I really feel as if I've "found" the Jesus prayer recently, and in the process of finding it was introduced to a lovely book called "Way of a Pilgrim." Simultaneously, I discovered that J.D.Salinger (famous of course for "Catcher in the Rye") used the book in his short novel "Franny and Zooey." So I read them both, "Pilgrim" and "Franny", back to back, and what a treat!!

"Way of a Pilgrim" was written by an anonymous Russian pilgrim in the 19th century, and is basically the story of a Russian peasant's discovery of and adventures with the Jesus prayer. A Russian holy man teaches him the Prayer as a way of carrying out the Biblical injunction to "pray at all times". He travels the length and breadth of Russia saying the Prayer to himself, visiting shrines and monasteries, meeting fellow travellers and sharing their experiences of the simple Prayer of the heart. It's a delightful book, warm, charming, full of wisdom and very affecting.

Then I read Salinger's "Franny and Zooey." Quite simply it tells the story of young Franny Glass and her own discovery of the Jesus Prayer in modern America. The Glass's are a family of seven chidren, sons and daughters of a pair of old Vaudiville stars, all of whom are gifted, pure, and, at various times, have starred in an American T.V. quiz show called Ask the Child. So they're not just a family of prodigies, they're a family of American prodigies. Franny is the youngest of the children and, along with her older brother, Zooey, has been educated in all the great spiritual treasures of the world by the two eldest brothers, Buddy, and the seer-like Seymour (see "Raise High the Roofbeams, Carpenters" and "Seymour:An Introduction.")

Anyway, Franny suffers a bit of a crisis through the book as she and Zooey explore the purity of her motives for saying the Jesus Prayer. (Is it not just another way of storing up treasure on earth like all the phoney egos they've known at college and in their life as actors and child stars?)

I feel such a strong connection with Franny, the way I did with Holden Caulfield when I read "Catcher . . ." 20 years ago, as a 15 year old. The Jesus prayer has brought me to tears and joy and a burning in my heart so strong I feel as if I can't bear all the beauty and pain in the world. I feel kind of raw and vulnerable but, at the same time, strong and filled with love, just like Franny. Wonderful to read a book, a couple of books, that are right with you where you are on the way.

"Franny . . . " has a lovely, hope filled ending too.

I wonder about Salinger, his interest in the Prayer, his practise of Zen in the solitude of . . . is it Vermont, somewhere up that direction, his hermit like existence. He just seems right on the ball spiritually, and in his explorations of how modern America treats the pure of heart, so affecting.

All very interesting, Stephen. I was not aware of Salinger's connection with the Jesus prayer. His books have certainly introduced some interesting literary characters to the culture, so it's intriguing to think that the Jesus prayer had some influence in his life and, perhaps, his imagination.

Stephen,

Other than Thomas Merton, Salinger was a major connection to mystical Christianity in popular literature. People who might not have a single Christian book on their shelf may have a copy
of Franny and Zooey amongst their countercultural
literature. Such was the case with my last girlfreind, who is a Christian now and hopefully my last experiment with "missionary dating."