Does the Paradise of the Fathers refer to the Jesus Prayer?

The Paradise of the Fathers mentions some practical exercises that relate to the practice of the Jesus Prayer under the heading of “Calling on the name of the Lord Jesus.”²⁹⁶ Here are some examples:

“An elder said: ‘For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, as the Apostle says (Col. 2:9). Therefore, we can never accept the thought of the defiled demons who claim that by calling on the name of Jesus we are not calling the Father or the Holy Spirit. For they do so out of their craftiness, denying us the utterance of the sweet name of our Lord Jesus Christ because they know that without this name there is no salvation as St. Peter the Apostle says: ‘There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved’ (Acts 4:12). We have no doubt whatsoever that by calling on the name of our Lord Jesus, we are also calling the Father and the Holy Spirit; for we can never accept any division in the Godhead and we know that our Lord Jesus is the Mediator through whom men can draw near

294 Twenty-four prayers — a prayer for each hour — traditionally ascribed to St. John Chrysostom. 295 See NPNF II/13:165ff.

296 See the Arabic extended version of the Paradise of the Fathers published by the Monastery of St. Macarius.

God and talk to Him, according to the saying of the Apostle: ‘He has in these last days, spoken to us by His Son’ (Heb. 1:2).”

“An elder gave a parable: ‘A man in a certain village had a beautiful sister. When it was a feast in that village, she asked him to let her go to where the feast was celebrated. Her brother feared to send her on her own for he did not want anyone to hurt her because of her beauty. So he took her by the hand and went with her. Wherever they went, he held her hands because he said in his heart: ‘if she were to be inclined to any foolishness, she would not be able to act on it as long as I am holding her hands.’ Then, the elder said: ‘Likewise, as long as the soul remembers the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who became her brother according to the economy, He will continue holding her hands even if she compromised with some thoughts or worldly desires. She will never fulfill the act of sin because her brother is holding her hands. And if the unseen enemies were to deceive her, they will not be able to do anything because her brother is holding her hands if she were to cling to the saving name of the Lord Jesus Christ, “not letting go of Him” (Song 3:4). Do you see my beloved how clinging to the good remembrance of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is a great salvation, a stronghold, an undefeated weapon and a seal of salvation for the soul? Therefore, do not hesitate to acquire such treasure that can never be robbed; this is the precious pearl of great price, that is, the name of our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior (Matt. 13:46). So if you wonder: How can I acquire such a great treasure? I will tell you: By isolating oneself from everyone, by not worrying about anything, by measurable bodily labors, and by continuously fasting. These things bring humility and true tears, and will make you feel that you are underneath the whole creation. If you fulfill all these things, you will become a child of God while still on earth and will be translated from earth to heaven while still in the flesh. Blessed are You O Lord, for You deal mercifully with our weakness that You may translate us to Your Kingdom.’”

“A brother asked an elder: ‘Father, what shall I do with this warfare against me?’ The elder said: ‘The continuous remembrance of the name of the Lord Jesus defeats it all.’”

“A brother asked an elder: ‘Abba, how can I sit in my cell?’ The elder said to him: ‘This is the work of the cell: eating once a day, hand-work, fulfilling the canonical prayers, and better than all is repeating the name of the Lord Jesus Christ without ceasing; and every now and then lift up your eyes and say: “My Lord Jesus Christ, help me; have compassion on me; I praise You, O Lord Jesus Christ.”’”

“A brother asked an elder: ‘How can I find the name of my Lord Jesus Christ?’ The elder said to him: ‘You would not be able to find it, unless you first embrace your tribulations.’”

“A brother asked an elder: ‘Tell me Father, how can I hold fast onto the name of the Lord Jesus Christ with my heart and tongue?’ The elder said to him: ‘It is written: With the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:10), if your heart is calm, it will sing the name of the Lord Jesus continuously. But if it is disturbed, you have to keep reciting the name of the Lord with your tongue until the mind gets accustomed to it. Thus, when God sees your labor, He will send help to you when He

sees the desire of your heart and will thus scatter the thoughts of the adversary that fight against the soul.’”

“It was said that the demons fought voraciously against Abba Hilarion. One night, he began to hear the sound of crying babies, grunting sheep, lowing oxen, wailing of women, roaring of lions, shouting of an army and other loud cries. He got scared from all these noises even without seeing anything. Then, he realized that these were evil spirits, so he knelt down and made the sign of the cross on his forehead. He was calmed for a moment but then, he looked up to see and in the light of the moon, a chariot with soldiers hastening above him, so he called on the name of Jesus and the earth opened up suddenly before his eyes and swallowed the whole scene. Hilarion then said: ‘The horse and its rider, He has thrown into the sea’ (Ex. 15:1), and ‘Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God’ (Ps. 20:7).”

“It was said that Aristaenete, the wife of Elpidius, the Roman governor, on her return from a visit to St. Anthony the Great in Egypt, was delayed in Gaza because her three children felt ill with a disease known as ‘semi-tertian ague’ [which is like tertian malaria that typically flares up or recurs every 48 hours]. Physicians gave up on a cure and their mother kept weeping. She then heard of the presence of a monk in the nearby wilderness, so she forgot all about her important status, and driven by her motherhood, she hastened to him, riding on a donkey with her maiden servants. She said to the saint: ‘I entreat you for the sake of Christ our God, I beg you for the sake of His Cross and Blood, to save my three children so that His name may be glorified among the pagans.’ At first, the saint refused since he had never left his cell before, and he was not accustomed to entering into a house or even a city. But the woman cast herself on the ground and screamed repeatedly: ‘O servant of God, Hilarion, give me back my children. St. Anthony kept them safe in Egypt, so you rescue them here in Syria.’ All those who were present wept and so did the saint after he declined her request. She did not leave him until he promised to come to Gaza after sunset. When he arrived there, he made the sign of the cross on the bed and on her ill children and called upon the wondrous name of Jesus. Then, the children started sweating all at once and then when they recovered they recognized their mother, and everyone kissed the saint’s hands in gratitude.”