Guest Meditation: 'Notes on An Evening with Archbishop Kallistos Ware'

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

Following our "Evening With Archbishop Kallistos" on Sunday, one of our participants - Jenny Harkins - expanded her impression of Archbishop Kallistos's words - words of authority, insight and wisdom - with the following reflection. Jenny here has expanded the words of the talk from our personal lives into the very structure and flow of the Liturgy. I would like to share this with the parish, as it deserves a careful reading and reflection.

Also related to Archbishop Kallistos Ware:

Remembering Archbishop Kallistos - For those who would be interested, on Monday, October 3 at 5:00pm EDT, St. Vladimir's Seminary will be livestreaming a memorial service for Archbishop Kallistos, followed by personal remembrances of him shared by Very Rev. Dr Chad Hatfield, His Eminence, Archbishop Alexander (Golitzin), and Dr Peter Bouteneff.

 

Registration is required. Follow this link for full info and to register for the livestream.  

- Fr Steven

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I'll try to solidify my thoughts on Met. Ware's three phases of prayer as they seem to relate to the progression of the Divine Liturgy. Met. Kallistos said, "Prayer begins with prayer of the lips or prayer with words. But then it grows more inward and becomes prayer of the mind or intellect. Then there is a further stage where it becomes prayer of the heart or more exactly prayer of the mind in the heart. Heart signifies not just the affections and emotions but the deep self, the inner shrine, the spiritual center of the total human person. The heart is the place where we encounter Christ and the Holy Spirit dwelling within us." 

It struck me that as we first come together to worship on Sunday mornings, quieting ourselves from the bustle of getting the family ready, the commute, and settling into our places amidst friendly greetings, our first phase of prayer as "the Body" gathered is this "prayer of the lips" in our several litanies and answering antiphons. Then as our thoughts align with our words and focus-in on the Lord and his presence with us, we are warmed and ready, so to speak, to enter into the next phase of prayer- "prayer of the mind (nous)." As you pray the words, "Illumine our hearts, O Master who lovest mankind, with the pure light of thy divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our mind to the understanding of thy Gospel teachings," our intellect is attentive and receptive to the very Word of God; fertile soil being fed and fertilized as the Gospel takes root and grows spiritual fruit, our distractions and anxieties from the week being uprooted as grace and truth till deeper still. (God's promise in Is 55:10-11 comes to mind- "For as the rain and the snow come down from Heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.") 

And now, with our minds refreshed and purified, we enter into Met. Kallistos' third phase of prayer, "prayer of the heart- or the mind in the heart (kardia)." From the Great Entrance as the gifts are offered and blessed and we prayerfully examine our innermost being in preparation for the Divine union, it seems that we are opening into this deepest level of prayer, when we receive and miraculously commune with the Lord in the reception of his precious Body and Blood. There is no space left here. Our "inner shrine" is completely aflame in the refining love of God (whether or not our minds can comprehend it or our words express it).