on Watchfulness and Holiness 10

Much water makes up the sea. But extreme watchfulness and the Prayer of Jesus Christ, undistracted by thoughts, are the necessary basis for inner vigilance and unfathomable stillness of soul, for the deeps of secret and singular contemplation, for the humility that knows and assesses, for rectitude and love. This watchfulness and this prayer must be intense, concentrated, and unremitting.

St Hesychios the Priest, On Watchfulness and Holiness, Vol. 1 pg. 164

Minor Arcana: Jack of Cups (Labyrinth Tarot)

Luis Royo

how difficult it is to do this without thinking. there are so many things that come to mind as i do my devotion. are the boys ok? did i set the dishwasher? is there laundry to be folded? does deb want some company? or, more seriously, am i sincere in this? why do i feel like i'm talking to a brick wall? do i sound silly?
questions and worries plague me. i must find the answer to still my self.

the Prayer of Jesus Christ is so simple and so full.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of GOD, have mercy on me, a sinner.

on Watchfulness and Holiness 09

If you are an adept, initiated into the mysteries and standing before God at dawn (cf. Ps. 5: 3 - In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.), you will divine the meaning of my words. Otherwise be watchful and you will discover it.

St Hesychios the Priest, On Watchfulness and Holiness, Vol. 1 pg. 164

Major Arcana: High Priestess (Labyrinth Tarot)

Luis Royo

 well, i am certainly no adept. so i must watch and pray, and discover the meaning of the words of St Hesychios.

a repost from elsewhere 04 - the Oriental Orthodox Order in the West

Equanimity

Mindfulness practice provides the foundation for love to become a true spiritual path. The ability to concentrate allows us to focus our minds even in times of emotional stress, and equanimity refines our ability to remain a friendly audience to any and all experiences. Equanimity can itself be known as love because it is the matter-of-fact, gentle acceptance of things just as they are. I often teach that relational love equals equanimity plus knowledge of the beloved. Equanimity allows us to relax and keep open, and concentration refines our ability to pay attention to our beloved's words, needs, feelings and gestures, and to remember them. Together, equanimity and concentration are the necessary supports for any communication or listening skills we attempt to bring to conflict resolution; without mindfulness our skills fall apart when we are triggered into habitual reactive patterns.

~Polly Young-Eisendrath

on Watchfulness and Holiness 07

In one who is attempting to dam up the source of evil thoughts and actions, continuity of watchful attention in the intellect is produced by fear of hell and fear of God, by God's withdrawals from the soul, and by the advent of trials which chasten and instruct. For these withdrawals and unexpected trials help us to correct our life, especially when, having once experienced the tranquility of watchfulness, we neglect it. Continuity of attention produces inner stability; inner stability produces a natural intensification of watchfulness; and this intensification gradually and in due measure gives contemplative insight into spiritual warfare. This in its turn is succeeded by persistence in the Jesus Prayer and by the state that Jesus confers, in which the intellect, free from all images, enjoys complete quietude.

St Hesychios the Priest, On Watchfulness and Holiness, Vol. 1 pg. 162

Major Arcana: Wheel of Fortune (Labyrinth Tarot)

Luis Royo

let your thoughts move away from their focus, and all sorts of things start moving against you. set your attention in motion. let GOD's wind help turn the wheel. remove the sail and the Wind isn't there to help you; in fact, it may turn against you...trials come, tearing away at your sail, tearing at the stability you'd built, bringing you back to where you'd begun, perhaps even deeper than you'd gone before.

raise the sail, set your attention, and pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of GOD, have mercy on me, a sinner.

On Watchfulness and Holiness 03

Watchfulness is a way of embracing every virtue, every commandment.  It is the heart's stillness and, when free from mental images, it is the guarding of the intellect.

St Hesychios the Priest, On Watchfulness and Holiness, Vol. 1 pg. 161 & 162

 this needs more prayer. i can't think right now. brb...

Major Arcana: The Hermit (Labyrinth Tarot)

Luis Royo

the old man is smiling. sure in his routine/ Tradition/ duty to himself, he wanders the night with his lantern, watching over his terrain (mindscape??). keeping his rhythm alive, the hermit's bell (like the fool's little dog) will toll if he lets himself wander or become distracted along his Way.

how long has he been walking? how long did it take him to become comfortable in his path? what elements/ vices has he conquered to become so sure of himself?

i'm sure his bell rang constantly when he first began. mine rings so often... through prayer and stillness, i hope to become...

On Watchfulness and Holiness 02

The great lawgiver Moses - or, rather, the Holy Spirit - indicates the pure, comprehensive, and ennobling character of this virtue, and teaches us how to acquire and perfect it, when he says: "Be attentive to yourself, lest there arise in your heart a secret thing which is an iniquity" (Deut. 15:9. LXX) Here the phrase 'a secret thing' refers to the first appearance of an evil thought. This the Fathers call a provocation introduced into the heart by the devil. As soon as this thought appears in our intellect, our own thoughts chase after it and enter into impassioned intercourse with it.

St Hesychios the Priest, On Watchfulness and Holiness, Vol. 1 pg. 161

 how easily my mind races towards thoughts unbidden.

On Watchfulness and Holiness 01

Watchfulness is a spiritual method which, if practiced over a long period, completely frees us with God's help from impassioned thoughts, impassioned words and evil actions. It leads, in so far as this is possible, to a sure knowledge of the inapprehensible God, and helps us to penetrate the divine and hidden mysteries. It enables us to fulfill every divine commandment in the Old and New Testaments and bestows upon us every blessing of the age to come. It is, in the true sense, purity of heart, a state blessed by Christ when He says: 'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.' (Matt. 5:8); and one which, because of its spiritual nobility and beauty - or, rather, because of our negligence - is now extremely rare among monks. Because this is its nature, watchfulness is to be bought only at a great price. But once established in us, it guides us to a true and holy way of life. It teaches us how to activate the three aspects of our soul correctly, and how to keep a firm guard over the senses. It promotes the daily growth of the four principle virtues, and is the basis of our contemplation. 

St Hesychios the Priest, On Watchfulness and Holiness, Vol. 1 pg. 161

Major Arcana: The Fool (Labyrinth Tarot)

Luis Royo

watchfulness is hard to maintain. there are so many distractions, to keep me from creating the worship life i want to have. new ideas & perspectives, family, friends, books to read, blogposts to keep track of, movies and tv to watch... St Hesychios says that watchfulness comes at a great price. what will my price be? could all the plans i have collapse into nothing as i form my life into something new, by keeping a steady, unwavering watch on  (1) what goes on in my mind, (2) what my daily actions are, (3) what my reasons are, and reasoning is, for doing this?

like the little dog in the card above, warning the fool to watch where he's going, i need the sharp reminders to keep me coming back to the path i want to be on...

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of GOD, have mercy on me, a sinner.