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Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way

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Efficacy of the Interior Way:
St. Vladimir Orthodox Seminary Press, took again the narrow way of serious fellowship of the heart, to make available to English readership, "Turning the sayings of the Fathers into Prayer." The abbot of St. Macarius, where the serious vocation of unceasing prayer has been practiced in its original version called the 'Arrow Prayer,' continuously to this moment, released his contemplation on "The Paradise of the fathers," authentic, lived, and loved by all Copts old and young, lay and monastic.

A Real Life of Prayer:
Praying life or life of prayer is what preserved Christian life, Christianity is a way of abundant living given to us by our only teacher and role model, Jesus the Christ. Throughout his ministry, our Lord gave us the example of praying in every occasion, and before all decisions; early (Mark 1:35), all night (Luke 6:12), into a mountain (Mark 6:46), in desert places (Luke 5:16), and exhorted us to pray always and not to loose heart.
The desert fathers took this commandment of earnest fellowship in prayer seriously. Abba Matta own mentor, abbot of St. Samuel the confessor, was an example of continuos prayer life. When he was elected Archbishop of Alexandria, in 1959, Abba Kyrillos set his goal to lead the Copts back into prayer. His own life of prayer invited many gifts of the Holy Spirit, true faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, the discernment of spirits, and was a living example for Christians and Moslems alike, that attracted many to life in Christ.

The story of a Book:
Abba Matta reveals how ecumenical is life in Christ, in book's preface. He contemplated on a manuscript by a British pilgrim, who translated sayings of Russian fathers on prayer, together with other Eastern saints. From the single copy of "The Paradise of the Fathers: Original Coptic Apophthegmata Patrum," read aloud during the meals in the refractory of St. Samuel the Confessor, where he received his monastic schema, and later in the rich library of Our Lady of the Assyrians, in Nitria, where Abba Mena found him refuge from ecclesiastical tyranny, he encountered, St. Issac the Syrian, the spiritual master of his patron, in his personal, hand copied four volumes!

The Book and the Author:
I read this book first time, in its first edition, as a young teen half a century ago, meeting the author, after being assigned Patriarchal Vicar in Alexandria. CCR, Coptic church review, a pioneer patristic quarterly describes the book as;
"The first edition of this book had a great impact on the spiritual life of many Coptic and other Arabic speaking Christians, who found in it for the first time (in Arabic), the wealth of the patristic tradition"
The second enlarged edition, 1968, is my favorite, caries in its preface the unity of Byzantine and Copts when contemplation is concerned, in the words of VR George Khedr, Metropolitan of Lebanon;" For the first time(in centuries), do the Byzantine East seeks discipleship through a Coptic book"

A Brief Exposition:
This book is a condensed version of the second edition of its original language in 670 pages, with a preface, an introduction, and an epilogue on Prayer: Access into the Father's Presence.
In three consecutive parts supported and integrated with sayings of the fathers, each of the 16 chapters has a brief introduction by the enlightened abbot. The book treats in a praying tour the nature, aspects of interior activity, and impediments to prayer.
The sayings are very exhaustive, and their selection reflects the spirit of the desert father that Griffith sought in his comment on D. Burton-Christie's "The word in the desert"

"We hear from the saints who experienced prayer power that prayer gives wings to humans lifting them up so they can fly." Matthew the Poor

Prayer Life:

Personal prayer exists right at the center of Christian spirituality, above all else, prayer is a conversation with God. The life of prayer, is the backbone of­ spiritual life,­ the life in Christ. Salvation in the interior Orthodox way, follows metanoia (change of thought; repentance) in spiritual ascension, partaking in divine life, through sanctification and theosis. A life of prayer is a journey of spiritual ascent in a prayerful fellowship of the faithful during his/her pilgrim life.

The desert fathers established the three elements of prayer as; the appeal for divine mercy, frequent prayer, a quest for stillness (inner silence). St. Macarius of Egypt said there is no need to waste time with words. It is enough to hold out your hands and say, "Lord, according to your desire and your wisdom, have mercy." If pressed in the struggle, say, "Lord, save me!" or say, "Lord." He knows what is best for us, and will have mercy upon us. Abba Macarius initiated the 'Arrow prayer: Lord have mercy,' which has developed later, by the Hesychasts, as the Jesus Prayer.

In the ascetic monastic rule of St. Pachomius, father of Coenobitic monasticism, one of the canons requires that a novice has to be taught reading and writing by an elder, to assist him in study of Sacred Scripture, and praying the Psalmody. His disciple, Abba Theodore (Theodorus of Thebes), has described praying life: "Neither in our heart nor in our mouth had we anything other than the word of God alone, and we did not feel that we were living on earth, but celebrating in heaven."

Macarian Praying Tradition:

From St. Macarius Monastery, Fr. Robert Taft, SJ, a renowned Byzantine expert, wrote, 'Monastic life has been lived in lower Egypt without interruption since the first half of the fourth century. They still practice the unceasing prayer; in its original monastic way of the arrow prayer.'

The late abbot of St. Macarius Monastery, where prayer never ceased to be uttered, summarized the Macarian Interior way, the Apophatic Coptic tradition. In three parts, guided by and supported with sayings of the Eastern Church fathers, he takes the reader into the mystical world of prayerful living, first introducing prayer and defining its true nature, delving into beyond prayer. Part Two explores and explains the aspects of its interior activity. The Impediments to Prayer, Book's third part, has no parallel in recent similar writings, explaining through his own mentor's favorite mystic, Abba Isaac the Syrian, the three main epidemics of the life of prayer; Spiritual aridity, Spiritual Languor, and Loss of purpose. He concludes gracefully with 'Fruits of Prayer life,' and his last writing epilogue, 'Access into the father's Presence.

With a brief introduction, for each chapter, that reveals the depth of his own pilgrimage in the Macarian Praying Tradition. The book gives the best studied sayings of the Church Fathers, Eastern and Oriental.

In Memoriam:

Fr. Matthew the poor, who adopted the name of a medieval Coptic Patriarch, a modest wonder worker, was himself short listed for the Patriarchy twice. He is the most celebrated biblical exegete, and a profuse Church writer, in Arabic. He rested in the Lord earlier this week. Orthodox Prayer Life: The Interior Way, was his first book and remains the most influential in Arabic.

This is the most profound and life changing book I have encountered in my entire life with the sole exception of the Bible. Anyone with the slightest inclination to explore what prayer can reveal to us should read and cherish this book. It is profound in the extreme, insightful and precise. Matthew the Poor shows us that God is waiting for us and the route to Him is through prayer. The author shows what awaits those who are willing to throw their entire heart and soul into prayer - communion with God in an amazing and intimate way. This is the polar opposite of trite and formulaic approach to the spiritual touted by popular culture, this carries the pedigree of centuries of monastic life in the desert, this is real, this is eternal.

An excellent book from Matthew the Poor; a hermit who left civilization to dwell in the desert with only a few books in his hands. Whether or not you are from the Orthodox faith, this book will speak to you. If you pray, you will pray with more connection to God...guaranteed; if you don't pray, you may just start. I recommend reading this book slowly, or you will miss revealed depths. Another excellent book from the same author that I highly recommend is "the communion of love".

"Prayer, then, is a mystery forming an integral part of our being psychic consciousness. Mystically, it is God's perpetual call within us drawing us toward the fulfillment of the ultimate purpose of our creation, our union with God." page 22

A Genuine Prayer Life:
The life of prayer preserved Christianity and Coptic Christian life in particular, which the desert fathers pursued as a way of living an abundant life promised by Jesus himself. Lord Jesus Christ exhorted his listeners to pray unceasingly. Jesus prayed always and before all major decisions; all night (Luke 6:12), he woke up early to pray (Mark 1:35), in desert places (Luke 5:16), and into the mountains (Mark 6:46) The desert fathers took this commandment of earnest fellowship in prayer earnestly. The author's early monastic mentor, at St. Samuel the confessor, is an icon of powerful prayer that worked miracles. As Patriarch, Papa Abba Kyrillos consecrated his daily office of communal liturgy to affirm prayer. Abba Matta contemplated on a manuscript of Russian fathers on prayer, and further from the "Paradise of the Monks" he read in the library of his later adopting monastery of the Syrians, in Schetes. St. Issac the Syrian, have had limited influence, until he studied his spiritual mentor's hand copied four volumes.

Book Exposition:
For more than a half century, this book has been an influential guide throughout the Middle East. Its last edition of 670 pages, in Arabic language, was in a continuous upgrading . It's preface included the words of the St. Sergius educated, Orthodox Metropolitan of Lebanon, G. Khedr, stating; "For the first time(in centuries), do the Caledonian Orthodox learn praying through a Coptic book" In addition to its 16 chapters, a preface, an introduction, and an epilogue is divided In three progressive parts integrated with sayings of the Church fathers, supported by a brief introduction, definitions, and developed by the monastic elder into a practical guide posts of praying. The book chapters expounds the nature, aspects, and impediments to prayer.
The sayings selection reflects the spirit of the desert father, meticulously selected, and edited for best support, the sayings form the strong backbone of the text, and enhances the spiritual mission of the book.

A Reviewer's view;
"This book is the fruit of more than fifty years of solitude by a contemporary desert father besieged by prayer. Father Matta's prayer life was formed under the direction of the sayings of the Church Fathers, both Eastern and Western." Coptic Church Review, vol 24, No 3, Fall 2003
"Turning the sayings of the Fathers into Prayer." the abbot of St. Macarius, where the serious vocation of unceasing prayer has been practiced in its original version as the 'Arrow Prayer,' continuously to this moment, released his contemplation on "The Paradise of the fathers," authentic, lived, and loved by all Copts old and young, lay and monastic." Didaskalex

I've always sought to find someone to guide me in prayer proper, and I found it in this book. Assimilating the early Fathers the data provided has been tested, tasted and prooven for our benefit and for the Glory and expansion of God's Kingdom -a must have book for anyone serious about praying effectively to God.

This book is based upon the notes of a contemporary Egyptian Orthodox Christian monk regarding prayer. It defines the different types of prayer, instruction on how to pray and hindrances we find in our spiritual growth. Matthew the Poor brings his own experiences as well as those from the eastern Orthodox tradition and the west. Each chapter contains instruction from the Desert Fathers. It is practical advice, what I call applied faith. The book is not about discussing 'theology' and which church is right and which is not. It is about living the Christian faith and how a life of prayer can be achieved in our life. Matthew the Poor provides advice when you God feels distant and for those times and your faith feels week. I have bought many of the books Matthew the Poor references and, even though I never met him, I consider him to be one of my spiritual fathers. I did try to find his monastery when I visited Egypt a few years ago but the taxi cab driver we heard, who promised us he knew the way, never found it...

This is deeply spiritual book and I highly recommend it for those who want to deepen their understanding of prayer.

An update. This has become one of my favorite books and I bought a copy for my son who also loves the book and Matthew the Poor.

Though I'm an Old Order Baptist, there are many insights within Matthew the Poor's writings. I appreciate the scriptural references which add in understanding his perspectives. It has the academic side along with the experiential. Thanks to the Lord and the Coptic Church.

Great book by a great spirirtual father, monk and theologian who lived and experienced what he wrote about.

Probably the best book written on Prayer Life!

This book is perfect for anyone wishing to better appreciate the dynamics of prayer and its role in developing a relationship with God. While the author draws much from the writings of Eastern Church Fathers, his explanations about prayer will inspire Christians from almost any background to adopt a lifestyle in which prayer becomes for them as nourishing and refreshing as eating or breathing and not simply a discipline or a ritual done at bed time.