WINDOWS TO PRAYER
AND BYZANTINE CHANT
On Prayer
Everything flows calmly under
the watchful eye of God, who blesses and sanctifies us. And if we transgress he
may intervene austerely to bring us back to our senses. Let us, therefore,
always remember him. For one who desires to live the life of prayer, daily
nourishment from Sacred Scripture is indispensable. Study of the Bible expedites
the intervention of God in our life. And it is good for such study to precede
prayer. In addition to Sacred Scripture, particularly Psalms, the life of the
saint of the day and a selected ascetic text from the Fathers can provide relief
from the confusion and distress of the day, and help us prepare to surrender to
God. And let it be emphasized that God is not to be dealt with in a few minutes
out of the entire twenty-four hour period. God is for the entire day. His
abiding presence should accompany us continuously so that all our activities are
a preparation for the sacred hours when we embrace God. And, in turn, these
sacred hours of prayer will strengthen us for the struggles that follow.
Source:
GOARCH
On Byzantine Chant
It is the divinely bestowed privilege
of the Saints to sing praises to the Holy Trinity, and to extol the Name of
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Throughout Scripture and the history of Divine
salvation, even to the present day, the people of God have expressed the inner
reality of the Divine encounter by means of song. Where mere written words fail
to portray fully the truth of the mystery of faith, the Church has employed
sacred hymnology to be, as it were, an icon of song and verse, expressing
clearly the truth in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The music of the Church,
therefore, should not be considered as one might consider other forms of music,
whether classical or contemporary. This music requires in us a longing to know
God and to possess a desire to behold Him portrayed in our song. It requires
that we be true to Christ, for in singing and chanting we become witnesses
(martyrs) to the truth.
Source:
Holy Cross
