Saint Ephraim the Syrian pages of life. Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian

02.06.2024

This shining star of the Church appeared in the East in distant Nisibin, in Mesopotamia, around the year 306. The father of the Monk Ephraim was a pagan priest. He kicked his son out of his home for sympathizing with the Christian faith. Then the holy Bishop James (January 13) received the young man and instructed him in the love of virtues and constant diligent meditation on the word of God. The study of the Holy Scriptures lit a fire in St. Ephraim, which forced him to despise the vanity and worries of this world and to ascend in his soul to the enjoyment of heavenly bliss. Faith and trust in the Lord, as unshakable as Mount Zion, made his life admirable. The Monk Ephraim possessed such purity of body and soul that surpassed the capabilities of human nature. They allowed him to be the master of all movements of his spirit, and not a single bad thought appeared even at the very bottom of his soul. At the end of his life, the Monk Ephraim admitted that he never spoke ill of anyone and never had a thoughtless word come out of his mouth.

Like the apostles, the saint had nothing. During the day he struggled with hunger, and at night with sleep. Both his actions and his words were clothed in the holy humility of Christ. St. Ephraim received from the Lord the gift of heartfelt contrition and constant tears, so that even among the saints he is glorified with a special title - teacher of contrition. By a miracle, which is known only to those who sacrificed their lives as a burnt offering in the name of the Lord, the eyes of St. Ephraim turned into inexhaustible sources of tears. For many years, neither day nor night, nor for a single moment, these bright waters, bringing purification and sanctification of the “second baptism” with tears, did not stop flowing from his eyes. They turned the face of St. Ephraim into the purest mirror, reflecting the presence of God. The saint constantly mourned his own sins or the sins of other people. Sometimes, when he began to think about the miracles that the Lord performed for us, his crying turned into tears of joy. Thus a wonderful circle arose, in which it was impossible to distinguish between the beginning and the end: tears were born from sobs, prayer was born from tears, and a sermon from prayer was born, which was interrupted by new sobs. Reading the wonderful teachings of St. Ephraim on contrition or his completely realistic descriptions of the Last Judgment cannot leave even a hardened heart insensitive. Many generations of Christians, right up to the present day, have shed copious tears over the works of St. Ephraim, which open the path of repentance and conversion for sinners.

Some time after baptism, at the age of about 20, the Monk Ephraim fled from the bustle of the city into the desert to communicate with the Lord in silence and live surrounded by angels. He moved from place to place, free from all attachment, and went where the Holy Spirit led him for the benefit of his soul and the souls of his brothers. So the Monk Ephraim came to the city of Edessa to venerate the shrines and find a holy man in order to lead a monastic life with him.

On the way he met a woman of bad behavior. The saint pretended to accept her offer and ordered her to follow him. However, instead of looking for a secluded place suitable for sin, he led her to a crowded city square. The harlot asked: “Why did you bring me here? Aren’t you ashamed to be here in front of people?” The saint replied: “Unfortunate one! You are afraid of human glances, but why don’t you fear the eyes of the Lord, who sees everything and who on the last day will judge all our deeds and all our thoughts, even the most secret ones? Overcome with fear, the woman repented. Then the saint took her to where she could work for her salvation.

After spending several years in Edessa, the Monk Ephraim again went to live in the desert. He heard a rumor praising the virtues of St. Basil the Great, and then from the Lord he was rewarded with a vision in which the Bishop of Caesarea was like a pillar of fire connecting heaven and earth. The Monk Ephraim immediately went to Cappadocia.

He arrived in Caesarea on the day of Epiphany and entered the church just during the Divine Liturgy. Although St. Ephraim did not understand the Greek language, the sermon of the great saint shocked him, for he saw that a white dove was sitting on St. Basil’s shoulder and speaking inspired words into his ear. The same dove revealed to Saint Basil that in the crowd of parishioners stood a humble Syrian ascetic. The saint ordered the servants to find him and then talked with him for some time in the altar. The Lord heeded the bishop’s prayer: Saint Ephraim immediately spoke to him in Greek, as if he had known this language since childhood. Basil the Great ordained St. Ephraim a deacon and after that released him to his homeland.

At this time, Rome and Persia constantly fought long wars (338–387). Throughout Persia, merciless persecution of Christians, who were considered allies of the Romans, began. The Monk Ephraim learned in the desert about the suffering of his brothers and returned to Nisibin to help them with works and words. Even in childhood, the Lord revealed to the ascetic his future calling in a vision of a fruitful vine that grew from the mouth of the youth and filled the entire earth. All the birds of the sky sat on this vine and ate its fruits, and the more berries they plucked, the more new clusters appeared on the vine. The grace of the Holy Spirit poured out on St. Ephraim in such abundance that when he addressed the people with a sermon, his tongue did not have time to pronounce out loud all those heavenly thoughts with which Divine inspiration filled his mind, and it seemed as if he was stuttering. Therefore, the Monk Ephraim turned to the Lord with such an unusual prayer: “Lord, curb the flow of Your grace!”

The Monk Ephraim constantly instructed the people and strengthened them in the faith, which was threatened by pagans and heretics. The rest of the time he humbly served everyone, being a true deacon and becoming like Christ, Who became a minister for us. Thus, out of humility, the Monk Ephraim always refused the priesthood. Virtues, prayers, the fruits of contemplation and reflection, the grace that the Lord poured out on him - he considered all this not his property, but an adornment of the Church, the Bride of Christ, clothed in a golden crown with precious stones.

When Nisibinus was besieged by the Persians in 338, the city was saved thanks to the prayers of Saint James (January 13) and Saint Ephraim. However, more wars followed, and finally in 363 Nisibinus was surrendered to the cruel Persian king. The Monk Ephraim, like many other Christians, did not want to live under the dominion of the pagans and left for Edessa. There he spent the last ten years of his life.

The Monk Ephraim taught at the Edessa school, developing the foundations of the exegetical tradition laid by Saint James back in Nisibin, which from that time began to be called the Persian school. During the same period, most of the wonderful works of St. Ephraim were written, in which the knowledge of the Lord and sacred dogmas is clothed in the precious robe of incomparable poetic language. It is believed that St. Ephraim wrote more than 3 million lines in Syriac: interpretations of most books of Holy Scripture, works against heresies, hymns about paradise, virginity, faith, about the great sacraments of the Savior and holidays throughout the year. Most of these hymns were included in the liturgical books of the Syrian Church, which is why St. Ephraim is also called the priest of the Holy Spirit and the universal teacher. Other very numerous works have come down to us under his name in Greek. These are mainly works about contrition, asceticism and monastic virtues.

During the famine of 372, St. Ephraim organized assistance to the needy residents of Edessa. The next year, he departed to the Lord, surrounded by numerous monks and ascetics who came from monasteries, deserts and caves to honor the last minutes of the saint’s life. The Monk Ephraim left them a touching “Testament”, full of humility and contrition, in which he urgently asked all those who loved him not to arrange a magnificent funeral, but to throw his body into a common grave for foreigners and, instead of flowers and incense, to help him with prayers.

Compiled by Hieromonk Macarius of Simonopetra,
adapted Russian translation - Sretensky Monastery Publishing House

Saint Ephraim was from Mesopotamia from the city of Nizibia 2. He was born during the reign of Constantine the Great 3 from Christian parents 4 and lived until the reign of Theodosius the Great 5 . Even in his youth, Saint Ephraim renounced the world and went into the desert, where he became a monk 6 . He received from God the gift of wisdom; Grace flowed from his lips, like a sweet river, filling with tenderness the souls of all who listened to his teachings. This was foreshadowed to him at a very early age. When he was still a child, his parents had the following dream about him: a grapevine sprouted on the boy’s tongue and, having grown, filled the whole of heaven with branches and clusters. The birds of the air gathered grapes, and as much as they ate, the amount of grapes increased. When then Saint Ephraim labored on one deserted mountain, filled with great tenderness

and heartfelt contrition, one of the God-bearing fathers saw in a dream a bright man, shining like angels. He held a covered scroll in his hand and asked:

No one else but Ephraim, My saint.

Ephraim stood before the husband who appeared. He opened his mouth, and his husband put a scroll in his mouth. The Monk Ephraim sat down with the scroll, and then, soon after that, began to speak and write edifying speeches, which moved everyone who read and listened to them. They could arouse the fear of the Lord in everyone and set them on the path of repentance, as is clear from his divinely inspired books. Likewise, another great and holy elder had a similar vision in a dream about Saint Ephraim. He saw hosts of angels descending from heaven, at the command of God, and having in their hands a scroll written on the inside and outside. They said to each other:

Who can accept this scroll?

In response, some called one name, others remembered another, and some said:

In truth, the men mentioned are holy and righteous, but not one of them can accept this scroll, but only Ephraim, meek and lowly in heart.

Then the elder saw how this scroll was given to Ephraim. Getting up in the morning, he heard Blessed Ephraim offering instructive edifications to the brethren. It was as if the source was flowing from the lips! From them came speeches filled with great benefit. He believed that everything coming from the mouth of Saint Ephraim was inspired by the Holy Spirit, and glorified God, who gives such grace to His servants.

In 363, Nizibia fell under Persian rule and many of the Christians left Nizibia. Then the Monk Ephraim set out to go from here to the city of Edessa 7 . He turned to God with the following prayer:

Lord Jesus Christ! Make me worthy to see Your city, and when I enter it, send me to meet such a person who would talk with me from the Holy Scriptures for my benefit.

When he, having prayed like this, approached the city and entered the gate, a woman met him. Seeing her, the servant of God became sad and turned mentally to God:

Lord, You have despised the prayer of Your servant. For how can she talk to me about book wisdom?

The woman stood and looked at him. Saint Ephrem turned to her with a question:

Tell me, woman, why are you standing and looking at me?

The woman replied:

I look at you because the woman was taken from her husband, but you look not at me, but at the ground from which you were taken.

Hearing this, Ephraim marveled at her answer and glorified God, who gave the woman such a mind. He realized that the Lord did not despise his prayers. Having entered the city, he lived in it for a long time 8.

By chance, near the house in which the Saint lived, there lived another harlot woman, who was his neighbor. Incited by demonic cunning, she wanted to insult the elder. Opening the window from where there was a view of the saint’s home, she saw Ephraim standing and cooking food for himself. The woman addressed him loudly:

Bless you, sir!

The monk looked at the window and, noticing that she was watching, said to her:

God bless you.

Then the woman continued:

What is missing for your food?

The saint replied:

Three stones and a little sand are needed to block the window from which you look here.

The woman shamelessly said to him:

I addressed you first with a speech, and you answered me. I want to lie with you, but you refuse from the first word.

The servant of God answered her:

If you want to lie with me, then go to the place that I show you.

The harlot said:

Show me this place and I will come.

Then the Saint said:

If you have chosen me, then you cannot lie down with me in any other place than in the middle of the city.

The harlot was amazed:

Aren't we going to be ashamed of people?

The saint replied:

If we are ashamed of people, then how much more should we be ashamed, and at the same time fear God, who knows all the secrets of men! After all, He will judge the whole world and reward everyone according to their deeds.

Hearing this, the harlot was moved by the words of Saint Ephraim. She came and fell at his feet, crying and saying:

Servant of God! guide me on the path of salvation so that I can get rid of many of my evil deeds.

The Monk Ephraim, having taught her many instructions from the Holy Scriptures, confirmed her in repentance and, giving her to a nunnery, saved her soul from iniquities and sin.

Then another harlot, approaching the Monk Ephraim as he was walking somewhere, tempted him to sin, in order to at least anger him, since no one had ever seen him angry.

The monk told her:

Follow me.

The woman followed him. When they approached a crowded place, the Saint said to her:

Here we will lie down and commit sin.

She, seeing the people, said to him:

How can you stay here when there are so many people around! Isn't it a shame?

The monk answered her:

If you are ashamed of people, how much more should we be ashamed of God, who knows the hidden secrets?

So the woman left him in disgrace, being unable either to seduce the saint into sin or to arouse anger in him, for he was a truly gentle and meek husband and completely incapable of anger.

The following is said about his kindness. When he was fasting in the desert, his disciple brought him food at the usual time. One day, when he was carrying food, he accidentally broke a vessel containing food on the way. He was afraid of the elder’s anger, but the latter, seeing the embarrassed student, said:

Don’t worry, brother, if the food didn’t want to come to us, then we will go to it.

Then, coming up, he sat down by the broken vessel and, collecting food, began to eat. He was so gentle! It was said about him that from the time he became a monk, he was never angry with anyone.

The Monk Ephraim once had a revelation about Saint Basil the Great 9 . In a dream he saw a pillar of fire reaching to the sky, and heard a voice:

Ephraim, Ephraim! How you see this pillar of fire is how Vasily is.

Then Ephraim wished to see Saint Basil. Taking with him a translator - for he did not know how to speak Greek - Saint Ephrem went to Caesarea in Cappadocia 10. He found Saint Basil in the church teaching people and began to glorify him with a loud voice, saying:

Truly great Vasily! Truly he is a pillar of fire! Truly the Holy Spirit speaks through his mouth!

Then some of the people began to say:

Who is this wanderer who praises the archbishop so much? Doesn't he flatter him in order to get something from his hands?

After the church holiday, when the Monk Ephraim entered into a friendly conversation with Saint Basil, the latter asked him:

Why did you glorify me so much?

Rev. Ephraim replied:

Because I saw a white dove sitting on your right shoulder and speaking into your ear what you inspired to people. In addition, the fiery tongue spoke through your lips.

To this Saint Basil said to him:

In truth, I now see what I heard about you, inhabitant of the desert and lover of silence! This is what the prophet David writes: " Ephraim is the strength of my head"(Ps. 59:9). In truth, these prophetic words apply to you, for you have guided many on the path of virtue and strengthened them in it. Your meekness and gentleness of heart shine for everyone like light.

After that, Basil the Great said:

Why, honest father, do you not accept ordination to the rank of presbyter, being worthy of it?

Because I am a sinner, sir! - Ephraim answered him through an interpreter.

Oh, that I too had your sins! - said Vasily, and added: “let’s bow to the ground.

When they fell to the ground, Saint Basil laid his hand on the head of St. Ephraim and said the prayer laid down at the initiation of a deacon. The Monk Ephraim spent three days thereafter with Saint Basil, in spiritual joy. Vasily made him a Deacon, and his translator a presbyter, and then released them in peace.

The Monk Ephraim had great love for the Monk Abramius the recluse, whose memory is celebrated on October 29. They often visited each other and were touched by mutually edifying friendly conversations. And when blessed Mary, the niece of Abramia, was seduced by the enemy, the Monk Ephraim, with his prayers, greatly contributed to her salvation. His heart ached a lot for those who sinned and he cared a lot about correcting them.

The Monk Ephraim either stayed in the desert 11, working for God in silence, and gathered many disciples there; then, at the command of God, he lived in the city of Edessa, leading many people to repentance and winning lost souls for God with his teachings. He abounded so much in soul-helping words and was filled with the grace of God that many times his larynx was exhausted from the strain of his voice, and his tongue from pronouncing words; however, his speeches did not become shorter, especially since his mind was filled with the depth of wisdom and intelligence 12. In addition, he was filled with deep humility and avoided human veneration and temporary glory in every possible way. Once the people wanted to seize him and forcefully install him as a bishop. Ephraim, having learned about this, pretended to be a holy fool and began to run around the square, dragging his clothes behind him like a madman - he grabbed the breads and vegetables that were being sold and ate. Seeing this, people considered him crazy, and he fled from the city and hid until another bishop was installed in the place in which they wanted to put him. The Saint remained in prayer incessantly, day and night. Possessing the gift of tenderness and tears, he always cried, remembering the day of judgment, about which he wrote and spoke a lot. He slept little, ate little food, just so as not to become exhausted and die from hunger and sleep deprivation. He was completely non-covetous and loved poverty more than wealth, as he himself says about himself in his will:

Ephraim never had gold, silver, or any storehouse, fulfilling the will of the good Teacher Christ, who commanded: acquire nothing on earth (cf. Matt. 6:25 et seq.).

In those years there lived the heretic Apollinaris, who falsely philosophized about the incarnation of the Lord. He was resourceful in words and skilled in Hellenic wisdom, as a result of which he greatly embarrassed the Church of God and drew many into his heresy. This heretic devoted all his work and all his efforts, from his very youth to old age, to corrupting the Orthodox and leading them into his error. He wrote many books against the Orthodox, of which two are especially remarkable, since in them all his harmful teachings are most fully expressed. He used them as weapons, fighting the Orthodox through verbal competitions. These books of his were placed in the custody of one woman, his cohabitant. The Monk Ephraim, having learned about these books, invented his own even more amazing trick against the heretical: he came to that woman secretly and highly praised Apollinaris, calling himself the latter’s disciple. As if wanting to learn wisdom unknown to him, he asked the woman to give him for a short time the Apollinarian books that she kept, in order to briefly copy out the most remarkable passages from them. The woman, being sure that this was really her friend’s student, gave him both books with the condition that he return them as soon as possible and not tell anyone about them. Saint Ephrem, taking the books, took them to his monastery and, having prepared glue, folded back all the sheets in them one by one, gluing them together until, finally, he glued them all together so that the books became like one piece of wood, or stone, and neither one sheet could not be separated from another. He then took the books to the woman. She, taking them and not looking inside, put them in their place. Then there was a dispute between the Orthodox and the heretic Apollinaris, who had already grown old. No longer possessing the former resourcefulness in disputes and having a weak memory, due to old age, he wanted to achieve victory over the Orthodox with the help of those books of his; but, having taken them, he could not open them, since the sheets were tightly glued and petrified. He was filled with Great shame and left the cathedral defeated and disgraced, and then soon, out of grief and Great shame, he lost his life, disgracing his accursed soul in disgrace.

Our venerable father Ephraim, having lived many years pleasing to God and having led many to salvation, foresaw his death in advance and wrote an instructive testament for his disciples. Having been ill for a little while, he went to the Lord in old age 13. His venerable body was buried in his monastery, located in the desert, within the borders of Edessa, in Syria, and his holy soul now stands before the throne of the Lord, interceding for us, so that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, through his prayers, by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Troparion, tone 8:

With the flows of your tears you cultivated the barren desert, and you brought forth fruit from the depths with sighs of a hundred labors, and you were the lamp of the universe, shining miracles, Ephraim our Father. Pray to Christ God to save our souls.

Kontakion, voice 2:

Ever foreseeing the hour of judgment, you wept bitterly to Ephraim, as if you were a loving and silent one, but you were an active teacher in business. Likewise, universal father, you lift up the lazy to repentance.

________________________________________________________________________ 1 The Monk Ephraim is called Sirin, that is, a Syrian, because Mesopotamia, in which he was born, was in ancient times classified as Syria. 2 Nizibia (or Nisibida) is a large and populous city in the province of Magdonia in Mesopotamia, on the borders of the Roman Empire and the Persian kingdom. 3 Emperor Constantine the Great reigned from 306 to 337. 4 The Monk Ephraim writes the following about his parents. “Those who gave birth to me according to the flesh instilled in me the fear of God. My ancestors confessed Christ before the judge, I am a relative of the martyrs. My grandfathers, who prospered in life, were farmers. My parents did the same.” 5 Emperor Theodosius the Great reigned from 379 to 395 6 The summers of Ephraim’s youth did not pass without some stumbling blocks. He was fiery by nature, he was, as he himself says, irritable, “he got into quarrels over unimportant matters, acted recklessly, indulged in evil plans and lewd thoughts... My youth almost assured me that what happens to us in life happens by chance. But God’s Providence enlightened our ardent youth.” Ephraim was falsely accused of stealing sheep and thrown into prison, followed by two others, just as innocently as Ephraim. “After spending seven days, on the eighth I saw in a dream,” Saint Ephraim said afterward, “that someone was telling me, “be pious and understand Providence, go over in your thoughts what you were thinking about and what you were doing, and you will realize for yourself, that these people do not suffer unjustly, but the guilty will not escape punishment.” “Efrem saw all this, as he tells in detail in one of his writings. - These events struck Ephraim so much that he soon left the world and retired to the mountains to the hermits, where he became a disciple of Saint James, later the Great Saint of Nizibia (his memory is January 12). 8 To support himself in Edessa, the Monk Ephraim hired himself out to work for the owner of a bathhouse and used his free time to preach the word of God to the pagans; then, on the advice of the holy elder Julian, he retired to the deserted Mount Edessa for exploits. Soon the vision revealed a husband to the elder in Ephraim, to whom one of his contemporary compatriots was given a book to admonish people. Ephraim began to write an interpretation of the Pentateuch. This first experience of interpretation in the Syrian language attracted many Edessians to Ephraim, and Ephraim wanted to escape from the people. "Efrem! where are you running?" - asked the angel who appeared. “I want to live in silence and run from rumors and the seduction of the light,” answered Ephraim. The angel said: “Beware lest the word of the Scripture be fulfilled on you: Ephraim is like a young ox that wants to free its neck from a yoke” (Hosea 10, 11). After this, Ephraim returned to the ministry to which he had been called. From that time on, he began to teach faith and piety orally and in writing. To succeed in his pious work, he opened a school in Edessa, from which the famous teachers of the Syrian Church subsequently emerged. 9 His memory is January 1. 10 Cappadocia is a province of the Roman Empire, located in the east of Asia Minor. Caesarea is the main city of Cappadocia. 11 The monk was, by the way, in the Egyptian deserts; So he spent some time in the Nitrian mountain. The Syrian biography writer says that Ephraim saw here the God-chosen monk Paisius, and John Kolov, narrating the life of Paisius, also describes Paisius’ conversations with “the great father among the Syrian ascetics.” “We had here a man of God, a Syrian, a great elder among the fathers, enlightened in mind and heart,” - this is what John Kolov says. 12 Saint Ephraim left behind himself a lot of writings. - A strict zealot of faith and piety, Saint Ephraim could not remain indifferent to the unrest that the Bardesan and Arius sects caused in Edessa and Mesopotamia. 13 Saint Ephraim died peacefully in the city of Edessa in 373. By month.

Venerable Ephraim the Syrian

memory 28.01/10.02

« Just as rain nurtures a seed, so church service strengthens the soul in virtue.

...The priesthood is not made profaned by a person, even if the one who received it were unworthy.

My soul! The Lord has given you everything - meaning, reason, knowledge, reasoning, so learn what is useful for you. How do you dream of communicating light to others when you yourself are still immersed in darkness? Heal yourself first, and if you can’t, then mourn your blindness.”

Venerable Ephraim the Syrian

Grace - God, faith - Anger - Pride, vanity - Temporary and eternal life - Towards a careless soul - Love for neighbor and for God - Condemnation and slander. On the non-condemnation of priests - Repentance - Saints - Fear of God - The narrow and wide path - Dejection. Despair – Teach others –Church. The Necessity of Going to Church – Brief Life of the Saint

Venerable Ephraim the Syrian (+ 372-373):

Grace

Just as a spring, constantly flowing with clear streams and abundant streams, never prevents anyone who wishes to enjoy the gift of pure waters in abundance, so Divine grace is open to everyone, so that everyone can enjoy as much as they want.

God, faith

Do everything this way and think about everything this way to please God; and if you don’t have this thought, then everything you do will lose its value.

Without oil the lamp will not burn, and without faith no one acquires a good thought.

Anger

If you see a snake lying down, you run away, afraid that it might bite you, and you allow anger, which is full of deadly poison, to remain in your heart.

Pride, vanity

Pride is like a tall, rotten tree, all its branches are broken, and if anyone climbs on it, it will immediately fall from above.

Life is temporary and eternal

Use a few years to acquire eternal time. Do not worry about the duration of this life. It is fleeting and short-lived; all time from Adam to this day has passed away like a shadow. Be ready to set off on your journey, don’t burden yourself. Winter is coming: hurry under the roof, to which we also strive by the grace of Christ.

To a careless soul

Don’t fall, soul, don’t grieve, don’t pronounce decisive judgment on yourself for your many sins, don’t attract fire on yourself, don’t say: “The Lord has cast me away from His presence.” God does not like this word; because He Himself calls to you, saying: "My people, What have I done to you, or how have I offended you, or how have I given you cold?”(Mic. 6:3). Is it not possible for one who has fallen to rise? Or whoever turns away cannot turn back?

Do you hear, soul, what is the goodness of the Lord? You are not delivered into the hands of a prince or a military leader, as if you were condemned. Do not grieve that your wealth is gone. Don't be ashamed contact me, but tell me better : “Rising up, I go to my Father"(Luke 15:18).

Get up, go. He accepts you and does not reproach you, but even more rejoices at your conversion. He is waiting for you, just don’t be ashamed, like Adam, and don’t hide from the face of God.

For your sake, Christ was crucified and will he reject you? Let this not happen! He knows who oppresses us; knows that we have no other helper but Him alone. Christ knows that man is poor.

So, let us not indulge in negligence, as if we were destined for the fire. There is no need for Christ to be cast into fire; It is not a gain for Him to send us into torment.

Don't you want to know the severity of the torment? When a sinner is expelled from the face of God, then the foundations of the universe will not bear his cry and weeping. For it is written: “That day... the day of darkness and darkness, the day of clouds and darkness, the day of trumpets and crying.”(Zeph. 1. 15-16). If a person, condemned by the prince, goes into prison for two years, or five, or ten years, then how many tears do you think the person has, what shame, what sobbing? But he still has consolation in waiting for the end of this period. Therefore, do we want to know what term is assigned to sinners? Can we determine the time of their exile at twenty, or fifty, or a hundred, or two hundred years? But how can one calculate time where there are no years included in the calculation of days? Alas! Alas! This time is hopeless. For the wrath that comes against sinners is unbearable. Do you hear about the hardship that awaits sinners? Therefore, do not bring yourself to such a need, for even one rebuke is unbearable for you.

Do you have many sins? Don't be afraid to cry out to God. Get started, don't be ashamed. The field of achievement is near; Arise, shake off the materiality of the world. Imitate the prodigal son, who, having squandered everything, went to his father without shame. The father rather regretted his captivity than the wealth he wasted at first. Thus, he who entered dishonestly entered with honor, who came naked was received dressed in a robe, who pretended to be a mercenary was restored to the rank of ruler.

This word comes to us. Do you hear how successful was the boldness of this son? But will you understand your father’s kindness? And you, soul, don’t be embarrassed, knock on the doors.

Do you need anything? Stand at the door and you will receive everything you need, according to the Divine Scripture, which says: “For his recklessness, he will rise up and give it to him; he will demand it.”(Luke 11:8). God does not reject you, man, and does not reproach you for wasting your wealth at first. For He lacks no possessions; He supplies everyone diligently, according to the apostolic word: “...let him ask God, who gives to all, to show no partiality or revile”(James 1:5).

Are you at the marina? Look at the waves, so that a storm does not suddenly arise and kidnap you into the depths of the sea; then with a sigh you will begin to say: “I came to the depths of the sea, and the storm drowned me. The caller has become weary, my larynx has become silent.”(Ps.68, 3-4). For hell really is the abyss of the sea, according to the Master’s saying that a great chasm has established itself (Luke 16:26) between the righteous and the sinners.

So, do not condemn yourself to this abyss. Imitate the prodigal son; leave the hail that is starving; flee a miserable life with pigs; stop eating faces that they don’t even give you. And so come and beg, and eat the manna, the food of angels, without lack. Begin to contemplate God's glory, and your face will be illuminated. Come and enjoy the paradise of sweets.

Use a few years to acquire eternal time. Do not worry about the duration of this life. It is fleeting and short-lived; all time from Adam to this day has passed away like a shadow. Get ready to hit the road. Don't burden yourself. Winter is coming: hurry under the roof, to which we also strive by the grace of Christ. Amen.

Love for neighbor and for God

He who has not acquired love is a tool of the enemy, wandering along every path and not knowing that he is walking in darkness.

Blessed is the man in whom there is the love of God, because he carries God within himself. God is loving, and abide in love in God abides(1 John 4:16). In whom love is, together with God, above all else. He who has love in him is not afraid; because love casts out fear. In whom there is love, he never disdains anyone, small and great, glorious and inglorious, poor and rich: on the contrary, he himself becomes rabble for everyone; covers all things, endures all things (1 Cor. 13:7). In whom there is love, he does not exalt himself before anyone, does not become arrogant, does not slander anyone, and turns away his ears from those who slander. In whom there is love, he does not indulge in flattery, he himself does not stumble, and he does not trip up his brother’s feet. In whom there is love, he does not compete, does not envy, does not look with a hateful eye, does not rejoice at the fall of others, does not denigrate the fallen, but sympathizes with him and takes part in him, does not despise a brother in need, but intercedes and is ready to die for him. In whom there is love, he fulfills the will of God, he is a disciple of God. For our good Lord himself said: of this everyone understands that you are my disciples, if you love one another(John 13:34-35). In whom there is love, he never appropriates anything to himself, does not say about anything: “this is mine”; but whatever he has, he offers it to everyone for common use. In whom there is love, he does not consider anyone a stranger to himself, but everyone is his own. In whom there is love, he is not irritated, is not proud, is not inflamed with anger, does not rejoice over untruth, does not commit lies, and does not consider anyone his enemy except the devil. In whom love is, he endures everything, is merciful, and long-suffering (1 Cor. 13:4-7). Therefore, blessed is he who acquired love and with it moved to God; because God knows His own and will accept him into His bosom. The worker of love will be a cohabitant with the Angels and will reign with Christ. Out of love, God the Word descended to earth. Through love, heaven has been opened for us, and everyone has been shown the entrance to heaven. Through love we are reconciled with God, who were His enemies. Therefore, we rightly say that God is loving, and abides in God in love.

About those who have no love in them

Those who are far from love are unfortunate and pitiful. He spends his days in sleepy delirium. And who will not cry for that person who is far from God, deprived of light and lives in darkness? For I say to you, brethren: Whoever does not have the love of Christ is an enemy of Christ. He who says that he who hates his brother is a murderer (1 John 3:15), and walks in darkness (2:11), and is conveniently caught in every sin. He who has no love soon becomes irritated, soon becomes angry, and soon becomes inflamed with hatred. He who does not have love rejoices over the injustice of others, does not have compassion for the falling, does not stretch out his hand to the lying, does not give advice to the overthrown, does not support the wavering. He who has no love is blinded by his mind, he is a friend of the devil, he is the inventor of all wickedness, he is the breeder of quarrels, he is the friend of slanderers, the interlocutor of earphones, the adviser of offenders, the mentor of envious people, the worker of pride, the vessel of arrogance. In a word: he who has not acquired love is a tool of the enemy, wandering along every path and not knowing that he is walking in darkness.

Condemnation and slander. On non-condemnation of priests

He who delights in slandering others clearly shows that he himself is caught in the very thing for which he slanders others. For, whoever curses another condemns himself. He is a carnal man, entangled in the snares of the world. The slanderer has everything: slander, hatred, and slander; Therefore, he is recognized as a fratricide, ruthless, and unmerciful. And whoever always has the fear of God in himself, and who has a pure heart, does not like to slander others, does not delight in other people’s secrets, does not seek joy in the fall of others. That's why he who has accustomed himself to slander is truly worth tears and weeping.

Do not ridicule or condemn someone who falls into temptation, but pray often so that you yourself do not fall into it.

Before death, do not please anyone, and before death, do not despair of anyone.

It is good to raise someone who has fallen to his feet, and not to ridicule him.

On non-condemnation of priests

Just as bright gold does not suffer harm if it is covered with dirt, as well as the purest beads if it touches some unclean and nasty things, so in the same way the priesthood is not made defiled by man, even if the one who receives it is unworthy.

Repentance

Repentance is a holiday to God, for the Gospel says that God rejoices more one sinner who repents, rather than ninety-nine righteous(Luke 15:7). Repentance, creating a feast for God, calls heaven to a feast. Angels rejoice when repentance invites them to supper. All the heavenly ranks feast, excited to joy by repentance.

Repentance sacrifices those who have sinned, but also revives them again; kills, but also raises again from the dead. How is this possible? Listen: it takes sinners and makes them righteous. Yesterday they were dead, but today they are alive to God through repentance; yesterday they were strangers, but today they were God’s own; yesterday they were lawless, but today they are saints. Repentance is a great crucible that takes copper into itself and turns it into gold; takes lead and gives silver... Repentance, by the grace of God, dissolves the repentant with the grace of the Holy Spirit, and makes a person completely a son of God.

My word to you, penitent; Do not have an empty place in yourself, be firm in your resolve to resist sin and stand in goodness like a stone. You must bring firm repentance like Peter because you have sinned firmly. God does not accept repentance that does not show a firm deed in itself... Those who bring repentance only for show commit not one sin, but many sins, because others are also disposed to bring only outward repentance. Such people are not only not forgiven, but sin is also added...

Don’t say: today I will sin, but tomorrow I will repent. But it’s better to repent today, because we don’t know whether we’ll live to see tomorrow…

Let no one say: “I have sinned a lot, there is no forgiveness for me.” Whoever says this forgets about the One who came to Earth for the sake of the suffering and said: “...there is joy among the angels of God over one sinner who repents”(Luke 15:10), and also: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance”(Luke 5:32).”

The Saints

Saints... as citizens of heaven serve God among earthly beings. In a tireless struggle, they overcome carnal lusts, and, by the will of the Lord, they make their body a vessel of shrine. They direct spiritual forces to spiritual contemplation and become the abode of God, so that He dwells in them.

Fear of God

Let there always be a cross on your forehead, and the fear of God in your heart.

If you truly loved the Lord and are making an effort to improve the future Kingdom and have vowed to work because of your sins, then remember judgment and eternal torment, awaiting with fear your departure from this world.

The narrow and wide path

Throughout the entire space of Scripture, those who walk the narrow path are blessed, but those who enter the broad and extensive path are predicted to suffer everywhere. Let us leave the broad path, which leads to destruction, and enter the narrow one, so that, having worked a little here, we may reign for endless ages. Let us labor, always having before the eyes of the Coming One to judge the living and the dead, and constantly keeping in mind eternal life, an endless kingdom, standing with the Angels, being with Christ.

Let us follow the narrow and cramped path, loving contrition, so that the remembrance of death may remain in us and so that we may be freed from condemnation. For it is said: Woe to you who laugh now: for you will weep and weep(Luke 6:25) .

Blessed are those who weep now, for they will be comforted(Matt. 5, 4). Let's look into the grave and see the secrets of our nature - a pile of bones lying one on top of the other, skulls stripped of flesh, and other bones. Looking at them, we will see ourselves in them. Where is the beauty of true color, where is the goodness of the cheeks? Reflecting on this, let us renounce carnal lusts, so that we will not be ashamed at the resurrection.

On the broad path there is the following: evil, temptation, gluttony, drunkenness, debauchery, lasciviousness, discord, anger, arrogance, inconstancy and the like. They are followed by disbelief, disobedience, insubordination. The last of all evils is despair. Whoever is devoted to this has lost his way from the path of truth and is preparing his own destruction.

And on the narrow and cramped path one encounters the following: silence, abstinence, chastity, love, patience, joy, peace, humility and the like. Eternal life follows them.

Dejection. Despair

Prayer and constant meditation on God serve to eradicate despondency; reflection is protected by abstinence, and abstinence by bodily labor.

Satan maliciously tries to sadden many in order to plunge them into Gehenna with despair..

Teach others

Before I had time to begin my deeds of piety, I was already infected with vanity. I have not yet entered the vestibule, and I am already dreaming of the inner sanctuary. I have not yet laid down the beginnings of a life pleasing to God, and I am already rebuking my neighbors. I haven’t yet learned what the truth is, but I want to be a mentor to others. My soul! The Lord has given you everything - meaning, reason, knowledge, reasoning, so learn what is useful for you. How do you dream of communicating light to others when you yourself are still immersed in darkness? Heal yourself first, and if you cannot, then mourn your blindness.

Church. The need to attend church

Staying in the temple is a reflection of your whole life. The way they live is how they behave in the temple. The temple influences and somewhat supports the spiritual movement, but then the usual course of the spiritual order takes its toll. Therefore, if you want your stay in church to be worthy in the face of the Lord, prepare for this with ordinary life: walk as much as you can, in a prayerful mood.

Just as rain nurtures a seed, so church service strengthens the soul in virtue..

Brief life of the saint *

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...

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. The caves were their only refuge, they ate only plants... The Monk Ephraim combined with ascetic labors the incessant 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 the soul because he began them by exposing 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...

They wrote many prayers and chants that enriched church services. His prayer of repentance “Lord and Master of my life...” read during Great Lent and calls Christians to spiritual renewal...

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.

*Based on the book: “Lives of the Saints” in 2 volumes. Published in Moscow in 1978.

Republished in Poltava in 2001. Volume 1

Ephraim Sirin

Mosaic of the catholicon of the Nea Moni monastery, mid-11th century

Ephraim the Syrian (Syr. ͐ ͦ ͪ ͝ ͡ ͣ ͘ ͪ ͝ ͐͝ Mor/Mar Afrêm Sûryāyâ, Greek: Ἐφραίμ ὁ Σῦρος; c. 306, Nizibia - June 9, 373, Edessa) - one of the great teachers of the 4th century church, Christian theologian and poet.

The commemoration in the Orthodox Church takes place on January 28 (Julian calendar)/February 10, in the Catholic Church on June 10.

Icon Ephraim the Syrian

Biography

Born in the city of Nizibia. According to the legend of his Syrian biography, Ephraim the Syrian was the son of pious parents. 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.

Venerable Anthony the Great - founder of skete monasticism

Jacob of Nizibia

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 (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 (Nativity of Christ, Epiphany), 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 in you. Behold, the kingdom of God is within you, sinner. Enter into yourself, search harder and you will find it without difficulty. Outside of you is death, and the door to it is sin. Enter into yourself, abide 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.”

Basil of Caesarea and Cappadocia

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 Saint Basil the Great in Caesarea in Cappadocia (January 1), 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 St. Ephraim to the bishop's chair, but the saint presented himself as a holy fool in order to reject this honor, out of humility 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.

Ephraim the Syrian himself calls himself a man “unlearned and of little understanding,” but he said this only out of humility: even Basil the Great was “amazed” at his learning, as Theodoret put it. In the writings of Ephraim the Syrian himself, one can see a good familiarity with the works of not only Christian scientists, but also with “Hellenic wisdom,” with pagan mythology and the beginnings of natural science of that time. In his sermons, Ephraim the Syrian often speaks about the benefits of knowledge and education, which, as he puts it, is “above wealth.”
The works of Ephraim the Syrian were translated into Greek during his lifetime. According to Jerome, they were read in churches after St. Scripture, as was done in ancient times with the works of Hermas and Clement of Rome. The number of his works, according to Photius, extended to 1000, not counting the prayers he composed and which were partly included in liturgical use, as well as poems expounding church teaching and set to folk tunes in order to counter the spread of the heresy of Bardesan. The Russian translation of the works of Ephraim the Syrian (Moscow Theological Academy, 1848) does not even contain all of his published works (only 265 titles). The first place among the works of Ephraim the Syrian is occupied by his interpretations of Holy Scripture, which have not completely reached us. Among the exegetes of the Eastern Church, Ephraim the Syrian occupies one of the first places. Knowledge of the Jewish language, ethnography and geography of Palestine adds special value to his interpretations.
The dogma of Sirin is much lower in merit. According to the mental development of the Syrian church in his time, an elementary presentation of Christian teaching was needed rather than its speculative and dialectical interpretation; Moreover, Ephraim the Syrian himself, in terms of his spiritual powers, was not so much a thinker as an orator and poet. From his acquaintance with “Hellenic wisdom,” he derived a negative attitude towards it, and based his entire theoretical worldview exclusively on religious principles, on the so-called “faith of the church,” shunning speculative theology.
This protective, strictly confessional direction of Sirin's theology constitutes a feature that sharply separates him from other great church teachers of his time. Even in his anti-heretical writings, for the most part he does not enter into a learned discussion of heretical doctrines, but is content with only pointing out their disagreement with the faith of the church and deep sorrow for the wickedness of heretical freethinkers.
The best part of the writings of Ephraim the Syrian are his sermons and prophecies, especially moral ones. He does not so much prove as express his thoughts and feelings. The “Syrian Prophet” (the name given to him by his contemporaries) appears here in his innate sphere. He is a true and genuine speaker in the Christian sense of the word. His speeches are alien to artificial construction and conventional rhetoric; His preaching often turns into real hymnology: the endless variety of comparisons sometimes reaches the point of excessive verbosity and excessive allegorization. The dominant argument in his sermons is a skillful quotation from Holy Scripture, their main content is the teaching of life “for God and in God.” The discrepancy between the actual life of Christian society and the Christian ideal fills his soul with inconsolable sorrow. He talks about repentance, about moving away from the vanity of the world, about the fight against passions; depicts death, the Last Judgment, the afterlife fate of sinners and righteous people. Alien to extreme rigorism, he blesses marriage and family, advises parents to take care of raising their children for life, good marriages for their daughters, and placing their sons in public and state service. His preaching of repentance is not a preaching of a gloomy and joyless state of mind. He turns the listener's thoughts to the Christian teaching about the goodness of God; despondency is presented to them as a grave sin. Some of his teachings are brief and take the form of gnomic instructions of ancient Greek philosophers; others are presented in the form of a pre-Origene homily, that is, a real conversation - a dialogue between a teacher and students; still others represent the type of Origenian homily, that is, a sequential interpretation of a greater or lesser passage of Holy Scripture, interspersed with moral teachings; the fourth are truly extensive thematic words (Greek λόγοι), characterized by a comprehensive explanation of the subject and truly oratorical presentation. The most famous sermons of Ephraim the Syrian belong to this group, the largest: seven words about the second coming of Christ, about the resurrection of the dead, about the suffering of the Savior, about the cross, about patience, about faith, about fasting, about virtues and vices, about pride.

Poetic heritage

The poetic heritage of Ephraim the Syrian is divided into strophic “madrashis” (sung hymns) and non-strophic “memras” (homily in poetic form, not sung). About 400 hymns have survived, which by the 5th century were combined into thematic collections. For each hymn, the refrain (onita) and the name of the model melody (qala) to which the verses should be sung are indicated. The skill of Ephraim the Syrian manifests itself, in particular, in the incredible variety of poetic meters (about 50 in total), including exquisite acrostics; Only incipits have been preserved from the model melodies. Many madrashes and memras that the Greek and Slavic tradition attributes to Ephraim the Syrian are not authentic.

Essays

Mar Afrem of Nisibinsk (St. Ephraim the Syrian). Julian cycle. / Per. with sir. and comm. A. V. Muravyova. (Smaragdos Philocalias series, vol. 3). M., 2006. 240 pp. - Rev. Ephraim the Syrian. Seven Sons of Samona, Eleventh Song of Paradise [and other poems]. Translation by S.S. Averintsev // Pearl of Many Prices. Kyiv, 2003, pp.11-58 (with scientific comments).

PRAYER by Ephraim the Syrian

The Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is a repentant prayer, written by Saint Ephraim the Syrian, read according to the Orthodox church charter at daily services during Lent until Great Wednesday of Holy Week, except Saturday and Sunday, as well as in cell prayer at home.

Text:
Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk.
Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to Thy servant. To her, Lord, King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever. Amen.

Explanations:
My life is my life, the spirit of idleness is a tendency to idleness or laziness, despondency is hopelessness, covetousness is the love of power, that is, the love of being in charge and dominion over others, idle talk is the utterance of empty words (idle talk), as well as bad and abusive words, do not give mi - don't let me.
Chastity - sanity, prudence, as well as purity and integrity of the soul, humility - awareness of one's imperfection and unworthiness before God, and when we do not think about ourselves that we are better than others (humility), patience - patience is needed when enduring any inconveniences or deprivations and misfortunes, and it is also necessary in order to bring the good work started to completion, love - love (for God and neighbors). Yes, Lord - oh, Lord, grant me sight - let me see, realize. By brother here we mean any other person.
For you are blessed - because You are worthy of glorification.

Pre-scholastic (Old Believer) text:
Lord and Master of my life, drive away the spirit of despondency, neglect, love of money and idle talk from me.
Grant the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to me, Your servant.
To her, Lord the King, grant me to see my sins, and not to condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever, amen.

After each of the three verses, a prostration is made, then “God, cleanse me, a sinner,” is read 12 times with bows from the waist, and the entire prayer is repeated once again with a prostration at the end.

In literature

The repentant prayer of Ephraim the Syrian inspired Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin to create a beautiful poem:
Desert fathers and blameless wives,
To fly with your heart into the field of correspondence,
To strengthen it in the midst of long storms and battles,
They composed many divine prayers;
But none of them touches me,
Like the one the priest repeats
During the sad days of Lent;
Most often it comes to my lips
And he strengthens the fallen with an unknown force:
Lord of my days! The spirit of sad idleness,
Lust of power, this hidden serpent,
And do not give idle talk to my soul.
But let me see my sins, O God,
Yes, my brother will not accept condemnation from me,
And the spirit of humility, patience, love
And revive chastity in my heart.
1836

Venerable Ephraim the Syrian

Troparion to Ephraim the Syrian

With your tears you have cultivated the barren desert,
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 for the salvation of our souls.

Vyshny Volochek, Kazan Monastery. Church of Ephraim the Syrian and Neonila

Axonometry of the project of the Church of Ephraim the Syrian in Omsk. Parish in honor of the Holy Venerable Ephraim the Syrian.

Suzdal district, Vladimir region

This saint was especially revered in the Nilo-Sora monastery. See Nil Sorsky.

On the night of August 15, 2011, in the city of Kirkuk (Iraq), unknown criminals planted several explosive devices in the building of the Church of St. Ephraim the Syrian. The explosions occurred at 1:30 a.m. local time, when no one was in the church, Sedmitsa.Ru reports. The explosions caused most of the ceiling to collapse. Church of St. Ephraim the Syrian is located in the very center of the city.

“Lord and Master of my life...” Any Christian who has been to church at least once during Great Lent can easily name the author of this prayer - Reverend. The saint, who lived in the 4th century, left behind a text that in Russian culture is as significant a symbol of repentance as the 50th Psalm.

Thanks to Pushkin’s poetic adaptation of “The Desert Fathers and the Immaculate Wives,” people who had never entered the church and had no idea about the existence of St. Ephraim heard about this prayer.

For medieval Christians, the situation was the opposite: almost everyone knew Ephraim the Syrian, but it was impossible to establish a list of his works. Church historian Sozomen says that the saint’s writings consist of three million lines.

The authority of the Monk Ephraim was so great that for more than a thousand years the authorship of more and more new works continued to be attributed to him. In those days, it was considered normal to attribute important ideas to an authoritative saint, so that the latter's credibility would make the argument more convincing.

Compared to this abundance of works, biographical information about the saint is very scarce. Not a single ancient life of the ascetic has yet been published in Russian. In the most popular hagiographical multi-volume work, the Lives of the Saints according to St. Demetrius of Rostov, Ephraim the Syrian is an artificial combination of different sources, including very late ones. If we turn to the texts of St. Ephraim himself, we can find interesting information from his life that was not included in popular biographies.

The immediate reason for the conversion of a young man born at the very beginning of the 4th century was a false accusation of stealing sheep. While awaiting the judge's verdict, the saint spent more than two months in prison and received several revelations from God, in which he was reminded of an old sin - as a joke, he drove a poor neighbor's cow to death. Subsequently, reflections on repentance and crying about sins would become the favorite topics of his sermons and prayers.

Believers very early appreciated the significance of the saint's texts. During his lifetime, numerous sermons, interpretations of the Holy Scriptures, anti-heretical writings and prayers were translated into Greek, Latin, Arabic, Coptic, Ethiopian, Armenian, Georgian, Slavic and other languages. Almost immediately the saint began to have imitators. His authority was so high that his creations were actually equated with biblical texts. Blessed Jerome, who compiled the lives of holy men in 392, notes that the works of Ephraim enjoyed great fame: they were read publicly, in church, immediately after the Holy Scriptures.

Literary fame was destined for the saint from birth. One of the hagiographical monuments tells about a grapevine that grew in the mouth of a child. The parents of St. Ephraim saw this dream. In the ancient Syrian life there is a similar episode - a vision of an old man, in which the angels ask the Monk Ephraim to eat a scroll.

Despite the fact that eating a scroll as a symbol of eloquence was a traditional hagiographic topos (suffice it to recall the saying “I would like to drink honey with your lips”), in the case of St. Ephraim this metaphor is more appropriate than ever. The saint was the greatest representative of Syriac literature and in his works he used a sophisticated literary technique based on repetition, the use of oral speech and harmonies. Sergei Averintsev, in an article dedicated to St. Ephraim, called his poetry “prophetic,” found analogies for it in the texts of the Old and New Testaments, and also gave examples of punning phrase construction in the Syriac language.

The use of puns in the poetry of Ephraim the Syrian allowed him to combat the spread of false teachings. A certain heretic preached his doctrine with the help of songs composed to a popular tune. The saint used this poetic meter to preach Orthodoxy, as he specifically spoke about in the title of his works. Moreover, being a musician, the Monk Ephraim sometimes indicated to what motive a particular hymn should be sung.

Researchers still argue whether the Syrian ascetic knew Greek. According to one version, St. Ephraim knew him from his youth and even left several texts on it; according to another, the saint miraculously began to understand and speak Greek during a conversation with St. Basil the Great.

The very meeting of the famous Syrian ascetic with the Archbishop of Caesarea is also told in different ways. It all started with the fact that the Monk Ephraim, in prayer, received a revelation to meet with the pillar of faith named Basil. The saint, together with one companion, arrived in Caesarea and went to the temple, where he performed. The life, set out from the works of St. Demetrius of Rostov, tells that the Monk Ephraim began to loudly praise the archbishop in the church, and the people around him said: “This monk wants to get something from the bishop.”

The older version is closer to the real situation. The saint mentally expressed bewilderment at how a person dressed in such magnificent clothes and enjoying such veneration could be a pillar of faith. At this moment, Saint Basil sends his archdeacon with a request to the Monk Ephraim to go to the altar. The first time the saint refuses, the second he goes to the altar and there he pronounces the phrase “Truly great Vasily.”

The ascetics enjoy conversation with each other, and, according to one version, St. Basil performs the diaconal ordination of St. Ephraim. The monk out of humility refused to be ordained a priest.

Let us note that ancient sources preserved not only a mention of the deaconate of the Syrian ascetic, but also his verbal portrait. According to Sergei Averintsev, “there is a living memory of him as a short, bald and beardless man with an unusually concentrated expression on his face, who could not be entertained or made laugh.”

The last phrase is more likely part of the image of the monk than his real feature. The author of numerous prayers and words of repentance, according to medieval Christians, simply could not be a cheerful person.

We know both a lot and a little about the prayers of Ephraim the Syrian. The author of the “Explanatory Typikon” Mikhail Skaballanovich writes: “In the “Acts (Life) of St. Ephraim” it is said that “with his sublime and spiritual songs (odas) he taught the doctrine of the Nativity of Christ, Baptism, fasting, suffering (of Christ), Resurrection, Ascension and other sacraments of this Divine providence; here he added other hymns - about martyrs, about repentance, about the dead." According to Skaballanovich, St. Ephraim also owns a whole series of prayers, including the Lenten prayer of Ephraim the Syrian.

The first reliable written information that “Lord and Master of my life” should be read during Great Lent dates back to the Jerusalem Typikon of the 10th century, but, most likely, this text was known in the Church much earlier. It acquired significance as the main prayer of Lent only in the Russian Church, when it began to be repeated many times and publicly. It is enough to open the Lenten Triode to be convinced of the frequency of its use.

Unfortunately, in the text of the life of St. Ephraim it was not possible to find the circumstances of the writing of this heartfelt prayer, but indirect evidence can be given that the text belongs to the pen of the “Syrian prophet.” Some ancient monuments tell that the Syrian hermit asked God to moderate his tenderness - “weaken the waves of Thy grace for me.” The request is very strange for an ordinary Christian and very characteristic of the Monk Ephraim, who for most of his life spoke so sincerely about repentance that his sermons on this topic still remain a favorite reading for monks and laity.

Ephraim the Syrian, St. prp.); Byzantium; XVI century; location: . Meteors. Monastery of Nicholas Anapafsas

The legacy of St. Ephraim the Syrian is extremely extensive and includes interpretations of the Holy Scriptures, sermons and teachings, numerous hymns and prayers, which are partly included in modern worship. During the life of the monk they were translated into Greek.

Ephraim the Syrian clearly avoided any philosophizing; he paid more attention to moral teaching. It is in sermons that he reveals his talent as an orator, without using unnecessary rhetorical forms, but invariably moving the conversation into a practical direction. Some of his sermons are written in the form of a dialogue between teacher and student, others as a sequential explanation of one or another fragment of Holy Scripture.

Only a small part of his legacy has so far been translated into Russian.

Memory of the Holy Venerable Ephraim the Syrian January 28 / February 10

Troparion to St. Ephraim the Syrian, tone 8

With your tears you cultivated the barren desert, / and you brought forth fruit from the depths with sighs of a hundred labors, / and you were a lamp of the universe, / shining miracles, Ephraim, our father, // pray to Christ God for the salvation of our souls.

Kontakion of St. Ephraim the Syrian, tone 2

Ever foreseeing the hour of Judgment, / you wept bitterly, Ephraim, as if you were silent in love, / but you were a diligent teacher in matters, O Reverend. // Moreover, O universal father, you lift up the lazy to repentance.

Greatness

We bless you, / Reverend Father Ephraim, / and honor your holy memory, / mentor of monks, // and interlocutor of angels.