"Mysteries of the Jesus Prayer": A Recommended Video

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The two-hour video posted below is a fascinating travelogue and pilgrimage. Two men — one an Orthodox priest and the other a layman — journey from Egypt to Russia, visiting the important monasteries that gave birth to the practice of the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” Many of the sites shown here I have also visited in my own travels: St. Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai, the stunning monasteries of Meteora, the monasteries with their “painted churches” in Romania, and so on.

On a sad note, the war waged by Russia on Ukraine was a distant future event when this was filmed. Consequently, the scenes with Patriarch Kirill — who has supported and propagandized the invasion — are now difficult to watch.

However, the overall film contains much wisdom, insight, and inspiration. For those who appreciate deeply the spirituality of iconography, the practice of the Jesus Prayer is its vocal and “noetic” (mental) complement.