Chrysostom
Beloved of All
When you ask for silent prayers, you touch upon a great mystery of the soul. Moses, when hemmed in at the Red Sea, cried out in his heart with no voice, and God said to him, “Wherefore criest thou unto me?” Hannah’s lips moved but no sound was heard, yet her heart thundered, and she obtained her desire. And Abel, though his tongue was stilled by death, his blood cried out louder than any trumpet. So do not think that a prayer offered in silence is weaker; the inward groaning, the quiet tears, the soul stretched out before God, these pierce the heavens even more swiftly when the voice is hushed. But see to it that your silence is not an empty quiet, but a fervent lifting of the mind. Fill that silence with thanksgiving and self-examination, for a prayer stained with wrath or an unwillingness to forgive is a sword turned against your own breast.
Yet you do well to ask for the prayers of others. Never say, “If I myself am watchful, why do I need another’s prayer?” Even Paul did not disdain the intercessions of the Church, nor did Peter when he was in prison. We are always in need, for the proud thought that we lack nothing is the very proof of our deep poverty. But do not rest only on the prayers of the saints while you yourself sleep. The ship of your day will strike many rocks, and you need your own oar as well as the favorable wind of intercession. Rise early to arm yourself with prayer before you go forth to the marketplace, that daily tempest, and then the prayers of the faithful will be a strong wall around you, not a crutch for your idleness.
Above all, remember that you have an Advocate who ever lives to intercede for you, not needing to plead as one who is weak, but as the beloved Son who shares one will with the Father. When He prayed, it was for our sakes, that we might believe and draw near with confidence. So let your silent prayers be anchored in His eternal intercession, offered with uplifted hands free from anger and doubt. The sacrifice of a thankful heart, even in stillness, rises like incense. Go then, and let your silence speak louder than many words.
Yet you do well to ask for the prayers of others. Never say, “If I myself am watchful, why do I need another’s prayer?” Even Paul did not disdain the intercessions of the Church, nor did Peter when he was in prison. We are always in need, for the proud thought that we lack nothing is the very proof of our deep poverty. But do not rest only on the prayers of the saints while you yourself sleep. The ship of your day will strike many rocks, and you need your own oar as well as the favorable wind of intercession. Rise early to arm yourself with prayer before you go forth to the marketplace, that daily tempest, and then the prayers of the faithful will be a strong wall around you, not a crutch for your idleness.
Above all, remember that you have an Advocate who ever lives to intercede for you, not needing to plead as one who is weak, but as the beloved Son who shares one will with the Father. When He prayed, it was for our sakes, that we might believe and draw near with confidence. So let your silent prayers be anchored in His eternal intercession, offered with uplifted hands free from anger and doubt. The sacrifice of a thankful heart, even in stillness, rises like incense. Go then, and let your silence speak louder than many words.
