WATCHWORD:
19 Therefore go and make disciples in all the nations,[a] baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19
25 For anyone who keeps his life for himself shall lose it; and anyone who loses his life for me shall find it again. Matthew 16:25
Meditation:
Jesus Prayer
In an earlier Watchword, possibly a month or so ago, I mentioned classics in Christian literature that were important for the walk of a Christian. One of the books I listed is The Way of the Pilgrim. It was written by an unknown author, who tells the tale of a pilgrim wandering Russia sharing his beliefs and, in particular, the Jesus Prayer. As you read, you get the impression, that he is that pilgrim on his own odyssey of faith. Here is part of that book related to the Jesus Prayer:
“As I noticed that he was always in prayer and versed in the inward prayer of the heart, and as he spoke Russian perfectly, I questioned him on this matter. He readily told me a great deal about it and I listened with care. I even wrote down many things that he said. Thus, for example, he taught me about the excellence and greatness of the Jesus Prayer in this way.
“Even the very form of the Jesus prayer,” he said, “shows what a great prayer it is. It is made up of two parts. In the first, i.e., ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God’, it leads our thoughts to the life of Jesus Christ, or, as the holy Fathers put it, it is the whole Gospel in brief.
“In the second part, ‘Have mercy on me, a sinner’, it faces us with the story of our own helplessness and sinfulness. And, it is to be noted that the desire and petition of a poor sinful humble soul could not be put into words more wise, more clear cut, more exact than these–‘Have mercy on me’. No other form of words would be as satisfying and full as this…it is a cry for mercy–that is, for grace–which will show itself in the gift of strength from God, to enable us to resist temptation and overcome our sinful inclinations. It is like a penniless debtor asking his kindly creditor not only to forgive him the debt but also to pity his extreme poverty and to give him alms–that is what these profound words ‘have mercy on me’ express.”
The story of the Pilgrim is our story, or, at least, could be our story. Living our life praising the Lord, sharing our faith with others, as He has instructed us to do, as in “Make disciples”. Do people notice that you are ‘with Christ’? Do they notice that you are calm and seem to be at peace? Do they notice that you are approachable and seem to be interested in others, rather than yourself? Do they see that you reach out and share your life with others? These, and so many other ‘tells’, are all doors that are being opened to you. You might not have knocked, but others have and you could be God’s answer to someone’s prayer. Something to pray about? Yes. Amen. Stan
Bulletin Board:
This may come as a surprise to some, but, today marks the one-hundredth edition of Watchword, born at the start of our isolation, and will continue for a while. More on this, and my role in the devotionals, later.
Smile for the Day — My boss just texted me: “Send me one of your funny jokes!”
I texted him back: “I’m busy working. I’ll send one later.”
“That’s hilarious,” he said. “Send another one!”
Pilgrim’s Prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God. Have mercy on me, a sinner. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God. Have mercy on me, a sinner. (Repeat) Amen.
