Maronite Meditations

We are going to work through some of Sebastian Brock’s invaluable book The Syriac Fathers on Prayer and theSpiritual Life. It is an anthology of materials from Syriac writers,beginning at the very start with Aphrahat, although not including the Odes of Solomon . Little is known of Aphrahat, “the Persian Sage,” who: “… was evidently a prominent figure inthe Christian Church in the Persian Empire …” Aphrahat wrote 23 homilies known as the Demonstrations. Number 4 of these is the earliest surviving Christian text on prayer, other than those which deal with the Our Father. His writings were influential in the later Syriac tradition, and even translated into Armenian. The Demonstration on prayer opens powerfully: "Purity of heart constitutes prayer more than do all the prayers that are uttered out aloud, and silence united to a mind that is sincere is better than the loud voice of someone crying out." Purity of heart constitutes prayer more than do all the prayers that are uttered out aloud, and silence united to a mind that is sincere is better than the loud voice of someone crying out.

We now consider the significance of what Blosius has to say about life, and how that melds into what he wrote about the oneness of God, and how that unfolds in the world.

We do a simple breathing meditation based on this statement by Blosius: "When he is occupied with conversation and business, if he is unable to attend freely to God, he must yet beware of entirely leaving the inner chamber of his heart, thus going away from God Himself, but he must continue tobreathe out some secret affection to Him, so that directly this outward occupation is over he may return to himself, and leaving all that is not God, may apply his whole soul to Him once more. "

Blosius says that we can divide our attention when working in the world: we are aware of what we are doing and “must yet beware of entirely leaving the inner chamber of (our) heart.” Yet we must return to contemplation of eternal light, which we cannot unless we are free of attachment to externals. Further, God can allow us to suffer dryness of heart to realise our dependence of God. Also, sweet sensation can be granted to those who are living very evil lives, not to show they have sanctity, but rather to show that God manifests His goodness. Blosius also says we should invoke the saints because: “The saint should be regarded as present in God, to whom he is united.” We should refer all beauty “to the glory and praise of God, who is the fountain and origin of all things.” Whoever is close to God has all, for God has and contains in Himself, everything that delights or can give pleasure. “Every kind of perfection found divided among different created things, in Him is found united, and He, as He is the archetype, or original type, and exemplar, or eminent model, of all, is Himself all.” All things in God are one.

Blosius said that even when we are occupied with conversation and business, we are able to attend to God, not entirely leaving the inner chamber of our hearts. He suggested two prayers or aspirations. First, one suited to the Illuminative Way: “…Grant me to dwell with Thee in the sanctuary of my soul ; grant that by steadfast thought, clear knowledge and fervent love, I may always be able to flow into Thee.” Then the aspiration suited to the Unitive Way. "These words alone: "O Lord God," if from time to time they are thought over and repeated with a devout heart, are able to maintain a man inthe presence of God, or in God, and to shut out from his mind wandering imaginations and vain thoughts.”