Pretty messy, isn't it? This is my icon table. A place I
have set aside for prayer and devotion. Even for those of you who
don't have a devotional table will realize that not much
"contemplation" is going on here.
Its
true. The last couple of weeks have been a jumble of ups and
downs. And, if the table is bad - what about my Lenten
Fast? Sure, I'm not eating what I had set out to abstain
from. But so what? Those 10 handfulls 
of chocoolate chips and hours spent with my eyes glued to the computer
set me way outside the spirit of the fast on more than one
occasion.
Of course, the fast isn't the end in and of itself, it is a means to
an end. So, if my devotional table looks like that, and my fast
is well... less than fasting. What's going on with the spritual
part? I'm sure you're getting a pretty good picture by now.
When I looked at my Icon table yesterday morning, saw the mess it had
become I also had to look inside at myself.
Can you see the
cross or the Bible on my table? Nope - they're all covered up with
with stuff too. Am I lettting the scriptures "burn in my heart", as
the travellers on the road to Emmaus exclaimed?
Am I keeping the prayer of St. Ephrem (at the right) in my heart? (I
say it every day, but to I listen to myself?). Am I striving to
keep a spirit of chasity, humility and love? Am I wasting time
judging my sisters and brothers or pulling the log out of my own
eye?
So I've cleaned up my icon table and renewed myself to working through
the fast - both the asectical and more importantly, the spiritual.
The true fast, my brother, must be observed not only with the body, but also with the soul.
Elder Cleopa of Romania
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Posted by Anonymous 
Ancient Faith Radio
Apr. 6, 2006 - Untitled Comment
My prayer life...worse than before Lent.
The other virtues? Well, it all works together so when the fast is off and the prayer life is languishing the virtues are wilting from lack of attention.
Thanks for posting this...I am going to "clean up my prayer table" (figuratively...since I do not have one) too!-----R