THE Catch wrestling. Father Dionysios Tabakis.

THE Catch wrestling. Father Dionysios Tabakis.

THE KATS of prayer

Father Dionysios Tabakis

WHEN we were little, we were told not to pet little kittens too much so as not to make them goatish.

I don't know how much etymological connection "katsiazo" has with the sport KATS (freestyle wrestling), but indeed if we observe KATS in prayer, we will see miraculous results.

-And what does this KATS indicate?

1st The "K" is effort.

Our prayer should not be incessant, but should be accompanied by as many additional repentances as we can.

2nd The "A" indicates love.

 Whatever good we ask of the Theotokos, let us turn it to the side sound of love and let us ask for the whole world, friends and enemies. And so from “me” let us go to “us” in the great family.

3rd The “T” is humility. 

Let us not ask God with a haughty tone and interlocutor as if we were going to co-sign some mutual contract with God, but let us say in our prayer words of self-reproach such as … “me the wretched, the wretched, the scumbag, the beastly, the unrepentant, the incorrigible” and others…

and 4th The “S” means that before every prayer we should learn to say an apology. This apology has a very concentrated repentance in it.  Before we ask for something, let's say "sorry" for what we lack.

For example, do you ask Christ to give you health? Say: "Forgive us, Lord, that even though I had my health for so many years, I did not use it for Your glory."

Or do you want your child to shine? Say 

"I'm sorry, Lord, that for so many years I was not a good parent, but you shone on my child," and so on.

Let us observe this KATS and then we will cast out the evil demons.