Editing Jesus Prayer

{{short description|Short formulaic prayer in Christianity}}
{{distinguish|Lord's Prayer|prayers of Jesus}}
The '''Jesus Prayer''',{{efn|{{langx|el|προσευχὴ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ|translit=prosefchí tou iisoú|lit=prayer to Jesus}}; {{langx|syr|ܨܠܘܬܐ ܕܝܫܘܥ|translit=slotho d-yeshu'}}; {{langx|syr|label=[[Amharic language|Amharic]], [[Geez language|Geez]] and [[Tigrinya language|Tigrinya]]|እግዚኦ መሐረነ ክርስቶስ|translit=igizi'o meḥarene kirisitosi}}.
[[John Romanides]] uses {{langx|el|προσευχή εν Πνεύματι|translit=prosefchí en Pneúmati|lit=prayer by the Spirit}}, or {{langx|el|νοερά προσευχή|translit=noerá prosefchí|lit=noetic prayer|link=no}}.<ref name="romanides1982">{{cite web |url=http://www.romanity.org/htm/rom.e.21.insous_xristos_i_zoi_tou_kosmou.01.htm |script-title=el:Ο Ιησούς Χριστός-η ζωή του κόσμου |trans-title=Jesus Christ-The Life of the World |last=Ρωμανίδης |first=Ιωάννης Σ. |author-link=John S. Romanides |translator-last=Κοντοστεργίου |translator-first=Δεσποίνης Δ. |publisher=The Romans: Ancient, Medieval and Modern |language=el |date=5–9 February 1982 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180813060113/http://www.romanity.org/htm/rom.e.21.insous_xristos_i_zoi_tou_kosmou.01.htm |archive-date=13 August 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=30 March 2019}} ''Original:'' {{cite web |url=http://www.romanity.org/htm/rom.19.en.jesus_christ_the_life_of_the_world.01.htm |title=Jesus Christ-The Life of the World |last=Romanides |first=John S. |author-link=John S. Romanides |publisher=The Romans: Ancient, Medieval and Modern |date=5–9 February 1982 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190208205029/http://www.romanity.org/htm/rom.19.en.jesus_christ_the_life_of_the_world.01.htm |archive-date=8 February 2019 |url-status=live |access-date=30 March 2019}}</ref> "Note: We are still searching the Fathers for the term 'Jesus prayer'. We would very much appreciate it if someone could come up with a patristic quote in Greek."<ref name="romanides">{{cite web |url=http://www.romanity.org/htm/rom.00.en.some_underlying_positions_of_this_website.htm |title=Some underlying positions of this website reflecting the studies herein included |last=Romanides |first=John S. |author-link=John S. Romanides |publisher=The Romans: Ancient, Medieval and Modern |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181119154828/http://www.romanity.org/htm/rom.00.en.some_underlying_positions_of_this_website.htm |archive-date=19 November 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=11 March 2019}}</ref>}} also known as '''The Prayer''',{{efn|{{langx|el|η ευχή|translit=i efchí|lit=the wish}}.}} is a short formulaic [[prayer]] and is especially esteemed and advocated in  [[Eastern Christianity]] and [[Catholicism]]. The prayer is as follows:

{{Blockquote|Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.}}[[Image:Christogram with Jesus Prayer in Romanian.jpg|thumb|[[Christogram]] with the Jesus Prayer in [[Romanian language|Romanian]]: {{lang|ro|Doamne Iisuse Hristoase, Fiul lui Dumnezeu, miluieşte-mă pe mine păcătosul}} ("Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner")]]It is often repeated continually as a part of personal [[ascetic]] practice, its use being an integral part of the [[Hermitic]] tradition of [[prayer]] known as [[hesychasm]].{{efn|{{langx|grc|ἡσυχάζω}}, {{transliteration|grc|isycházo}}, 'to keep stillness'.}} The prayer is particularly esteemed by the spiritual fathers of this tradition (see ''[[Philokalia]]'') as a method of cleaning and opening up the mind and after this the heart ({{lang|grc-Latn|kardia}}), brought about first by the '''Prayer of the Mind''', or more precisely the '''Noetic Prayer''' ({{lang|el|Νοερά Προσευχή}}), and after this the '''Prayer of the Heart''' ({{lang|el|Καρδιακή Προσευχή}}). The ''Prayer of the Heart'' is considered to be the ''Unceasing Prayer'' that the [[Apostle Paul]] advocates in the New Testament.{{efn|[[First Epistle to the Thessalonians|1 Thes]] {{bibleverse-nb|1 Thessalonians|5:17|KJV}}: Pray without ceasing.}} [[Theophan the Recluse]] regarded the ''Jesus Prayer'' stronger than all other prayers by virtue of the power of the [[Holy Name of Jesus]].<ref name="Ware" />

Though identified more closely with Eastern Christianity, the prayer is found in [[Western Christianity]] in the ''[[Catechism of the Catholic Church]]''.<ref name="§2667">{{cite web|title=Catechism of the Catholic Church, §&nbsp;2667|url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P9F.HTM|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107200306/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P9F.HTM|archive-date=7 January 2019|access-date=15 March 2019|website=Vatican.va}}</ref> It also is used in conjunction with the innovation of [[Anglican prayer beads]]<ref>{{Cite web|title=Anglican Prayer Beads|url=http://www.kingofpeace.org/prayerbeads.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201164947/http://www.kingofpeace.org/prayerbeads.htm|archive-date=1 February 2019|website=King of Peace Episcopal Church}}</ref> (Rev. Lynn Bauman in the mid-1980s). The prayer has been widely taught and discussed throughout the history of the [[Eastern Catholic Church]] and [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]. The ancient and original form did not include the words "a sinner", which were added later.<ref name=Ware >''On the Prayer of Jesus'' by Ignatius Brianchaninov, Kallistos Ware 2006 {{ISBN|1-59030-278-8}} pages xxiii–xxiv</ref><ref name="Mathewes-Green2009">{{cite book|author=Frederica Mathewes-Green|title=The Jesus Prayer: The Ancient Desert Prayer that Tunes the Heart to God|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hHIG2hFP8QYC&pg=PA76|year=2009|publisher=Paraclete Press|isbn=978-1-55725-659-1|page=76–}}</ref>
The Eastern Orthodox theology of the Jesus Prayer as enunciated in the 14th century by [[Gregory Palamas]] was generally rejected by [[Latin Church]] theologians until the 20th century. [[Pope John Paul II]] called Gregory Palamas a saint,<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/1979/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19791130_turkey-efeso_fr.html |last=Pape Jean Paul II |author-link=Pope John Paul II |title=Messe à Ephèse |date=30 November 1979 |language=fr |website=Vatican.va |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829000148/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/1979/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19791130_turkey-efeso_fr.html |archive-date=29 August 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref> a great writer, and an authority on [[theology]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19901114en.html |last=Pope John Paul II |author-link=Pope John Paul II |title=The Spirit as 'Love Proceeding' |date=14 November 1990 |website=Vatican.va |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020820183856/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/audiences/alpha/data/aud19901114en.html |archive-date=20 August 2002 |url-status=dead |access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/audiences/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_12111997.html |last=Pope John Paul II |author-link=Pope John Paul II |title=General Audience |date=12 November 1997 |website=Vatican.va |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829035034/http://w2.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/audiences/1997/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_12111997.html |archive-date=29 August 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2000/apr-jun/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20000525_jubilee-science_en.html |last=Pope John Paul II |author-link=Pope John Paul II |title=For the Jubilee of Scientists |date=25 May 2000 |website=Vatican.va |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180829000216/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/2000/apr-jun/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_20000525_jubilee-science_en.html |archive-date=29 August 2018 |url-status=live |access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref> He also spoke with appreciation of hesychasm as "that deep union of grace which Eastern theology likes to describe with the particularly powerful term ''[[Theosis (Eastern Christian theology)|theosis]]'', '[[Divinization (Christian)|divinization]]{{'"}},<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?recnum=5660 |last=Pope John Paul II |author-link=Pope John Paul II |title=Eastern Theology Has Enriched the Whole Church |date=11 August 1996 |website=CatholicCulture.org |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070926231104/http://www.catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?recnum=5660 |archive-date=26 September 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref> and likened the meditative quality of the Jesus Prayer to that of the Catholic [[rosary]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html |last=Pope John Paul II |author-link=Pope John Paul II |title=Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae |date=16 October 2002 |website=Vatican.va |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021027074834/https://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_20021016_rosarium-virginis-mariae_en.html |archive-date=27 October 2002 |url-status=dead |access-date=16 March 2019}}</ref>

==Origins==
The prayer's origin is the [[Thebaid|Egyptian desert]], which was settled by the monastic [[Desert Fathers]] and [[Desert Mothers]] in the 5th century.<ref>Antoine Guillaumont reports the finding of an inscription containing the Jesus Prayer in the ruins of a cell in the Egyptian desert dated roughly to the period being discussed: {{lang|fr|Une inscription copte sur la prière de Jesus}} in {{lang|fr|Aux origines du monachisme chrétien, Pour une phénoménologie du monachisme}}, pp. 168–183. In {{lang|la|Spiritualité orientale et vie monastique}}, No 30. Bégrolles en Mauges (Maine & Loire), France: Abbaye de Bellefontaine.</ref> It was found inscribed in the ruins of a cell from that period in the Egyptian desert.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stroumsa |first=Gedaliahu G. |date=1980 |title=GUILLAUMONT, ANTOINE, Aux origines du monachisme chrétien: Pour une phénoménologie du monachisme, Spiritualité orientale 30 - F 49720 Bégrolles en Mauge, Editions de l'Abbaye de Bellefontaine, 1979, 241 p |language=fr |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/156852780x00099 |journal=Numen |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=287–288 |doi=10.1163/156852780x00099 |issn=0029-5973}}</ref>

A formula similar to the standard form of the Jesus Prayer is found in a letter attributed to [[John Chrysostom]], who died in AD&nbsp;407. This "Letter to an Abbot" speaks of "[[Lord Jesus Christ]], son of God, have mercy" and "Lord Jesus Christ, son of God, have mercy on us" being used as ceaseless prayer.<ref>{{lang|la|[http://khazarzar.skeptik.net/pgm/PG_Migne/John%20Chrysostom_PG%2047-64/Epistula%20ad%20abbatem.pdf Epistula ad abbatem]}}, p. 5</ref>

What may be the earliest explicit reference to the Jesus Prayer in a form that is similar to that used today is in ''Discourse on Abba Philimon'' from the {{lang|grc-Latn|[[Philokalia]]}}. Philimon lived around AD&nbsp;600.<ref>{{cite book |author=McGinn, Bernard |title=The essential writings of Christian mysticism |publisher=Modern Library |location=New York |year=2006 |page=125 |isbn=0-8129-7421-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rKkJs-KHCakC&pg=PA125}}</ref> The version cited by Philimon is "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me", which is apparently the earliest source to cite this standard version.<ref>{{cite book |last=Palmer |first=G. E. H. |title=The Philokalia |volume=2 |date=15 September 2011 |publisher=Faber |location=London |page=507 |isbn=9780571268764 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aBkJAARHyoMC&pg=PA507}}</ref> While the prayer itself was in use by that time, [[John S. Romanides]] writes that "We are still searching the Fathers for the term 'Jesus prayer'."<ref name="romanides" />

A similar idea is recommended in the ''[[Ladder of Divine Ascent]]'' of [[John Climacus]] (circa 523–606), who recommends the regular practice of a {{lang|grc-Latn|monologistos}}, or one-worded "Jesus Prayer".<ref name="Mathewes-Green2009" /> The use of the Jesus Prayer according to the tradition of the {{lang|grc-Latn|Philokalia}} is the subject of the 19th century anonymous Russian spiritual classic ''[[The Way of a Pilgrim]]'', also in the original form, without the addition of the words "a sinner".<ref name="wayofpilgrim" />

==Eastern Orthodoxy==
{{Eastern Orthodox sidebar}}
{{see also|Eastern Orthodox theology}}

The [[hesychasm|hesychastic]] practice of the Jesus Prayer is founded on the biblical view by which God's name is conceived as the place of his presence.<ref name="raduca-2006">{{in lang|ro}} Vasile Răducă, ''Ghidul creştinului ortodox de azi'' (''Guide for the contemporary Eastern Orthodox Christian''), second edition, [[Humanitas publishing house|Humanitas Ed.]], [[Bucharest]], 2006, p. 81, {{ISBN|978-973-50-1161-1}}.</ref> Orthodox mysticism has no images or representations. The mystical practice (the prayer and the meditation) doesn't lead to perceiving representations of God (see below [[#Palamism, the underlying theology|Palamism]]). Thus, the most important means of a life consecrated to praying is the invoked ''name of God'', as it is emphasized since the 5th century by the [[Thebaid]] [[hermit|anchorites]], or by the later [[Mount Athos|Athonite]] [[Hesychasm|hesychasts]]. For the Orthodox the power of the Jesus Prayer comes not only from its content, but from the very invocation of Jesus' name.<ref>{{in lang|ro}} [[Sergei Bulgakov]], ''Ortodoxia'' (''The Orthodoxy''), translation from [[French language|French]], Paideia Ed., [[Bucharest]], 1997, pp. 161, 162–163, {{ISBN|973-9131-26-3}}.</ref>

===Scriptural roots===
The Jesus Prayer combines three [[Bible verses]]: the [[Christological]] hymn of the [[Pauline epistle]] [[Epistle to the Philippians|Philippians]] {{bibleverse-nb|Philippians|2:6–11|KJV}} (verse&nbsp;11: "Jesus Christ is Lord"), the [[Annunciation]] of [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] {{bibleverse-nb|Luke|1:31–35|KJV}} (verse&nbsp;35: "Son of God"), and the [[Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican]] of Luke {{bibleverse-nb|Luke|18:9–14|KJV}}, in which the Pharisee demonstrates the improper way to pray (verse&nbsp;11: "God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican"), whereas the Publican prays correctly in humility (verse&nbsp;13: "God be merciful to me a sinner").{{efn|"Orthodox tradition is aware that the heart, besides pumping blood, is, when conditioned properly, the place of communion with God by means of unceasing prayer, i.e. unceasing memory of God. The words of Christ", his [[Beatitudes]] in [[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] {{bibleverse-nb|Matthew|5:3–10|KJV}} ({{langx|grc-x-koine|"[[s:el:Κατά Ματθαίον#ε'|Μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται]]"|lit=Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God|label=verse&nbsp;8}}), "are taken very seriously because they have been fulfilled in all those who were graced with glorification both before and after the Incarnation. […] In the light of this one may turn to" the exhortations of Paul about "unceasing prayer" ({{langx|el|"αδιάλειπτος προσευχή"}}) in his [[First Epistle to the Thessalonians|1&nbsp;Thessalonians]] {{bibleverse-nb|1 Thessalonians|5:16–22|KJV}} ({{langx|grc-x-koine|"[[s:el:Προς Θεσσαλονικείς Α'#5|ἀδιαλείπτως προσεύχεσθε]]"|lit=pray unceasingly|label=verse&nbsp;17}}). "Luke was a student and companion of Paul, his writings presuppose and reflect this esoteric life in Christ."<ref name="romanides1982" /> Closely related to [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]]&shy;'s [[Pharisee and the Publican]] of {{bibleverse-nb|Luke|18:9–14|KJV}} ({{langx|grc-x-koine|"[[s:el:Κατά Λουκάν#ιη'|ὁ Θεός, ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ]]"|lit=God be merciful to me a sinner|label=verse&nbsp;13}}) are his [[Ten Lepers]] of {{bibleverse-nb|Luke|17:11–19|KJV}} ({{langx|grc-x-koine|"[[s:el:Κατά Λουκάν#ιζ'|Ἰησοῦ ἐπιστάτα, ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς]]"|lit=Jesus, Master, have mercy on us|label=verse&nbsp;13}}) and his [[Blind near Jericho]] of {{bibleverse-nb|Luke|18:35–43|KJV}} ({{langx|grc-x-koine|"[[s:el:Κατά Λουκάν#ιη'|Ἰησοῦ, υἱὲ Δαυίδ, ἐλέησόν με]]"|lit=Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me|label=verse&nbsp;38}}). ''Similar: Matthew {{bibleverse-nb|Matthew|9:27–31|KJV}}, {{bibleverse-nb|Matthew|20:29–34|KJV}} ({{langx|grc-x-koine|"[[s:el:Κατά Ματθαίον#κ'|ἐλέησον ἡμᾶς, υἱὲ Δαυίδ]]"|lit=son of David, have mercy on us|label=verses&nbsp;9:27 and 20:30–31}}), [[Gospel of Mark|Mark]] {{bibleverse-nb|Mark|10:46–52|KJV}} ({{langx|grc-x-koine|"[[s:el:Κατά Μάρκον#ι'|υἱὲ Δαυὶδ Ἰησοῦ, ἐλέησόν με]]"|lit=Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me|label=verse&nbsp;47}}).''<ref name="§2667" /><ref name="goarch-jp">{{cite web |url=https://www.goarch.org/-/the-jesus-prayer |title=The Jesus Prayer |last=Tsichlis |first=Steven Peter |publisher=[[GOARCH]] |date=9 March 1985 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523232615/https://www.goarch.org/-/the-jesus-prayer |archive-date=23 May 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=14 March 2019}}</ref>}}

===Palamism, the underlying theology===
{{Main|Palamism}}
[[Image:Preobrazhenie.jpeg|thumb|[[Icon]] of the ''[[Transfiguration of Jesus]]'' by [[Theophanes the Greek]] (15th century, [[Tretyakov Gallery]], [[Moscow]]). Talking with Christ: [[Elijah]] (left) and [[Moses]] (right). Kneeling: [[Peter the Apostle|Peter]], [[James, son of Zebedee|James]], and [[John the Apostle|John]]]]
[[Apophatic theology|Apophatism]]<ref>Eastern Orthodox theology doesn't stand [[Thomas Aquinas]]' interpretation to the ''Mystycal theology'' of [[Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite]] (''modo sublimiori'' and ''modo significandi'', by which Aquinas unites positive and negative theologies, transforming the negative one into a correction of the positive one). Like pseudo-Denys, the Eastern Church remarks the [[antinomy]] between the two ways of talking about God and acknowledges the superiority of apophatism. Cf. Vladimir Lossky, op. cit., p. 55, [[Dumitru Stăniloae]], op. cit., pp. 261–262.</ref> (negative theology) is the main characteristic of the Eastern theological tradition. [[wikt:incognoscible|Incognoscibility]] is not conceived as [[agnosticism]] or refusal to know God, because the Eastern theology is not concerned with abstract concepts; it is contemplative, with a discourse on things above rational understanding. Therefore, dogmas are often expressed antinomically.<ref>{{in lang|ro}} [[Vladimir Lossky]], ''Teologia mistică a Bisericii de Răsărit'' (''The Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church''), translation from [[French language|French]], Anastasia Ed., [[Bucharest]], 1993, pp. 36–37, 47–48, 55, 71. {{ISBN|973-95777-3-3}}.</ref> This form of contemplation is experience of God, [[lighting|illumination]], called the vision of God or, in Greek, [[theoria]].<ref>The Vision of God by [[Vladimir Lossky]] SVS Press, 1997. ({{ISBN|0-913836-19-2}})</ref>{{clarify|date=March 2019}}

For the Eastern Orthodox the knowledge or {{lang|el|[[wikt:noesis|noesis]]}} of the uncreated energies is usually linked to apophatism.<ref>{{in lang|ro}} [[Dumitru Stăniloae|Fr. Dumitru Stăniloae]], ''Ascetica şi mistica Biserici Ortodoxe'' (''Ascetics and Mystics of the Eastern Orthodox Church''), Institutul Biblic şi de Misiune al BOR ([[Romanian Orthodox Church]] Publishing House), 2002, p. 268, {{ISBN|0-913836-19-2}}.</ref><ref>Palmer, G. E. H., ''The Philokalia'', Vol. 4 {{ISBN|0-571-19382-X}}; Sherrard, Philip; Ware, Kallistos, ''On the Inner Nature of Things and on the Purification of the Intellect: One Hundred Texts'' [[Nikitas Stithatos]]</ref>

===Repentance in Eastern Orthodoxy===
{{see also|Eastern Orthodox view of sin}}
The Eastern Orthodox Church holds a non-juridical view of sin, by contrast to the [[atonement (satisfaction view)|satisfaction view]] of [[Atonement in Christianity|atonement]] for sin as articulated in the [[Western Christianity|West]], firstly{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} by [[Anselm of Canterbury]] (as debt of honor){{Request quotation|date=August 2012}} and [[Thomas Aquinas]] (as a moral debt).{{Request quotation|date=August 2012}} The terms used in the East are less legalistic (''grace'', ''punishment''), and more medical (''sickness'', ''healing'') with less exacting precision. Sin, therefore, does not carry with it the guilt for breaking a rule, but rather the impetus to become something more than what men usually are. One repents not because one is or is not virtuous, but because human nature can change. Repentance ({{Langx|grc|μετάνοια}}, ''[[metanoia (theology)|metanoia]]'', "changing one's mind") is not remorse, justification, or punishment, but a continual enactment of one's freedom, deriving from renewed choice and leading to restoration (the return to man's [[Fall of Man|original state]]).<ref name="goarch-repentance">John Chryssavgis, [http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8493.asp "Repentance and Confession - Introduction"]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317005146/http://www.goarch.org/en/ourfaith/articles/article8493.asp |date=2008-03-17 }}. [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]]. Retrieved 21 March 2008.</ref> This is reflected in the [[Sacred Mystery|Mystery]] of [[Confession (religion)|Confession]] for which, not being limited to a mere confession of sins and presupposing recommendations or penalties, it is primarily that the priest acts in his capacity of spiritual father.<ref name="raduca-2006" /><ref name="russ-catechism">[http://orthodoxeurope.org/page/10/1.aspx "An Online Orthodox Catechism"]. [[Russian Orthodox Church]]. Retrieved 21 March 2008.</ref> The Mystery of Confession is linked to the spiritual development of the individual, and relates to the practice of choosing an elder to trust as his or her spiritual guide, turning to him for advice on the personal spiritual development, confessing sins, and asking advice.

As stated at the local Council of Constantinople in 1157, Christ brought his redemptive sacrifice not to the [[God the Father|Father]] alone, but to the [[Trinity]] as a whole. In the [[Eastern Orthodox theology]] redemption is not seen as ''ransom''. It is the ''reconciliation'' of God with man, the manifestation of God's love for humanity. Thus, it is not the anger of God the Father but His love that lies behind the sacrificial death of his son on the cross.<ref name="russ-catechism" />

The redemption of man is not considered to have taken place only in the past, but continues to this day through [[theosis (Eastern Christian theology)|theosis]]. The initiative belongs to God, but presupposes man's active acceptance (not an action only, but an attitude), which is a way of perpetually receiving God.<ref name="goarch-repentance" />

===Distinctiveness from analogues in other religions===
The practice of contemplative or meditative chanting is known in several religions including [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Islam]] (e.g. [[japa]], [[zikr]]). The form of internal contemplation involving profound inner transformations affecting all the levels of the self is common to the traditions that posit the ontological value of personhood.<ref>Olga Louchakova, ''Ontopoiesis and Union in the Jesus Prayer: Contributions to Psychotherapy and Learning'', in ''Logos of Phenomenology and Phenomenology of Logos. Book Four&nbsp;– The Logos of Scientific Interrogation. Participating in Nature-Life-Sharing in Life'', [[Springer Science+Business Media|Springer Ed.]], 2006, p. 292, {{ISBN|1-4020-3736-8}}. [[Google Scholar]]: [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=exqlzPD9KGMC].</ref>

Although some aspects of the Jesus Prayer may resemble some aspects of other traditions, its Christian character is central rather than mere "local color". The aim of the Christian practicing it is not limited to attaining humility, love, or purification of sinful thoughts, but rather it is becoming holy and seeking union with God (''theosis''), which subsumes all the aforementioned virtues. Thus, for the Eastern Orthodox:<ref name="panagiotis-ro">{{in lang|ro}} Hristofor Panaghiotis, ''Rugăciunea lui Iisus. Unirea minţii cu inima şi a omului cu Dumnezeu'' (''Jesus prayer. Uniting the mind with the heart and man with God by Panagiotis K. Christou''), translation from [[Greek language|Greek]], second edition, Panaghia Ed., Rarău Monastery, [[Vatra Dornei]], pp. 6, 12–15, 130, {{ISBN|978-973-88218-6-6}}.</ref>

:* The Jesus Prayer is, first of all, a prayer addressed to God. It is not a means of self-deifying or self-deliverance, but a counterexample to [[Fall of Man|Adam's pride]], repairing the breach it produced between man and God.
:* The aim is not to be dissolved or absorbed into nothingness or into God, or reach another state of mind, but to (re)unite{{efn|''Unite'' if referring to one person; ''reunite'' if talking at an anthropological level.}} with God (which by itself is a process) while remaining a distinct person.
:* It is an invocation of Jesus' name, because [[Christian anthropology]] and [[soteriology]] are strongly linked to [[Christology]] in [[Orthodox monasticism]].
:* In a modern context the continuing repetition is regarded by some as a form of [[meditation]], the prayer functioning as a kind of [[mantra]]. However, Orthodox users of the Jesus Prayer emphasize the ''invocation'' of the name of Jesus Christ that Hesychios describes in ''Pros Theodoulon'' which would be [[contemplation]] on the Triune God rather than simply emptying the mind.{{Citation needed|date=March 2008}}
:* Acknowledging "a sinner" is to lead firstly to a state of humbleness and repentance, recognizing one's own sinfulness.
:* Practicing the Jesus Prayer is strongly linked to mastering passions of both soul and body, e.g. by [[Eastern Orthodoxy#Fasting|fasting]]. For the Eastern Orthodox it is not the body that is wicked, but "the bodily way of thinking"; therefore [[salvation]] also regards the body.
:* Unlike "[[seed syllables]]" in particular traditions of chanting [[mantra]]s, the Jesus Prayer may be translated into whatever language the pray-er customarily uses. The emphasis is on the meaning, not on the mere utterance of certain sounds.
:* There is no emphasis on the psychosomatic techniques, which are merely seen as helpers for uniting the mind with the heart, not as prerequisites.

A magistral way of meeting God for the Orthodox,<ref name="kallistos-ware">{{in lang|ro}} ''Puterea Numelui sau despre Rugăciunea lui Iisus'' (''The Power of the Name. The Jesus Prayer in Orthodox Spirituality'') in [[Kallistos Ware]], ''Rugăciune şi tăcere în spiritualitatea ortodoxă'' (''Prayer and silence in the Orthodox spirituality''), translation from [[English language|English]], Christiana Ed., [[Bucharest]], 2003, pp. 23, 26, {{ISBN|973-8125-42-1}}.</ref> the Jesus Prayer does not harbor any secrets in itself, nor does its practice reveal any esoteric truths.<ref>{{in lang|ro}} Fr. Ioan de la Rarău, ''Rugăciunea lui Iisus. Întrebări şi răspunsuri'' (''Jesus Prayer. Questions and answers''), Panaghia Ed., Rarău Monastery, [[Vatra Dornei]], p. 97. {{ISBN|978-973-88218-6-6}}.</ref> Instead, as a [[hesychasm|hesychastic]] practice, it demands setting the mind apart from rational activities and ignoring the physical senses for the experiential knowledge of God. It stands along with the regular expected actions of the believer (prayer, almsgiving, repentance, fasting etc.) as the response of the Orthodox Tradition to [[Paul the Apostle]]'s challenge to "pray without ceasing" ({{bibleverse|1|Thess|5:17}}).<ref name="goarch-jp" /><ref name="panagiotis-ro" />

==Practice==
[[File:Eastern-Orthodox-prayer-rope 2006-06-02.jpg|thumb|Eastern Christian [[prayer rope]]]]
[[File:Rublev's saviour.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Christ the Redeemer (icon)|Christ the Redeemer]] by [[Andrei Rublev]] ({{circa|1410}}, [[Tretyakov Gallery]], [[Moscow]])]]

===Techniques===
There are no fixed rules for those who pray, "the way there is no mechanical, physical or mental technique which can force God to show his presence" ([[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]] [[Kallistos Ware]]).<ref name="kallistos-ware" />

In ''[[The Way of a Pilgrim]]'', the pilgrim advises, "as you draw your breath in, say, or imagine yourself saying, 'Lord Jesus Christ,' and as you breathe again, 'have mercy on me.{{'"}}<ref name="wayofpilgrim">{{cite book |last1=French |first1=R. M. |url=http://desertfathers.webs.com/thewayofthepilgrim.htm |title=The Way of a Pilgrim |editor-last=French |editor-first=R. M. |publisher=Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge |year=1930 |access-date=2016-02-05 |archive-date=2016-07-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160712040411/http://desertfathers.webs.com/thewayofthepilgrim.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Jesus Prayer can be used for a kind of "psychological" self-analysis. According to the ''Way of the Pilgrim'' account and Mount Athos practitioners of the Jesus Prayer,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailygreece.com/2008/03/post_246.php |script-title=el:Οι τρόποι της ευχής |work=Daily Greece |date=1999-02-22 |access-date=2010-07-03}}</ref> "one can have some insight on his or her current psychological situation by observing the intonation of the words of the prayer, as they are recited. Which word is stressed most. This self-analysis could reveal to the praying person things about their inner state and feelings, maybe not yet realised, of their unconsciousness."<ref name="byethost1">{{cite web|url=http://prayercraft.byethost8.com/JesusPrayer.htm |title=On the Jesus Prayer |publisher=Prayercraft |date=2004-11-27 |access-date=2010-07-03}}</ref>{{unreliable source|reason=self published, no authorship information|date=January 2025}}

Also, a person might want to consciously stress one of the words of the prayer in particular when one wants to express a conscious feeling of situation. So in times of need stressing the 'have mercy' part can be more comforting or more appropriate. In times of failures, the 'a sinner' part, etc.{{sentence fragment|date=January 2025}}<ref name="byethost1"/>

===Levels of the prayer===
[[Image:StJohnClimacus.jpg|thumb|upright|Icon of ''[[The Ladder of Divine Ascent]]'' (the steps toward theosis as described by [[John Climacus]]) showing monks ascending (and falling from) the ladder to Jesus]]
[[Paul Nicolaevich Evdokimov|Paul Evdokimov]], a 20th-century [[Russia]]n [[philosopher]] and theologian, writes<ref>[[Paul Evdokimov]], {{lang|ro|Rugăciunea în Biserica de Răsărit}} (''Prayer in the Church of the East'') {{in lang|ro}}, translation from [[French language|French]], Polirom Ed., [[Bucharest]], 1996, pp. 29–31, {{ISBN|973-9248-15-2}}.</ref> about beginner's way of praying: initially, the prayer is excited because the man is emotive and a flow of psychic contents is expressed. In his view this condition comes, for the modern men, from the separation of the mind from the heart: "The prattle spreads the soul, while the silence is drawing it together." Old fathers condemned elaborate phraseologies, for one word was enough for the publican, and one word saved the thief on the cross. They only uttered Jesus' name by which they were contemplating God. For Evdokimov the acting faith denies any formalism which quickly installs in the external prayer or in the life duties; he quotes [[Seraphim of Sarov]]: "The prayer is not thorough if the man is self-conscious and he is aware he's praying."

"Because prayer is a living reality, a deeply personal encounter with the living God, it is not to be confined to any given classification or rigid analysis", says the [[Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America]].<ref name="goarch-jp" /> As general guidelines for the practitioner, different number of levels (3, 7 or 9) in the practice of the prayer are distinguished by Orthodox fathers. They are to be seen as being purely informative, because the practice of the Prayer of the Heart is learned under personal spiritual guidance in Eastern Orthodoxy which emphasizes the perils of temptations when it is done on one's own. Thus, [[Theophan the Recluse]], a 19th-century [[Russian Orthodox Church|Russian]] spiritual writer, talks about three stages:<ref name="goarch-jp" />
# The oral prayer (the prayer of the lips) is a simple recitation, still external to the practitioner.
# The focused prayer, when "the mind is focused upon the words" of the prayer, "speaking them as if they were our own".
# The prayer of the heart itself, when the prayer is no longer something we do but who we are.

Once this is achieved the Jesus Prayer is said to become "self-active" ({{lang|el|αυτενεργούμενη}}). It is repeated automatically and unconsciously by the mind, becoming an internal habit like a (beneficial) [[earworm]]. Body, through the uttering of the prayer, mind, through the mental repetition of the prayer, are thus unified with "the heart" (spirit) and the prayer becomes constant, ceaselessly "playing" in the background of the mind, like a background music, without hindering the normal everyday activities of the person.<ref name="byethost1"/>

Others, like Father [[Archimandrite]] Ilie Cleopa, one of the most representative spiritual fathers of contemporary [[Romanian Orthodox Church|Romanian Orthodox]] monastic spirituality, talk about nine levels. They are the same path to [[Theosis (Eastern Orthodox theology)|theosis]], more slenderly differentiated:<ref>{{in lang|ro}} [http://biserica.org/WhosWho/DTR/I/IlieCleopa.html Ilie Cleopa] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916043316/http://biserica.org/WhosWho/DTR/I/IlieCleopa.html |date=2011-09-16 }} in {{lang|ro|Dicţionarul teologilor români}} (''Dictionary of Romanian Theologians''), electronic version, Univers Enciclopedic Ed., Bucharest, 1996.</ref>
# The prayer of the lips.
# The prayer of the mouth.
# The prayer of the tongue.
# The prayer of the voice.
# The prayer of the mind.
# The prayer of the heart.
# The active prayer.
# The all-seeing prayer.
# The contemplative prayer.

==Variants of repetitive formulas==
A number of different repetitive prayer formulas have been attested in the history of Eastern Orthodox monasticism: the Prayer of St. Ioannikios the Great (754–846): "My hope is the Father, my refuge is the Son, my shelter is the Holy Spirit, O Holy Trinity, Glory unto You", the repetitive use of which is described in his ''Life''; or the more recent practice of [[Nikolaj Velimirović]].{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Similarly to the flexibility of the practice of the Jesus Prayer, there is no imposed standardization of its form. The prayer can be from as short as "Lord, have mercy" ([[Kyrie eleison]]), "Have mercy on me" ("Have mercy upon us"), or even "Jesus", to its longer most common form. It can also contain a call to the [[Theotokos]] (Virgin Mary), or to the saints. The single essential and invariable element is Jesus' name.<ref name="kallistos-ware" />

* Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. (a very common form)
* Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. (a very common form in the Greek tradition)
* Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me. (common variant on [[Mount Athos]]<ref>[http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b01.en.a_night_in_the_desert_of_the_holy_mountain.05.htm] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105074620/http://www.pelagia.org/htm/b01.en.a_night_in_the_desert_of_the_holy_mountain.05.htm|date=2009-01-05}}</ref>)
* Jesus, have mercy.<ref>"The Gurus, the Young Man, and Elder Paisios" by Dionysios Farasiotis</ref>
* Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.saintjonah.org/services/stpachomius.htm|title = The Rule of St. Pachomius}}</ref>
* Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Prayer_Trinity.htm|title = The Prayer of the Trinity|date = 5 April 2016|access-date = 26 July 2010|archive-date = 18 March 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150318054644/http://ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Prayer_Trinity.htm|url-status = dead}}</ref>

==Catholic Church==
The Jesus Prayer is widely practiced among the 23 [[Eastern Catholic Church]]es.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}

Part four of the ''[[Catechism of the Catholic Church]]'', which is dedicated to Christian prayer, devotes paragraphs 2665 to 2669 to prayer to Jesus.

{{blockquote|To pray "Jesus" is to invoke him and to call him within us. His name is the only one that contains the presence it signifies. Jesus is the Risen One, and whoever invokes the name of Jesus is welcoming the Son of God who loved him and who gave himself up for him. This simple invocation of faith developed in the tradition of prayer under many forms in East and West. The most usual formulation, transmitted by the spiritual writers of the Sinai, Syria, and Mt. Athos, is the invocation, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners." It combines the Christological hymn of {{bibleverse||Philippians|2:6–11|ESV}} with the cry of the publican and the blind men begging for light. By it the heart is opened to human wretchedness and the Savior's mercy. The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always. When the holy name is repeated often by a humbly attentive heart, the prayer is not lost by heaping up empty phrases, but holds fast to the word and "brings forth fruit with patience." This prayer is possible "at all times" because it is not one occupation among others but the only occupation: that of loving God, which animates and transfigures every action in Christ Jesus.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P9F.HTM |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§&nbsp;2666–2668 |website=Vatican.va |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107200306/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P9F.HTM |archive-date=7 January 2019 |url-status=live |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref>}}

Similar methods of prayer in use in the Catholic Church are recitation, as recommended by [[John Cassian]], of "O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me" or other verses of Scripture; repetition of a single monosyllabic word, as suggested by the [[Cloud of Unknowing]]; the method used in [[Centering Prayer]]; the method used by [[World Community for Christian Meditation|The World Community for Christian Meditation]], based on the Aramaic invocation ''[[Maranatha]]''; the use of [[Lectio Divina]]; etc.<ref>[http://www.monasticdialog.com/a.php?id=332 Thomas Keating, ''Centering Prayer and the Christian Contemplative Tradition'' (Monastic Interreligious Dialogue, Bulletin 40, January 1991)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120310163401/http://www.monasticdialog.com/a.php?id=332 |date=2012-03-10 }}</ref>

The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' says:
{{blockquote|The name of Jesus is at the heart of Christian prayer. All liturgical prayers conclude with the words "through our Lord Jesus Christ". The [[Hail Mary]] reaches its high point in the words "blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus". The Eastern prayer of the heart, the Jesus Prayer, says: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Many Christians, such as [[Joan of Arc]], have died with the one word "Jesus" on their lips.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P1E.HTM |title=Catechism of the Catholic Church, §&nbsp;435 |website=Vatican.va |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107214744/https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P1E.HTM |archive-date=7 January 2019 |url-status=live |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref>

The most usual formulation, transmitted by the spiritual writers of the Sinai, Syria, and Mt.&nbsp;Athos, is the invocation: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners."<ref name="§2667" />}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Christianity}}
<!-- Please keep entries in alphabetical order & add a short description [[WP:SEEALSO]] -->
{{div col|colwidth=18em|small=yes}}
* [[Cardiognosis]]
* [[Catholic prayers to Jesus]]
* [[Christian prayer]]
* [[Fatima Prayer]]
* [[High Priestly Prayer]]
* [[Imiaslavie]]
* [[Japa]]
* [[Poustinia]]
* [[Prayer beads]]
* [[Rosary]]
* [[Sacred heart]]
* [[Tabor Light]]
{{div col end}}
<!-- please keep entries in alphabetical order -->

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* ''The Jesus Prayer: Learning to Pray from the Heart'', by Per-Olof Sjögren, trans. by Sydney Linton; First Triangle ed. (London: Triangle, 1986, cop. 1975) {{ISBN|0-281-04237-3}}
* ''Mount Athos Spirituality: The Jesus Prayer, Orthodox Psychotherapy and Hesychastic Anthropology'', by Robert Rapljenovic, KDP 2024 {{ISBN|979-8327883819}}
{{Catholic Prayers}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}


[[Category:Christian prayer]]
[[Category:Christian terminology]]
[[Category:Eastern Orthodox liturgy]]
[[Category:Hesychasm]]
[[Category:Language and mysticism]]
[[Category:Religious formulas]]