Eucharist and prayer of the heart
Article summary proposed by the Contacts review with LLM assistance
This article by Father Boris Bobrinskoy, drawn from a paper delivered at the Saint Sergius Institute in 2007, examines the relationship between the Eucharist and the prayer of the heart in the Orthodox tradition. Rooted in long-held personal theological reflection, it draws on the Church Fathers, the Philokalia, and contemporary theologians such as Afanassieff, Schmemann, and Staniloae. The central idea is that these two spiritual realities, far from being opposed, share an organic complementarity articulated around three dimensions: exclusive, inclusive, and apostolic. The article shows that the prayer of the heart possesses an implicit Trinitarian structure and that the Eucharist cannot be reduced to its communal dimension. Its theological contribution lies in the integration of hesychasm within ecclesial and sacramental life, their common purpose being the dispensation of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
This article has not been translated yet — it is available in its French version here.
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