Ephraim the Syrian Liturgy prayers

The prayers of Ephraim the Syrian have been brought to the Lord by Christians around the world for over a thousand six hundred years. His interpretations of the Holy Scriptures and writings of ascetic character became a model of theological literature. There is hardly a believing person who would not read his famous prayer in the days of Lent. But what do we know about the author of these lines?

The earthly life of St. Ephraim the Syrian

One of the greatest teachers of the church, the holy Monk Ephraim the Syrian was born in Mesopotamia in the city of Nisibia at the very beginning of the 4th century. It so happened that the father of the future outstanding Christian theologian was a pagan priest. For the adherence of his son to the teachings of Christ, he drove him out of the house. From the scant information that have come down to us, it appears that in his youth the Monk Ephraim was distinguished by his irritability and temper tantrum. In general, his inclinations could not be called positive.

Once he even ended up in prison on charges of stealing sheep. How justified these accusations were, it is now difficult to judge, but it is known that in this gloomy place he suddenly experienced a deep internal fracture. At some point he was honored to hear the voice of God addressed to him. It is not known what exactly the Lord spoke, but since that time the youth has completely changed.

Becoming a disciple of Bishop Jacob, later ranked as a saint and now known under the name of St. Jacob of Nisibi, the Monk Ephraim studied the Scriptures. Distinguished by his outstanding abilities and diligence, he early embarked on the path of a preacher of the teachings of Christ. In addition to preaching, one of his duties was to teach children in the spiritual school. During 14 years the monk was in the reign of St. James in obedience.

The pastoral ministry of St. Ephraim the Syrian

After the death of the teacher, after betraying his body to a Christian burial, he retired from the world, settling in the mountains, where he led an ascetic life, indulging in fasting and prayers. Such a life he led, until in 363, after a long siege, Nisibia was not captured by the Persians. Since then, the saint has settled on a mountain near Edessa, where he teaches the people and preaches Christianity. The Monk Ephraim the Syrian completed his earthly life in 373, refusing shortly before his death from the episcopal miter offered to him by Saint Basil the Great.

Theological works of St. Ephraim the Syrian

Executed truly Christian humility, the Monk Ephraim the Syrian in his letters speaks of himself as a man not a scientist, but many of his contemporaries paid tribute to his vast erudition and knowledge.

He wrote a huge number of serious theological works. Among them, the main place is occupied by his interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, translated during the author's life into Greek and read by a wide circle of adherents of the Christian faith.

The prayers of Ephraim the Syrian, also translated into different languages, are still heard in the temples. According to the testimony of the ancient historian Photius, the feather of the monk owns more than 1,000 works. In addition, he owns a large number of poems written on subjects related to the teaching of the church. These poems, laid on a musical basis, taken from folk tunes, were performed throughout the country.

Preacher and Enlightener

The analysis of his works testifies to the wide erudition of the Monk Ephraim the Syrian. They reveal the author's acquaintance not only with the works of Christian authors, but with the works of Greek philosophers, with pagan mythology and, what is very important, with the fundamentals of a new science for those times - natural science. It is known that speaking with sermons, he constantly stressed the need for knowledge, which, he said, is "above wealth". The prayers of Ephraim the Syrian, besides a deep spiritual and moral foundation, also have a high poetic syllable. They constituted a significant part of his creative heritage.

Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian for Lent

Of all the works of the monk, the prayers he composed are most famous. In them, with extraordinary brilliance, revealed his talent. The Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, the text of which is reproduced on this page, is perhaps the most famous of all written by him. What is the cause of the amazing, mysterious effect of prayer, penetrating into the very heart? First of all, the sincerity with which it is written. It comes from a soul that is purified and filled with holiness, and is born of a mind enlightened by the Divine Grace. This small-sized prayer contains an inexhaustible wealth of thought and feeling.

Features of Lenten Prayer

Its characteristic feature is, first of all, that the Monk Ephraim, as a gift of God, asks for no earthly blessings, no help in solving everyday problems and not even health and strength, but asks him to cleanse him of the evil principle inherent in every person. Asks to save from sinful motives and to make it come true to Christian virtues.

Why does he ask this from God? The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is an instruction for that category of people who are accustomed in everything to rely only on themselves. They blindly hope to achieve what they want, relying solely on the strength of their minds. Sometimes they set themselves really high and noble goals, striving for spiritual growth and moral perfection. But these people are unable to comprehend that there is much in the world that is not subject to human will and forces and is impossible without the grace-filled help of God. Such errors were often held in pre-Christian, pagan times. These days, unfortunately, they are also relevant.

Getting rid of the spirit of idleness and despondency

The prayer of the Monk Ephrem the Syrian begins with a request for deliverance from the "spirit of idleness". Why this is the beginning of an appeal to God? Probably because, according to the well-known expression, "idleness is the mother of all vices." This truth is beyond doubt. It is idleness that often gives rise to sinful thoughts in people, and those, in turn, incarnate in deeds leading to the death of the soul.

Then the deliverance from the "spirit of despair" asks God for the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian. Lent is a period marked by sadness and tearful repentance in committed sins. But this in no way should cause a penitent person to be depressed. Discouragement in church canons is a grave sin, because it is born of disbelief in charity and God's help. In addition, the consequence of despondency is the decline of strength, which does not allow you to fight with passions and addictions.

Getting rid of the spirit of celibacy and idle talk

The prayer of the Monk Ephrem the Syrian does not disregard such a human defect as the "spirit of lust control". This is the next request addressed to the Almighty. Lubovachalelie means love to rule, to command others. This pernicious passion was ruined once by the archangel Dennitsu, the head of all angels. Filled with thirst for unlimited power, he was cast out of heaven and converted to Satan. There are a lot of similar examples in the Bible. The same passion lies at the basis of the activity of all heretics who wished and desired to substitute true Christian teaching with their own and become the head of the Church.

Next, we are talking about the "spirit of idle talk," this vice, which is inherent in so many people. Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian asks the Lord to grant deliverance from him. Often the word has great power. Ability to the word, as an expression of thought and intention, a person is like God. A word is both a creator and a destroyer. Often it survives for many centuries the one who pronounced it. The word is a great gift from God, and a frivolous, irresponsible approach to it is a grave sin, to rid it and pray to God the Reverend.

On the gift of the spirit of chastity and humility

As he raised his petitions for deliverance from pernicious passions, the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian also asks for the bestowal of virtues. The first of these is the spirit of chastity. It is necessary to understand this in the broadest sense - chastity physical and spiritual. Having established the sacrament of marriage and thus blessed the union of man and woman, the Church condemns debauchery in all its manifestations. Even thoughts about him desecrate the soul. Conscious of human infirmity, the monk calls for help to God.

There is another important virtue, the petition of which is addressed to the Lord by Ephraim the Syrian. Lent is a time of repentance, and it is impossible without deep humility. It is the "spirit of humility" that the Reverend asks to send. Humility should be understood as unquestioning obedience to the will of God. This is a very important point. The Beatitudes commandments begin with the mention of "poor in spirit," that is, humble, and they are promised the Kingdom of Heaven.

On the gift of the spirit of patience and love

Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian among other virtues mentions and "spirit of patience". It will certainly be needed for self-improvement and spiritual growth. The works of the holy fathers of the church testify to the fact that only by great patience and labor they managed to reach spiritual heights.

Then comes the petition for the gift of "the spirit of love." The greatest example of love was revealed to us by Jesus Christ. All of his earthly ministry and the suffering of the cross are an endless preaching of love. "Love one another!" - was his commandment given to the disciples. The Holy Apostle Paul in his message to the Corinthians stressed that with all our virtues without love we are nothing.

On the awareness of one's sins and the non-judgment of others

Particularly heartfelt are the words that complete the Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian. Her text at the end contains a petition for sending the gift to see its own sins and not condemn one's neighbor. This, in truth, is a great gift, and very few people have it. As a rule, we are strict in relation only to others.

We mercilessly condemn their actual or even imaginary sins. And at the same time, we are very lenient about our own misconduct. The appeal to this topic gives the prayer a completely new spiritual and moral color and raises it above the general level of religious writings of this kind.

The prayers of Ephraim the Syrian from anger and weight loss

The name of the Monk Ephrem the Syrian, thanks to his theological works and prayers, whose author he is, is widely known throughout the world. The Russian Orthodox Church honors him. The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian in the Church Slavonic language sounds especially poetic. She is dedicated to one of Pushkin's best poems.

In addition to his Lenten prayer, which was discussed in this article, prayers are often heard under the arches of the temples directly addressed to him. Among them, the most famous prayer is Ephraim the Syrian with anger. In it they ask the Lord for the bestowal of faith, love and piety. Ask them to protect them with the prayers of the saint from anger, malice and all evil created in the world.

Another, no less well-known prayer is the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian for weight loss. In it, as in the previous prayer, they ask the saint not to leave them with their help and to implore the Lord God to send them mercy and help in all matters of life.

More than sixteen centuries separate us from those days when the Monk Ephrem the Syrian lived and worked. During his lifetime he was called the "Syrian prophet." This indicates a deep respect for his contemporaries. And through the centuries the voice of this true Christian and humanist continues to sound.