Some Christian apologists [Protestants] often attack the Jesus Prayer, which Orthodox Christians repeat, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
They claim repeating this prayer is sinful because of the verse about "vain repetitions." But that is not what the verse actually teaches.
These apologists often quote "do not use vain repetitions" and assume that means repeating prayers is wrong.
But read the verse carefully. The problem Christ condemns is vain repetition, not repetition itself.
The pagans believed that saying more words and to be seen by men would magically force their gods to act. It was superstition, not prayer.
The irony is that Scripture itself shows righteous repetition in prayer.
In Gospel of Matthew 26:44, Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane prayed to the Father three times saying
the same words, "So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words."So if repeating a prayer is sinful, then someone has a serious theological problem, because Christ Himself repeated His prayer. And Christ also gives us another example.
In Gospel of Luke 18:13, the tax collector repeatedly cried out, "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" Which is the Jesus Prayer in its infancy.
Christ then says this man went down to his house justified.
The entire Orthodox spiritual life is built on this same humble cry, repeated from the heart, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."
This is not empty repetition.
It is repentance.
It is humility.
It is unceasing prayer, exactly what St Paul the Apostle commands when he says to pray without ceasing.
Repetition in prayer is Biblical.
The Psalms repeat phrases.
Christ repeated His prayer.
The tax collector repeated his prayer.
What Christ condemned was mindless pagan babbling and performative prayer to be seen by men, not concentrated heartfelt prayer.
Orthodox Christians repeat prayers for the same reason a child repeats "I love you" to his father.
Because love repeats itself.
All Glory to God
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Homily on the Meaning of the Holy Cross, by Metropolitan Avgoustinos Kantiotes
The Holy Cross of Christ (source)
Homily on the Meaning of the Holy Cross, by Metropolitan Avgoustinos Kantiotes
My beloved, what does the Cross teach us? Take a chalk and write, like children do in school, 2+2=4. Thus, the Cross is the "equal sign", but what is it? Do you think that it is simply a piece of wood that we venerate and are saved? You are mistaken, because this is not how it is in reality.
The Cross equals forgiveness.
Because upon the Cross, Christ forgave His murderers. Are there today some here in church who are at odds with each other? Are there women who hate their mothers-in-law? Are there houses where people don't speak with each other? Are there neighbors that don't greet each other? Is there hatred? Well then, the Cross tells us today: "Forgive!" If you don't forgive, then don't approach the Cross, don't venerate it. When, within your heart, you have bitterness, you have this serpent of hatred, you can't approach the Cross. Because the Cross means forgiveness. You must forgive even your greatest enemy.
The Cross equals truth.
Even if they put a knife to your throat, and slaughter you, you should speak the truth. Not in the sense that you go to court and raise your wretched hand upon the Gospel and take a false oath. Not like this. Christ was crucified for the truth. Whoever says lies, whoever goes to court and takes false oaths, he is not worthy to venerate the Cross. The Cross, therefore, equals forgiveness, the Cross equals truth.
The Cross equals humility.
No--even though you might have a very large home, or more money or lands or animals, or if you have children studying in school or if you have a beautiful wife, or whatever else you might do--you should not boast or feel proud. You are not a Christian! Humility! Humble yourself to say: I am nothing, I am a worm, I am nothing in this world. However, when you have pride and you boast and you show off your body and your job and your money, then you are not a Christian.
The Cross equals love.
Is your neighbor hungry? Give him a piece of bread. Is he thirsty? Give him a glass of water. Is he naked? Give him a shirt to wear. Go and console him and wipe away his tears. This is Christianity. Not when you have everything and your neighbor has nothing.
The Cross equals sacrifice.
As Christ sacrificed Himself, thus we must sacrifice ourselves. This is what the Cross means. If you do these things, then you are worthy to be called Christians. But you who dip your hands in blood, you who take false oaths, you who are unjust to the orphan, you cannot approach the Cross. The Cross casts you out.
Read the life of St. Mary of Egypt. On this day, she went to Jerusalem and saw the crowd going into the church and everyone--old, young, women, men--were going to venerate. She herself tried to approach the entrance. But some power pushed her back. She tried and second and a third time, but she was unable. Why? Because she was a sinful woman, and she worked in sin in Alexandria. Only after she repented, then she was able to enter the church and she became a Christian in reality.
The Cross, my beloved, creates presuppositions. We must live corresponding to the teaching of the Cross.
And something else: You should make your Cross properly. Because unfortunately, in our faithless years that we are living through, everything has become fashionable. Fashionable hair, fashionable clothing, fashionable shoes, fashion everywhere. Unfortunately many in Church do it out of fashion. Unfortunately you see scientists, congressmen, ministers, prime ministers, and none are doing their Cross correctly. That which they are doing is not the Cross. It joking and mocking. It is playing with God. Do not play with God. How will they understand that you are a Christian? By your Cross. When you make the sign of the Cross properly, you are doing a whole prayer. Therefore, do your Cross properly.
And when should you do your Cross? When you awake in the morning, do your Cross. Are you going to work? Do your Cross. Are you going to your field? Do your Cross. Are you sowing, returning from your field, entering your home? Do your Cross. Are you sitting at your dinner table? Do your Cross. Are you going to sleep? Do your Cross.
"Though I fall, I make my Cross
And have an Angel by my side."
O woman, are you baking? Make the sign of the Cross in the dough. Wherever you go and whatever you do, make your Cross. The Cross is the "protector of the whole world."
(+) Bishop Avgoustinos
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St. Gregory Palamas: "Taste and know that the Lord is bountiful..."
Prayer changes from entreaty to thanksgiving, and meditation on the divine truths of faith fills the heart with a sense of jubilation and unimpeachable hope. This hope is a foretaste of future blessings, of which the soul even now receives direct experience, and so it comes to know in part the surpassing richness of God’s bounty, in accordance with the Psalmist’s words, ‘Taste and know that the Lord is bountiful’ (Ps. 34:8). For He is the jubilation of the righteous, the joy of the upright, the gladness of the humble, and the solace of those who grieve because of Him.”
–St. Gregory Palamas, The Philokalia Vol. 4
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Elder Ephraim of Arizona on Love and Truth
"Go to psychiatric hospitals and see how much the people’s souls suffer.
And we, the so-called ‘healthy’ ones, are called to never forget these people!
These people should not be left out of our prayer and care! Let us ask God to send them patience, relief, healing.
We must carry our brethren’s suffering!
If we don’t do that then we don’t have love!
If we forget them then we are outside the love of God!
God tries them in order to bring them into His Kingdom, and He asks us for our support. If they are locked up there, it does not mean we have to abandon them too! Because we can also be there tomorrow!
Let’s think how many people are in the agony of death! Their life is judged and they are examined by their conscience! And they say, ‘What is going to happen now?’
This pain, this agony should become ours!
And then, God, Who searches the reins and the hearts, will remember this love, will seal it and will return it to you!
He will answer, not only in the afterlife, but also in this life, there will be a time when we will also reach a hardship… and He will help us, He will enlighten other people to pray for us, as we did.
We reap what we sow!
Sow wheat, and you will reap wheat!
Sow tares, and you will reap thorns!
The earth gives the farmer back according to the seeds he sows!
Even more, God, the living God, who searches the hearts and the reins, who knows the hidden things of people, He will repay with justice."
"Therefore, having the eyes of our soul open, let us see the Truth!
This is the truth! Let us not be deceived!
When we hold the truth, we are not afraid!
Pilate asked Christ, “Who are you?” [see John 18-19] and many more, like: “Don’t you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?”.
And Christ answered to him: “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above”.
“For this cause came I… that I should bear witness unto the truth”. Pilate asked Him, “What is truth?”
And then, Pilate left! Why?
Because he was not worthy to hear Who is the Truth.
One need to be worthy in order to know the Truth.
And He says “The truth will make you free”, from lies and deceit.
When the eyes of the soul will be opened, one will see the truth!
And what is the truth? It is what we say: that we must love our neighbor in a correct way! Not out of force, not with microbes, parasites, or self-interest!
Today, however, mankind needs a Christian and Orthodox truth and love.
We do not love as we should! If we loved correctly, it would have been seen from our deeds!
Our deeds show what our life is like and what our thoughts are about.
That is why, in our hidden work – any Christian must have a hidden spiritual work – we should not miss the essential element called: uninterested and sincere love for our brethren! Not only for the living, but also for the departed!
And the pain of the sick and desperate, and the pain of the one condemned to the judgment of God should become our pain also!
And when it will become our pain, God will heal us!
If you cover for someone, God will cover you! Allow injustice for yourself, but never do injustice! Defeat evil with good!
This is the evangelical law!"
-Transcribed and translated excerpts from two talks by Elder Ephraim of Arizona
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