In honor of the feast day of our father among the saints, John Chrysostom, which we celebrate on November 13th, here is a short selection from his 'philokalic' work, which pertains to the Jesus Prayer and the manner of life that is required to cultivate it.  St. John Chrysostom and the Jesus Prayer is compiled and translated by the V. Rev. Archimandrite Maximos Constas and Rev. Fr. Peter A. Chamberas, and is published by New Rome Press. New Rome Press not only produces edifying material, but their careful attention to detail and aesthetics is unparalleled.

Written as a response to a certain abbot’s request for a spiritual rule of prayer, the letter of St. John Chrysostom on the Jesus Prayer lived well beyond its originally anticipated reception. The letter itself has been copied and reproduced for centuries, and served as a vital source of guidance into the art of prayer for many generations of Orthodox Christians.  This text is a powerful exhortation to the life of prayer, but such a description is by no means exhaustive. The majority of St. John’s letter consists of an extended series of unique injunctions, each of which begins with the phrase, παρακαλώ ούν υμάς, or “I beseech you then…” showing the authority and faith with which he writes, and is then followed by an imperative call to immediate action. Nearly all exhortations speak to the interpersonal or relational aspect of the Christian life, how necessary it is to the cleansing of the inner heart of heart.

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Sections Read

• Introduction: Heart
• Paragraph 1 (pp 3-5)
• Paragraph 7 (pp 9-13)
• Paragraph 8 (pp 15-17)

0:18 Introduction: Heart 1:53 Paragraph 1 3:23 Paragraph 7 6:54 Paragraph 8