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The Expanding Heart: Learning to Pray for All People
24:02
The reflection explores intercessory prayer through Scripture and the writings of Orthodox saints and elders. It draws on passages such as Mark 2:1-12, where Christ forgives the paralytic because of the faith of those who carried him; Luke 22:31-32, where Jesus prays for Peter before his denial; John 17:20-23, where he prays for future believers; Luke 23:34, where he prays for his executioners; Matthew 5:44-45, commanding prayer for enemies; Acts 7:54-60, where St. Stephen prays for his stoners; 1 Timothy 2:1-4, on prayer for all people; and Hebrews 7:25, on Christ's unceasing intercession.
The Holy Fathers cited include St. John Chrysostom, St. Ambrose of Milan, St. John Climacus, and St. Maximos the Confessor. Later saints and elders include St. Silouan the Athonite, St. John of Kronstadt, St. Porphyrios of Kavsokalyvia, St. Paisios the Athonite, St. Joseph the Hesychast, Elder Joseph of Vatopedi, St. Gabriel of Georgia, St. Gavrilia, and St. Evmenios Saridakis.
The teaching begins with the paralytic lowered through a roof, showing that a person can be brought to mercy through the faith and love of others. Jesus models intercession by praying for Peter, for future believers, and for his crucifiers; St. Stephen follows this pattern, and his prayer bears fruit in Saul's conversion. St. Silouan teaches that the desire to pray for another originates in God's prior mercy: when God wills mercy, he inspires another to pray.
St. John Climacus counsels not to refuse a request to pray even when feeling unworthy, because the requester's faith may awaken contrition. St. Porphyrios and St. Paisios emphasize gentle, secret heart-prayer as more effective than words. St. Gabriel of Georgia instructs beginning with family and neighbors and gradually extending prayer to all people, including enemies.
St. Evmenios Saridakis exemplifies a heart enlarged to pray successively for all people, those of other religions, the departed from Adam, Judas, and finally the devil; God receives each petition until the last, because the devil possesses no goodwill toward salvation. The reflection concludes that we entrust others to a love infinitely greater than our own, participating in Christ's unceasing intercession.
Key moments
- The four men who carried the paralytic to Jesus demonstrate that a person can be brought to mercy through the faith and love of others, since Christ saw their faith and forgave the sick man's sins.
- Jesus prayed for Peter before his denial, asking that his faith not fail, and later prayed for all who would believe through the apostles' preaching, extending his intercession to future generations.
- On the cross Jesus prayed for his executioners, and St. Stephen followed this pattern by asking God not to charge his stoners with sin, a prayer that bore fruit in the conversion of Saul, who became the Apostle Paul.
- St. Silouan the Athonite teaches that the desire to pray for another person originates in God's prior mercy: when God wants to have mercy on someone, he inspires another to pray for him and helps in that prayer.
- St. John Climacus counsels not to refuse a request to pray for someone's soul even when one feels lacking in prayer, because the requester's faith may awaken saving contrition in the one asked.
- St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalivia emphasizes that gentle, loving prayer for others is selfless and more effective than words or arguments, and St. Paisios adds that secret heart-prayer has greater power than a thousand words when someone refuses to listen.
- St. Gabriel of Georgia instructs beginning prayer with those closest, family, neighbors, community, country, and gradually extending it to all people, including enemies, asking God to fill their hearts with kindness and wisdom.
- St. Eumenios Saridakis prayed successively for the salvation of all people, then for those of other religions and atheists, then for all the departed from Adam, then for Judas, and finally for the devil; God was pleased until the last petition, because the devil possesses no goodwill toward salvation.