Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: mangoe@mimsy.umd.edu (Charley Wingate) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Jesus Prayer Message-ID: Date: 1 Oct 90 00:55:50 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742 Lines: 17 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu The version of the prayer I was taught is "Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." I was also taught a detail which nobody else has mentioned so far: divide the prayer into two parts so that the second part begins with "have mercy...", and pray the first part while inhaling and the second while exhaling. There are two reasons behind this. The first is that it symbolizes (and therefore helps one to pray) Jesus coming in and sin going out. The second is that, eventually, it becomes part of one's body rhythms, so that one is always and continually praying the prayer. As ohers have mentioned, it is an eastern prayer. I learned it from a russan orthodox bishop who spoke at one of our lenten programs several years back. -- C. Wingate + "Our God to whom we turn when weary with illusion, + Whose stars serenely burn above this world's confusion, mangoe@cs.umd.edu + Thine is the mighty plan, the steadfast order sure mimsy!mangoe + In which the world began, endures, and shall endure."