Br. Michael Solomon, O.P., on the Jesus Prayer

"In the opening scene, and recurring many times throughout the 2006 Russian film, The Island, a monk named Anatoly cries out in anguish over and over again, 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.' He is tortured by an evil he committed many years before, but makes no attempt to lessen his culpability. He simply cries tears of repentance and sorrow for his sin, with this prayer on his every breath.

"Anatoly's prayer is not a morbid delight in his own pain. Rather, it is a cry of hope. This prayer, central to the spiritual life of Eastern Christians, is known as the Jesus Prayer. Typically, the Jesus Prayer is prayed on a cord called a Chotki, which looks a lot like a rosary. Based on the Gospels, the Jesus Prayer is an acknowledgement of one's poverty and sinfulness, but also of God's omnipotence, his power to heal the sinner (cf. Lk 18:10-14). We can cry out in hope knowing that God's grace is sufficient for us, 'for power is made perfect in weakness' (1 Cor 12:9). The Russian spiritual classic, The Way of a Pilgrim, provides an excellent introduction to this prayer."

In a recent commentary, Brother Michael Solomon, O.P., offered a reflection on the Jesus Prayer.

To access Br. Michael's complete post, please visit:

Dominicana: Repent: A Cry of Hope (28 SEP 18)