The Name
God, be merciful to me, a sinner.
The tax collector's prayer, which Jesus said was heard when the long, impressive prayer beside it was not. Seven words became, in the deserts of Egypt, the Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me), the oldest continuous contemplative practice in Christianity. Prayed slowly on the breath, thousands of times, it sinks from the lips to the mind to the heart and becomes the background sound of attention. It is also the answer to what to do with thoughts: return to the Name, every time, gently.
Today's practice
Pray the Jesus Prayer on the breath for twenty minutes: "Lord Jesus Christ" breathing in, "have mercy on me" breathing out. Carry it into the day: in queues, in the car, between things.
The fast · a full day
Sunset to sunset: no food from last night's supper until supper tonight. Water and salt. When hunger comes, pray the Name through it.
By the calendar, today is Day ?.