The Prayer of the Heart: What the Jesus Prayer Is and How to Practise It
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." Just a few words, yet for centuries millions of Christians have repeated them in their hearts while walking, working or falling asleep. This is the prayer of the heart, also called the Jesus Prayer: the centre of Orthodox spirituality and a treasure recognised by the Catholic Church too.
Roots in the Gospel
The Jesus Prayer springs from two cries in the Gospel. The blind man of Jericho: "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" (Lk 18:38). The tax collector in the temple: "God, be merciful to me a sinner!" (Lk 18:13). And it answers Saint Paul's call: "Pray constantly" (1 Thess 5:17). How can one pray always? The desert monks answered with a short prayer, repeated with faith and love until it becomes the breath of the heart.
What the Catechism says
The Catechism of the Catholic Church devotes numbers 2665-2669 to the Jesus Prayer. It recalls the traditional formula and states: "The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always" (no. 2668). In 1989 the letter Orationis formas of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith recalled the value of the methods of the Eastern Christian tradition, such as the Jesus Prayer, while warning against reducing prayer to a mere technique.
The Russian pilgrim
In the 19th century a small anonymous book, The Way of a Pilgrim, made the Jesus Prayer known throughout the world. It tells of a man who, struck by the words "pray constantly", walks across Russia looking for someone who can teach him how. He finds a starets, who places the Philokalia in his hands and teaches him to repeat the name of Jesus.
How to practise it, step by step
- Find a quiet time and place. At first ten minutes a day are enough.
- Place yourself in God's presence. A sign of the cross, a short silence.
- Repeat the words slowly. "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner", or a shorter form: "Lord Jesus, have mercy on me".
- Follow your breathing. Many say the first part breathing in and the second breathing out. It is not a technique to master: it is a help to stay attentive.
- Return to the words when your mind wanders. Without agitation, patiently.
- Use a prayer rope if it helps (komboskini in Greek, chotki in Russian), with its knots, or a rosary.
- Carry it through the day. Little by little the prayer accompanies work, walking, waiting.
The Fathers recommend humility and the guidance of a spiritual father or a priest. The Jesus Prayer does not seek extraordinary experiences: it seeks Jesus.
The prayer of the heart and meditation
Unlike many meditation techniques, the prayer of the heart does not empty the mind: it fills it with a name, the name of Jesus. It is a relationship, not an exercise. I also explain this on the page about Christian meditation in nature. The tradition that preserved it is called hesychasm.
Praying together
During the spiritual days near Taormina there is also room for the prayer of the heart: a time of silence in which we repeat the name of Jesus together, softly, perhaps outdoors under a tree. It is one of the themes we discuss when we talk about Christian asceticism.
How to take part
The days take place near Taormina, in Sicily. The places to visit are agreed together each time. There is no overnight stay: we share one day, and in the evening everyone returns to their own home. Hospitality has no price and does not depend on any offering: whoever comes is welcomed for who they are. Everyone contributes as they can: anyone who cannot leave anything is welcomed like everyone else, and takes part by giving a little of their time.
The days are reserved for Catholic and Orthodox Christians, because they are lived in shared prayer. To ask for a date, simply write to me on WhatsApp. The spirit of the days is told in the manifesto of hospitality.
If you would like to know what makes this mission possible, read The circle of love.
Explore the other pages
The days: Christian spiritual days in Sicily · The Philoxenia of Abraham · Spiritual search and finding yourself · Day retreat, silent retreat and pilgrimage: the international names
Spiritual travel in Sicily: Spiritual tourism in Sicily: the guide · Pilgrimage walking routes in Sicily · Holy Week and Easter in Sicily · Religious festivals in Sicily: the calendar · Orthodox pilgrimage in Sicily · Spiritual Nordic walking and ski walking in Sicily
Nature and places: Spiritual Taormina · Spiritual walks in nature · Christian meditation in nature in Sicily · Places to meditate near Taormina and Messina · Places to meditate in Sicily
Prayer: Christian asceticism: the spiritual struggle · Hesychasm: the prayer of stillness · The Philokalia: the Neptic Fathers
The saints of Sicily: Byzantine Sicily and the Italo-Greek saints · Saint Hilarion the Great in Sicily · Saint Methodios of Syracuse · Saint Joseph the Hymnographer · Saint Elias the Younger of Enna · Saint Agatha of Catania · Saint Lucy of Syracuse · Saint Pancras of Taormina
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, nos. 2015 and 2665-2669 (vatican.va)
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 and Luke 18:9-14 (Bible Gateway, RSV)
- Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Orationis formas (1989), vatican.va
- Encyclopaedia Britannica – Philokalia
What this story teaches
The prayer of the heart does not ask for new words: it asks us to say the same name, with love, every day.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the prayer of the heart?
It is the faithful repetition of a short invocation: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner". It is also called the Jesus Prayer.
What are the words of the Jesus Prayer?
The most common is "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner". There are shorter forms, such as "Lord Jesus, have mercy on me".
Is the prayer of the heart Catholic or Orthodox?
It was born in the tradition of the Fathers, before the division between East and West. It is central to Orthodox spirituality and is also recommended by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (nos. 2665-2669).
How do you practise the Jesus Prayer?
In a quiet place, repeating the words slowly, often following the breath, and patiently returning to them when the mind wanders. At first a few minutes a day are enough.
Do you need a breathing technique?
It is not necessary. Accompanying the words with the breath can help attention, but what matters is the faith and love with which one calls on Jesus.
What is a prayer rope?
It is a woollen cord with knots, called komboskini in Greek and chotki in Russian, used to accompany the repetition of the Jesus Prayer.
What is The Way of a Pilgrim?
An anonymous 19th-century book telling the journey of a man in search of unceasing prayer. It made the Jesus Prayer known throughout the world.
Is the prayer of the heart like Eastern meditation?
No. It does not aim to empty the mind but to turn to a Person, Jesus. The Church distinguishes it from techniques that reduce prayer to a psycho-physical method.
What does "pray constantly" mean?
It is Saint Paul's call in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. The Jesus Prayer was born precisely to answer this call: to pray always, even while working or walking.
Can you learn the prayer of the heart on your own?
You can begin on your own, simply. The Fathers, however, recommend the guidance of a priest or spiritual father, especially to go deeper.