The Great Week

All the prayers of the Great and Holy week, service by service, even word by word, are enchanting and alluring. You know. Prayer consists of attention. Our Fathers have warned us against chasing beauty that drives the mind to distractedness. They said what means that we should go through the prayers, whether communal or individual, till the end, no matter how capable they are of catching us up. They recommended that we keep in mind what had caught our attention, and return to it after concluding the prayer. This comes from their belief that “the enemy of prayer” lies in wait for us everywhere, that is, right here at the door of every beautiful word…The entire Christian Liturgy is captivating. This week is its highest point. This, if you will, is the week of repentance, only to repent to a God Who is insatiable of love. The days are made great by this love which, unless we accept it, like prayer, as a treasure for us till the end, nothing in our life would make any sense.