On this Good Friday, our choice of weekly music is a contemplation of the Name of Jesus in the Hebrew language. Many believe that the sacred Names of God and the Names and titles of the Christ which can be found in the Scriptures are more powerful when spoken or sung in the original languages of the Bible (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic).

In mystical traditions of Christianity, and especially in the Eastern Orthodox churches, a special prayer exists of a single line that is repeated hundreds of times by the practitioner as a meditation of the heart: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Κύριε Ιησού Χριστέ, Υιέ του Θεού, ελέησον ημάς.”

Known as the “Jesus Prayer” or the “Unceasing Prayer,” its origin is believed to be among the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers—the early Christian monks and ascetics who lived in Wadi El Natrun in Egypt, an area that still houses some of the oldest monasteries remembering the sojourn of the holy family in Egypt.

Reciting either the full prayer or simply the Name of Jesus, as the mystic knows, will give profound peace.

Harpa Dei is a sacral music ensemble constituted of four siblings who have brought out some very beautiful and unique pieces of sacred liturgy.

Related:

Harpa Dei Homepage

Harpa Dei YouTube Channel

Jesus Prayer on Wikipedia

Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers on Wikipedia

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