Light On Dark Water

From Father Alexander Men, a Russian Orthodox priest, by way of Magnificat:

Let us try to pull ourselves together spiritually and this time let us offer the Lord a prayer for each other—not for ourselves, not for our own health, salvation or well-being, but for our sisters and brothers, for those who are dear to our hearts… Pray for them, that their way may be blessed, that the Lord may keep them and come to meet them—then all of us will ascend toward the Lord, as if holding on to that prayer.

I love that image of us ascending with “those who are dear to our hearts.” I picture everyone holding the rope with one hand and the hand of someone he loves with the other.

This is the main thing—the rest will follow—but this is essential to our lives. Then Jesus, seeing our faith, will say to all those for whom we have been praying, and to us, for whom they have been praying: “My child, awake from your sleep and your sickness, from your palsy, your spiritual paralysis; arise, your sins are forgiven you.”

I was pleased to read this because I’ve been feeling for some time now that almost the whole of my faith is to pray for others.

Pre-TypePad

http://js-kit.com/for/lightondarkwater.com/comments.js