What does it mean to be constantly in prayer? Prayer is not a position of being; prayer is a state of being as my one of my dear brother's has taught me. Prayer being a state of being constitutes the constant awareness of prayer in which all our actions, thoughts, and emotions are in constant state of prayer.
The prayer of the Eucharist worship is meant to make us become united in Christ. The gathered community coming together in the body of Christ united the community in the common belief that Christ is in our midst. The notion of prayer holds true-if we are constantly living out prayer-liturgy is constantly being lived out for the life of the world. During the Eucharistic celebration and liturgical life, we join our own sacrifices for the Eucharist meal. In doing so this is how we join our own sacrifices to his. This not only happens in the physical building of the church but happens for the life of the world. By being united in the body of Christ we then become the living icons of Christ in the world. Prayer is a self-offering as Christ gave Himself up or rather gave Himself up to death on the tree (Recited in the Anaphora Prayer of St. John's Chrysostom Liturgy which is the common liturgy celebrated by the Byzantine Churches). In expressing our union with Christ, we offer ourselves to Him as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.
The following blog entry expresses this concept of constant prayer and the next few entries will focus on this theme. I recommend all to follow along the blog for spiritual insight and growth.
http://macariusmichael.blogspot.com/
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| Fr. Seraphim of Sarov |
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| Fr. Lazarus el-Antony |
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