May 16, 2021
Seventh Sunday after Pascha. Sunday of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, Tone 6; our Venerable Father Theodore the Sanctified, Disciple of Saint Pachomius (364)
Acts 20:16-18, 28-36; John 17:1-13
Read John 17:1-13
“When Jesus had spoken these words, He lifted up his eyes to heaven and said…”
Something to be said about lifting one’s eyes to heaven before one begins to pray. Why? What’s the point? God is everywhere.
We raise our eyes to heaven for two reasons:
1) We are orienting ourselves towards someone higher than us. God is our Creator. He is superior to us (infinitely so) and so we look up to Him.
2) Before we begin praying, we remind ourselves to Whom we shall pray. It is a good exercise to take a few seconds and enter into the presence of the One to whom we shall speak.
Instead of just saying prayers, it is better if we say prayers to Someone.