Three Prayers

In this important work, Oliver Clement comments on three traditional prayers. The first, which is known to us all, is the "Our Father." The author's intention is to discern, within the depths of the text itself, a Trinitarian revelation, the ways of communion--the "prayer of fire" of which St John Cassian spoke.

There follow two other prayers that are familiar in the Eastern tradition: first the prayer of the Holy Spirit ("O Heavenly King") which, in the Byzantine rite, precedes any liturgical action, and on a more personal level, any work of reflection or witness. It celebrates the tremendous Breath of God which conveys to us the resurrected life. Finally, the "Prayer of St Ephrem," is characteristic of the services of Great Lent and sums up the interior struggle for trust, humility and respect for others.

About the Author: Oliver Clement is an Orthodox writer and theologian. He is on the faculty of the St Sergius Institute in Paris, France. He is also the author of Conversations with Patriarch Bartholomew I, published by SVS Press.