Prayers

The Jesus Prayer

The Jesus Prayer is a short, formulaic prayer esteemed and widely practiced in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic churches. It is a prayer of repentance, humility, and a means to cultivate inner stillness and communion with God. The prayer is:

“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

There are slight variations of the prayer, including:

“Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.”
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”

This prayer traces its roots to the Desert Fathers of the 5th century, though its form was probably not fixed until a bit later. One of its most famous presentations is in the book “The Way of a Pilgrim,” a 19th-century Russian spiritual classic, which recounts a pilgrim’s journey to learn to pray without ceasing, as commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. The pilgrim is taught the Jesus Prayer and its method of repetition as a way to achieve this constant state of prayer.

The Jesus Prayer is often linked to the practice of Hesychasm, an ancient monastic tradition of inner stillness and continuous prayer. It’s worth noting that practitioners usually recommend learning the prayer and its rhythm under the guidance of a spiritual father or mother to prevent potential misunderstandings and misuse.

One notable physical practice associated with the Jesus Prayer is the use of a prayer rope (or komboskini in Greek, chotki in Russian). This is similar in principle to Catholic rosaries but is used primarily for counting repetitions of the Jesus Prayer.

Prayers

Prayer To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus

The Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a well-known Catholic devotion, focusing on the boundless love and compassion of the heart of Christ. Over time, various prayers have been composed in honor of the Sacred Heart.

Here is one of the commonly recited prayers:

O most holy Heart of Jesus, fountain of every blessing,
I adore You, I love You, and with a lively sorrow for my sins,
I offer You this poor heart of mine.
Make me humble, patient, pure, and wholly obedient to Your will.
Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in You and for You.

Protect me in the midst of danger; comfort me in my afflictions;
give me health of body, assistance in my temporal needs,
Your blessing on all that I do, and the grace of a holy death.
Amen.

There are numerous other prayers and acts of consecration to the Sacred Heart, and the devotion has been particularly associated with the apparitions of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in the 17th century. The essence of the devotion is to focus on the immense love Jesus has for humanity and to respond with love, gratitude, and reparation.

Prayers

Stations Of The Cross

The Stations of the Cross, also known as the Way of the Cross, Via Crucis, and Via Dolorosa, represent the journey of Jesus Christ on his way to the crucifixion. They have been a Christian tradition since the early days of the church, allowing believers to make a spiritual pilgrimage through contemplation of the Passion of Christ. There are traditionally 14 stations, each representing a specific event from Jesus’ final day.

Here are the 14 traditional stations:

Jesus is condemned to death.
Jesus takes up His cross.
Jesus falls the first time under the weight of the cross.
Jesus meets His Blessed Mother, Mary.
Simon of Cyrene is forced to help Jesus carry the cross.
Veronica wipes the face of Jesus.
Jesus falls a second time.
Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem.
Jesus falls a third time.
Jesus is stripped of His garments.
Jesus is nailed to the cross.
Jesus dies on the cross.
The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross and placed in the arms of His Blessed Mother.
Jesus is laid in the tomb.

In recent years, a 15th station, representing the Resurrection of Jesus, has sometimes been added, but it is not traditionally part of the Stations of the Cross.

Many churches have images or statues for each of these stations, and during the season of Lent (and especially on Good Friday), it’s a common devotional practice for believers to meditate on each station, reflecting on the sufferings and sacrifice of Jesus for humanity’s salvation.

Prayers

The Prayer of Jabez

The Prayer of Jabez is found in the Old Testament of the Bible, specifically in 1 Chronicles 4:10. It’s a short prayer by a man named Jabez, who calls on God to bless him and enlarge his territory.

Here’s the prayer:

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!”

This prayer became particularly popular in mainstream culture following the publication of the book “The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life” by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson in 2000. In the book, Wilkinson elaborates on the prayer and suggests that reciting it regularly can lead to a more blessed and prosperous life. The book and its message sparked both admiration and criticism, but it undeniably brought attention to this once-obscure biblical prayer.