“The Hidden Man of the Heart” (Pt 6)

Prayer as Infinite Creation

Prayer = proof of being [created] in the image and likeness of God.

Communication, Man with God, was broken in the Fall. The Son of God came in the flesh to re-establish, continue, the communication.

Prayer accompanies Man by accomplishing his salvation.

Man, of himself, is not a true source of life.

Faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ constitutes a beginning of relationship with the Divine.

Our one concern = not to lose such a goal.

Prayer bears fruits of repentance.

Crucified, hence freed, the mind turns itself over to the Lord — descends into the heart.

Contemplation of Christ strikes the soul with amazement.

I must let Christ know my deformity; I cannot see him unless I let Him see myself.

“He must increase – but I must decrease.”

Transition from psychological to the ontological level.

“Love acts like a transformer” (in every stage).

— uses every sensation, received from created worls, to intensigy his dialogue with God.

Christ didn’t turn his attention horizontally. Rather, He turned to the Father: “Forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Charismatic despair gives wing to prayer.

Part One.
Part Two.
Part Three.
Part Four.
Part Five.

These terse notes were taken during the annual Clergy Retreat for the Diocese of Wichita and Mid-America, February 6-9, 2007. The retreat was led by Archimandrite Zacharias of the Stavropegic Monastery of St John the Baptist in Tolleshunt Knights-by-Maldon, Essex, U.K. These are my notes and were filtered through my poor faculties. Any and all errors theological are mine. Forgive me.

Image source.

UPDATE: Listen to the entire talk — CDs now available!