The Prayer of St. Ephrem

        

             Easter season is almost over. Lent is past tense. But, the Prayer of Saint Ephrem has continued to be part of my prayer throughout. In Lent, I just read it at first. After a time, certain phrases began to stand out. Their rich meaning came out as I began a phrase by phrase meditation. Some of the phrases mentioning faults applied but, where they didn’t, I substituted faults that are mine. Prayer began to happen. The phrase that got me started was: “God of my life.” The power and richness of this phrase still stops me before I can go on to the rest of the prayer.

Here is the Prayer of Saint Ephrem.

God of my life,

do not give me a spirit of laziness

or idle curiosity,

or ambition or empty talk.

Instead, grant to me, your servant,

a spirit of self-control and humility,

of patience and love.

Yes, O God,

enable me to see my own failings,

and not to judge my brother or sister,

for you alone are blessed unto the ages of ages. Amen.

          Saint Ephrem was a Syrian deacon, doctor of the Church who was born in 306. He wrote a wide variety of hymns, poems, and sermons in verse, as well as prose biblical exegesis. These were works of practical theology for the edification of the Church in troubled times. Ephrem’s works witness to an early form of Christianity in which Western ideas take little part. He has been called the most significant of all of the fathers of the Syriac-speaking Church tradition. He died ministering to victims of the plague on June 9, 373. (Wikipedia)

            Saint Benedict (RB 49) says that each day of the monastic life should have the character of Lent. Then, he wisely adds “…but few have the strength for this.” I belong to those who do not, or would not have the strength for all of life to be Lent.

Prayer is a need at all times. The Prayer of Saint Ephrem need not be used only as a Lenten practice. It is worth time in quiet prayer in any season. I recommend it.
Sr. Kathleen Ryan, OSB