Perfect hypostatic prayer was the prayer of the Lord in Gethsemane, by which He ministered unto the salvation of the entire world for all ages. In his personal repentance and struggle against the passions, man lives the tragedy of the whole world. Prayer forms man into a hypostatic being, who encompasses both uncreated and created Being in love. Perceiving the wretched state of the whole earth, the Christian struggles to reject the intrusive thought that prayer for the world has remains without result. However, according to the testimony of the Saints, this prayer is the ‘sustaining power’ that keeps the world from destruction. Moreover, it constitutes an expression of the mystery of Christ’s self-emptying love. It preserves the knowledge of God’s will for universal salvation from being extinguished upon earth. It proclaims the terrible Economy that Christ wrought to reconcile God and man. It proves His great and incomprehensible mercy. This is hypostatic prayer in the lives of the Saints. An equally perfect type of hypostatic prayer is the bloodless sacrifice offered in the Divine Liturgy. During its celebration, the work of Christ’s crucifixion is extended throughout history, and the faithful are given the opportunity to exchange their small life for the infinite life of God.

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