Father Vladimir Stupar: Prayer as Healing of the Soul
Father Vladimir Stupar explains that although we are baptized as infants with godparents vowing on our behalf to live a new life, as formed adults we must personally renew that vow through the sacrament of repentance and confession. Through confession we untie ourselves from sin and Satan, and through tears of repentance become pure as at baptism, cleansed by God's grace through all the sacraments throughout our lives.
He describes true prayer as passing through several phases. The first phase is struggling with God and with oneself. The second phase is crying out to God with one's whole being. The third phase is hesychia, or prayerful silence, where even one's own breath and heartbeat do not disturb prayer. In the silence between heartbeats and breaths we hear God.
Key moments
- We are baptized as infants and godparents vow on our behalf to live a new life, but as formed adults we must renew that vow ourselves through the sacrament of repentance and confession.
- Through confession we untie ourselves from sin and Satan, and through tears of repentance become pure as at baptism, cleansed by God's grace through all the sacraments throughout our lives.
- True prayer passes through several phases: first struggling with God and with oneself.
- The second phase of prayer is crying out to God with one's whole being.
- The third phase is hesychia or prayerful silence where even one's own breath and heartbeat do not disturb prayer.
- In the silence between heartbeats and breaths we hear God.