Saint without a smile on his lips
In the memory of everyone, the saint remained a man who never laughed, was always serious and a little gloomy. In a sense, this was a message to humanity, which Ephraim the Syrian carried to people even in his own image. An icon of a saint can work real miracles with a person’s soul. Sparking tears flowed from his eyes every day; he worried about the entire human race, which was facing the Last Judgment. His tears were as natural as breathing air for anyone else, and this phenomenon proved the holiness of this man, his prayerful state of soul. For many deeply spiritual personalities, the life and relics of Ephraim the Syrian are of great hidden value. The remains of the saint today are located in different parts of the world. But most of it was preserved in the Syrian monastery.
Thanks to Ephraim, many were able to understand that sparking tears is the beginning of self-knowledge, understanding one’s mistakes and repenting of them, which is very important. If a tear is sincerely shed, then the person feels shame, which means he will be able to correct his sin. Crying is a kind of cleansing for the soul. Just as a person washes his face, crying can wash his soul, make it purer, and therefore cured of ailments. It is these tears that can engender in a person the seed of wisdom, modesty, and compassion for other living beings.
Ephraim tried to convey these simple truths to people. The surprising thing is that today these sermons have not lost their relevance, and the words are still able to touch a person’s soul. And this is important for everyone, because the current world has made a person even thicker-skinned, and the soul rougher, which means that tears are the beginning of one’s own salvation.
Over the years of his life, the monk was able to give the true path to many lost souls. Give relief and understanding of your sinfulness, give clarity of mind. It was thanks to Ephraim the Syrian that many were able to find themselves. Long before his death, he predicted the day and knew it exactly. Having lived to a ripe old age, Ephraim had a sound mind and could give practical advice. And only after death he was able to go to his favorite place forever. The disciples buried Ephraim in his own monastery.
How to read a prayer correctly?
The Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, the text of which is pronounced in the church, is read by a priest who stands facing the Royal Doors. If it is not possible to visit the temple, you can read it at home, following a number of rules.
It is important that the person praying pronounces all the words of the petition from a pure heart, with a deep awareness of the meaning of each word and faith that the Lord will hear his requests, measuredly and without pauses. Moreover, after each line there is a bow to the ground. After this, the prayer must be read from beginning to end again with one bow to the ground at the end of the reading.
New life
After a series of certain events, Ephraim had to move to another city called Edessa. The settlement was more lively and densely populated in terms of its infrastructure. This meant that there were a large number of unnecessary temptations around that could affect the state of mind. It was in this city that he met harlots who tried to throw the righteous man out of spiritual balance. Despite such daring temptations, Ephraim maintained not only internal, but external calm. And he was able to fight back even with slight sarcasm. This incident once again demonstrated the strength of spirit and indifference to human lust.
