And for this modern life - full of movement - God found a solution. He appointed a short prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner!” Or, if you like, even shorter: “Jesus, have mercy on me!” Two words [in Romanian]. It is the prayer of the heart, a prayer full of power, which can be said anywhere and anytime in this restless hurry of life. We can say it at home, on the road, at school, in the store, at work, and even when we speak with someone else.
I met many great practitioners of the prayer of the heart, whom I know for certain prayed unceasingly. There was the famous Russian spiritual father Ioan Kulighin, from Optina Monastery. Once, while he was speaking to us monks of the Burning Bush, I put my hand on his shoulder and asked him: “Father Ioan, are you praying now?” And even though he was in the midst of explaining something, he responded to me: “Yes, father, I am praying even now.”
It is a prayer that can be said like we are speaking, as I am speaking now. If it could be said at least three times a day for fifteen minutes each time, then it becomes a true treasure that we always carry with us. It must be said often so that it can penetrate into our heart. A warmth appears here, above the physical heart, and then the mind descends into the heart. The mind and heart must unite, because many times a person thinks one thing, but feels something else. However, if the mind unites with the heart, we no longer feel enmity; we become human, true humans, humans full of goodness.
This is the wonder which you are asking me about, which can change the life of modern man. It is a miracle, because then God gives us whatever we ask from Him. Anything! Christ promises us this: “All that you ask for, praying with faith, you will receive!” Because God does not want anything from us except a single thing: for us to be human. Humans full of Goodness, written with a capital G.
And I am happy to meet many people today who practice this prayer of the heart. I believe that Romanians are truly humans full of goodness. Many times, this kindness - in the face of a savage Europe - damaged us as well. This suffering which we endured in the face of so many nations is possibly due to our great gentleness and obedience. But God will have a word to say about our great gentleness.
Excerpt from an interview held shortly before the Eldr’s repose in 2002:
“Dumnezeu Nu Vrea de la Noi Decât Un Singur Lucru: Sa Fim Oameni,” [God Only Wants One Thing from Us: To Be Human] în Duhovnici români contemporani: Părintele Sofian (Bucharest, Editura Bizantină: 2007), p. 171-172.