In prayer, quality counts more than quantity; Church Fathers: Day 055

There is a mountain in Egypt called Pherme, which borders on the great desert of Scete. On this mountain dwell some five hundred men, devotees of asceticism.

One of them, a man named Paul, had this manner of life: he touched no work and no business, nor did he receive anything from anyone beyond what he ate. But his work and his asceticism consisted in ceaseless prayer. He had three hundred set prayers, and he collected the same number of pebbles and kept them in his lap and threw out of his lap one pebble at each prayer.

He went to speak with Macarius, the one known as “the Citizen.” “Father Macarius,” he said, “I am afflicted.”

He said, “In a certain village there lives a virgin who has lived the ascetic life for thirty years. They have told me of her that except on Saturday and Sunday she never eats. But all the while dragging out the long weeks and eating at intervals of five days she makes seven hundred prayers. And when I learned this I despaired of myself because I could not make more than three hundred.”

The holy Macarius answered him: “I am now sixty years old; I make a hun­dred set prayers and produce my food by my own work, and speak to the brethren when they need me, and my reason does not condemn me as having neglected my duty. But if you say three hundred and are condemned by your conscience, you are clearly not praying them with purity, or else you could pray more and do not.” –Palladius of Galatia, Lausiac History, 20.1-3

IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .

What is my conscience telling me about my prayer life?

CLOSING PRAYER

Lord, sanctify me completely in soul, body, and spirit, so that I may pray to you along with your holy disciples and Apostles.

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