Besides its general meaning, "pain of heart" has a literal meaning in the writings of the Fathers, for when the heart is concentrated in fervent prayer to Christ, it may actually be pained. As Fr. Seraphim noted, in Patristic terminology, the "heart" does not mean mere "feeling," but "something much deeper--the organ that knows God." The heart is both spiritual and physical: spiritually, it is the center of man's being, identified with his nous (spirit); physically, it is the organ where the nous finds its secret dwelling place. Concentrated within the physical heart, the nous cries out to the Saviour, and such a heart-cry--born in pain and desperation, yet hoping in God--calls down Divine grace. This is seen especially in the Orthodox practice of the Jesus Prayer. When we approach the Jesus Prayer simply, says Elder Paisios of Mount Athos (†1994), "we will be able to repeat it many times, and our heart will feel a sweet pain and then Christ Himself will shed His sweet consolation inside our heart."
--Father Seraphim Rose: His Life and Works, pp. 471-472
Posted by Clifton at March 4, 2004 06:52 PM | TrackBack