Prayer and Fear of the Lord

clipped from www.orthodox.net Now let us see how we stand before God our King, when we stand at our prayers in the evening, or during the day and night. For some at their evening all-night vigil lift up their hands in prayer, being immaterial and stripped of all care. Others stand at that time chanting psalms. Others immerse themselves in the thought of death, hoping thus to obtain contrition. And of all these, the first and last persevere in all-night vigil for the love of God; the second do what befits a monk; while the third go the lowest way. Yet God accepts and values the offerings of each according to their intention and power. St. John Climacus, “The Ladder of Divine Ascent,” (Boston: Holy Transfiguration Monastery, 1978), STEP 20: On Bodily Vigil, and How to Use It to Attain Spiritual Vigil, and How to Practice I

No matter the outward form of our prayers, God hears and accepts them, according to our intention. I think of one of the priest prayer at the beginning of Vespers and how we beg of the Lord to hear our prayers and to guide us in his ways (which I understand to be, among many things, to be the way of prayer).  In our prayers, we first ask Him to raise our hearts because this is where our intention find its home, and where true fear of the Lord must be found.

O Lord, compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and full of mercy, listen to our prayer and attend to the voice of our supplication. Make for us a sign for good. Guide us in your way, to walk in your truth. Make glad our hearts to fear your holy Name, because you are great and do wondrous things. You alone are God, and there is none like you, O Lord, among gods: powerful in mercy and loving in strength to help and to console and to save all who hope in your holy Name.

For to you belong all glory, honour and worship, to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

(Translation Archimandrite Ephrem)

The “hot anti-hesychastic wind” of Modernity

clipped from www.vic.com Hesychia is regarded as an antiquated method, as a life of inactivity, and not suited to our day, which is an age of action. Unfortunately these conceptions prevail even among people who wish to live in the Orthodox tradition. Our time is a time of action. “The contemporary world is not a world of recollection and stillness but one of action and struggle” (43). In an age like ours, which is hedonistic and self-gratifying, hesychasm cannot find an echo. It is happening as St. John of the Ladder said: “A fish turns swiftly from the hook. The passionate soul turns from solitude” (44). A pleasure-loving age is very anti-hesychastic. A nun said to me that in our time a “hot anti-hesychastic wind” is blowing which is burning everything. And I think that this judgement is absolutely true. This is the contemporary reality. The atmosphere prevailing today is rather the atmosphere of Barlaam and not that of St. Gregory Palamas.

From chapter 5 of Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos’ ORTHODOX PSYCHOTHERAPY.

“How to Discern the Signs of the Times” by Metropolitan Joseph

The Lord said: “You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you, hypocrites, cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matthew 16:2-4).

In a letter found on the “Orthodox Life” blog, Metropolitan Joseph casts a critical eye on the current zeitgeist, writing:

“We are not pessimists, and we are not prophets of doom and gloom. However, we are also not prophets of cheerfulness and positive-thinking. Our Lord instructed us to discern the “signs of the times”. Thus, it is always our task to be “critical” of modern society. We can not be members of a large group or movement, or any fad or mob. The only ultimate allegiance we have, obviously, is the Body of Christ. That allegiance alone determines our philosophy, our outlook and our ethic. “

He continues:

clipped from orthodoxlife.info When there is no dining room table at home, when there is the feeling of unending appointments of things to do, when there is the wild acts of lust and anger, when there comes the certain knowledge that the American Dream is more dream than reality, when the price tag of materialism comes as an enormous burden of debt, and a constant concern about the interest rates and the stock market – our families and faithful are too anxious to be pessimistic.It is our task to resist the temptation of pessimism, and to lead them out of the passionate web of deceit that binds them. It is our task to lead them into the maturity of sainthood. It is our task to lead them into beauty and communion.It is our task of our Orthodox ministry to help our families and especially our children become human again, if they have lost their way. And if they haven’t yet, our task is to keep them forever in the Orthodox Church, so they might remain human.And that can only be done in the Body of Christ.

Fr. Apostolos Hill’s “Hymns of Paradise” – A Transcription

A few years ago when I first became interested in the traditional byzantine chant of the Orthodox Church, I came across Fr. Apostolos Hill’s recording “Hymns of Paradise: Hymns of Life and Hope,” his English language adaptation of the remarkably beautiful Memorial Service. It was not until I heard this work that I began to appreciate these important hymns. I had simply never heard them executed competently in English anywhere in Greek Orthodox Church of America.

I was also deeply struck by Fr Apostolos’ simple and direct chant style, which is free of affectation, unpretentious, clear, and, in my opinion, simply beautiful. In short, a model for what I wish traditional chant in English would sound like in American parishes. In this recording, Fr Apostolos captures the spirit of an earlier, humble American plain chant tradition, while introducing elements of traditional byzantine chant, which is largely monophonic, uses an isson, and is practiced without any instrumental accompaniment. I appreciate that he avoids many of the vocal habits of popular music that some American psalti bring to their chant, while he similarly avoids injecting the vocal ticks of Greek psalti, which, to my ear, can sound false when found in our English language chanting.

Fr Apostolos’ adaptations are traditionally minded and not based on a single traditional musical text (warning to the musical purists). I count two moments of polyphony on the CD – the first and most obvious is the Trisagion hymn which he bases on the Arabic melody that is very popular here in the US. The second is in the Troparia Tone 8 “Among the Saints” which is subtle and reminiscent of harmonies found in the English adaptations of Vassilis Hadjinicolaou. I still found these pleasant, respectful, performed with sensitivity, unlike certain polyphonic treatments found in GOA parishes.

To my knowledge, Fr Apostolos has not made available a score for this music, so I’ve posted here my own transcription for those who want something to follow. It is in western notation and can be used to chant with friends. It is offers a simple introduction to traditional chant for English speakers who have no prior experience with byzantine style music. It should be used with the CD, not alone. I have not had time to correct the mistakes that riddle it – and there are many. I made it originally just for myself as a listening exercise. Again, I think it is the direct, clear and simple quality of Fr Apostolos Hill’s chant style that is most remarkable and useful, not necessarily the quality of the adaptation on its own.

I very much look forward to having more traditional adaptations from Fr. Seraphim Dedes or Fr. Ephraim of St Anthony’s Monastery. These two offer the best resources for English speakers to learn traditional byzantine liturgical chant.

The CD of Fr Apostolos Hill’s “Hymns of Paradise” can be found here.

The simple transcription is here.

Psalmody & the Beauty of Men and of God

clipped from www.goarch.org

 

From: The Ancient Fathers of the Desert: Section 6 by V. Rev. Chrysostomos, trans.

A certain simple believer in our own times told the following: I once went to a beautiful church with some friends. The music was melodious. The priest was pious and learned. The faithful were orderly, very pious in their behavior, and quiet. My friends were very moved and spoke continuously of their experience that day.

Yet another time, I was in a small, humble church. The priest of the church was negligent in his spirituality. The Psalmody was not pleasing. The faithful constantly talked and moved about. They seemed uninterested, if not distracted. The friends I had with me were disgusted by these circumstances.

At the first service I felt a warmth and happiness in seeing my friends happy with the church. I felt proud. At the second service, I felt shame. I was embarrassed by the behavior of the faithful and I was deeply shaken by the disappointment of my friends.

Asking that God forgive me for this revelation, there were other differences between these two services. At the first, beautiful service, I had tears in my eyes, as did many others. I looked up and imagined that I could see angels above me. At the second service, my eyes were almost completely dry. I thought of nothing above me. Yet, at the second service, my heart was burning with tears and I felt the souls of those who worshipped with me. Truly on every side, in our midst, were beings so gentle and full of peace that I was lost in wonderment at God’s beauty. I did not see the external irregularities.

Such is the strange chasm which separates the beauty of men from the beauty of God.

Translation – Abba Pambo on Chant

Abba Pambo sent his disciple to Alexandria to buy supplies for his work. There he spent sixteen days, sleeping at night in the narthex of the church at the sanctuary of St Apostle Mark. After hearing then akolithia of the church and learning some troparia, he returned to the elder. The elder said to him: I see that you are troubled, my child. Did you fall into some temptation while in the city?

The brother answered: By the heavens, Abba, how we waste our days in this desert chanting neither canons nor troparia. In Alexandria, I saw how the priests of the church chant, and it brought me great sadness. Why don’t we chant canons and troparia? The elder answered: Woe to us, my child. Soon will come the day when monks give up the solid food that is the Word of the Holy Spirit to put on hymns and tones. What compunction, what tears can come from these troparia when one behaves thus in church or in a cell, raising the voice like a cow? Because if it is before God that we stand, we should act in His presence with compunction and without pretense. Monks have not come to this solitude to hold their heads up high, vomit up canticles, beat out melodies, wave their hands, and hop from one foot to the other. Instead, with fear and trembling, tears and wailing, with one voice full of reverence drawn from compunction, and in meekness and humility, should we offer our prayers to God.

I foresee, my child, that there will come a time when Christians will pervert the lives of the Holy Apostles and divine prophets. They will rub out Holy Scripture in order to put in its place troparia and Hellenic discourses. Their spirits will be overcome by their admiration for the latter, and be disgusted by the former. This is why the Fathers told us that the inhabitants of the desert should not to put the Lives and Words of the Fathers on parchment, but on papyrus instead. A generation is coming that will set about erasing the Lives of the Fathers, replacing them with their own caprices. Great will be the calamity that follows.

The brother said to him: How thus? Will the customs and traditions of Christians be changed? Won’t there be any more priests in the churches? The elder replied: During these days, the charity of many will grow cold and tribulations will not be small. Nations will be besieged and peoples displaced. Kingdoms will topple. Priests will be lackadaisical and monks, negligent. Higoumenes will despise their own welfare and that of their flock. All will be excited and engrossed by the dining table. They will be fighters, but slow to pray. They will rush to disparage, always ready to judge from on high, without wanting to imitate, much less understand the Lives and Words of the Fathers. They will argue amongst themselves, saying: if we had lived in their time, we would have fought, too. During these days, bishops will hold the mighty in high regard, measuring all by their venality, ignoring the plight of the poor, oppressing widows and condemning orphans. Then will unbelief, hate, enmity, jealousy, intrigue, theft and drunkenness spread among peoples. The brother said: What will one do under these conditions at this time? And the elder answered: My child, in these days, he who will save his soul will save it, and he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Acedia – The Noonday Demon

clipped from www.osb.org According to Evagrius, [acedia] is the spirit which causes the monk to begin, in the middle of the day, to perceive the day as dragging along interminably. He looks at the sun repeatedly, wondering how long until dinner. He paces about, looks around for someone to talk to and something interesting to distract himself from himself. God help anyone, says Evagrius, who offends or annoys the sufferer at this time. Already sensitive, the monk will see this as just another example of how rotten life is and how little good is in the people of this place. There are fantasies about how much better it could be somewhere else and why the sufferer is justified in complaining. The next thing is memories of all the times and places where life was better, or might have been better or could potentially be better. This is not a lethargic or a passive sin, but is very active. It is not lazy but quite animated, even agitated.

Abba Silvain: Compunction and Chant

A brother asked Abba Silvain: Father, what must I do to find compunction? Listless despair [accidie], sleep and sleepiness torment me. When I rise, I struggle to say the psalms. I can’t shake off my drowsiness, and can’t finish a single psalm without singing it aloud.

The elder answered: My child, first of all, to say the psalms with melody is prideful because it suggests to you the thought that while you chant, your brother does not. Secondly, it hardens your heart and prevents you from entering into compunction. If you desire compunction, leave chant behind. When you stand to pray, concentrate on the meaning of the verses. Remember that you stand before God who knows heart and soul. When you arise, before you do anything else, glorify God with your lips and recite the symbol of faith and the Our Father. Then begin your canon, meditate upon and lament your sins.

The brother said: ever since becoming a monk, Father, I chant the akolithia of the canon and the hours according to the octoechos. The elder replied: And that is precisely why compunction and grief escape you. Remember the illustrious Fathers and their simplicity. They knew neither modes nor troparia, but only some psalms, and they shown through the universe like beacons. Such was Abba Paul the simple, Abba Pambo, Abba Apollo and the other god-bearing fathers who could raise the dead, performing great wonders, and who received great power over demons, again, not because of odes, troparia, or tones, but because of their compunction filled prayer and their fasting—things by which the heart arrives at the perpetual fear of God, strengthening the grieving that purifies man of all sin and makes the soul whiter than snow. Regarding chant, it has brought many low, and not only the worldly, but even priests have been made effeminate by it, falling into luxuriousness and other shameful passions. Thus chant is a worldly affair, [an occasion for people to gather in churches]. Remember, many are the heavenly hierarchies and in none is it said that they chant according to the octoechos. Instead, in one is sung Alleluia, in another, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts, and in another Blessed be the glory of God. My child, if you want to acquire compunction through prayer, imitate the holy fathers, guarding your spirit from distraction as best as you can. Love the humility of Christ, and wherever you go, don’t show off a subtle mind, or behave like a professor, but instead act as a simple person and lowly student.

Thus will God grant you compunction.

The Meaning of Kyrie Eleison by Anthony M. Coniaris

 

clipped from www.goarch.org

“The word mercy in English is the translation of the Greek word eleos. This word has the same ultimate root as the old Greek word for oil, or more precisely, olive oil; a substance which was used extensively as a soothing agent for bruises and minor wounds. The oil was poured onto the wound and gently massaged in, thus soothing, comforting and making whole the injured part. The Hebrew word which is also translated as eleos and mercy is hesed, and means steadfast love. The Greek words for ‘Lord,have mercy,’ are ‘Kyrie, eleison’ ­ that is to say, ‘Lord, soothe me, comfort me, take away my pain, show me your steadfast love.’ Thus mercy does not refer so much to justice or acquittal ­ a very Western interpretation ­ but to the infinite loving-kindness of God, and his compassion for his suffering children! It is in this sense that we pray ‘Lord, have mercy,’ with great frequency throughout the Divine Liturgy.”*

Through Prayer, Our Soul Becomes a Sacred Place of Sacrifice by Monk Moses

 

clipped from www.goarch.org

It is well established that books are beneficial, but they do not always lead to prayer. And it is to be noted that a greater  teacher than books is prayer itself. Innumerable ascetics have learned to pray without any books at all. Books and church  gatherings cannot always be with us, but we can always learn by the inner work of prayer, which can be with us at all times.  The soul of each one who truly prays becomes a temple of God and a sacred place of sacrifice. All prayers are good ­ audible prayers, book prayers, public prayers, silent prayers of the heart ­ when practiced carefully and attentively.

How to Chant by Monk Moses

 

clipped from www.goarch.org

To help us receive the full benefit of  ecclesiastical gatherings let us pay close attention to these words of St. Symeon the New Theologian:

“Stand in church as if you are in heaven together with the angels, and consider yourself unworthy to be praying together with  your brothers. And be vigilant not to be looking back and forth to observe the brothers and sisters, how they are standing  or chanting, but observe only yourself, your chanting and your sins.”

St. Paul noted that he who is happy should sing. Psalmody – spiritual song – is not only for church services, but for any  circumstances that permit. We can chant aloud or silently, individually or as a group, before and after prayer, and even during  intermissions.

Barsanuphius & Psalmody

Barsanuphius on the place of psalmody, or vocal prayer, in the Christian life:

clipped from www.scourmont.be

20. Barsanuphius Letter 150

Continual prayer is for the perfect who are able to control their spirit and keep it in the fear of God, so that it does not drift away or become absorbed in a compelling distractions or fantasy. One who cannot keep his spirit continually in the presence of the God should unite meditation with vocal prayer. Look at those who swim in the sea. Those who know how to swim jump in with confidence. They know that the sea will not engulf a good swimmer. But one who is only just learning to swim makes for the bank as soon as he feels he is going to sink down under the water, frightened of being unable to breathe. Then, taking courage, he may strike out again into the water. He tries this manytime to learn to swim well, until he has acquired the ease of experienced swimmers.