Saint George the Pilgrim: Unceasing Prayer in Daily Life
This wondrous Elder had acquired from God the most holy gift of the Jesus Prayer. He would say it secretly with his mind and heart. He only taught the Jesus Prayer to his eldest daughter, Ana.
St. George Lazar the Pilgrim (1846-1916) commemorated August 17.
He only talked about things related to God and our salvation. He would pray twenty to twenty-two hours a day. Everyone in the country knew him […] After a while, people started to imitate him. Other pilgrims appeared in Transylvania who practiced the unceasing Jesus Prayer. Some of them became monks. In 1895, he was given a monk’s cell in a bell tower in Piatra Neamt. Every night, he would pray for a long time in church. During the day, he would walk the streets of the city, praying ceaselessly. Many Orthodox believers, including children, would follow him, kissing his Psalter, touching his leather clothing. They all felt the Holy Spirit was with him. Even dogs would get quiet and calm when they saw him. He would often go into a bakery and buy a big bag of bread that someone would help carry to the tower. When he returned to the tower, he would be surrounded by poor people, widows, beggars, and Old Man George would give them the bread. He would give all the money he received that day to whomever would ask him for money. He would only keep one loaf of bread for himself and he would eat it in the evening, other than on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, when he wouldn’t eat anything.
(Excerpt from an article by Father (now Saint) Dumitru Staniloae on St. George the Pilgrim.)
3 Sayings from the Romanian Paterikon:
Once, Old Man George climbed to Sihla Skete with a group of monks from Sihastria Monastery. The Elder was walking in front, saying the Jesus Prayer internally. Suddenly, he tripped and almost fell. Turning to the monks, he said:
“Did you see what happened? I barely abandoned prayer and immediately God’s grace abandoned me. When I lowered my mind [to things below], I also tripped and was ready to fall, because the mind must always be lifted to God.”
This wondrous Elder had acquired the most holy gift of the Jesus Prayer from God. He would say it secretly with his mind and heart. But he never spoke about this amazing activity with anyone. He only taught the Jesus Prayer to his eldest daughter, Ana, while she was living with their family. Describing this, the girl said:
“I would always say “Lord Jesus…” as my father advised me, but I could not say it attentively. My mind was always scattered, even though I would pray all day. It seemed like my attention was in my head, but not in my heart. I was very grieved by this and prayed to God to grant me the gift of [unceasing] prayer.
Once, walking by an icon stand at a crossroads, I venerated it with much faith. At that moment, I felt a power enter my heart. Since then, my mind descended in my heart and now I always pray with indescribably joy and warmth.”
Another time, Old Man George got in the train at Pascani to go to Roman, but he did not have a ticket. The conductor said:
“Old man, if you don’t have a ticket, you will have to get off at the first stop!”
The Elder was secretly saying the Psalter that he knew by heart from childhood. And the people on the train asked the conductor to leave him alone, because he was a holy man. However, he made him get off at the first stop, and the Elder started walking alongside the window, saying:
“Dear ones, stay here with God and the Mother of God!”
After a little while, the mechanics saw that the train was not starting, and they did not know why! Then the people understood that the train was not starting because of the Elder had been forced to get off. Hearing this, the conductor immediately set off on foot after him, brought him back onto the train, and immediately the locomotive started.