A spiritual workout: St. Gregory of Narek

The purpose of this exercise is to examine and reflect on the writings of one of our great Church Fathers, the mystic, St. Gregory of Narek (951-1003).  Afterwards, your group will make an attempt at mysticism.  The prayer is from his book, "Speaking with God from the Depths of the Heart."

I am a living book,
written like the scroll in the vision of Ezekiel, inside and out,
listing lamentations, moaning and woe.
I am a city without walls or towers,
a house empty without doors for protection,
salt in looks but without taste,
salty water, unfit for drinking to quench the thirst,
land, unfit for cultivation,
field, barren and covered with briars.
My personal acres, cared for by God,
but formerly cultivated by the devices of the Slanderer,
an olive tree that is wood without fruit,
trees that do not bear fruit to be cut down,
a hopeless, twice dead, talking plant,
a completely burnt out candle that cannot be lit.

—Prayer 39

For discussion

1. What are the images St. Gregory uses to describe himself? For example, he says he is a "living book;" just look for the simple image, not the elaborations.
2. How does he elaborate on each image? (Now discuss the phrases that follow each simple image.)
3. What would you say his mood is?
4. What was the most powerful image for you?

Assignment

Now you are going to become mystics.  Start your prayer like this "Lord I am …" and communicate five images of yourselves as you feel right now.  First a simple image, then follow with a bit of elaboration. For example: "Lord, I am a budding rose -- a flower in a big garden, soft and bright and all ready inside to bloom."  Or "Lord, I am a dull book -- filled with pages and pages of rambling stuff that no one's going to care about in ten years." And so on.