„Rugăciunea De Foc” a Sfântului Ioan Casian și mișcarea Rugului Aprins: Premise pentru un „isihasm laic”
„The Prayer of fire” of Saint John Cassian and the movement of The Burning Bush: starting point for a „secular hesychasm”

Summary/Abstract: The image of the burning bush from The Book of Exodus chapter 3 has been interpreted by The Holy Fathers in a Christological way, as an image of Incarnation from Virgin Mary, but as well as an image of hesychast prayer. On this regard, Saint John Cassian reminds of the `prayer of fire` as the highest level of prayer, known by few but whichproves to be the result of an hesychast tradition of the Egyptian desert, of the fourth century. This is why there are images of the prayer of fire presented in the Paterikon, at different fathers and in some stories without being named as prayer of fire. These passages are similar to the description made by Saint John Cassian. Developed by the Fathers of the 14th century, the hesychast prayer becomes the centre of the clerical/spiritual life for the entire Eastern Christianity. The hesychast prayer has spread in the majority of the orthodox countries after the appearance of Philokalia (1782). In our country, the hesychasm appeared early through the writings of Saint Basil from The Glade of the Apple (Poiana Mărului) and Saint Paisie from Neamț (XVIIIth century) and later through the translation of Philokalia by priest Dumitru Stăniloae, beginning with the year of 1946. Along this, an important part to thespread of hesychasm on the Romanian territory, was played by The Movement of the Burning Bush (1945-1948), which started at The Antim Monastery and trained in the art of orthodox spirituality the intellectuals of Bucharest and others. The urge addressed by Saint Apostle Paul to Thessalonians: „Pray constantly” (I Thessalonians 5, 17), and also the calling to holiness addressed to all people (Mathew 5, 48), the secular hesychast model exemplified by Saint Nicolas Cabasilas, ruler Neagoe Basarab, „the Russian pilgrim” and the Movement of the Burning Bush,represent enough proof for the existence of a secular hesychasm. Starting from these confessions we consider being of imperative importance that the spiritual revival of the actual society to begin with the „Prayer of Christ”.

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