Many times in his life, the Elder would tell the following parable. Once, a leaf was asked, "Are you a rose?" "No, I am not," said the leaf. "Then why do you smell like a rose?" "I am just a leaf; however, at one time I stood next to a rose with the grace of God.

All those people whom the Elder remembered so much in his prayers were meant to preserve and transmit his "fragrance," because they too, at some point, like the leaf, stood with God's grace next to a rose.

We do not need a formal prayer. We need a continuous presence of the heart, this eternal state of love, this relationship with God; this is the essence of prayer. For even a deep silence signifies deep prayer. And deep prayer means deep silence.

Every moment can be a useful time, and every sigh can become a prayer. A sigh is not: Phew!, but a breath that comes from the depths of the heart and is directed towards God. Thus, He will reveal Himself to us. For He does not reveal Himself to a sharpened mind, but only to one who has a pure heart, to one whose heart is constantly turned towards Him…