Mar. 19, 2007
Prayer
This Friday our parish is holding a traditional Akathist to the Theotokos, which is held the Fifth Friday of Lent. The meaning of the word is Akathist is: "not sitting"... which I find quite funny. When do Orthodox sit and pray? Occasionally during some of the later Litanies in church people will sit, but this is an exception rather than the rule.
Standing for prayer was probably one of the first things that became second nature to me when converting. Quite early on I found it awkward to even sit for grace at mealtime. There have been times when I have sat at home for private prayers but each time it seemed that my mind wandered more than normal. It was like sitting to pray was telling my mind it was rest time, not a time to pay attention. It would almost become a sleepy time. Perhaps the mere act of standing for prayer (and especially standing in front of my icon corner) was an inner way the Church calls me, even as it calls out many times during Sunday morning:
"Let us attend!"
Yes, pay attention, listen closely, pay attention. Its a battle I often have as I stand there praying. I've been reading about the Life of St. Anthony and its plainly obvious that here is a man acquainted with spiritual battles. However, St. Anthony never mentions the grocery lists, forgotten laundry, and age old conversations (or disagreements) as one way the devil tries to distract us from communion with God. As I've read his life I have been pondering the distractions that fill my mind during prayer... I have been seeing them as they really are - a battle - "not against flesh and blood..." I really must take them more seriously than I have in the past.
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Ancient Faith Radio
Mar. 19, 2007 - hello