St. Gregory Palamas:

On Unceasing Prayer

(From the Life of St. Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica

by St. Nikodemos of the Holy Mountain, editor of The Philokalia)

Let no one think, my fellow Christians, that only the clergy and the

monks are obliged to pray unceasingly and at all times, and not also the

laity. Oh, no! All of us Christians are obliged to pray always, as well.

To demonstrate this, Philotheos, that most-holy Patriarch of

Constantinople, writes the following, in his biography of St. Gregory

Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica.

The divine Gregory had a beloved friend named Job, a very simple man of

great virtue. Once when they were conversing, Gregory told him about

prayer, that each Christian individually ought always to make an effort

to pray, and to pray unceasingly, as the Apostle Paul exhorts all

Christians in common, “Pray without ceasing”(1 Thess. 5:17), and as the

Prophet David says, even though he was king and had all those cares of

ruling his kingdom, “I behold the Lord before me always”; that is,

noetically, by means of prayer, I see the Lord in front of me all the

time. And Gregory the Theologian teaches all Christians, that we should

remember the name of God in prayer more often than we breathe. Having

said all this and more to his friend Job, the Saint added that we ought

to obey the injunctions of the saints, and that we ourselves should not

only always pray, but we should instruct also everyone else to do the

same: monks and lay people, educated or not, men, women, and children;

and should encourage them to pray unceasingly.

When the elder Job heard this, it seemed to him that it was an

innovation, and he began to argue, and to say to Gregory that to pray

always was only for the ascetics and the monks living away from the

world and its distractions, and not for lay people who have jobs and so

many cares. The saint responded with more examples and irrefutable

proof, but the elder Job was not convinced. So, wishing to avoid

talkativeness and argument, Gregory held his tongue, and each went to

his cell.

Later, as Job was alone praying in his cell, an angel appeared before

him, sent from God Who desires the salvation of all men. The Angel

sternly rebuked him for arguing with Gregory, and for opposing what was

obvious, and that clearly effects the salvation of Christians. He

admonished him on behalf of God to be careful from now on, and to beware

never again to say something against such a soul-edifying work, for in

so doing he would be opposing the will of God. Not even mentally should

he ever again dare to harbor any thought contrary to this, or think

otherwise than the divine Gregory had told him.

Then that most simple elder went at once to Gregory and, falling at his

feet, begged forgiveness for contradicting and arguing; and he revealed

to him all that the angel of the Lord had said to him.

Do you see, my brethren, how all Christians, small and great, should

always pray, using the noetic prayer, “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God,

have mercy on me”; and how their mind and heart should become accustomed

to saying it always? Just think how pleasing this is to God, and how

much good comes from it, that out of His extreme love for mankind He

even sent a heavenly angel to reveal it to us, so that we should no

longer have any doubt about it.

But what do lay people say? “We are involved in so many matters and

cares of the world. How can we possibly pray without ceasing?”

My answer to them is that God has not commanded us to do anything

impossible; but He has commanded us to do all those things that we are

able to do. Therefore this too can be accomplished by anyone who

diligently seeks the salvation of his soul. For if it were impossible,

it would be so for all lay people, and there would never have been so

many in the world who did accomplish it. As an example of someone like

this, let us take St. Gregory’s father, that amazing Constantine Palamas.

This man was an official of the imperial court, and was called the

father and teacher of the Emperor Andronikos. He was daily occupied with

imperial affairs, in addition to those his own house, since he was very

wealthy and owned a large estate and servants, and has a wife and

children. Nevertheless, he was so inseparable from God and so given to

unceasing noetic prayer, that most of the time he would forget what it

was the Emperor and the officials of the palace were discussing with him

about imperial matters, and he would ask about the same things several

times. Often the other officials, , not knowing the reason for this,

would become agitated and reproach him forgetting so quickly, and for

disturbing the Emperor with his repeated questions. But the Emperor, who

knew the cause, would defend him, saying, “Lucky Constantine has his own

concerns, and they do not permit him to pay attention to what we are

saying on matters temporal and vain. But the nous of this blessed man is

fixed on what is true and heavenly, and thus he forgets what is mundane.

All of his attention is focused on the prayer and on God.”

Thus, as the most holy Patriarch Philotheos relates, Constantine was

admired and loved by the Emperor and all the magnates and officials of

the Empire. Likewise, he was loved by God, and the venerable one was

even counted worthy to perform miracles. The holy Philotheos tells us in

his biography of St. Gregory (Constantine’s son), that he took his whole

family once on a boat to a place to a place above Galatas, to pay a

visit to a hermit who lived in stillness there, and get his blessing. On

the way, he asked his servants if they had any food to take to that

Abba, so that they might eat with him. The servants said that in the

rush they had forgotten to bring any. The blessed man was saddened a

bit, but said nothing. As they continued on in the boat, he simply put

his hand into the sea, and with silent and noetic prayer he asked God,

the Master of the sea, to let him catch something. After a short time

(how wonderful are your works, O Christ King, by which you marvelously

glorify Your servants!), he brought up his hand from the sea holding a

large bass-fish. Tossing it into the boat in front of his servants, he

said, “Look here how our Lord provided for his servant the Abba and has

sent him something to eat.” Do you see, my brethren, with what sort of

glory Jesus Christ glorifies those servants who are always with Him and

who constantly invoke His sweetest name?

Then there was that righteous and holy Evdokimos. Wasn’t he also in

Constantinople, and in the imperial court and involved in state affairs?

Didn’t he keep company with the Emperor and the palace officials, with

so many cares and distractions? And for all that, noetic prayer was

always inseparable from him, as related in his biography by St. Symeon

the Translator. Thus, even though this thrice-blessed man dwelt in the

world among worldly things, he nevertheless lived an angelic,

supermundane life. And God, who gives the rewards, counted him worthy to

have a blessed and divine end. There were also many, countless others

who were in the world and yet were given entirely to this noetic and

saving prayer, as we read in the histories.

So, my dear fellow Christians, I beg you, as did once the divine

Chrysostom, for the sake of the salvation of your souls, do not neglect

this important work of prayer. Imitate those whom we mentioned, and

follow their example as far as possible. And though it seem difficult in

the beginning, be certain and assured, as if from the person of God

Almighty, that this very name of our Lord, Jesus Christ, when we invoke

it constantly every day, will make all the difficulties easier. And in

the course of time, once we are accustomed to it and it is sweet to say,

the we will know from experience that it is not impossible nor

difficult, but possible and easy.

That is why the divine Apostle Paul, knowing better than we do the great

benefit of prayer, commanded us to pray unceasingly. He would never have

advised us to do something too difficult or impossible; for if we were

incapable, it follows that we would necessarily appear to be disobedient

and transgressors of his commandment, and thus we would be condemned.

But what the Apostle meant in saying, “Pray without ceasing,” was that

we should pray with our nous, which we can always do. For whether we are

working with our hands, or walking, or sitting, or eating and drinking,

we can always pray with our mind and do noetic prayer that is pleasing

to God and true. We can work with our body and pray with our soul. The

outer man performs all bodily functions, and the inner man is entirely

devoted to the worship of God, and never ceases from this spiritual work

of noetic prayer.

Our divine-human Lord Jesus Himself so commands us in the holy Gospel,

saying, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray

to your Father Who is in secret”(Mt. 6:6). The room of the soul is the

body; the doors are our five senses. The soul enters its room when the

mind does not wander to and fro among worldly things, but remains within

our heart. And our senses close and remain closed when we do not allow

them to cling to outward sensible things. In this way our mind remains

free from every worldly attachment; and through secret noetic prayer,

you are united with God your Father. And then, as He says, “your Father

Who sees you in secret will reward you openly”. God, Who knows what is

secret, sees your noetic prayer and rewards it with great and manifest

gifts; for this prayer is true and perfect prayer, and it fills the soul

with divine grace and spiritual gifts. It is like perfume: the tighter

you stop the vessel, the more fragrant the vessel becomes. So too with

prayer: the more you confine it within your heart, the more it fills you

with divine grace.

Blessed and lucky are they who accustom themselves to this heavenly

work, for they overcome every temptation of the wicked demons by it,

like David prevailed over the proud Goliath; they put out the inordinate

desires of the flesh by it, as the three youths put out the flame of the

furnace. By this noetic work of prayer, they calm the passions, like

Daniel tamed the wild lions; by it they bring down into their hearts the

dew of the Holy Spirit, like Elias brought down the rain on Mount

Carmel. It is this noetic prayer the rises to the throne of God and is

kept in the golden bowls, so that the Lord can be incensed with it, like

John the Theologian says in Revelation, “and the twenty-four elders fell

down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of

incense, which are the prayers of the saints”(Rev. 5:8). This noetic

prayer is a light that ever illumines a man’s soul and ignites his heart

with the flames of the love of God. It is a chain that keeps God united

with a man and joined together.

O incomparable grace of noetic prayer! This is what makes a man always

talk with God. O truly marvelous and extraordinary phenomenon! You are

physically with other people and noetically with God. Angels have no

audible voice, but they noetically they offer unceasing adoration to

God. In this consists all their activity and to this their whole life is

consecrated. So too you, brother, when you enter your room and shut the

door, i.e. when your mind does not scatter here and there but enters

into your heart, and your senses are shut and not attached to the things

of this world, and you always pray like this with your nous, then you

become like the holy angels, and your Father, who sees the secret prayer

that you offer him in the depths of your heart, will openly give you

great spiritual gifts in return. What could you want that is more or

greater than this, when, like I said, you are noetically always with God

and constantly talking with Him; Him without Whom no none can ever be

happy, neither here nor in the next life?

And finally, brother, whoever you may be, when you get a hold of this

and read it, I fervently entreat you, also remember to pray to God and

say a “Lord have mercy” for the sinful soul of the man who labored over

this writing, and the one who paid for it to be published, for they are

in great need of prayer, so that they may obtain God’s mercy on their

souls, and you on yours. So be it. So be it.