29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C, Oct 19, 2025)
Abba Agathon said: “If you only pray at the times of prayer, you do not pray at all.”
Then, how can we pray continually?
Abba Isaac said: We must give you the form of this spiritual contemplation, on which you may always fix your gaze with the utmost steadiness … towards continual recollection of God to ponder, ceaselessly revolving it in his heart, having got rid of all kinds of other thoughts … This pious formula is to be ever set before you: “O God, come to my assistance: O Lord, make haste to help me.”
I am affected by the passion of gluttony. I find that even against my will I am drawn to long for food. I must at once say: “O God, come to my assistance: O Lord, make haste to help me.”
When I want for the sake of steadfastness of heart to apply myself to reading a headache interferes and stops me, and at the third hour sleep glues my head to the sacred page … I must cry out: “O God, come to my assistance: O Lord, make haste to help me.”
I am disturbed by the pangs of anger, covetousness, gloominess, and driven to disturb the peaceful state in which I was, and which was dear to me: I must cry out with deep groans: “O God, come to my assistance: O Lord, make haste to help me.”
I am tried by being puffed up by accidie, vainglory, and pride, and my mind with subtle thoughts flatters itself somewhat on account of the coldness and carelessness of others: I must pray with all contrition of heart: “O God, come to my assistance: O Lord, make haste to help me.”
I have gained the grace of humility and simplicity, and by continually mortifying my spirit have got rid of the swellings of pride: In order that I may not be more seriously damaged by elation at my success, I must cry with all my might, “O God, come to my assistance: O Lord, make haste to help me.”
I am on fire with innumerable and various wanderings of soul and shiftiness of heart, and cannot collect my scattered thoughts, nor can I even pour forth my prayer without interruption: In order to be set free from this wretched state of mind, I must full surely cry out: “O God, come to my assistance: O Lord, make haste to help me.”
Again, I feel that by the visitation of the Holy Spirit I have gained purpose of soul, steadfastness of thought, keenness of heart, together with an ineffable joy and transport of mind, and in the exuberance of spiritual feelings I have perceived by a sudden illumination from the Lord an abounding revelation of most holy ideas which were formerly altogether hidden from me: In order that it may be vouchsafed to me to linger for a longer time in them I must often and anxiously exclaim: “O God, come to my assistance: O Lord, make haste to help me.”
Let the thought of this verse, I tell you, be conned over in your breast without ceasing. Whatever work you are doing, or office you are holding, or journey you are going, do not cease to chant this. When you are going to bed, or eating, and in the last necessities of nature, think on this. This thought in your heart maybe to you a saving formula, and not only keep you unharmed by all attacks of devils, but also purify you from all faults and earthly stains, and lead you to that invisible and celestial contemplation, and carry you on to that ineffable glow of prayer, of which so few have any experience.
Let sleep come upon you still considering this verse, you grow accustomed to repeat it even in your sleep. When you wake let it be the first thing to come into your mind, let it when you rise from your bed send you down on your knees, and thence send you forth to all your work and business, and let it follow you about all day long. This you should think about at home and walking forth on a journey, sleeping and waking. This you should write on the threshold and door of your mouth, this you should place on the walls of your house and in the recesses of your heart so that when you fall on your knees in prayer this may be your chant as you kneel, and when you rise up from it to go forth to all the necessary business of life it may be your constant prayer as you stand.
– Extract from Cassian, Conferences Chapter 10 –
