Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again (John 4:13)
An excerpt from The Scent of Holiness: Lessons from a Women’s Monastery, published by Conciliar Press, a translation I did of the Greek folk song, Η Ευχή – The Prayer (pp. 170-1). To hear a Greek version of this song see the video embedded below.
From Pharaoh of Egypt, slavery departing,
With my guide Moses, to Sinai arriving.
Mount Sinai to ascend! Oh how much I desire,
To the holy summit’s peak and the Prayer to acquire.
May God give me patience on the harsh ascent,
Fortitude, endurance, for the Prayer’s acquirement.
Primarily obedience, the Scriptures and watchfulness
Combined with holy silence enhance true prayerfulness.
In order for you the Prayer to properly say,
From your mind worldly things throw completely away.
In the beginning be sure to say the Prayer orally,
And in due time you will find you say it noetically.
On the words of the Prayer hold full attention,
For if you imagine you’re in danger of delusion.
The Prayer exasperates the one who is tempting,
Wherefore don’t be disconcerted by his relentless attacking.
From the tree of prayer the sweetest fruits you receive,
Oh! What honey gushes forth you’re unable to conceive.
How the Prayer works, to tell you don’t ask me,
I’m unable to explain, for it’s a divine mystery.
When the Prayer energizes within, continually,
Then guard it well, carefully, with much humility.
My venerable elder, my noetic Moses, guiding,
To acquire the Prayer bestow upon me your blessing.
The Prayer she gives; Christians she blesses,
The Mother of God, the Most Holy Abbess.
Mount Sinai to ascend! Oh how much I desire,
To the holy summit’s peak and the Prayer to acquire.
matushka constantina
This blog entry is one of the reasons I love this book so much!