Great Prayer of Lent
Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk. (Bow to the ground)
Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, Your servant. (Bow to the ground)
Hey, Lord, King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever. Amen. (Bow to the ground)
God, cleanse me, a sinner. ( 12 times , with bows from the waist)
(The prayer is read in full again with one bow to the ground at the end).
- My life is my life;
- Give - give;
- Yes, Lord - Oh, Lord;
- Grant me vision - let me see, realize;
- Yako - because;
- Yes - yes.
The Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is a prayer of repentance, compiled in the 4th century. by St. Ephraim the Syrian (Syrian), which is read at the services of Great Lent.
During Lent, this prayer is read in church during the Hours on Wednesday and Friday of Cheese Week and throughout Holy Pentecost, except Saturdays and Sundays; also in the first three days of Holy Week. On these same days, it is included in the home prayer rule. On Saturdays and Sundays this prayer is not read.
On Great Wednesday at the end of the liturgy on “Be the name of the Lord...” the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian is read for the last time. Special services for Holy Week begin.
During the Nativity Fast, prayer to St. Ephraim the Syrian is read on days when daily worship is performed, which is not marked in the Typikon with a sign. See Typikon. Monthly words: November 14.
The path to a new life is repentance
Although Ephraim the Syrian was born and raised by Christian parents, in his youth he was not distinguished by fear of God and humility. He himself admitted that he often committed unseemly acts, was distinguished by rudeness and irritability, often undeservedly offended people verbally and physically, and was also not without many vices.
It is difficult to say how his fate would have turned out if one day, having found himself in an emergency situation, in a dream he had not heard a voice that invited him to weigh and evaluate everything that he had done and the condition of the people whom he had offended.
The thoughts of Ephraim the Syrian led to deep repentance, after which he became a hermit and mourned his sins for the rest of his life, for which he received the name “teacher of contrition.”
For those who want to take the righteous path, repenting of their sins, the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian will help, which is read during Great Lent (reading begins a week before the start of fasting - on Tuesday of Cheese Week) until Great Wednesday of Holy Week, except Saturday and Sunday, which is why it is often called Lenten.
Why is this prayer read during services during Lent?
The authorship of the prayer belongs to the great Christian ascetic, St. Ephraim the Syrian.
At one time, Ephraim was called to serve God by a special intervention from above - Supernatural Revelation.
Until this time, he led a rather frivolous, morally free life. One day he was imprisoned on a false charge of complicity in the theft of cattle, which, in reality, were stolen by wild wolves.
Here he was visited by a certain mysterious husband, who testified that although he, Ephraim, was currently being held in a cell undeservedly, there was still the highest justice in this.
The husband advised him to think and refresh his memory, after which the prisoner Ephraim, following the advice, remembered how once, for the sake of reckless fun and youthful prank, he released a cow that belonged to a poor man from the pen. As a result, the cow was overtaken by a predatory beast, which is why the already difficult, sorrowful life of the poor man was filled with additional difficulties and suffering.
Then the culprit was not punished.
Ephraim was then promised by the same husband that justice would prevail in the case for which he was accused, and that is what happened. The true criminal was identified and punished (he turned out to be a shepherd who did not keep track of the flock), and Ephraim was released.
After this incident, he began to look differently at his personal life and at Divine Providence in general, and then, putting aside the bustle of the world, he turned to asceticism.
The theme of deep repentance and gratitude to God for all His mercies was experienced in the saint’s heart throughout his entire life.
The special humble, repentant attitude characteristic of a true follower of Christ is expressed by him in the prayer known by his name.
This prayer, although brief, at the same time succinctly and expressively reflects some of the most important petitions with which believers, aware of their spiritual poverty, striving to overcome passions and vices, need to turn to their Lord, the Giver of life and all blessings (James 1). :17).
It is appropriate to read it during fasting days because during this period a Christian must make special efforts to transform his life. But this is achievable only with the assistance of God (John 15:5). Therefore, we pray to Him for forgiveness, we ask for help in those, in particular, petitions that are outlined in the text of the prayer of St. Ephraim.
What is special about prayer?
Saint Ephrem does not simply ask to be delivered from a certain type of sin, but mentions the spirit of passions. It’s like being uprooted so that not even the spirit (trace) remains inside. Do not tie up the adversary who is dragging you into a fall, but cast him out forever.
This indicates a deeper cleansing. Therefore, during fasting, a prayer of repentance is read, calling on God to deliver human nature irrevocably enslaved to sin, to free it from the harmful demonic bonds forever (crucify the flesh).
Note: Many works have been written about the penitential text: by saints, priests, saints, even A.S. Pushkin. Our article gives the briefest explanation. Those who want to comprehend the full depth are advised to turn to more worthy sources.
Why is this prayer read during services during the Nativity Fast?
A clergyman’s handbook: “Comparing the Lenten service with the service of the Nativity Fast, it should be noted that according to the Church Charter, on some of its days it is necessary to sing “Alleluia,” that is, the structure of the service on these days exactly corresponds to the Lenten one: the hours, the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, bows.
In total, according to the Charter, “Alleluia” is supposed to be sung eleven times during the Nativity Fast: November 19, 26 and 29 and December 1, 2, 3, 8, 14, 16, 18 and 19. Divine services on these days, as well as during Lent, are essentially repentant in nature.
During the Nativity Fast there are also a number of solemn services. The alternation of holiday and penitential days is the essential feature of the divine service of the Nativity Fast, distinguishing it from other days of the church year, and especially from Great Lent.”
What do the words mean: “do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk”? Is the Lord really the giver of the spirit of sins and passions?
Nowadays, we often hear: if God is holy and omnipotent, why do sinners commit sins; Why is the world filled with lawlessness and evil? Is God not holy enough or omnipotent enough? The above-mentioned words of the prayer of St. Ephraim may cause even greater bewilderment if we take them with rough literalism.
What can you answer to this? God is the most perfect Spirit in Himself (John 4:24), absolute Good, and of course, He never pushes anyone to sin.
Considering this, we, at the same time, must understand that everything that happens in the kingdom of creation, including countless atrocities, is not done without Divine will.
In the will of God, two aspects should be distinguished: favor and permission. The Lord loves good, always favors it, always promotes everything good: thoughts, thoughts, deeds.
As for lawlessness, its God, as absolutely Holy (Lev.20:26), hates evil (Ps.44:8).
Strange as it may seem, the possibility of committing sins is inherent in human nature by the Creator Himself. For what?
If a person did not have this opportunity, he would not be able to consciously and freely decide for good. And without this, he could not become righteous: after all, righteousness is based and formed on a voluntary, but not forcibly imposed, desire for Good.
Testing the freedom of human will, God allows a person to commit evil deeds (to the extent that he considers it appropriate), both through temptation from evil spirits and through arbitrary initiative.
Therefore, when we, following St. Ephraim, ask the Lord “not to give” us the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk, we ask, in essence, to reduce the measure of that allowance, as a result of which we, as morally free, have the opportunity commit this type of sin.
At the same time, we pray to the Lord of life for gracious assistance in order to be able to resist temptations or, if they arise, to successfully overcome them.
In the same sense, one should understand the well-known petition from the Lord’s Prayer: “and do not lead us into temptation.”
Great Prayer of Lent by Ephraim the Syrian - Interpretation of Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)
Other appeals to the saint
On the day of remembrance of the saint (February 10), the troparion, kontakion, magnification, and akathist are sung at services.
Troparion
Voice 8
With the streams of your tears you have cultivated the barren land, /
and those who from the depths of sighs bore fruit in a hundred labors, /
and you were the lamp of the universe, /
shining miracles, Ephraim, our father, pray to Christ God to save our souls.
pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.
Voice 8
In you, Father, it is known that you were saved in the image: accept the Cross that you followed Christ, and you taught in action to despise the flesh, for it passes away; In the same way, O Reverend Ephraim, your spirit will rejoice with the angels.
Kontakion
Ever foreseeing the hour of Judgment, / you wept bitterly, Ephraim, as if you were silent in love, / but you were a teacher, like a venerable one, who was diligent in business.// Moreover, O universal father, the lazy lift up Eat to repentance.
Greatness
We bless you, Reverend Father Ephraim, and honor your holy memory, teacher of monks and interlocutor of Angels.
Prayers
They turn to the monk when they want to overcome anger and intolerance of other people’s shortcomings in their character, and ask the Lord for time to repent.
First
O servant of Christ, our Father Ephraim! Bring our prayer to the merciful and all-powerful God and ask us, the servants of God (names), from His goodness all that is for the benefit of our souls and bodies, right faith, undoubted hope, any Be unhypocritical, meek and kind, courage in temptation, patience in suffering Let us prosper in piety, and let us not turn the gifts of the All-Good God into evil. Do not forget, O miracle-working saint, this holy temple (house) and our parish: preserve and preserve them with your prayers from all evil. To her, Holy One of God, grant us a good end and the Kingdom of Heaven to inherit, so that we may glorify the wondrous God in His saints, to Him belongs all glory, honor and power forever centuries. Amen.
Second
O sacred head, holy father, blessed Abba Ephraim! Do not forget your poor to the end, but always remember us in holy and favorable prayers to God: remember your flock, which you yourself shepherded, and do not forget to visit your children, pray for us, Holy Father O Lord, for your spiritual children, for you have boldness towards To the Heavenly King: do not keep silent to the Lord for us, and do not despise us who honor you with faith and love: remember us unworthy at the Throne of the Almighty, and do not cease praying for us to Christ God, for goodness has been given to you let him pray for us. We do not think that you are dead: even though you have passed away from us in body, you remain alive even after death, do not depart from us in spirit, keeping us from the arrows of the enemy and all the delights of demons and the wiles of the devil, Our good fellow. Even though the relics of your cancer are always visible before our eyes, but your holy soul with the angelic hosts, with the disembodied faces, with the Heavenly powers, stands at the Throne of the Almighty, worthy of rejoicing Knowing that you are truly alive even after death, we bow down to you and We pray to you: pray for us to the Almighty God, for the benefit of our souls, and ask us time for repentance, so that we may pass from earth to Heaven without restraint, from bitter ordeals, demons of the princes of the air and from eternal misery May we be delivered, and may we be heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom with all the righteous, who from all eternity have pleased our Lord Jesus Christ: to Him belongs all glory, honor and worship, with His Father who is without beginning, and with His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.
Third
Reverend Father Ephraim! Look upon us mercifully and lead those who are devoted to the earth to the heights of heaven. You are a mountain in heaven, we are on earth below, removed from you, not only by place, but by our sins and iniquities, but we run to you and cry: teach us to walk in your way, teach us and guide us. Your entire holy life has been a mirror of every virtue. Do not stop, servant of God, crying to the Lord for us. By your intercession, ask from our All-Merciful God the peace of His Church, under the sign of the militant cross, agreement in faith and unity of wisdom, destruction of vanity and schism, confirmation in good deeds, healing for the sick, consolation for the sad, intercession for the offended, help for the needy. Do not disgrace us, who come to you with faith. All Orthodox Christians, having performed your miracles and beneficent mercies, confess you to be their patron and intercessor. Reveal your ancient mercies, and to whom you helped the Father, do not reject us, their children, who are marching towards you in their footsteps. Standing before your most honorable icon, as I live for you, we fall down and pray: accept our prayers and offer them up on the altar of God’s mercy, so that we may receive your grace and timely help in our needs. Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in faith, so that we undoubtedly hope to receive all the good things from the mercy of the Master through your prayers. Oh, great servant of God! Help all of us who flow to you with faith through your intercession to the Lord, and guide us all in peace and repentance, end our lives and move with hope into the blessed bosom of Abraham, where you now rest joyfully in your labors and struggles, glorifying God with all the saints , in the Trinity glorified, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Psalter of St. Ephraim the Syrian
The authorship of this book belongs to two holy fathers: the sayings themselves - to St. Ephraim the Syrian, and their compilation in the likeness of psalms for the benefit of the soul and prayer - to St. Theophan the Recluse. This is what the saint of God writes, offering us his work to read:
“It is the duty of every Christian to kindle the spirit of grace within oneself. The main means to achieve this is prayer.
In whom grace is warmed, he himself prays as he should - when the power of grace is in motion within him; but whoever has not yet reached this point needs to cultivate prayer itself in himself; It is nurtured by spiritually moved prayers poured out from souls blazing with grace. – That is why the Holy Church gives prayer books to Orthodox Christians: in addition, the present publication of selected prayers can also help.
Just as among the Prophets, St. David is primarily a Psalmist, so among the Holy Fathers, St. Ephrem is primarily a prayer book.
His soul could not touch a single Divine object without being delighted with grief in prayerful outpourings of feelings. That is why his writings are filled with prayers. This Holy Father can rightly be called the Christian Psalmist.”
- Performer: Vladimir Kozichev
- Year of issue: 2011
- Duration: 05:52:17
So many bows are made to Pochepu
After each request of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, a prostration is made. For what? Man fell away from God soul and body; both soul and body must be restored to return to God. Salvation and repentance are not the contempt of the body, as is sometimes claimed, but its restoration.
After all, we will be resurrected in a body, only a new one. Christian asceticism is a struggle not against the body, but for it. Therefore, the whole person - soul and body - repents. The body participates in the prayer of the soul in the same way that the soul prays not outside, but in its body.
Psalter of St. Ephraim the Syrian
This Psalter was compiled by St. Theophan the Recluse based on the prayer writings of St. Ephraim the Syrian, which with their repentant content have a particularly soul-saving effect on the soul of a Christian.
Saint Theophan selected 150 prayer articles from the works of Saint Ephraim, structured them and gave each psalm article original names, headings in the likeness of the Psalter of King David.
- Authors: Rev. Ephraim the Syrian, St. Feofan the Recluse
- Performer: Ekaterina Krasnobaeva
- Year of issue: 2012
Commentary on the book of Genesis
The Monk Ephraim the Syrian, teacher of repentance, was born at the beginning of the 4th century (the year of his birth is precisely unknown) in the city of Nisibia (Mesopotamia) into a Christian family of poor farmers.
The parents raised their son in piety. But, distinguished from childhood by a hot-tempered, irritable character, in his youth he often quarreled, committed rash acts, even doubted the Providence of God, until he received admonition from the Lord, which directed him to the path of repentance and salvation.
One day he was unjustly accused of stealing sheep and put in prison. In it, he heard a voice in a dream calling him to repentance and correct his life. He was acquitted and released.
Deep repentance awakened in Ephraim. The young man retired to the surrounding mountains and became a hermit. This kind of Christian asceticism was introduced in Nisibia by the disciple of St. Anthony the Great, the Egyptian hermit Eugene.
Among the hermits, the famous ascetic, preacher of Christianity and denouncer of the Arians, Bishop of the Nisibian Church, Saint James (January 13), especially stood out.
The Monk Ephraim became one of his students. Under the gracious guidance of the saint, St. Ephraim acquired Christian meekness, humility, and submission to the Providence of God, which gives strength to endure various temptations without complaint.
Saint James knew the high virtues of his disciple and used them for the benefit of the Church - he instructed him to read sermons, teach children in school, and took him with him to the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325). The Monk Ephraim was in obedience to Saint James for 14 years until his death.
After the capture of Nisibia by the Persians in 363, the Monk Ephraim left the desert and settled in a monastery near the city of Edessa. Here he saw many great ascetics who spent their lives in prayer and psalmody. Caves were their only refuge; they ate only plants.
He became especially close to the ascetic Julian (St. Julian the Persian - commemorated October 18), who shared the same spirit of repentance with him.
The Monk Ephraim combined with ascetic labors the unceasing study of the Word of God, drawing from it tenderness and wisdom for his soul. The Lord gave him the gift of teaching, people began to come to him, waiting to hear his instructions, which especially affected souls because he began them by denouncing himself.
The monk, both orally and in writing, taught everyone repentance, faith and piety, and denounced the Arian heresy, which was then disturbing Christian society. The pagans, listening to the sermons of the monk, converted to Christianity.
He also worked a lot in interpreting the Holy Scriptures - explaining the Pentateuch of Moses.
They wrote many prayers and chants that enriched church services. There are known prayers to the Most Holy Trinity, the Son of God, and the Most Holy Theotokos. He wrote hymns for his Church for the days of the Twelve Feasts of the Lord, the Resurrection, and funeral hymns.
His repentant prayer “Lord and Master of my life...” is read during Great Lent and calls Christians to spiritual renewal.
Since ancient times, the Church has highly valued the works of St. Ephraim: his works were read in some churches at meetings of the faithful after the Holy Scriptures. And now, according to the Charter of the Church, some of his teachings are supposed to be read during the days of fasting. Among the prophets, Saint David is primarily a psalmist; Among the holy fathers of the Church, St. Ephraim the Syrian is primarily a man of prayer.
Spiritual experience made him a mentor to monks and an assistant to Edessa shepherds. The Monk Ephraim wrote in Syriac, but his works were very early translated into Greek and Armenian, and from Greek into Latin and Slavic.
In the numerous works of the monk there are complete pictures of the life of Syrian ascetics, the main place in which was occupied by prayer and then work for the common fraternal benefit and obedience.
All Syrian ascetics had the same views on the meaning of life. The monks considered the ultimate goal of their exploits to be communion with God and the infusion of Divine grace into the soul of the ascetic; real life was for them a time of crying, fasting and labor.
“If the Son of God is in you, then His kingdom is also in you. This is the kingdom of God—within you, sinner. Go within yourself, search harder and you will find him without difficulty. Outside you is death, and the door to it is sin. Enter into yourself, remain in your heart, for there is God.”
Continuous spiritual sobriety and the development of good in a person’s soul gives him the opportunity to perceive work as bliss, and self-compulsion as holiness. Retribution begins in a person’s earthly life and is prepared by the degree of its spiritual improvement.
Whoever grows wings on earth, says St. Ephraim, soars there into the sky; whoever purifies his mind here will see the glory of God there; to the extent that everyone loves God, to that extent will he be satisfied with His love.
A person who has purified himself and acquired the grace of the Holy Spirit while still here on earth anticipates the Kingdom of Heaven. To acquire eternal life, according to the teachings of St. Ephraim, does not mean moving from one area of existence to another, but means acquiring a “heavenly” spiritual state. Eternal life is not given to a person by the unilateral will of God, but, like a grain, gradually grows in him through feat, labor and struggle.
The guarantee of deification in us is the Baptism of Christ, the main engine of Christian life is repentance.
The Monk Ephraim the Syrian was a great teacher of repentance. Forgiveness of sins in the Sacrament of Repentance, according to his teaching, is not external justification, not oblivion of sins, but their complete destruction. Tears of repentance wash away and burn away sin. And yet - they give life, transform the sinful nature, give strength to “walk in the way of the commandments of the Lord,” strengthened by trust in God.
In the fiery font of repentance, the monk wrote, “you melt yourself, sinner, you raise yourself from the dead.”
The Monk Ephraim, in his humility considering himself lower and worse than everyone else, at the end of his life went to Egypt to see the exploits of the great hermits. He was received there as a welcome guest and himself received great comfort from communicating with them.
On his way back, he visited St. Basil the Great in Caesarea in Cappadocia, who wished to ordain him as a presbyter, but the monk considered himself unworthy of the priesthood and, at the insistence of the saint, accepted only the rank of deacon, in which he remained until his death.
Subsequently, Saint Basil the Great invited the Monk Ephraim to the bishop's chair, but the saint presented himself as a holy fool in order to reject this honor, humbly considering himself unworthy of it.
Upon returning to his Edessa desert, the Monk Ephraim wanted to spend the end of his life in solitude. But God's Providence once again called him to serve his neighbors. The inhabitants of Edessa suffered from raging famine. With a strong word, the monk encouraged the rich to help the poor.
Using the offerings of believers, he built an almshouse for the poor and sick. Then the monk retired to a cave near Edessa, where he remained until the end of his life.
- Author: Venerable Ephraim the Syrian
- Performer: Denis Gavrilov
- Genre: Patristic heritage
- Year of issue: 2009
About paradise
St. Ephraim the Syrian (IV century) is one of the great ascetics of the Church. Having acquired humility, meekness, and submission to God's Providence, he became for many a teacher of repentance, faith and piety. In his ascetic life, the Monk Ephraim devoted a lot of time to the study of the Holy Scriptures, drawing from it tenderness and wisdom for his soul.
A small work by the Monk Ephraim is a hymn-reflection on the paradise from which Adam and Eve were expelled - about the spiritual paradise, as a heavenly fatherland for every Christian.
- Author: Venerable Ephraim the Syrian
- Performer: Andrey Kabilov
- The year of publishing: 2018
Text of the prayer “Lord of my belly for Lenten”
The prayer consists of four short texts. The first three are repentance and requests for forgiveness of the main earthly sins committed by the Orthodox.
The last part is a request to cleanse the soul and body from wrong actions:
- idle talk;
- ambition;
- despondency (Psalm 53 is also suitable for this purpose);
- idleness;
- acquisitiveness.
All human vices are reflected in a small text. The words of the prayer are filled with a request for help to find true faith and strengthen in it. The prayer of repentance is aimed at spiritual insight, guiding the layman on the true path.
Read more about the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian “Lord Master.”
Great Prayer of Lent
There was a vision to one holy father who labored in the desert. He saw a host of angels descending from heaven and carrying a large scroll covered with writing on both sides. They asked each other: “Who can accept this scroll?” And there was a voice from heaven: “Only Ephraim, My chosen one.”
And they brought Saint Ephraim and gave him this scroll to swallow.
And a wondrous thing happened: like a vine that grew all over the earth, the wondrous words of St. Ephraim spread. Such a wondrous word of the holy Venerable Ephraim the Syrian is the prayer “Lord and Master of my life...”.
Interpretations of the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian by the lamps of the Russian land - Archbishop Innocent of Kherson, Archbishop Luka (Voino-Yasenetsky) and Archpriest Valentin Sventsitsky, presented on this disc, help us to think deeply about every word of it and understand the most essential thing that we need to know for our lives and for our salvation.
- Playing time: 3 hours 41 minutes.
