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(38) In calling the Lord God in
Three Persons in prayer, remember that you are
calling the Father of all creatures, Who had no
beginning, of Angels and men, that all the Heavenly
Hosts regard you, the caller, with wonder and look
upon you with love because you are calling with
faith and love and proper reverence the common to us
and them Creator, Pantocrator and Lord, Whom they
love immeasurably, before Whom they are strongly
reverent. O, what high joy and beatitude, what
greatness, what honor it is to call the eternal
Father! Value constantly and unfailingly this
highest of joys, this beatitude, which was granted
to you by your God's infinite goodness, and do not
forget yourself during your prayer. God is
listening to you, Angels and God's holy men are
listening to you. - February 26, 1864. I shed tears
writing these lines.
(39) When you are praying alone
and your spirit is dejected and begins to become
bored and oppressed by loneliness, remember then, as
always, that upon you look down with eyes that are
brighter than the sun - the triune God, all the holy
Angels, : our guardian Angel and God's holy men. Truly, for all of them are one in God, and where God
is, there also are they. Wherever the sun turns,
there also all its rays are turned. Understand what
is being said. Always pray with a burning heart, and
for this never overeat and do not drink to excess. Remember with Whom you are talking! People very
often forget with Whom they are talking in prayer,
Who witnesses their prayers. They forget that they
are talking with the Vigilant and All-seeing, that
to their conversation with God are listening all the
Heavenly Hosts and God's holy men.
(40) When you pray to Our Lady or
to some Saint, imagine firmly that you are a member
of the Church in which Our Lady - is the edifice's
main stone. "The Origin of the spiritual building"
(Akathist to the Most Pure Mother of God, ikos 10)
and know that you are closely tied from within with
all the heavenly dwellers as a stone of the
building, although soft and not firm. Thus
comprehending, you will understand why prayers reach
the saints so easily: for all of us are under the
one Head - Christ (cf. Ephes. 1, 22) and all are
animated by the one Spirit of God. ,
(41) At the end
of home, morning and evening prayers call the holy
patriarchs, prophets, Apostles, saints, martyrs,
witnesses, holy men, abstainers or ascetics,
wealth-spurners, - so as to, by seeing in them the
realization of every virtue, to also yourself become
an imitator of every virtue. From the patriarchs
learn child-like faith and obedience to the Lord;
from the prophets and Apostles - zeal for the glory
of God and for the salvation of human souls; from
the saints - zeal to propagate the word of God and
in general to assist by writing in print to the most
possible glorification of God's name, to the
strengthening of faith, hope and love in Christians;
from martyrs and witnesses - firmness for the faith
and piety before people who are unbelieving and
wicked; from ascetics - crucification of the flesh
with its passions and desires, of prayer and thought
of God; from the wealth-spurners - poverty and free
assistance to the needy.
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