"Prayer that is strong, that has purpose, that has meaning, is prayer offered from all the heart, all the mind, all the soul, all the strength. This is the prayer of love. Every prayer offered to God that lacks these four sources - heart, soul, mind, and strength - will result in monotony and dreariness..."
"...The concept of union occupies a very lofty place in Orthodox thought. Union with the Holy Trinity is, indeed, foundational to Orthodoxy. However, it is sometimes misunderstood by certain theologians (who study without spiritual understanding) that union is the end of the road. That is, they teach that after we pray a lot, and fast a lot, and spend a very long time in asceticism, then we will achieve union with God. No, beloved; union can occur from the age of three or four, if only you are taught to stand and pray before God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength."
+ Fr Matthew the Poor, "On Love" in "Words for our Time" (Chesterton: Conciliar Press, 2012) 65-67
