Silence, Solitude and Stillness, Part 1

I want to revisit the conversation on contemplation. I told you on Sunday that my own method of contemplation is called hesychasm. But what does that mean to a modern practitioner? I consider myself to be somewhat modern, if a bit worse for the wear.
      So let me tell you what it means to me. The word itself come to us from Greek where it is used for the English concepts of silence, solitude and stillness. The usage in monastic practice does not necessarily denote outward silence, solitude or stillness, what the ascetics of the Eastern Church are trying to accomplish is an inward calm in which the ascetic can experience the presence of God within. Much is made of the Light of Tabor, talking about the light which shown out from the Lord on the Mount of Transfiguration. It is said that this light is not created, but radiates from God in His nature. Some hesychasts report seeing this uncreated light in their contemplation.
      The mechanism by which these ascetics attain this silence, solitude or stillness in the midst of their daily bustle is to mentally recite the “Jesus Prayer.” This prayer is based on the name of our Lord in whatever language the user speaks in daily life. The name Jesus comes to us from Hebrew through a long string of transliterations that change its shape and makes it sound far different from its original. In Hebrew the words for 'the Lord is my Savior' sound like 'Yah ha Shuah.' This was contracted into the name Joshua, first mentioned in reference to the son of King Saul. In the Aramaic language of the post captivity people of Judah, the name was transliterated into Yeshua, the name Joseph and Mary were instructed to give to our Lord. The Greek language has a difficult time with male names that end in the sound of ‘a.’ They always added an ‘s’ to the end of such names to distinguish them from female names. So in Greek of the New Testament the Name given to our Lord is changed to Iesous, which was as close as they could come to Yeshua without violating their cultural strictures on names. Latin dropped the ‘o’ from the Name, and English changed the ‘I’ to a ‘J.’ That is how we get Jesus from “the Lord is my Savior.”
      The Eastern Church recognizes great power in the Name of our Lord, no matter what form it is in, because it derives from the statement, “the Lord is my Savior.” Also, once it was associated with God the Son, the name took on power from the One to Whom it refers. Thus the Name of Jesus is far more than a mantra chanted to still the mind. It is a reminder of the One Whom we wish to hear, and a talisman of His power in creation.
      The prayer with the Name of Jesus at its heart used by these ascetics takes this form: Oh Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. It is short, simple, and loaded with meaning. Thus while it is easy to remember and recite, the prayer makes demons tremble and mountains of problems move. It recognizes, first that the Son of God is Lord of all creation. Then comes that all powerful Name, followed with the title of Christ, Anointed One. The next phrase recognizes the position of Jesus in the Godhead. And finally, this is followed by a plea for mercy.
      The prayer can be embellished in many ways. Phrases can be added to emphasize some aspect of Jesus’s relationship to the one praying. But one can never remove the Name. The form I am using to synchronize my breathing with my prayer goes like this: Oh Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, be merciful to me, the sinner. The same basic prayer is there, expanded for symmetry and including an admission of why I require mercy from God. This is not to remind God, He never forgets. This is to remind us of our status as redeemed from sin and death.
      Humans tend toward hubris. God is humble and He wants us to be like Him. So while I may boldly enter into the thrown room where the Thrown of Grace is kept, it isn’t wise to make noise and disrupt the court. Wisdom is to sit quietly at the foot of the thrown and listen to the King. The voice of God may make the heavens and the Earth tremble, but it comes to us inside our souls as a still, small voice. “Be still, and know that I am God.”
      I will continue this tomorrow.