From our Holy Father St. Seraphim of Sarov (+1833); (emphasis mine):
“The true aim of our Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. As for fasts, and vigils, and prayer, and almsgiving, and every good deed done because of Christ, they are only means of acquiring the Holy Spirit of God (pg.169)… Of course, every good deed done because of Christ gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit, but prayer gives us it [the grace of the Holy Spirit] to us most of all, for it is always at hand, so to speak, as an instrument for acquiring the grace of the Spirit. For instance, you would like to go to church, but there is no church or the service is over; you would like to give alms to a beggar, but there isn’t one, or you have nothing to give… you would like to do some other good deed in Christ’s name, but either you have not the strength or the opportunity is lacking. This certainly does not apply to prayer. Prayer is always possible for everyone, rich and poor, noble and humble, strong and weak, healthy and sick, righteous and sinful.” (pg. 175) (from Archimandrite Lazarus Moore's, “Saint Seraphim of Sarov", ISBN 1880364131)
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What I like about the article posted below is that the idea expressed in it echoes the above teaching about prayer from St. Seraphim of Sarov, that it is "always at hand" and is "always possible for everyone". The idea of this little rule is very practical and very easy to implement in our everyday lives, and you don't need anything special for it. I think this is an excellent method of sanctifying the day! This method is a step towards achieving the goal of what St. Paul instructed us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing". Without further ado, here is Father Seraphim Holland's article:
A lesson from St. Dimitri of Rostov on Redeeming the Time
by Father Seraphim Holland
In the life of Saint Dimitri of Rostov, as told in Blessed Bishop Nicolai Velimirovic's Prologue from Ochrid (October 28), we can read that the saint was in the salvific habit of chanting the hymn "O Theotokos and Virgin, Rejoice" every hour when the clock struck.
Of course, he was a monk and even a saint. He lived in a monastery, and led a life dedicated to prayer and the learning and keeping of God's commandments. We poor ones lead a life most often not dedicated to those things which are for the salvation of our souls, but to the cares of this world and self-gratification, even though the evangelical commandments, which St. Dimitri followed so well, apply to all Christians.
We engage in both important and frivolous pursuits, and are often surrounded by people using bad language, and with bad ideas. Everywhere, whether in the office or supermarket, among our families, friends and brethren, or even when alone, temptations, distractions and sinful images assault us. It is very easy to forget WHO WE ARE (that is, who we have as our Father), and to lose a sure knowledge of the presence of God within our hearts as we go about our tasks. Perhaps we say our morning and evening prayers faithfully (perhaps not), but we may go long periods during the day that we do not remember God, or pray even a little bit. To always have the remembrance of God within us is certainly beyond our capabilities for the moment, but we can make a good start by emulating Saint Dimitri's good habit.
Christian! Strive to remember God at least every hour. Purchase a watch which beeps every hour, or a clock with chimes. Decide upon a short prayer or prayers to say every hour when you are "called to prayer." Perhaps you may say "Meet it is," or the Jesus prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner," or the prayer of the publican "O God be merciful to me a sinner and cleanse me." You may merely cross yourself and call God to mind. The content or variety of prayers is not so important, and is a matter of personal preference. The important idea here is to somehow shake ourselves out of our lethargy at least every hour, so that we do not forget God.
If you observe this practice faithfully, you will begin to see almost immediate results. You will find yourself praying more often, and able to listen to the prompting of your guardian angel, who previously could not be heard above the din. You may notice with unnerving frequency that you were about to be angry or were gossiping, or about to be mastered by some other passion as the clock strikes. If that is the case, then, you have an opportunity to immediately turn to God, and ask forgiveness, then say "your prayer." It is a much better thing to remember God while sinning, and to turn back to Him, than to keep on sinning and not think about Him.
In our household, everyone has this habit. Every time the wall clock chimes, we cross ourselves. Even our youngest one, Natalie, who is two years old, remembers, and is in fact the self appointed family sentry who makes sure none of us will forget our duty.
Notice: This Article first appeared in "Orthodox Family". It may be freely distributed, as long as my name, church and contact information, and this notice are included: Father Seraphim Holland of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church in Dallas, Texas. From the newsletter dated October 27/November 9, 1997 from volume 01.04; contact information listed as seraphim@orthodox.net.
