One day, in a town in the Peloponnese, I met a Christian man of about 32 years of age who was spreading the scent of rosemary. I was even more astonished when he began to tell me about Jesus' prayer, realizing that the ineffable fragrance of the Holy Spirit was coming out of his mouth.

He had learned to recite the rosary and the Jesus Prayer some years earlier on the Holy Mountain [Athos], and since then he had been reciting it day and night. Prayer fulfilled his natural need for sleep.

And so, little by little, Jesus' prayer became spiritual in his heart.

He rejoiced in the greatness of this prayer, without being able to explain how it was said inside himself. It was happening in his heart with such gentleness, and he wasn't saying it consciously, either with his mouth or with his inner speech. This is the greatness of spiritual prayer, especially that which is called the prayer of the spirit.

One day, in such a state, he was so transformed by God's grace that he said: "I forgot myself. It was as if I lost myself, and suddenly I felt that my soul was in the open arms of my spiritual confessor, who was praying before a luminous heavenly throne with an abundance of light and Grace from God.

After a moment, this heavenly light completely covered my spiritual confessor and made him shine so brightly that I felt as if I had closed my soul's eyes. How did I see? I don't know. My soul, which was closely linked to him, heard him praying to the Lord Jesus Christ for me.

I didn't dare lift my eyes from my soul, but I felt this flood of light invade me, fill me with bliss, joy, peace, amazement, exultation. After a while, I came to my senses.

I felt that I was not walking on earth and Jesus' prayer was repeated in me many times. My Lord Jesus, My Lord Jesus, My Lord Jesus...

For three or four days, I didn't eat, I didn't drink water and I didn't sleep. I revelled in an indescribable heavenly joy.

My tears flowed like a torrent and were very sweet".

Here ends the divine experience of this Christian living among us in our time, such a rare human being in this crazy age we live in.

He tasted the honey of divine delights, coming from the pronunciation of the sweet and powerful Name of Jesus Christ.

He devoted himself entirely to this spiritual work, saying the prayer first with his lips, then in a low voice, then with his inner voice, regardless of the duties he had at work, in society and at home. In his mind, in his thoughts, in his memories, in his feelings reigned only this thirst for the Name of Jesus Christ. A thirst that became love and was transformed into divine love for Christ.

A relentless hunger and thirst for God's Love, with all his heart and mind, with all his power. Our Lord Jesus Christ assures us that those who hunger and thirst for God's righteousness will not only be satisfied, but will also be happy thanks to this fullness of God's Love. And the fullness of Love, as we can see, led this young man to the garden of the Mother of God.

Priest Stephenos Anagnostopoulos

French version Claude Lopez-Ginisty

based on

The Athonite Testimony