The Way of a Pilgrim Quotes

“O Lord and Master of my life,
Take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk,
But grant rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to your servant.
Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults, and not to judge my brother and my sister,
For You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.”
― Gleb Pokrovsky, The Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey—Annotated & Explained

“Find a quiet place to sit alone and in silence; bow your head and shut your eyes. Breathe softly, look with your mind into your heart; recollect your mind—that is, all its thoughts—and bring them down from your mind into your heart. As you breathe, repeat: “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,” either quietly with your lips, or only in your mind. Make an effort to banish all thoughts; be calm and patient, and repeat this exercise frequently”
― Gleb Pokrovsky, The Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey—Annotated & Explained

“mean you do it to purify your whole outlook and get an absolutely new conception of what everything’s about.”
― Gleb Pokrovsky, The Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey—Annotated & Explained

“stimulation, where all is subordinated to the one aim of centering the whole attention of body and soul upon God, in the sense that the world is sought and known in the beauty of God, not God in the beauty of the world.”
― Gleb Pokrovsky, The Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey—Annotated & Explained

“With the name of Jesus, or with sincere thought on Jesus, a great power is united: it drives away passions, forbids demons, and fills the heart with heavenly stillness and joy.”
― Gleb Pokrovsky, The Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey—Annotated & Explained

“Jesus, most wonderful, Astonishment of Angels!
Jesus, most powerful, Deliverance of Forefathers!
Jesus, most sweet, Exultation of Patriarchs!
Jesus, most glorious, Dominion of kings!
Jesus, most desired, Fulfillment of Prophets!
Jesus, most praised, Steadfastness of Martyrs!
Jesus, most gladsome, Comfort of Monastics!
Jesus, most compassionate, Sweetness of Presbyters!
Jesus, most merciful, Abstinence of Fasters!
Jesus, most tender, Joy of the Righteous!
Jesus, most pure, Sobriety of Virgins!
Jesus, pre-eternal, Salvation of Sinners!
Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me! (back to text”
― Gleb Pokrovsky, The Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey—Annotated & Explained

“Unceasing calling upon the name of God cures one not only of passions, but also of actions; and as a medicine affects a sick man without his comprehension, similarly the invocation of the name of God destroys passions in a manner beyond our comprehension.” —St. Barsanuphius the Great “The more rain falls on the earth, the softer it makes it; similarly, Christ’s holy name gladdens the earth of our heart the more we call upon it.”
― Gleb Pokrovsky, The Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey—Annotated & Explained

“The unceasing interior prayer of Jesus is the uninterrupted, continual calling upon the divine Name of Jesus Christ, with the lips, the mind, and the heart, while calling to mind His constant presence and beseeching His mercy, during any activity with which one may be occupied, in all places, at all times, and even while sleeping. The words of this prayer are as follows: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me!’ If one makes a habit of this supplication, he will experience great comfort and a need to repeat this prayer unceasingly, so that eventually he will not be able to live without it, and the prayer will flow from him of its own accord.”
― Gleb Pokrovsky, The Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey—Annotated & Explained

“Many people treat prayer in an inverted way, thinking that it is one’s efforts and the preparatory steps that give rise to prayer, rather than the prayer itself giving birth to good works and all the virtues.”
― Gleb Pokrovsky, The Way of a Pilgrim: The Jesus Prayer Journey—Annotated & Explained