(triptych in a small chapel)
ABBA NILUS TALKS ABOUT PRAYER
Everything you do in revenge against a brother (or sister) who has harmed you will come back to your mind at the time of prayer.
Prayer is the seed of gentleness and the absence of anger.
Prayer is a remedy against grief and depression.
Go, sell all that belongs to you and give it to the poor and taking up the cross, deny yourself; in this way, you will be able to pray without distraction.
Whatever you have endured out of love of wisdom will bear fruit for you at the time of prayer.
If you want to pray properly, do not let yourself be upset or you will run in vain.
Do not be always wanting everything to turn out as you think it should, but rather as God pleases, then you will be undisturbed and thankful in your prayer.
(These sayings on prayer by Abba Nilus, appear in THE SAYINGS OF THE DESERT FATHERS, Cistercian Publications, revised edition 1984.)
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