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Rating: 
Summary: An Exhortation to prayer by the Desert Fathers
Review: "Prayer, then, is a mystery forming an integral part of our being psychic consciousness. Mystically, it is God's perpetual call within us drawing us toward the fulfillment of the ultimate purpose of our creation, our union with God." page 22A Genuine Prayer Life:
The life of prayer preserved Christianity and Coptic Christian life in particular, which the desert fathers pursued as a way of living an abundant life promised by Jesus himself. Lord Jesus Christ exhorted his listeners to pray unceasingly. Jesus prayed always and before all major decisions; all night (Luke 6:12), he woke up early to pray (Mark 1:35), in desert places (Luke 5:16), and into the mountains (Mark 6:46) The desert fathers took this commandment of earnest fellowship in prayer earnestly. The author's early monastic mentor, at St. Samuel the confessor, is an icon of powerful prayer that worked miracles. As Patriarch, Papa Abba Kyrillos consecrated his daily office of communal liturgy to affirm prayer. Abba Matta contemplated on a manuscript of Russian fathers on prayer, and further from the "Paradise of the Monks" he read in the library of his later adopting monastery of the Syrians, in Schetes. St. Issac the Syrian, have had limited influence, until he studied his spiritual mentor's hand copied four volumes. Book Exposition:
For more than a half century, this book has been an influential guide throughout the Middle East. Its last edition of 670 pages, in Arabic language, was in a continuous upgrading . It's preface included the words of the St. Sergius educated, Orthodox Metropolitan of Lebanon, G. Khedr, stating; "For the first time(in centuries), do the Caledonian Orthodox learn praying through a Coptic book" In addition to its 16 chapters, a preface, an introduction, and an epilogue is divided In three progressive parts integrated with sayings of the Church fathers, supported by a brief introduction, definitions, and developed by the monastic elder into a practical guide posts of praying. The book chapters expounds the nature, aspects, and impediments to prayer.
The sayings selection reflects the spirit of the desert father, meticulously selected, and edited for best support, the sayings form the strong backbone of the text, and enhances the spiritual mission of the book. A Reviewer's view;
"This book is the fruit of more than fifty years of solitude by a contemporary desert father besieged by prayer. Father Matta's prayer life was formed under the direction of the sayings of the Church Fathers, both Eastern and Western." Coptic Church Review, vol 24, No 3, Fall 2003
"Turning the sayings of the Fathers into Prayer." the abbot of St. Macarius, where the serious vocation of unceasing prayer has been practiced in its original version as the 'Arrow Prayer,' continuously to this moment, released his contemplation on "The Paradise of the fathers," authentic, lived, and loved by all Copts old and young, lay and monastic." Didaskalex
Rating:
Summary: An Exhortation to prayer by the Desert Fathers
Review: "Prayer, then, is a mystery forming an integral part of our being psychic consciousness. Mystically, it is God's perpetual call within us drawing us toward the fulfillment of the ultimate purpose of our creation, our union with God." page 22 A Genuine Prayer Life:
The life of prayer preserved Christianity and Coptic Christian life in particular, which the desert fathers pursued as a way of living an abundant life promised by Jesus himself. Lord Jesus Christ exhorted his listeners to pray unceasingly. Jesus prayed always and before all major decisions; all night (Luke 6:12), he woke up early to pray (Mark 1:35), in desert places (Luke 5:16), and into the mountains (Mark 6:46) The desert fathers took this commandment of earnest fellowship in prayer earnestly. The author's early monastic mentor, at St. Samuel the confessor, is an icon of powerful prayer that worked miracles. As Patriarch, Papa Abba Kyrillos consecrated his daily office of communal liturgy to affirm prayer. Abba Matta contemplated on a manuscript of Russian fathers on prayer, and further from the "Paradise of the Monks" he read in the library of his later adopting monastery of the Syrians, in Schetes. St. Issac the Syrian, have had limited influence, until he studied his spiritual mentor's hand copied four volumes. Book Exposition:
For more than a half century, this book has been an influential guide throughout the Middle East. Its last edition of 670 pages, in Arabic language, was in a continuous upgrading . It's preface included the words of the St. Sergius educated, Orthodox Metropolitan of Lebanon, G. Khedr, stating; "For the first time(in centuries), do the Caledonian Orthodox learn praying through a Coptic book" In addition to its 16 chapters, a preface, an introduction, and an epilogue is divided In three progressive parts integrated with sayings of the Church fathers, supported by a brief introduction, definitions, and developed by the monastic elder into a practical guide posts of praying. The book chapters expounds the nature, aspects, and impediments to prayer.
The sayings selection reflects the spirit of the desert father, meticulously selected, and edited for best support, the sayings form the strong backbone of the text, and enhances the spiritual mission of the book. A Reviewer's view;
"This book is the fruit of more than fifty years of solitude by a contemporary desert father besieged by prayer. Father Matta's prayer life was formed under the direction of the sayings of the Church Fathers, both Eastern and Western." Coptic Church Review, vol 24, No 3, Fall 2003
"Turning the sayings of the Fathers into Prayer." the abbot of St. Macarius, where the serious vocation of unceasing prayer has been practiced in its original version as the 'Arrow Prayer,' continuously to this moment, released his contemplation on "The Paradise of the fathers," authentic, lived, and loved by all Copts old and young, lay and monastic." Didaskalex
Rating:
Summary: Fathers guide to contemplative life
Review: Efficacy of the Interior Way:
St. Vladimir Orthodox Seminary Press, took again the narrow way of serious fellowship of the heart, to make available to English readership, "Turning the sayings of the Fathers into Prayer." The abbot of St. Macarius, where the serious vocation of unceasing prayer has been practiced in its original version called the 'Arrow Prayer,' continuously to this moment, released his contemplation on "The Paradise of the fathers," authentic, lived, and loved by all Copts old and young, lay and monastic. A Real Life of Prayer:
Praying life or life of prayer is what preserved Christian life, Christianity is a way of abundant living given to us by our only teacher and role model, Jesus the Christ. Throughout his ministry, our Lord gave us the example of praying in every occasion, and before all decisions; early (Mark 1:35), all night (Luke 6:12), into a mountain (Mark 6:46), in desert places (Luke 5:16), and exhorted us to pray always and not to loose heart.
The desert fathers took this commandment of earnest fellowship in prayer seriously. Abba Matta own mentor, abbot of St. Samuel the confessor, was an example of continuos prayer life. When he was elected Archbishop of Alexandria, in 1959, Abba Kyrillos set his goal to lead the Copts back into prayer. His own life of prayer invited many gifts of the Holy Spirit, true faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, the discernment of spirits, and was a living example for Christians and Moslems alike, that attracted many to life in Christ. The story of a Book:
Abba Matta reveals how ecumenical is life in Christ, in book's preface. He contemplated on a manuscript by a British pilgrim, who translated sayings of Russian fathers on prayer, together with other Eastern saints. From the single copy of "The Paradise of the Fathers: Original Coptic Apophthegmata Patrum," read aloud during the meals in the refractory of St. Samuel the Confessor, where he received his monastic schema, and later in the rich library of Our Lady of the Assyrians, in Nitria, where Abba Mena found him refuge from ecclesiastical tyranny, he encountered, St. Issac the Syrian, the spiritual master of his patron, in his personal, hand copied four volumes! The Book and the Author:
I read this book first time, in its first edition, as a young teen half a century ago, meeting the author, after being assigned Patriarchal Vicar in Alexandria. CCR, Coptic church review, a pioneer patristic quarterly describes the book as;
"The first edition of this book had a great impact on the spiritual life of many Coptic and other Arabic speaking Christians, who found in it for the first time (in Arabic), the wealth of the patristic tradition"
The second enlarged edition, 1968, is my favorite, caries in its preface the unity of Byzantine and Copts when contemplation is concerned, in the words of VR George Khedr, Metropolitan of Lebanon;" For the first time(in centuries), do the Byzantine East seeks discipleship through a Coptic book" A Brief Exposition:
This book is a condensed version of the second edition of its original language in 670 pages, with a preface, an introduction, and an epilogue on Prayer: Access into the Father's Presence.
In three consecutive parts supported and integrated with sayings of the fathers, each of the 16 chapters has a brief introduction by the enlightened abbot. The book treats in a praying tour the nature, aspects of interior activity, and impediments to prayer.
The sayings are very exhaustive, and their selection reflects the spirit of the desert father that Griffith sought in his comment on D. Burton-Christie's "The word in the desert"
Rating:
Summary: Fathers guide to contemplative life
Review: Efficacy of the Interior Way:
St. Vladimir Orthodox Seminary Press, took again the narrow way of serious fellowship of the heart, to make available to English readership, "Turning the sayings of the Fathers into Prayer." The abbot of St. Macarius, where the serious vocation of unceasing prayer has been practiced in its original version called the 'Arrow Prayer,' continuously to this moment, released his contemplation on "The Paradise of the fathers," authentic, lived, and loved by all Copts old and young, lay and monastic. A Real Life of Prayer:
Praying life or life of prayer is what preserved Christian life, Christianity is a way of abundant living given to us by our only teacher and role model, Jesus the Christ. Throughout his ministry, our Lord gave us the example of praying in every occasion, and before all decisions; early (Mark 1:35), all night (Luke 6:12), into a mountain (Mark 6:46), in desert places (Luke 5:16), and exhorted us to pray always and not to loose heart.
The desert fathers took this commandment of earnest fellowship in prayer seriously. Abba Matta own mentor, abbot of St. Samuel the confessor, was an example of continuos prayer life. When he was elected Archbishop of Alexandria, in 1959, Abba Kyrillos set his goal to lead the Copts back into prayer. His own life of prayer invited many gifts of the Holy Spirit, true faith, healing, working of miracles, prophecy, the discernment of spirits, and was a living example for Christians and Moslems alike, that attracted many to life in Christ. The story of a Book:
Abba Matta reveals how ecumenical is life in Christ, in book's preface. He contemplated on a manuscript by a British pilgrim, who translated sayings of Russian fathers on prayer, together with other Eastern saints. From the single copy of "The Paradise of the Fathers: Original Coptic Apophthegmata Patrum," read aloud during the meals in the refractory of St. Samuel the Confessor, where he received his monastic schema, and later in the rich library of Our Lady of the Assyrians, in Nitria, where Abba Mena found him refuge from ecclesiastical tyranny, he encountered, St. Issac the Syrian, the spiritual master of his patron, in his personal, hand copied four volumes! The Book and the Author:
I read this book first time, in its first edition, as a young teen half a century ago, meeting the author, after being assigned Patriarchal Vicar in Alexandria. CCR, Coptic church review, a pioneer patristic quarterly describes the book as;
"The first edition of this book had a great impact on the spiritual life of many Coptic and other Arabic speaking Christians, who found in it for the first time (in Arabic), the wealth of the patristic tradition"
The second enlarged edition, 1968, is my favorite, caries in its preface the unity of Byzantine and Copts when contemplation is concerned, in the words of VR George Khedr, Metropolitan of Lebanon;" For the first time(in centuries), do the Byzantine East seeks discipleship through a Coptic book" A Brief Exposition:
This book is a condensed version of the second edition of its original language in 670 pages, with a preface, an introduction, and an epilogue on Prayer: Access into the Father's Presence.
In three consecutive parts supported and integrated with sayings of the fathers, each of the 16 chapters has a brief introduction by the enlightened abbot. The book treats in a praying tour the nature, aspects of interior activity, and impediments to prayer.
The sayings are very exhaustive, and their selection reflects the spirit of the desert father that Griffith sought in his comment on D. Burton-Christie's "The word in the desert"
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