Lent is a period of abstinence from the usual pleasures that an Orthodox Christian is used to. Among the pleasures of the Orthodox Church is not only food, but also entertainment - spiritual and bodily.
What is the point of the post?
If the meaning of this Christian tradition was only food restrictions, then fasting would not be much different from a regular diet. It is believed that only in a state of restraint of bodily needs does a person become especially susceptible to spiritual work on himself, therefore fasting is a period of abstinence and repentance. And repentance is unthinkable without reading a prayer. What prayers to read in fasting? The most famous Lenten prayers and prayer books are “For every petition of the soul”, the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete. The most famous and revered prayer of Ephraim the Syrian in Great Lent is read in all churches and in the homes of believing Christians throughout Lent.
Prayer reading during Lent
Famous Saint TheophanesThe recluse said that a person is not complete without a body, just as prayer is not complete without a prayer rule. The prayer rule, in turn, is that it follows:
- Pray with soul, delving into every phrase.
- Pray slowly, slowly, in a sing-song voice.
- Pray during the time allotted exclusively for this matter, so that nothing at this time distracts the prayer.
- Think about prayer throughout the day, noting in advance where you can keep it and where you can't.
- Read prayers with a break, separating them with prostrations.
- Observe the time of prayer - they should be held in the morning and evening, before and after meals, on the eve of each new business, before taking prosphora and holy water.
All these rules should be strictly observed during fasting, and, in addition, the volume of prayer readings during this period should be increased and special spiritual attention should be paid to them.
The significance of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian
The penitential prayer of Ephraim the Syrian consists of only three dozen words, and contains all the most important elements of repentance, indicates what the prayer should make the main efforts to. Thanks to this prayer, the believer determines for himself the way to get rid of ailments that prevent him from drawing closer to God.
In addition, this prayer is accessible and succinctly expresses the meaning and meaning of Great Lent. The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian reflects the main commandments,given by the Lord, and helps in an accessible form to comprehend your attitude towards them. It is read by the Orthodox in their homes and churches at the end of each service during the Lenten period.
Who is Efrem Sirin
But not only the Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian made him a revered saint, this man is known as a church orator, thinker and theologian. He was born in the 4th century in Mesopotamia, in a family of poor peasants. For a long time, Ephraim did not believe in God, but by chance he became one of the best preachers of that time. According to legend, Ephraim was accused of stealing sheep and put in jail. During his stay in prison, he heard the voice of God, calling him to repent and believe in the Lord, after which he was acquitted by the court and released. This event turned the young man's life upside down, forcing him to repent and seclude himself for a life away from people. For a long time he led a hermit life, later became a student of the famous ascetic - St. James, who lived in the surrounding mountains. Under his leadership, Ephraim preached sermons, taught children and helped in the services. After the death of Saint James, the young man settled in a monastery near the city of Edessa. Ephraim persistently studied the Word of God, the works of great thinkers, holy elders, scientists. Possessing the gift of teaching, he could easily and convincingly convey this information to people. Soon people began to come to him in need of his guidance. It is known that the pagans who attended Ephraim's sermons converted to Christianity easily and confidently.
Honoring a saintthese days
Today Ephraim the Syrian is called the father of the church, the teacher of repentance. All his works are imbued with the idea that repentance is the meaning and engine of the life of every Christian. Sincere repentance, combined with tears of repentance, according to the saint, completely destroys and washes away any sin of a person. The spiritual heritage of the saint includes thousands of works, but only a small part of them has been translated into Russian. The most famous prayer of Ephraim the Syrian in Great Lent, as well as his tearful prayers, prayers for various occasions and a conversation about the free will of man.
The history of prayer
How Ephraim the Syrian created this prayer, no one will tell for sure. According to legend, one desert hermit saw angels holding a large scroll in their hands, covered with inscriptions on both sides. The angels did not know to whom to give it, stood in indecision, and then God's voice was heard from heaven, "Only Ephraim, my chosen one." The hermit brought Ephraim the Syrian to the angels, who handed him the scroll and ordered him to swallow it. Then a miracle happened: Ephraim spread the words from the scroll like a wondrous vine. So the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian during Great Lent became known to every Orthodox Christian. This prayer stands out among all other Lenten hymns, it is most often read in the temple, and most often it is during this prayer that the whole church kneels before God.
Text of the prayer
The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, the text of which is presented in this article, is easy to remember and
Lord and Lord of my belly!
The spirit of idleness, despondency, lust of power
and idle talk do not give me.
The spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love grant me, Thy servant.
Hey, Lord King, grant me my sightsins and do not judge my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever.
Amen.
This is the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian. The text of the prayer may not be understood by all Christians due to the presence of Church Slavonic words in it, and behind modest petitions in this prayer there is a meaning so deep that not every Christian manages to comprehend it from the first reading. For a complete understanding, below is an interpretation of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian.
The interpretation of the prayer
As can be seen from the text of the prayer, it is divided into two types of petitions: in some, the supplicant asks the Lord to “not give” - that is, to free from shortcomings and sins, and in another series of petitions, the supplicant, on the contrary, asks the Lord to “give” him spiritual gifts. The interpretation of the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian has a deep spiritual meaning, let's consider the meaning of each of them. Only through prayer is a person able to perform a feat and get rid of these sins.
Idleness
It would seem that idleness is not such a great sin compared to envy, murder and theft. However, it is the most sinful negative state of man. Translation of this word fromChurch Slavonic language means emptiness and passivity of the soul. It is idleness that is the cause of man's despondent impotence before spiritual work on himself. In addition, it invariably breeds despondency - the second terrible sin of the human soul. Despondency
They say that idleness symbolizes the absence of light in the human soul, and despondency - the presence of darkness in it. Despondency is the impregnation of the soul with a lie about God, the world and people. The devil in the Gospel is called the father of lies, and therefore despondency is a terrible devilish obsession. In a state of despondency, a person distinguishes only the bad and evil around him, he is unable to see goodness and light in people. That is why the state of despondency is tantamount to the beginning of spiritual death and the decay of the human soul. Arrogance
Ephraim the Syrian's penitential prayer also mentions such a state of mind as arrogance, which means a person's desire for power and domination over other people. This striving is born out of despondency and idleness, because, being in them, a person breaks his relations with other people. Thus, he becomes internally lonely, and those around him become only a means to achieve his goals. The thirst for power is dictated by the desire to humiliate another person, to make him dependent on himself, his freedom is denied. They say that there is nothing worse in the world than such power - the disfigured emptiness of the soul and its loneliness and despondency. Idle talk
Mentions the Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian and such a sin of the human soul as idle talk, that is, idle talk. The gift of speech was given to man by God, andtherefore, it can only be used with good intentions. The word used to commit evil, deception, expression of hatred, impurity carries a great sin. The Gospel says about this that at the Great Judgment for every idle word uttered during life, the soul will answer. Idle talk brings people lies, temptation, hatred and corruption. The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian helps to realize these sins, repent of them, because only realizing one's wrongness, a person is able to move on to other petitions - positive ones. Such petitions sound like this in prayer: “The Spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love … grant me to see my sins and not judge my brother.”
Chastity
The meaning of this word is wide, and it means two basic concepts - "integrity" and "wisdom". When a supplicant asks the Lord for chastity for himself, this means that he asks for knowledge, experience to see goodness, wisdom for leading a righteous life. The integrity of these petitions is human wisdom, allows a person to resist evil, decay and departure from wisdom. Asking for chastity, a person dreams of restoring life in peace and harmony for the mind, body and soul. Humility
Humility and simplicity are not the same concepts. And if humility can be interpreted as impersonal humility, then humility is humility that has nothing to do with self-humiliation and contempt. A humble man rejoices in the comprehension revealed to him by God, in that depth of life which he discovers in humility. The humble man is fallenneeds constant self-ex altation and self-affirmation. A humble-wise person does not need pride, since he has nothing to hide from other people, therefore he is humble, not eager to prove his importance to others and to himself. Patience
"It remains only to endure" - this is not Christian patience. True Christian patience is the Lord who believes in each of us, trusts us and loves us. It is based on the belief that good always triumphs over evil, life conquers death in the Christian faith. It is this virtue that the suppliant asks the Lord for himself when he speaks of patience. Love
Essentially, all prayer comes down to asking for love. Idleness, despondency, arrogance and idle talk are an obstacle to love, it is they who do not let it into the heart of a person. And chastity, humility and patience are a kind of roots for the germination of love.
How to read a prayer correctly
When the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read, some rules should be followed:
- Reading is done on all days of Great Lent, except Saturday and Sunday.
- If the prayer is read for the first time, then after each petition one should bow to the ground.
- Subsequently, the church charter requires bowing to the ground three times during the reading of the prayer: before petitions for deliverance from ailments, before petitions for grants and before the start of the third part of the prayer.
- If the soul so requires, prayer can be performed outside of Lenten days.
What prayers are read inpost
In addition to the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, the church recommends other prayers to believers. In the first days of Great Lent, Christians are advised to pay attention to the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. The Holy Canon is read on the evening before Great Lent and on the first four days. Besides, believers read those prayers that they say on ordinary days. When the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read, reading and prayers from the Book of Hours and Triodion are usually performed, as well as the prayer book “For every petition of the soul.”
Conclusion
The Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian in Great Lent is the quintessence of the spiritual requests of the supplicant to God. She teaches him to love, enjoy life and helps to keep fasting.
