The Irish Catholic Hermit

  The Soul’s Great Journey: From the Clay of Egypt to the Light of the Promised Land Ah sure, gather round, and let me spin ye a yarn about life, faith, and the long road to Paradise. You see, the grandest bunch of books in the Old Testament is the Pentateuch , a mouthful of a word the Greeks gave us, meaning “five scrolls.” These are the tales of Moses—Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—a bit like a storyteller with chapters, one rolling into the next. They tell of a people, the Israelites, taken from their homeland, brought to Egypt, and made slaves to Pharaoh. But God Himself stepped in, leading them through the sands of the desert and back to the Promised Land. Now, why’s all this carry such weight? Sure, it’s not just history for the sake of it. It’s a tale dripping with meaning for anyone trying to follow the hard road of the soul to Paradise. God’s mighty hand is plain to see in it, but there’s more to it than that—it mirrors the spiritual journey of ever...

All the Things this Sacred Prayer Is T his is the divine prayer of our Saviour, the holy epiclesis: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." This sacred invocation is not only a prayer but also a vow and a profound confession of faith. It calls down the Holy Spirit and grants divine blessings. It purifies the heart, repels demons, and allows Christ to dwell within us. It is a source of spiritual insight, redeeming us from sin and bringing healing to both soul and body. It grants divine illumination and becomes a wellspring of God’s mercy, ushering in revelation and divine mystery through humility. This prayer is our sole salvation, for in it is the name of our God, the only name given for salvation—Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As the Apostle declares, there is no salvation in any other (Acts 4:12). I t is a prayer because through it we seek God’s mercy. It is a vow because, in calling upon Christ, we offer ourselves to Him. It is a confession, for Peter wa...

D o not lose heart, O soul, do not grieve.  P ronounce not over yourself a final judgement for the multitude of your sins.  D o not commit yourself to fire.  D o not say the Lord has cast me from His face.  S uch words are not pleasing to God.  C an it be that one who is fallen cannot get up?  C an it be that he who is turned away cannot turn back again?  D o you not hear how kind the father is to a prodigal?  D o not be ashamed to turn back and say boldly, “I will arise and go to my father.”  A rise, and go!   H e will accept you and not reproach you but rather rejoice at your return.  H e awaits you, just do not be ashamed and do not hide from the face of God as Adam did. I t was for your sake that Christ was crucified.  S o, will he cast you aside?  H e knows who oppresses us.  H e knows that we have no other help but him alone.  C hrist knows that man is miserable.  D o not give yourself up in despa...

A ll the dead will rise at the sound of the trumpet and praise the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Resurrector of their bodies. O Father who formed Adam out of the dust. O Son who by Your cross saved the race of Adam from destruction, resurrect me and appoint me to be at Your right hand, so that I may praise Your name. I worship You, O Christ our Saviour. Y ou are the resurrector and saviour of all the deceased who were baptized in Your name and confessed Your cross and death. B lessed be Christ who has promised life and resurrection to the offspring of Adam in the day of His coming. W e also will rise and praise Him with all the saints who have been pleasing to Him. Glory to You. B y Your resurrection You granted the human race the hope of life and resurrection. W e offer You praise, because You are the resurrector of all flesh. Y ou mortals, glorify and praise Him who through His death did away with the authority of death and promised the mortal race life and resurrection. ...

  O Sun of righteousness by which the righteous have beheld their own selves and become a mirror for their generations, open up within me the gate to awareness of You; grant me a joyful mind, one which sails above the rocks of error, until I may reach that serene abode, as did our Fathers of old who pleased You with their discerning lives.  S anctify me by Your Mysteries, illumine my mind with knowledge of You, make Your hope to shine out in my heart, hold me worthy to supplicate for it, O God my Father and Lord of my life; illumine Your lamp within me, place in me what belongs to You so that I may forget what belongs to myself.  C ast upon me the constraint of wonder at You, so that the constraint of nature may be overpowered by it.   S tir up within me the vision of Your Mysteries so that I may become aware of what was placed in me at holy baptism.  Y ou have placed within me a Guide: may He show me Your glory at all times.  Y ou made me to be light ...

  O sinner, at long last, take heed to your salvation. I solate yourself, and gather your thoughts and tell yourself, "How much time have you wasted nourishing the passions of your flesh and imagination, and what gain has it afforded you? W hat have you achieved by this? W oe to me, my soul, what a state we have attained, what chaos. S ee everyone near me is ornamented with virtues and sincerely fears God, but I only walk in the dark. I n the early morning I repent of my actions, yet shortly thereafter I do even worse misdeeds. T he Lord has granted me strength and good health and woe I take this for granted and bring upon me the wrath of my Maker. O my soul, why are you so apathetic? W hy are you so reckless? F or you cannot remain here forever. W hen the end comes, the Lord will dispatch His angels to retrieve you and you will have to leave this world whether you want to or not. S o then, O man, in the end confess your great distress, and cease contradictin...

A prayer of our holy father St. Isaac the Syrian L ord Jesus Christ, my God: Thou didst weep for Lazarus and shed tears of sorrow and compassion for him. Accept my bitter tears also. H eal my passions through the suffering of Thine holy Passion. Heal the wounds of my soul through the wounds which Thou didst suffer. C leanse my blood with Thine holy blood and unite my body with the fragrance of Thy life-giving body. May the gall which Thou wast given to drink by Thine enemies sweeten my soul from the bitterness that the devil has given me to taste. M ay Thy most-holy body that was stretched upon the Cross elevate my mind, which has been lowered unto the earth by the demons. M ay Thy most-holy head, which Thou didst bow upon the Cross raise my head, which has been humiliated by the opposing demonic powers. M ay Thy most-holy hands which were nailed to the Cross by the transgressors raise me to Thee from the depth of destruction, just as Thy most-holy mouth hast promised. M ay Thy face w...