Origen 1 was, par excellence, a man of Scripture; the Word of God being, in the writings of this Alexandrian author, a continuous ruminatio. For Origen, Holy Scripture is the absolute authority of Truth; indeed, there is no thought of his that is not grounded in the Word of Scripture.
The profound scriptural spirituality that characterises Origen’s thought did not prevent him from addressing, in his writings, the external aspects of prayer, such as the role of the body in the act of prayer, or the place and time of its performance, in which he most often discerns spiritual realities, which he seeks to understand and make known to us: ‘If we believe that “the Law is spiritual”2, and if we understand its content in a spiritual sense, then this text yields great benefit for the soul. This text teaches me that if I overcome the weakness of childhood and endeavour to have the mind of a child, and if, ‘having become a man, I have put away childish things’ (1 Corinthians 13:11) and, I would say, have become a ‘new man’3”.
In this regard, in his treatise On Prayer (Περὶ Εὐχῆς), over the course of two chapters (XXXI and XXXII), Origen discusses the formal aspects of prayer: the place of prayer, the appropriate time for prayer, the physical posture (σχῆμα) during prayer, as well as the direction in which one should look4. In accordance with the words of Holy Scripture, Origen recommends the bodily posture that best corresponds to the spiritual state required of the person who is praying. The posture ‘with outstretched hands and eyes raised’5 fully embodies the idea that the body is prepared to reflect more closely the specific characteristics of the soul at the moment of prayer, becoming an icon (εἰκών) of it. Thus, as the Holy Apostle Paul urges, ‘describing the disposition, that we must pray without anger and without quarrelling, and as for our posture, to raise our hands in a fitting manner 6 […], and as for the direction of our gaze, it is said in the Book of the Wisdom of Solomon: ‘Let it be understood that we must fast and give thanks to You before the rising of the sun and look towards the rising of the Sun of light’7’8.
1. The place of prayer (τόπος εὐχῆς)
Origen, drawing on the words of Christ the Saviour 9 and the counsel of Saint Paul the Apostle in the First Epistle to Timothy 6, says that we ought to pray in any place, but so as not to be disturbed by anyone or anything, it is better to pray in one’s own home, choosing a suitable place within it: ‘As for the place, it must be understood that any place is suitable for prayer, for those who pray as they ought to (καὶ περὶ τόπου δὲ ἰστέον ὅτι πᾶς τόπος ἐπιτήδειος εἰς τὸ εὔξασθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ καλῶς εὐχομένου γίνεται) [...]. So that everyone may offer their prayer in peace and without being disturbed (ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐφ᾽ ἡσυχίας μὴ περισπώμενον), each person may have a specific, chosen place in their own home, if possible, the most prominent place, so to speak, and there let us pray, whilst also carrying out a general examination (πρὸς τῷ καθολικῷ τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐξετάσεως ἐπισκοποῦντα) and an assessment as to whether, in the place set aside for prayer, any wrongdoing has been committed or anything done contrary to sound judgement (εἰ ἐν τῷδε τῷ τόπῳ, ᾧ εὔχεται, οὐ παρανενόμηταί ποτε καὶ παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον πεποίηται)’10 Cardinal Jean Daniélou sees this as evidence for the existence of oratories in private homes as early as the third century 11. In this context, Origen raises the question of the morality of praying in the place where the physical union between spouses (μίξις) takes place, insisting only that no wrongdoing should have occurred in the place where prayer is offered ‘for if he has done this, he has, in a sense, brought not only himself but also the place of his prayer into such a state that God’s gaze turns away from there (ὡς φυγεῖν ἐκεῖθεν τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν τοῦ θεοῦ)’12 Origen is not an advocate of severe and reckless asceticism, but recommends that married Christians fulfil the duties of marriage in an orderly manner, following entirely the teaching of Saint Paul the Apostle: ‘Here is another instruction on how we ought to pray: “Husbands and wives, do not deprive one another, except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and afterwards come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control’13”. It follows, therefore, from the above that prayer is not on the right path if the work of the ineffable mysteries of marriage is not observed as it ought to be and without passion; for good understanding between spouses dispels the disorder of the passions, quenches lusts and prevents Satan’s pernicious joy’14
Moving on from private prayer, Origen moves on to communal prayer, stating that that place of prayer ‘is pleasing and beneficial, where the faithful gather, where the angelic powers are also present at the gatherings of the faithful, and where the power (δύναμις) of our Lord and Saviour, and alongside this the spirit of the saints (πνευμά των ἁγίων), and I believe also that of those who have long since fallen asleep, as well as, of course, of those who are still alive, although it is not easy to show in what way’15. He concludes that ‘the most suitable place for prayer is where the saints gather, in the Church (ἐπὶ τῆς τῶν ἁγίων καὶ εὐλαβέστερον ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ)’16.
2. The time for prayer (χρόνος εἰς εὐχήν)
Following the Holy Apostle Paul, who recommends unceasing prayer to Christians (17), Origen teaches that we must pray continually, “regarding the whole of the Christian’s life as one unbroken and great prayer, of which what we commonly call ‘prayer’ is but a small part’18; by this he certainly means not prayer uttered with the lips, but a spiritual state of the Christian: ‘since the doing of good and the fulfilment of the commandments are part of prayer, we must understand that we cannot fail to combine prayer with good deeds and good deeds with prayer’18 Ordinary prayer, that which is spoken aloud, must be performed by the faithful ‘at least three times a day, as is evident from the story of Daniel, who prayed three times a day at a time when we know he was facing such great danger19’. And Peter’s prayer at the sixth hour, when he went up onto the roof to pray 20 and saw that vessel descending from heaven, which was set down on the earth by the four heads 21, marks the second of the three daily prayers of which David speaks: ‘In the morning You will hear my voice; in the morning I will stand before You, and You will see me’22, whilst the third, the last, is expressed in the words: ‘The lifting up of my hands is an evening sacrifice’23. But we would be acting improperly if we were to spend the night without prayer, since David says: ‘At midnight I rose to praise You, for Your righteous judgements’24; just as Paul, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles 25, prayed in Philippi together with Silas at midnight, and praised God, so that even those in prison heard them’26. Thus, some scholars of Origen’s writings have considered that the three daily prayers should be understood as follows: the first at midnight, the second before lunch, and the third in the evening; others have suggested the third, sixth and ninth hours 27. Of course, Origen does not assign these prayers to specific times, but what he clearly states is that we must pray unceasingly and not neglect our devotions both in the evening and at the break of dawn: ‘which seems to be taken from the Psalms, where it is written: “the lifting up of my hands, an evening sacrifice”. And likewise with regard to the passage: “I want men to pray in every place”’8
Following the example of the Saviour, the Eternal High Priest and unceasing Intercessor before the Father, we too must pray without ceasing: ‘He prays with those who pray and intercedes for those who intercede. Yet He does not pray as He would for His own household, for those who do not pray ceaselessly in His name, nor will He intercede before God on behalf of those who do not follow His instructions to pray at all times, without growing weary [...]. Who, amongst those who believe in the infallible word of Jesus, would not be moved to unceasing prayer, since He says: ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you’? 28. The gracious Father gives living bread to those who ask of the Father 29, and not a stone, which, according to the will of the adversaries, would be transformed into food for Jesus and His disciples—to those who have received the Spirit of adoption from the Father, ‘the Father gives His good gift to those who ask Him, just as He causes rain to fall from heaven’30.
3. On the posture which the one who prays ought to adopt (περὶ τοῦ σχήματος, ὃ δεῖ ἔχειν τὸν εὐχόμενον)
Origen refers to the spiritual state that must precede prayer using the term κατάστασις, whilst the outward attitude, position or posture is designated by the word σχῆμα. In this case, ‘the terminological distinction should not be understood too rigidly, but must be seen above all as a sign of Origen’s endeavour to highlight the work of prayer in all its fullness and, consequently, to illustrate the dynamics of prayer as a work involving both soul and body. Moreover, these two dimensions are already embedded in the biblical passage to which the Alexandrian constantly returns to establish his argument: namely, 1 Timothy 2:8–9, which, in his view, dictates the essential conditions for the person who prays”31. Origen seems particularly concerned with ensuring the correct inner conditions for the act of prayer, insisting on the need to ‘lift up the soul’, even before ‘lifting up one’s hands and eyes’5 This spiritual elevation is made possible by retreating into solitude, through an effort at inner concentration and detachment from the disturbances caused by thoughts, through remembrance of God and the consequent purification from all that is not in accordance with the divine, whilst maintaining a sense of forgiveness and love for all: ‘I believe that whoever is about to come to prayer, if they take a moment to collect their thoughts and prepare themselves, will then be more attentive and focused throughout the entire prayer. If we have cast aside every temptation and every disturbance of the mind, if we have, as far as possible, recalled the grandeur of the moment that is drawing near, if we are aware that it is inconsiderate to approach God with laziness, with indifference and, in a sense, with contempt, and if we have cast aside all extraneous concerns, well, let us come to prayer only in this way, stretching out our soul, as it were, before our hands and lifting our thoughts towards God; and, before rising from our knees, let us lift up our hearts, placing them before the Lord of all, holding no memory any longer of those who have wronged us, just as we wish that God Himself should not remember how often we have sinned against Him and against those closest to us, or how often we are aware that we have acted contrary to common sense”5
The best bodily posture during prayer is that with outstretched hands and eyes raised; Origen saw in this bodily posture the icon of the supplicant’s soul, yet unceasing prayer does not require a specific bodily posture, and circumstances may call for a different posture (σχῆμα): ‘We must not doubt that, of the countless postures our body can assume in prayer, that of outstretched hands and raised eyes is to be preferred above all others, for the body thus reflects the qualities that best suit the soul in prayer. We say this unless there are other circumstances that would contradict it. For, in certain circumstances, it is fitting to pray whilst seated, for example, due to an ailment of the legs that cannot be ignored, or even whilst lying down because of a fever or other such infirmities. At other times, due to circumstances, when, for example, we are at sea or our business affairs do not allow us to withdraw and offer the appropriate prayer, then we may pray without giving any indication that we are doing so’5 In other homilies, Origen likens the raising of the hands during prayer to the arms raised by Moses in prayer, which foreshadowed the arms of the Lord, crucified on the Cross: ‘Why do the demons fear? Why do they tremble? Surely, because of the cross of Christ […]. Behold, then, they are “seized with fear and trembling”, when they see the sign of the Cross firmly planted within us and ‘the majesty of those arms’, which the Lord stretched out on the Cross after saying: ‘At all times I have stretched out My hands to this unfaithful and hypocritical people’. They will not be afraid, nor will dread overtake them, unless they finally see this cross of Christ and if you can say: ‘Let me not boast, save in the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world is crucified to me and I to the world’ (Galatians VI, 14)’32. Praying with outstretched hands was not a new practice; it had been mentioned as far back as antiquity by the philosopher Aristotle, who wrote that ‘all men raise their hands to heaven whilst we pray’ (καὶ γὰρ πάντες ἄνθρωποι ἀνατείνομεν τὰς χεῖρας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εὐχὰς ποιούμενοι) 33, or by the orator Demosthenes: ‘raising my right hand and my left hand to all the Olympian gods and goddesses’ (θεοῖς Ὀλυμπίοις καὶ Ὀλυμπίαις πάντεσσι καὶ πάσαις, δεξιὰς καὶ ἀριστερὰς ἀνίσχοντας)34.
As regards kneeling (ἡ γονυκλισία), Origen states that it is fitting for a prayer of repentance, being a symbol of a humble person, but also a sign of the worship of God: ‘When we wish to confess our own sins before God, we must kneel and pray for deliverance from them and for their forgiveness. This posture is a symbol of a person who humbles and submits themselves, as Saint Paul says: ‘For this reason I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name’35. The spiritual act of bending the knees is so called because all things bow before God, in the name of Jesus, and everything that exists submits to Him. The Apostle seems to indicate this in the words: ‘That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth’36’37.
Chapter XXXII of Origen’s treatise On Prayer is devoted to the direction (κλίμα) towards which we must turn when we pray: ‘Who would not immediately recognise that the east shows us what we ought to ask for and that we ought to turn towards it, as a sign that the soul looks towards the rising of the true light (ὡς τῆς ψυχῆς ἐνορώσης τῇ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ φωτὸς ἀνατολῇ)?”38. It is always preferable to pray towards the east (ἀνατολή), not towards the west (δύσις): “And if, rationally speaking, the east is preferable, why should we not do the same everywhere?”38 These points are further reinforced in another homily by Origen, who writes: ‘For example, let us bend our knees in prayer, turning only towards the East, excluding any other part of the heavens so that our prayers may be heard” (Nam quod, verbi gratia, genua flectimus orantes, et quod ex omnibus coeli plagis ad solam orientis partem conversi orationem fundimus)39.
As regards appropriate attire during prayer, Origen urges modesty and simplicity: ‘Now, this is how we ought to pray: “I wish, therefore, that men should pray in every place, lifting up holy hands, without anger or hesitation. Likewise, women, in modest attire, adorning themselves with modesty and discretion, not with braided hair or with gold or pearls or costly garments, as is proper for women who profess godliness, adorning themselves with good deeds’”40
All the outward aspects of the believer during prayer are nothing other than a testimony to an awareness of the presence of God and the saints in prayer: ‘We can substantiate what has just been said on the basis of Holy Scripture as follows: It is fitting for the one who prays to raise ‘holy hands’6; this means that he will forgive everyone their sins 41, banishing from his soul the passion of anger and harbouring no envy towards anyone. Likewise, so that the mind is not dominated by extraneous thoughts, one must, whilst praying, forget everything that is not related to prayer. What could be more blissful than this? It is precisely this that Paul teaches us in his first epistle to Timothy, with the words: ‘I urge, then, that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without anger or disputing’6 As for women, they must be, especially in prayer, modest and pure both in spirit and in body, but, above all, they must be God-fearing, banishing from their hearts every unruly thought and every feminine inclination. Could the happiness of a woman who prepares for prayer in the manner indicated by her attire really be called into question?’42
In conclusion, external arrangements in the act of prayer serve only to lift up the eyes of the soul (οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τοῦ διανοητικοῦ) to such an extent that they no longer linger on earthly matters and are no longer burdened by worldly imaginings (φαντασία), reaching such a great height that, in effect, they no longer even see the things of this world, but fix their thoughts solely on God, whom they listen to with respect and reverence, being transformed in the same way from glory to glory (μεταμορφουμένους ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν), as it is written: ‘43’ (from the Spirit of the Lord).
The place, direction, time and posture of the person praying facilitate the sharing of divine grace, as the Psalmist explains when he says: ‘The light of Your countenance, O Lord, has shone upon us!’ 44. The lifting up of the soul towards the light of the Spirit signifies a turning away from bodily things, for from that moment on it not only follows the Spirit, but is also intimately united with God: ‘To You I lift up my soul’ (πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τὴν ψυχήν μου) 45. How, then, will he not renounce what is (τὸ εἶναι) in order to become a spiritual soul (ψυχή πνευματική γίνεται)? 46.
- 1
Psalm 141:2.
- 2
Romans 7:14.
- 3
Origen, Homilies on Numbers, I, 1, in Selected Writings. Part I: From the Exegetical Works on the Old Testament, translated by Rev. Prof. T. Bodogae, Rev. Prof. Nicolae Neaga and Zorica Lațcu, with an introductory study and notes by Rev. Prof. Teodor Bodogae, ‘PSB’ series, vol. 6, IBMBOR Publishers, Bucharest, 1981, p. 140.
- 4
Origen, On Prayer, XXXI, 1, in Selected Writings. Part II, translated by Rev. Prof. T. Bodogae, Rev. Prof. Nicolae Neaga and Zorica Lațcu, with an introductory study and notes by Rev. Prof. Teodor Bodogae, ‘PSB’ series, vol. 7, IBMBOR Publishers, Bucharest, 1982, p. 283.
- 5a5b5c5d
Origen, On Prayer, XXXI, 2, p. 284.
- 6a6b6c6d
1 Timothy 2:8.
- 7
The Wisdom of Solomon, Chapter 16, Verse 28.
- 8a8b
Origen, On Prayer, XXXI, 1, pp. 283–284.
- 9
Matthew 1:11.
- 10
Origen, On Prayer, XXXI, 4, p. 285.
- 11
Jean Daniélou, Origen, Éditions de la Table Ronde, Paris, 1948, p. 45.
- 12
Origen, On Prayer, XXXI, 4, pp. 285–286.
- 13
1 Corinthians 7:5.
- 14
Origen, On Prayer, II, 2, p. 202.
- 15
Origen, On Prayer, XXXI, 5, p. 286.
- 16
Origen, On Prayer, XXXI, 7, p. 288.
- 17
1 Thessalonians 5:17.
- 18a18b
Origen, On Prayer, XII, 2, p. 224.
- 19
Daniel 6:11–12.
- 20
Acts X, 9.
- 21
Acts X, 11.
- 22
Psalm V, 3.
- 23
Psalm 140:2.
- 24
Psalm 118:62.
- 25
Acts 16:25.
- 26
Origen, On Prayer, XII, 2, pp. 224–225.
- 27
See P.G. 11, 1647.
- 28
Luke 11:9.
- 29
Romans 8:15.
- 30
Matthew 4:3; Luke 11:11.
- 31
Lorenzo Perrone, Prayer According to Origen: The Gift of the Impossible, Ed. Morcelliana, Brescia, 2011, pp. 153–154.
- 32
Origen, Homilies on the Book of Exodus VI, VII, in the ‘PSB’ series, vol. 6, p. 102.
- 33
Aristotle, ‘Περὶ Κόσμου’ (On the Universe), 6, 400a, in Aristotle, On Sophistical Refutations. On Coming-to-be and Passing Away. On the Cosmos, ‘Loeb Classical Library’ series, no. 400, trans. Edward Seymour Forster and David John Furley, Harvard University Press, 1955, p. 400.
- 34
Demosthenes, Orations, 43: Against Macartatus, 66, in Demosthenes, Civil Orations, Volume II: Speeches XXXIX–XLVIII, text edited and translated by Louis Gernet, ‘Collection des Universités de France’, published by Les Belles Lettres, Paris, 1957, p. 117.
- 35
Ephesians 3:11–15.
- 36
Philippians 2:10.
- 37
Origen, On Prayer, XXXI, 3, pp. 284–285.
- 38a38b
Origen, On Prayer, XXXII, 1, p. 288.
- 39
Origen, Homilies on Numbers, V, 1, in Homélies sur les Nombres, I: Homilies I–X. Latin text by W. A. Baehrens (G.C.S.), new edition by Louis Doutreleau, S.J., based on the edition by André Méhat and the notes by Marcel Borret, S.J., coll. ‘Sources chrétiennes’, 415, Les Éditions du Cerf, Paris 1996, pp. 122–124.
- 40
Origen, On Prayer, II, 2, pp. 201–202.
- 41
Matthew 6:14.
- 42
Origen, On Prayer, IX, 1, pp. 217–218.
- 43
Origen, On Prayer, IX, 2, p. 218.
- 44
Psalm IV, 6.
- 45
Psalm XXIV, 1.
- 46
Origen, On Prayer, IX, 2, pp. 218–219.