Watchfulness and vigilance in thoughts, in feelings, and in our heart is the work of all Christians, and Holy Scripture itself has become the first source of inspiration and valuation of watchfulness. And Holy Scripture does not address monastics only. It addresses all Christians. If watchfulness be the lot of the monastics- ascetics because of the conditions of the physical and spiritual environment in which they live, it is equally true that the faithful, within their capabilities, cannot be left without their share in regard to a watchful life and its gifts, because a watchful life is nothing more than a life of incessant struggle, a life of contrition and joyful sadness, a life of wrestling with passions and purification, love and theosis.
Watchfulness in ecclesiastical terminology means wakefulness, fine and unceasing vigilance of the mind and heart. It is also known as attentiveness, or guarding of the intellect. The noun “watchfulness” is derived from the verb “to watch”, which signifies: “I am careful, wakeful, alert, sober”.
In order for watchfulness to bear fruit, it must be coupled with prayer, particularly with the mental, unceasing prayer of the heart. One cannot conceive of watchfulness without mental prayer and, conversely, mental prayer without watchfulness. The two are inseparable in the work of the purification of the heart from passions, in the unseen warfare with unclean thoughts and demons.
Watchfulness and mental prayer is not the exclusive property of monastics. To be sure, it is used primarily by them because their quiet, saintly life renders itself to it more readily. However, if it is every man’s destiny to be deified through purification from passions -and without this internal catharsis, in the words of the Lord (7), everything else is futile- then watchfulness and prayer open the age-old tried and tested road which leads to the perfection described in the Gospels.
Therefore, whoever of our readers, monastics or laymen, want to follow the road of Elijah the Tishbite; whoever is aflame with the desire to become a “second herald of Christ”, a desire generated inside us by the prayer of the heart; let him prepare the chariot of watchfulness and prayer in order to ride heavenward with the zealous prophet.
St. Hesychios the Presbyter has these wise words to say: “A true monk is one who has achieved watchfulness; and he who is truly watchful is a monk in his heart” (8). We believe that the saint will justify us if we generalize this truth- something which the Holy Scripture and Sacred
Tradition of our Church confirm- and say: “A true Christian is one who achieves watchfulness; and he who is truly watchful is a Christian at heart”.
Man in our times, materialistic times, technologically ruled and flesh adoring, tries to find happiness in various occupations or even better in the thoughtless use of mind and heart in worldly matters.
Contrary to this, Orthodoxy with “watchfulness and mental prayer” leads man to his deepest inner self, which is the only real one. This return to himself, leads man to discover “within ourselves” the kingdom of God which is our true happiness.
It is for this reason, much more than any other time, that this period, the setting 20th century and the rising 21st, marks the NEW EPOQUE OF ORTHODOXY, THE TIME OF ORTHODOXY.
~Adapted from Watchfulness and Prayer, Themes from the Philokalia, Number 1, 2nd Edition, Publications of the Holy Monastery of St Gregory Palamas, Koufalia, Thessaloniki, Hellas
7. Mt. 23:27-28.
8. St. Hesychios the Priest, “On Watchfulness and Holiness”, No 159, in Philokalia, vol. 1, p.109
