Jesus Prayer - Elder Aimilianos

What is Jesus Prayer

It is so short! It is a repetition of these words: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”

What happens when we repeat it


We acquire a spiritual dynamism that does not come from us, but from God Himself.

It is comprehensive

It comprises the divinity. It includes Christ Himself, Who immediately enters into communion with our hearts.

It’s habit forming

This invocation helps us to acquire a habit, so that the remembrance of Christ within us becomes unceasing. So everything around us and inside our hearts becomes filled with God.

Not magical formula or mechanical work or psycho-somatic exercise

…about which one might think that it has access to a kind of gnostic or syncretic knowledge… or that this exercise would bring spiritual results… or that through this formula, man can tend towards infinity or to a faceless god. The repetition is just an intensification, and a focusing, and a rooting of the Name of Christ and thus of Christ Himself, in our daily lives. 

What does it do?

It creates within man the power to unceasingly invoke God, and therefore, the human participation, offers him a state of joy and spiritual happiness, and other charisms. 
And then, when man reaches this primary stage, well, he understands that Holy Spirit mediates between his personality and the Personal God!

It is, I would say, the only prayer which, clearly creates our preconditions to be able to find God daily, and also, easily, to find Him and rejoice in God. 
Through this prayer, the One Who is unseen becomes visible in our lives.

What is its purpose?

It is what is being worked by God in you.
What God works in our inner being… What He works is an experience. But it is not only the experience of God! It is also a revelation of the way He comes, of how the coming of God happens. The Personal God within the human personality… And of course, He comes in Light!
 And one still feels and understands at the end of his or her ascent, the union which is performed…
And with this union, the purification comes, the spiritual advancement comes, the growth of the little baby which is being born into man.

The purpose of Prayer, in a word, we could say, is a perfect mystery of the unseen God, the One now felt, and the visible person… a mystery performed by God. This mystery has been revealed to us by the Fathers of the Church. We also know from experience, always, how to become a recipient of God. Not through reasoning and meditation, but in a way that God penetrates the human person, and transforms it entirely. And so, he or she becomes a person who can taste, understand and comprehend this mystery.

It is a continuous climb

It is an ever-rising communion, perfect, unchanging. I mean, no person changes, neither one, nor the other. There is a divine vision and a communion with the unseen. 

Jesus prayer - Elder Aimilianos

The following is the teaching of Elder Aimilianos of Simeopetra

What is the Jesus Prayer?

It is a repetition of these words: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”

What happpens when we repeat it?

We acquire a spiritual dynamism that does not come from us, but from God Himself.

It is comprehensive

It comprises the divinity. It includes Christ Himself, Who immediately enters into communion with our hearts.

It’s habit forming

This invocation helps us to acquire a habit, so that the remembrance of Christ within us becomes unceasing. So everything around us and inside our hearts becomes filled with God.

Not magical formula or mechanical work or psycho-somatic exercise

…about which one might think that it has access to a kind of gnostic or syncretic knowledge… or that this exercise would bring spiritual results… Or that through this formula, man can tend towards infinity or to a faceless god.

The repetition is just an intensification, and a focusing, and a rooting of the Name of Christ and thus of Christ Himself, in our daily lives. 

What does it do?

It creates within man the power to unceasingly invoke God, and therefore, the human participation, offers him a state of joy and spiritual happiness, and other charisms.
And then, when man reaches this primary stage, well, he understands that Holy Spirit mediates between his personality and the Personal God!

it is, I would say, the only prayer which, clearly creates our preconditions to be able to find God daily, and also, easily, to find Him and rejoice in God.
Through this prayer, the One Who is unseen becomes visible in our lives.

Leads us to union with God

It is what is being worked by God in you.
What God works in our inner being… What He works is an experience. But it is not only the experience of God! It is also a revelation of the way He comes, of how the coming of God happens. The Personal God within the human personality… And of course, He comes in Light!
And one still feels and understands at the end of his or her ascent, the union which is performed…
And with this union, the purification comes, the spiritual advancement comes, the growth of the little baby which is being born into man.

A perfect mystery of the unseen God

The purpose of Prayer, in a word, we could say, is a perfect mystery of the unseen God, the One now felt, and the visible person… a mystery performed by God. This mystery has been revealed to us by the Fathers of the Church. We also know from experience, always, how to become a recipient of God. Not through reasoning and meditation, but in a way that God penetrates the human person, and transforms it entirely. And so, he or she becomes a person who can taste, understand and comprehend this mystery.

It is a continuous climb

It is an ever-rising communion, perfect, unchanging. I mean, no person changes, neither one, nor the other. There is a divine vision and a communion with the unseen. 

Reference: Orthodox Teaching of Elder blog

“Consciousness of sin is your point of contact with God”

In Psalm 37 (38) we experience the nature of the true repentance King David offers to God. He is able to see the depths of His sinfulness and how awful it must look in the eyes of God. He even compares it to a pus filled festering wound. He is not referring to a physical wound but the wound in his soul. Seeing the loving nature of God David holds nothing back in his examination of his fallen condition. He pleads with humility for God’s help.

Archimandrite Amilianos of Simonopetra on Mt. Athos offers us an outstanding commentary this Psalm (Psalms and the Life of Faith, p 223). Here are a couple of quotes from His commentary:

“Consciousness of sin is your point of contact with God”

"No one can comprehend his sinfulness, no matter how great it might be, unless he has glimpsed the holiness of God.”

As you think about these two comments you can see how sin, in his eyes and those of the great king David, are quite different from our normal view of sin. Mostly we think of sin as breaking a commandment of God, like breaking a law. But David is giving us an example, along with the the commentary of Aimianos, that there is much more to understanding sin.

What does it mean when we say, "sin is the point of contact with God?” Doesn’t this imply a personal relationship with Him? Our true sinfulness is normally suppressed deep in our subconsciousness because most of us think of ourselves as “good” people. But, no! Deep down inside there is a festering sore in our soul. When we uncover this we do so in relationship with our God. Bringing us into contact with Him, we see Him as a loving God who will forgive and heal. Because of His love, we can see the level of perfection that is in God Himself. We realize that we are far from our potential. We are humbled in front of God. We eagerly seek mercy and healing.

The second quote says that no one can comprehend their sinfulness unless they have "glimpsed the holiness of God." What does this imply? To know our sinfulness we cannot simply go down a check list of sins and identify our sins and expect God to heal us. We need to have our inner heart enlightened by God. Only when we have known the nature of His holiness can we truly see how sinful we are. This is not a negative thing that will throw us into despair, because, as we see His holiness, we will also see His infinite mercy, His unconditional love that never wavers. It is this love that enables us to see what we have hidden deep in our subconscious mind.

So what are we to do to come closer to God? We must seek to know His holiness so our true sinfulness can be revealed to us. It takes more than a surface self-reflection to get to the root of our fallen nature. This is why the saints are always talking about how sinful they are. As we come closer to God, we come to  know our potential and what is necessary to be united with Him in eternal life. The Orthodox Way of life will lead us to this deeper understanding if we follow it out of obedience at first and then out of our love for God.

Saint Theophan says, ”The awakening of the sinner is that act of divine grace in his heart, the consequence of which he, as one awakened from sleep, sees his sinfulness, senses the danger of the situation, begins to fear for Himself and to care about deliverance from his misfortune and salvation….

The door to conversion may be opened only under the condition that the spiritual way of life be revealed to the sinner’s consciousness in its full light, and not merely revealed, but that it touch the heart. (Path to Salvation, pp 102 & 103 )

Saint Poprhyrios says, “The love of God transforms everything; it sanctifies, amends and changes that nature of everything.” (Wounded by Love, p100)

Why do we go to Divine Liturgy?

What are we looking for? A universal state of being within the Church; an inward state of being “conferred by Jesus,” experiences, feelings, longings, and visions.

Elder Aimilianos 

Elder Aimilianos points out that going to Divine Liturgy is a “movement from one place to another.” What are we to do when we leave the outside world and enter into the church?

To enter the church means to leave outside all those things that make up out life in the world...that which is ours and which belongs to us, our sin, our self will, and our desire... we leave behind not simply the things we see but even things we hope for.

He calls this a kind of “exile.” We enter into a clear free space that is like pure air. We should feel like we have entered into heaven, are standing there in its pure air. We have made a movement from one place to another. We are now in a place that contains no worldly pleasures. We feel we have been led to a foreign place where there is hope in a peace from all the cares and tribulations of an earthly life. We sense we have moved to a place that is closer to God.

When we enter into the open spaces of the church, we immediately experience a particular feeling, a feeling which confirms for us that here, in this place, our Helper is at hand. He is invisible, but you feel Him, as if He were rushing toward you, as if you could hear the sound of His breathing. He is your Helper, the One Who can deliver you, Who can redeem you, Who can satisfy your insatiable soul...

We come to Divine Liturgy to be close to God. Therefore we should go longing to see Him, to somehow feel His divine presence, to be united with the One we love above all else. When we do this our soul will be filled with a divine grief, recognizing what it lacks, yet desires. It will try to cry our seeking mercy, realizing that it cannot see God.

With this infilled longing we begin to pray. The Liturgy with all its hymns and prayers leads us in prayer. Our mind, being cleared of all our worldly cares begins to think about God. As the Liturgy progresses we begin to experience Him. We desire to taste Him, to receive His nourishment. Then in the Liturgy a divine table is set, beginning with the great entrance. With the whole choir of angels and the Saints joining in, the heavenly and earthly church becomes united. We call on the Holy Spirit and the gifts we brought as bread and wine become mystically transformed into Christ Himself.

We became aware of our separation from God before we entered the church and our sins that separate us from Him. We realize that the reason we came was to free ourselves from all the passions that cloud our heart. We see how difficult, if not impossible, it is to root these tendencies out. We acknowledge that it is only with God’s help that we can overcome our condition. We cry for forgiveness and repentance as we approach the Chalice to be joined with Him in Holy Communion. As we approach, we are in awe at the sweetness of God.

God is no longer the great absent one, but is greatly present and we begin to see His sweetness.

We also experience the pleasure of our soul as it becomes a participant in this union. When we participate in Communion our soul is nourished and we are given strength to help us overcome our worldly passions when we return to our earthly daily life.

But what is the reality for many Orthodox Christians? The elder tells us,

Most people go to church, present themselves to Christ, and leave without ever drawing out any of His strength, without experiencing His power, the way the woman with the flow of blood did (cf. Mt 9:20). And then say: “So what did I get from Christ? I came back from church the same person I was when I went.”

If we come to the church longing to see God, to experience Him, to receive strength from Him, we will leave a different person in some small way. Each time we are healed of our sinfulness bit by bit. 

The elder says, 

“This is why God has established this liturgical assembly. This is why He arranges for angels, archangels, and saints to be present here with sinners, so that each can give something to the other. The saints are here so that they can give their saintliness to the sinners. And sinners are here to convey to the saints their desire for their holiness, so they too, may be found in their company. We find all of this within the church, provided that all is still and silent within us, and that our gaze remains fixed solely on the drama unfolding before us.

When we come to church we are seeking an experience with God. Setting aside our worldly care and opening our heart to Him we will experience a renewed state of being conferred by Jesus. Everything comes from Him. Without our willing surrender, our recognition of our sinful state, we will gain nothing and return just as we were. All this has been established by Jesus for our healing, our perfection, the satisfaction of our spiritual seeking.

Reference: The Way of the Spirit, “On the State that Jesus Confers”, by Archimandrite Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp 55-69

How Does One Come Closer to God?

Psalm 63 shows us a path to communion with God according to the commentary of Elder Aimilianos. He identifies six stages found in this Psalm.

1. Pray at night and ardently search for God. “O my God, to You I rise early at dawn. My soul has thirsted for you; how often my flesh has longed for You, in a desert land, parched and impenetrable.”
2. Separate the heart and mind from all that is within and around you. “Thus I have appeared before you in Your sanctuary, that I might see Your power and Your glory.” “In order for my heart to be pure , it must be completely liberated from all earthly attachments, and then I shall know what Christ means when He says, ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Mat 5:8).’ “
3. Place all our energies in His service. “Thus I will bless you throughout my life, and in Your name I will lift up my hands.”
4. Recall God and all His benefits ceaselessly. “I remembered you on my bed”. Elder Aimilianos says, “It is essential to remember God, to hold God within memory, for memory fuels desire, and it is by means of desire that God becomes our possession.”
5. Experience God’s Grace. “For you have become my helper, and in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.”
6. Be conscious that you are nothing, can do nothing, and are completely incapable and unworthy. “ My soul clings closely behind You, Your right hand upholds me.”

The Elder says,

“My desire is for Christ; my longing is for Christ. It is for Him that my life is being transformed... my path is one constantly seeking after the Lord.”

Reference: Psalms and the Life of Faith, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp 19-24

Ten Points for an Orthodox Way of Life

The Glykophilousa Icon and Aim of Our Life, Theosis.

My soul clings closely behind You, Your right hand upheld me. (Psalm 63:8)

This phrase shows that there are two things necessary if we are to find union with God, says Elder Aimilianos. “The exercise of our free will, which is expressed in the first part of this verse, and divine grace, which is expressed in the second.”

The image of this union we seek as Orthodox Christians is most vividly seen in the icon know as the Glykophilousa. 

This icon like the “Portaitissa” is one of the icons saved from the Iconoclastic Controversy and brought miraculously to Athos. It was the property of Victoria, the devout wife of the eikonomachos senator Symeon, who, to avoid having to hand it over, threw it into the sea. The icon, floating upright on the waves, reached the dock of the Monastery of Philotheou, where it was received with great honor and rejoicing by the Abbot and fathers of the Monastery, who had been warned of its advent by a revelation of the Theotokos.

In this image we see the Theotokos holding the Christ child so tenderly and yet so firmly in and embrace. Their mutual love is obvious. It appears as if their bodies merge and form a union of one body. With their cheeks pressed together they have like one face and project a single person. This, says Elder Aimilianos, “is the exercise of free will.” When we are free of passion and join our will with His, we become free and joined as one with Him. We embrace Him with the same tenderness and firmness shown in this icon out of our boundless love for Him. He then merges with us and we become like one person.

The Psalm is showing us that David’s “inner disposition is simple, namely, not to be separated from God.” To Hold God in a loving embrace as seen in this icon. The last part of the verse shows that our ability to have this union comes from God. It is by our free will working in synergy with His and His Grace, brings the desired joy found in union with Him.

We can use this image to remind us of the aim of our life, to be united with Christ in love. 

Saint Athanasios of Alexander says commenting on this verse,

Not even for a moment, my God, can my spirit be separated from You, for I am afire with ardent love, and as if my mind were a mass of glue, I adhere to You in desire.”

Reference: Psalms and the Life of Faith, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp15-16.

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How to Read Scripture - Elder Aimilianos

When one undertakes to examine Scripture in an idle, intellectual way, he creates hatred and quarreling.

Elder Aimilianos says this because the intellectual study of Scripture does not help us to know our sins, but instead turns our intellectual faculties to focus on concepts and issues related to our study of Scripture. This intellectual  knowledge does not help us come closer to God. It does no more than emphasize our personal opinions and leads us to fell self-sufficient in our personal understanding. 

He says,

This kind of approach to Scripture immediately places you in conflict with others; it opposes your will and opinion to theirs, prompting you to disagree and argue with them...The correct way is to read Scripture with simplicity and to allow God to tell us what He wants to tell us.

When we develop our own opinions and become attached to them he says this blocks our ability to “receive anything from God.” We are mired in our own ego centered views wanting to prove that we know what is the correct interpretation from a logical and intellectual perspective. It only encourages us to enter into debate and arguments which can lead to making enemies.

He says,

It’s one thing to read Scripture because you want to collect information, and another thing to read because you want to acquire it’s true contents, that is, the Holy Spirit...The criterion for your study should be this: the way you read the Bible should bring peace to your heart, communion with God, love of neighbors, and the consciousness of your own sinfulness: the recognition of how unworthy and ill-prepared you are to stand before God.

Ref: Psalms and the Life of Faith, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra

Ten Points for an Orthodox Way of Life

Our Mortality and the Cherry blossom

When I read the morning Psalms and get to the following verse from Psalm 103, my attention intensifies.

As for man, his days are like the grass; he blossoms like a flower of the field; For the wind passes over it, it is gone, and will no longer know it’s place.

I am attentive because it brings me face to face with my mortality. It reminds me of the numerous times I was blessed to visit Japan during their cherry blossom festival. The cherry flower is very beautiful and it lasts for only a short time. When in bloom the people there take time off from their busy lives to gatherer under the numerous cherry trees and celebrate life. It is understood that the cherry blossom is a symbol of our life. It is beautiful, delicate and lasts for a very short time, only to be blown away in the breeze to never be known again. It reminds me that we Christians do not just celebrate life thinking it’s ends with our physical death, but we have joy knowing that, unlike the cherry blossom, there is a life beyond this life. Our life does not end.

The next verse of the Psalm reads,

But the mercy of the Lord is from age to age unto them that fear Him, and His righteousness is upon the sons of sons.

David is writing this Psalm to lift us up to the reality of our eternal life. He transforms the previous verse into one of joy and hope.

Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra writes on these verses,

Though his life on earth is tragic, man will live. God’s hands shall lovingly take up the dust of earth, and the fleeting and the finite will be wedded to the eternal and the infinite. The life that ends in death will be given new life, and that which appeared to vanish forever shall reappear in eternity...And because God will never cease to exist, the human person will also exist ‘from age to age’, so closely bound together are divinity and humanity.

This daily reminder of the cherry blossom, it’s beautiful but brief life, always awakens my soul and is immediately nurtured with the reminder of the life to come as the Psalm is read. This life to come, I am sure, will be a glorious life even more beautiful than the cherry blossoms, united with the glory of God, Christ Himself, in His Eternal Kingdom.

Ref: Psalms and the Life of Faith, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp 287-289.

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How Are We Judged?

He knows what we are made of. He remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103.14)

Everything God has created comes from the elements we find in the physical world. They are cosmic, the result of star dust. Out of nothing, God has created everything. Humans were formed from the earth or dust. What is significant here is that God knows we are but dust. Because we are the pride of His creation, but yet only dust, He is most merciful. So how will He judge us?

Elder Aimilianos in his commentary says,

Will He judge me according to the mud and clay from which I have been formed? No. He will judge me according to His love, He will look upon us in the light of what we are made. He knows that, being vessels of clay, we are fragile, like the pitcher that breaks at the fountain and quickly returns to dust (cf. Ecc 12:1).

We must not forget the foundation of our mortal life, a form and life given to us by God. He is continually shaping us to become more perfect, like Christ. He will forget how He formed us for the purpose of perfecting us. Everything He does for us, every struggle we face, are done our of His love and hope of our perfection. Knowing where we have come from He is sympathetic and compassionate towards us.

Ref: Psalms and the Life of Faith, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp 285-286.

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Does God Get Angry?

“He will not be angry unto the end, neither will He be wrathful forever” (Psalm 103:9)

What would it mean if God never got angry with us? What does it imply if we never get angry with our children? Doesn’t this mean that there is no love? Don’t we feel a bit angry at time when those we love disappoint us in their behavior? Shouldn’t we be angry at evil? Surly there are time when  it’s necessary to rebuke or correct those we love.

Elder Aimilianos says in his commentary on this passage,

A God who never got angry would be a God without love; He would be like an unfeeling father who merely tolerates or ignores his children long enough until they’re grown up and gone.

But, we must remember that God is also merciful if we make and effort to correct our errant ways. He wants us to be perfected in His image and likeness. 

The Elder comments,

But even When God grows angry, He will not be angry unto the end. He will not make sinful man drink the cup of His wrath to the dregs. Instead He will deal with us with great delicacy and sensitivity. As soon as He sees even the smallest little improvement in the soul; the slightest turn in the direction of the light, His anger will immediately dissipate. God’s punishment is never commensurate with the crime; it is not measured out by the standards of an impersonal law, or by demands of abstract justice; it extends only so far as is needed for correction.

We must remember that whatever God let’s happen to us is for our good. 

He has not required us according to our transgressions, neither has He dealt with us according to our sins. (Psalm 103:10)

Elder Aimilianos writes,

Whatever God has done to us, or permitted to happen to us, was not according to the measure of out transgressions, but according to the measure of His love, and this is something that should fill us with joy.

Ref:  Psalms and the Life of Faith, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp282-283.

Ten Points for an Orthodox Way of Life

What is it we should Seek?

 “He fulfills your desire with good things; your youth will be renewed as the eagles” (Psalm 103)

Elder Aimilianos comment on this passage writes, “notice It doesn’t say “He fulfills your desires”  but says “your desire.”

So what is the significance of this being a singular desire. Our desires are the result of our passions, the many distractions we face in this worldly life. But what we seek is is His kingdom not our desires of our pleasure seeking life through earthly things. 

Scripture says, 

“Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be yours as well.” (Lk 12:31)

So our desire, singular, should only be our desire for God.

Elder Aimilianos says, 

He transforms you into a person of a single-minded desire, a person whose only desire is for God. And it is because you desire God and seek Him that He offers you all the good things of this life and the life to come.

What we should seek is only God, then we will be blessed with a good life. We must not think that God will satisfy our desires, but that we will be rewarded when we have a singular desire for a union with God. He must the the primary focus of our love. When we feel separated from Him we must seek His companionship. Otherwise we may be misled by the many desires that arise from the numerous temptations of the worldly life.

Ref: Psalms and the Life of Faith, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, p 274

Ten Points for an Orthodox Way of Life

“The Lord is compassionate and merciful, long suffering and rich in mercy.” (Psalm 103)

Commentary by Elder Aimilianos 

“God’s <<compassion>> is exercised on behalf of human beings who are made of earth and are forever in danger of lapsing into non-existence.”

“God is also <<merciful>> to us because we forget that we are created from the earth; we forget that we are created from earth; we forget that we are nothing, and act as if we were god’s, or make a god out of our ego and our selfish desires. To such a creature, one can only be patient and show mercy.”

God is <<long-suffering>>, He exercises patience with us, because we are ignorant and rebellious; because we stubbornly resist Him. We are not interested in God because our attention is occupied with the fantasy life of our ego, our self-will, and our foolish plans.”

God is <<rich in mercy>>, because human sinfulness is as deep and as wide as the ocean. Mercy is God’s response to actual transgression, to sinful actions, and not simply to things within the soul.”

Ref: Psalms and the Life of Faith, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp 280-281

Ten Points for an Orthodox Way of Life

Freedom From Suffering

The moment we accept death, true life can begin.  (Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra) 

In his commentary on Psalm 88, Elder Aimilianos is addressing suffering and all our tribulations of earthly life. His message is that there is only one way to be freed of this struggle: not by rejecting these sufferings or difficulties but in joyfully accepting them.

Elder Aimilianos writes,

The secret to his freedom does not lie in the rejection of his suffering, but in his joyful acceptance of them. He will be truly free only when he lets go of wanting to be free of his sufferings, for all freedom and all life depend on our being in right relation to God. When he accepts his death; when he allows himself to hear the sound of his footsteps descending into the grave, he will find that death no longer has a hold on him, for now he is with God. The darkness will vanish and he will see only light.

This freedom from or fear of suffering and death requires that we make a choice to voluntarily sacrifice ourselves to God, just like Christ voluntarily sacrificed Himself on the Cross. 

The Elder says, 

“if he accepts to become an instrument of God’s will, he will emerge triumphant; but otherwise he will fail.”

When we are focused on our difficulties and suffering we become very self centered and find ourselves distant from God. We become our own god and there is no room for another.

The Elder says,

“If “l” exist God cannot exist, for there cannot be two gods, and so it is either God or the self. When someone sees only his own suffering, God cannot answer him, for it is precisely the mistaken, negative attitude toward suffering that constitutes the separation between him and God. But if “I” cease to exist, if my relation to my suffering changes, then I can be united to God. This union depends on the denial of my self, so that God can come into my life.”

This freedom comes only through a transformation that is the result of our growing love of God and our willingness to confront the many self-centered passions one is burdened with. In accepting or rejecting our suffering, we are accepting or rejecting God Himself.

He says,

“I must learn to accept suffering with joy, to find joy within my suffering, to realize that even in my moments of glory, I am nothing but “dust and ashes” (Gen 18:27), a pelican in the wilderness (Ps 102:6), lost in a desert land, seeking shelter in a landscape of ruins. I must realize my sinfulness, my nakedness, my alienation from God; I must realize I am like a sparrow alone o a house top (Ps 102:7), not because I have some psychological problem, but because I have been separated from God.”

We need to accept our condition, and desire to be freed from fear of death and suffering and commit ourselves to the spiritual struggle found in the Orthodox way of life. We need to seek for the Holy Spirit to lift us up, to purify our heart, and lead us to union with God.

The Elder concludes his commentary,

“In this cry, this calling out, there exists the hope that I will hear the sound of His footsteps, and these will overtake my own and lead me to salvation.”

Ref: Psalms and the Life of Faith, by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp 104-109

Ten Points for an Orthodox Way of Life

Passions are the root of sinfulness

Saint Maximos the Confessor says, “When the passions dominate the mind, they bind it to material things...” This separates us from God and divine grace. This is why our church fathers and elders like Aimilianos tell us to know ourselves in a deep way to uncover our passions. We often find our passions buried in our habits and our reactions to worldly events or encounters with others. We can often find them by digging into what upsets or hurts us. Also, there are often patterns of behavior that point us to our passions.

Elder Aimilianos warns us that we have to be very careful and observant of our behavior and attachment to material things, because we fail to recognize the harm we are doing to our soul. 

He says,

The passions bind the mind to material things that we think are harmless, since we tell ourselves, God gave them to us and in them selves they are not sinful.

He uses food as a simple example. God did give us the passion of hunger so we can maintain a healthy life. But when our desire for food or drinks goes beyond what is necessary for good health we become consumed by it and lose our focus on God. We eat unhealthily, we obsess over certain foods and drinks, or desire things that are very expensive, creating other issues. Food can easily become a source of conflict between married couples driving them to separate meals, denying them of need social interaction to share and express their loving care for each other.

The path to a passionless life is our love of God. Saint Maximos says, “When the love of God prevails, it frees our mind from bonds...” When we love God with passion we think about the life to come and how we must prepare for this future life. In this way we can see all material things in the right light. They can not be bad in themselves but it depends on how we view them. We need to discern God’s purpose in all things.

Elder Aimilianos says,

Real maturity is when you understand that the problem you are struggling with is the sign of a worldly spirit, an indication that you do not love God.The true meaning of life is spiritual... Preoccupation with material things, worldly interests, and the cares of life, are like weights that oppress and drag us down.Too often we go to our spiritual father, even when we go to confess our sins, not because we care about God, but because we care only about things of this world; because we are looking for solutions to the problems of this life.

Mystical Marriage by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp 27-32

Ten Points for an Orthodox Way of Life

Prayer and Love of God

Saint Maximos the Confessor tells us, “He who genuinely loves God prays without distraction”. Therefore it should be very easy to love God in a genuine way. 

Elder Aimilianos says,

All we need to do is pay attention to where our mind goes. If it doesn’t go to God, we need to realize that our mind does not see clearly and has need of a physician...

What should be natural for us becomes difficult because our mind is unfocused and occupied with things other than God. Loving God should be easy and natural. God gave us a mind so we can be always connected with Him to do His will. Since we are created to Love Him, this should be a straightforward task.

What we need to realize is that the distractions we find during our prayer time is a sickness that needs to be cured. We must learn to make our prayer “stable and focused”, that is without any distractions. 

Elder Aimilianos says, 

When we see that our mind has wandered off to some habitual thought, memory, image, or experience, we should know that we are distancing ourselves from God.

All these distractions we experience should be seen as rival power for our affections, our love. The elder tells that it does not matter how good or grand any of these distractions may be. He says,

It would be better to be poor and wretched by not having such a thing, than by having it to wander away from God.

Having our mind focused on God should be natural for us. We know He loves us continually, without any condition. So, why do we allow our mind to be distracted when we are consciously trying to communicate with Him? Don’t we say we love God? Let’s listen to the teachings of our saints and elders like Saint Maximos and elder Aimilianos. They teach us the truth, showing us plainly what is necessary to draw close to God. They reveal to us the sickness of our mind that needs to be healed.

This purity of mind, an undistracted mind, one focused on God, is what we should desire. If we make this our primary desire we will begin to be healed with God’s help. God has not made this difficult. God’s desires our love and our union with Him.

Elder Aimilianos says 

If love is also undistracted prayer, then undistracted prayer is the easiest and most natural activity for the human mind; it is the natural human inclination, activity and movement of the mind to God....All the promises that God has made will become a reality for us. I know you are close to the love of God, and that you have this love when you pray correctly. I only ask that you fill my heart with joy and make my soul rejoice by being genuine children and genuine spouses of God.

Reference: Mystical Marriage by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra, pp 22-25.

Ten Points for an Orthodox Way of Life