Luke 9:28–36, John 1:14, and 2 Peter 1:16–18. In these accounts, Jesus and three of his apostles, Peter, James, and John, go to Mt. Tabor. There Jesus radiates light, revealing His divinity, while Moses (the lawgiver) and Elijah (the prophet) appear on either side of Him. Then, "... a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were terrified as they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice tha

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Aug 13, 2019
1 min

How can I stop, O Lord?

Forgive me, O Lord, for wanting to hear you. Forgive me, O Lord, for desiring to see you. Forgive me, O Lord, for yearning to feel you. Though I know 'I am not worthy to untie your sandal' (cf. John 1:27), how can I stop? My ears give heed to Your whisper. My eyes squint for Your glimmer. My heart casts about for Your warmth. #StJohntheEvangelist #Lord #luminousdarkness #MeditativePrayer #secretmeditation #Forgiveness #Sin #Love #Loneliness

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Jul 24, 2019
2 min

Pray for Your Own Blessed Death

Our modern culture seems to have an obsession with the macabre, but a serious aversion to understanding the dynamic link between life and death, especially the deeper interconnectedness of body, mind, and spirit in the context of salvation. Thus, it comes as little surprise that many people avoid discussions about, let alone enjoin themselves in prayers involving their own death. Below is a vocal prayer that can aid you in talking with God about wanting to follow His will in

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

May 15, 2019
1 min

Awakening Can Come in Two Ways

God will sometimes grant a person external manifestations of the Divine Order, which are quite often visions that are revealed while awake or in sleep. Sometimes God will grant a person an inward, prayerful freedom, which is the ability to contemplate the divine order. In the coming posts, we will explore what each of these mean in detail. For now, meditate on these questions: "Have I explored my life of prayer and actions?" "Am I focused on myself and/or the world? "Do I rea

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Mar 8, 2019
1 min

He Will Lift You Up from Hell

God wants you to know He will not abandon you in your sorrow. Meditate on this irmos (a miniature hymn), from Ode 6 of The Great Canon of St. Andrew, which is recited on the first Monday of Lent. "With my whole heart, I cried unto the compassionate God: and He heard me, and He lifted up my soul from the depths of hell and from corruption." #God #JesusChrist #prayer #continualprayer #secretmeditation #MeditativePrayer #meditation #Conversion #Hell #HolySpirit

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Mar 6, 2019
1 min

Enlighten, Guide and Teach Me

The Great Canon of St. Andrew, Bishop of Crete, is a long hymn used over the first few days of Great Lent. St. Andrew himself composed this personal meditation as a cathartic remembrance of his sins; as a contemplative reflection on the truth, goodness, and beauty of God; and as a loving recitation of desire for union with Christ now and in Heaven. With a spirit of mournful humility, we, too, ought to pray with it. For now, try meditating on this irmos (a miniature hymn) from

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Feb 7, 2019
1 min

How, O Lord?

How, O Lord, do we draw closer to you? How do we teach others to grow in you? How do we fight their fear and anguish? Teach us to pray when others cannot. Command us to pray while others refuse. Lead us into prayer where others do not know how. Keep them, O God, by your grace. #prayer #continualprayer #secretmeditation #MeditativePrayer #meditation #IntercessoryPrayer #VocalPrayer #ContemplativePrayer #PrayerAgainstEvil

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Jan 25, 2019
3 min

A Ladder Rising Wondrously to Heaven

"The first step is that of purest prayer. From this there comes a warmth of heart, And then a strange, a holy energy, Then tears wrung from the heart, God-given. Then peace from thoughts of every kind. "From this arises purging of the intellect, And next the vision of heavenly mysteries. Unheard-of light is born from this ineffably, And thence, beyond all telling, the heart's illumination. Last comes – a step that has no limit Though compassed in a single line – Perfection th

Fr. Thomas Colyandro

Jan 23, 2019
1 min

St. Gregory of Nyssa, Pray for Us

St. Gregory of Nyssa, good shepherd of Cappadocia and teacher of mystical theology, pray that we give ourselves over to a true search for God, which is mystical prayer. Help us to enter the illuminated darkness: "For leaving behind everything that is observed, not only what sense comprehends but also what the intelligence thinks it sees, it keeps on penetrating deeper until by the intelligence's yearning for understanding it gains access to the invisible and incomprehensible,

HOLY SILENCE

Reflections from a Journey into God with the Prayer of the Eastern Christian Contemplative Tradition

Real and Lasting Happiness

Repent and Acquire a Haven of Peace

Remember Death or Die Spiritually

Be Born from Above: Follow the Spirit

Thinking About God While Working

Be Fully Alive: Unite Mind and Heart

Concentrate Within Yourself

The Divine Cloud Transfigures Us

How can I stop, O Lord?

Pray for Your Own Blessed Death

Awakening Can Come in Two Ways

He Will Lift You Up from Hell

Enlighten, Guide and Teach Me

How, O Lord?

Receive His Peace

Do this...

Know this...

A Ladder Rising Wondrously to Heaven

St. Gregory of Nyssa, Pray for Us

Try Withdrawing to Pray