Saint Theophane the Recluse:  Of Prayer and Fire

On this day we celebrate one of the great spiritual teachers of these latter days, the Holy Hierarch Theophane the Recluse who reposed in A.D. 1894.

A convert from Calvinism, Theophane became a Monk and later the Bishop of Tambov.  He was closely associated with the Kyivan Caves Lavra where he taught spirituality by word and example to the young novices. 

While at the Lavra, Theophane became imbued with the spirit of "hesychasm" or inner quiet.  Hesychasts (some say named for St Hesychius) were Monks who practiced the prayer of the heart and radically followed their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Hesychasts occupied themselves with the Jesus Prayer, "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner."  They said this prayer thousands of times daily until it became "self-active" through the experience of placing the "mind in the heart" under the all-important tutelage, of course, of a Spiritual Father or Elder.

The Philokalia is a collection of five books that contain the spiritual teachings of the Saints and Fathers of the Church on spiritual life and the prayer of the heart.  It is a "must-read" for all, especially those committed to a deeper spiritual life.

Theophane placed himself in the tradition of the Kyivan Caves Lavra, of Mount Athos and of St Paisius Velichkovsky.  He later became a Recluse, that is, lived as a Hermit and communicated with his spiritual children and those seeking his advice through his letters.

It was Theophane, in fact, who prepared the revised five-volume edition of the Philokalia with revised notes.  He also translated and revised the important book "Unseen Warfare" which had been formerly translated from the Italian into Greek.

This was a Roman Catholic spiritual text that caught the interest of St Nicodemos of the Holy Mountain and St Macarios of Corinth.

Nicodemos was a tireless translator and writer.  He took a number of western spiritual manuals and revised them to emphasize Orthodox teaching and practice.  He thus translated into Greek St. Ignatius Loyola's "Spiritual Exercises" which is at the heart of Jesuit spirituality!  He also translated the revised "Introduction to the Devout Life" by the chaplain of the Queen of France, St. Francois de Sales.

Theophane continued in this tradition by bringing true Orthodox spirituality to an even greater focus through his own revisions to the Unseen Warfare, such as a complete explanation of the Jesus Prayer etc.

Theophane's writings afford us living at the beginning of a new millennium an opportunity to see what real Orthodox spirituality is all about.

The quest for spirituality has never been so popular as in our day.  At the same time, we are surrounded by all sorts of counterfeit traditions that try to get our attention in the hopes that we would become part of them.

Contemporary "spiritualities" reflect the easy-going nature of consumer society.  That society appeals to our sensual side and we see this everywhere.

Movies and musicians become more popular whenever they have scenes of avant-garde sex and promiscuous, even quite perverted, behaviour.

So many sites on the internet are purely pornographic.  Advertising on television, radio and in the streets represent suggestive themes as ways to get the attention of the consumer.

The production of more and more gadgets and other items designed to make life easier for us is likewise promoted.  

Happiness, it would seem, consists in doing as little as possible within a context of a hedonistic lifestyle.

This is not only a non-Christian lifestyle - it is anti-Christian!

Modern spirituality reflects these values.  Thus, the emphasis on "feel-good" meditation.  Paganism is also presented as an innocuous pastime, something "based on Nature and respect for the environment."  

Even Christian televangelists promote Christ by presenting an "easy" way of salvation.  As one fellow recently put it, "Getting to heaven is so simple!"

There are numerous reasons why versions of Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism are so popular today, especially in post-Soviet Eastern Europe. 

However, the Christ of the Gospels does not seem to be one of them . . .

The writings and work of St Theophane the Recluse is a wonderful antidote to all this.

Theophane expects his students to do some real work in his school of spirituality!  

For example, in writing about a Prayer Rule or a daily spiritual schedule, Theophane teaches us to follow the Fathers concerning watching over our minds and hearts.  He counsels deep, heart-felt prayer using the Jesus Prayer or other short invocations.

Theophane tells us to learn prayers and Psalms off by heart so that we may always be "armed with prayer."   He teaches the use of a prayer rope in the saying of the Prayer of Jesus or else spending a good portion of time in thoughtful recollection and reflection as we say it.

Of course, there is the Divine Liturgy and the Horologion of the Church which are a deep spiritual resource for our prayer.

Theophane counsels us to read and ponder Scripture with the teachings of the Fathers.  It would be good to keep a Gospel or New Testament enthroned somewhere where it would be accessible.  Perhaps we could do this both at home and at our place of work.

Our whole attention should be given to our prayer, our mind should slowly learn to come into the place of the heart.  We are to pray "with feeling" and with tears, being ever open to God through constant conversion.

In 1996, Pope John Paul II actually quoted St Theophane the Recluse in a sermon he gave in Rome.  Interestingly enough, the Pope quoted Theophane where he discusses the Orthodox teaching on divinization in Christ through the Holy Spirit, something that is not the usual characteristic of Roman Catholic spiritual emphasis.

And there are those of the New Age movement who try to capitalize on St Theophane's popularity by misrepresenting his teachings.  This has led to the nonsensical phenomenon of non-Orthodox people offering "courses" for a fee in how to say the Jesus Prayer!

St Theophane's great importance to our times lies also in his guidance for our experience of spirituality, rather than our thinking about it.

Roman Catholic and Protestants texts on spirituality are often that - intellectual explanations about spirituality.  There is very little in terms of spiritual "hands-on" teaching on how to experience it.

In a sense, they reflect North American life in this respect as well, where people are content to think about life, rather than live it.  This could be one reason why soap operas and similar T.V. genres and movie stars are so popular where people live other's lives vicariously.

I used to belong to a group that had originally been formed to prepare religious books for schools in Ukraine and North America.

Our initial purpose was to publish scripture commentaries and other literature so that people could read about Christ and the Church. 

We were trying to respond to the spiritual vacuum left by 70 years of Soviet rule in Ukraine.  Yet, while reading about Christianity is important, it became obvious that the most important ingredient here was being left out - the experience of Christ, liturgical prayer and so on.  

What is sorely needed in Church life today, in the East and in the West, are centres, retreats or call them what you will in which Christians may get firsthand teaching in how to experience Christ, spirituality, prayer etc.

These exist in western monasteries that open their doors to laity in the form of "Third Orders" and "Oblates."  They exist in the form of retreats and other uniquely designed sessions.

In India, one Eastern Catholic priest has established a year-long spiritual centre where people may come to live for a while and learn about prayer and meditation.  But they learn by doing.

Each day there is daily celebration of the Eucharist, the Hours, reading of Scripture, the rosary and the Jesus Prayer.  This is done with others while teachers are on hand to suggest spiritual reading and provide insight and advice.

Those who have had the opportunity to participate in a weekend or week-long event at this centre go away with some developed spiritual habits which stay with them in their private lives.

We too need something like that in our Churches in North America and Eastern Europe.  We need to know what it really means to pray, to read the Scriptures, to meditate.  We need to know more about what it means to participate in the Divine Liturgy, the Horologion and fasting. 

These things are not a "given."  Prayer is more than the mere recitation of prepared texts out loud.  How may we live our Christian lives so that we advance in the Life in Christ?  We also need ongoing guidance from our spiritual Fathers and Priests. 

Spiritual life is a serious business.  If it isn't for us, it will be for our children.  When I taught religion, parents would ask me what they may do to keep their children from dabbling in dangerous cults etc.  

 The question really became how could these parents renew and make alive their own spirituality and commitment to Christ!  The apple does not fall far from the tree . . .

The school of spirituality is one in which we are all students or should be.  Reading and following the guidance provided by St Theophane the Recluse is a great starting point!

Dr. Alexander Roman  alex@unicorne.org