BCP: Diagnosis of the time and mission of prayer

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Contemporary Christianity with the spirit of the world is a barren fig tree. The condition for it not to be cut down is to start bearing the fruit of genuine repentance.
Let us briefly consider the diagnosis of the time we live in. Modern man not only is unable to perceive sin, but often does not perceive the very reality itself. Many live in unreality or virtual reality. They are overwhelmed by the endless flow of information from the television, internet or smartphones. Nowadays the spirit of the world has a particularly demoralizing, disruptive, even self-destructive influence. One must resist it. It has manipulated public opinion to the point of a secret diktat. Children are also entrapped. The current laws absurdly stipulate that children aged 12 and over can undergo drastic gender reassignment surgery, in other words be mutilated for life, and their parents cannot even warn them.
The spirit of the world exploits human curiosity and lures people into addiction. Vices drive them into bondage, often for life. It is mostly modern youth who are enslaved by smartphones. It is not only about wasting precious time, young people literally soak up spiritual and amoral poison. They are fed with all kinds of immoral content. This kills their mental and spiritual life, and eventually leads to degradation of their physical life as well. What is more, the same things are imposed on children and youth in schools through so-called sexual education, which promotes all LGBTQ perversions.
Young people become slaves to impure passions that open the door to other sins and addictions – alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling, pseudo spirituality associated with the occult, including the numerous forms of divination and magic. The new form of addiction to social networks through smartphones results in fixation on a false yet constant appreciation of oneself. This may lead to dangerous extravagances and, in the case of rejection, not only to depression but in some cases even to suicide. The prospects for such a generation are tragic – lack of ability to take responsibility, to raise a family, or to communicate with others.
Presenting so-called academic Christianity to contemporary people is completely ineffective. Modern man needs conversion and a change of lifestyle. Children need to be converted at a young age. Otherwise, the child’s mind quickly absorbs all the evil that is subtly and invitingly offered by the deceitful spirit of the world.
The following spiritual principle applies: What kind of spirit prevails depends on the conditions created. It is therefore necessary to create a Christian lifestyle. A person then begins to perceive the need to communicate with God in interior prayer. Without prayer one lacks light and strength and, little by little, dies spiritually.
The path of repentance is a necessity of life today. Repentance is a joy-filled life as it delivers a person not only from demonic addiction but also from his own sins. The basis of repentance is to call evil evil, a lie a lie, and to stand in truth before God.
To be able to repent, young people need grace. Their closest relatives, parents and grandparents are morally obliged to obtain this grace for them. It should be emphasized that especially retired women, i.e. grandmothers or great-grandmothers, need to become aware of their great responsibility for the salvation of their offspring and of the danger of their eternal damnation. However, they must first begin to repent themselves; there are many things to repent of.
About 30 years ago, one man went to an Orthodox temple to pray. Five elderly women were kneeling before the iconostasis. The tragic death of their loved ones moved each of the women to become more aware of the reality of death which they all would eventually face. They experienced their conversion. Their confession was public. There were only the women and a priest present in the temple.
The priest asked the first woman: “How many times did you visit a fortune-teller? Are you aware that as many times you did so, as many demons entered into you? Do you renounce all these demons?” The woman nodded her head seriously. “Did you put your faith in cards or horoscopes? Did you seek healing from healers, who work through occult energy? This also includes reiki or Chinese acupuncture based on yin and yang. Did you use so-called homoeopathic remedies, the essence of which is occult magic? Did you practise pagan meditation associated with Hindu yoga or Buddhist Zen?” The woman replied: “I did all of this.” The priest said to her: “You opened up to demons that are behind occult divination and magic. Do you renounce them now?” The woman answered: “Yes, I do.” “Have you ever sinned with men and how many of your children have you killed by abortion?” The woman answered all the questions with tears. “You deserve hell for your sins,” continued the priest, “but Jesus paid for your sins with His death. Are you aware of that and do you repent of your sins?” The woman was beating her chest in sorrow and the priest continued: “Do you also forgive all those who hurt you in the past? If you do not forgive, Jesus will not forgive your sins.” The woman, weeping bitterly, nodded her head in agreement, and the priest finished with the words: “Jesus now forgives you all your sins. Go and sin no more!” The priest asked the other women just as loudly about their sins. The women did not leave the temple immediately; their tears of thanks overflowed in quiet prayers for a long time before the icon of Christ crucified.
This example is a testimony of how repentance sets us free and disposes us to genuine prayer and a new Christian lifestyle. Retired women who have not been converted and not opened their hearts in repentance before God suppress their conscience and, in a state of false peace, waste hours every day on TV or even smartphones at best. They should be aware of their responsibility for the salvation of their souls and the souls of their loved ones. They have approached the autumn of their life, when they should begin to think about death and God’s judgment, which they will not escape.
But there are also retired women who do think about the last things – death, God’s judgment and eternity. Therefore, they have accepted the obligation of prayer literally as a work obligation. For example, three or four of them gather at one of their homes and pray for several hours since morning. Then they go home, fulfil their daily duties, and then pray again at home. Some have thrown away the TV and do not spend time on the internet either. They find food for their souls in the Holy Scriptures and the lives of saints. They are not interested in any higher theology. These women do mission among other women, sharing their experience of prayer routine.
It should be known that a spiritual revival of the individual and of nations is not possible without prayer. That is why this prayer mission is necessary. There are also retired men who can testify of their prayer mission.
The current time of crisis, too, is a motivation for prayer. Forced vaccination or other means of so-called depopulation ought to drive us to prepare for death, God’s judgment and eternity.

Practically about prayer
Persistent prayer requires conversion. A retreat focused on the essential truths greatly contributes to conversion. The following steps of faith are important: receiving Jesus, receiving His testament from the cross, receiving God’s Spirit, and renouncing false spirituality associated with occult practices.
The Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate has called for a tithe of time to God – that is, 2.5 hours a day. This includes the Holy Hour from 8 to 9pm – if possible, the family prays together. The second hour of prayer is private. We keep seven short prayer stops during the day: when getting up, at 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, and at bedtime. Altogether, it takes 2.5 hours.
How to pray? Zealous Catholics pray the Rosary or the Way of the Cross or other devotions from prayer books. Some, when praying together, confess their sins aloud, make intercessions, give thanks and sing praises to the Lord. Prayer should be primarily about a personal relationship with God.
How to practise interior prayer?
For a quarter of an hour, think briefly of four realities and then focus on one of them more deeply.
At the beginning, realize God’s presence: God sees you. You can repeat this Bible verse from Heb 12:22-24: “You have come near … to the city of the living God … to innumerable hosts of angels and saints … and to Jesus…”
The first reality is death – I shall die. Jesus says: “Be ready, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
The second reality is God’s judgment. Jesus reminds us that there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed and that we will give account for every empty word we have spoken.
The third reality is eternal heaven, eternal hell. Where would I end up if I suddenly died now?
The fourth reality is God’s mercy, but only during our lifetime. So I make an act of perfect contrition, which is conditioned by walking in the light. It results in the blood of Christ cleansing me from all sin (1Jn 1:7).
I focus my attention on the five wounds of Christ, from which His blood flows for the forgiveness of my sins. Looking at each of the wounds, I slowly repeat the name of Jesus (Yehoshua). I look upon the face of the suffering and loving Saviour, and I keep my gaze fixed on Him for a while.
The next quarter of an hour: Give Jesus your problems – fear for your health, fear of exams, fear for your loved ones, fear of the future… Jesus will give you peace which the world cannot give you. What is more, He will give you inspiration and light to solve even the most mundane matters. Leave all your problems aside and just look into His face in spirit. You can slowly repeat the divine name or the words “Jesus, I trust in You”.
It would be good, from time to time, to pray these two quarters of an hour during the Holy Hour. Begin each of your prayer watches in this way, because it helps build your personal relationship to God. Then you can continue your prayer watch by thinking of concrete people and briefly praying for each of them with faith. You can pray the Our Father or Hail Mary or other familiar prayer. Or you can just say the following prayer for each of them with faith: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Your prayer and repentance is like labouring around a barren fig tree. Start, and persevere for a year! You will then reap the fruits with joy, both in time and, above all, in eternity.

+ Elijah
Patriarch of the Byzantine Catholic Patriarchate

+ Methodius OSBMr + Timothy OSBMr
Secretary Bishops

10 March 2023