The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues on His Way

by Anonymous

“That prayer is the essence of Christian life. I consider prayer the most important and necessary means of salvation and the first responsibility of every Christian. Because prayer is both the first step and the crown of a devout life, the Gospel directs man to pray constantly. A particular time is set for other deeds of devotion, but for prayer there is no appointed time; we should pray always. Without prayer it is impossible to do anything good, and without the Gospel it is impossible to learn the right form of prayer. Therefore, all those who received salvation through interior life, the preachers of the word of God, the hermits, and the recluses, and all God-fearing Christians ceaselessly studied the word of God; the reading of the Gospel was their essential activity. Many of them had a copy of the Gospel in their hands continuously, and if anyone asked them for guidance on the subject of salvation, they gave this advice. ‘Sit in silence in your cell and read and reread the Gospel.’”