The Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian
(said only during the weekdays of Great Lent,
with prostrations and bows)
(said only during the weekdays of Great Lent,
with prostrations and bows)
O Lord and Master of my life,
a spirit of idleness, despondency, and idle talking give me not. Prostration.
But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love
bestow on me Thy servant. Prostration.
Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings
and not condemn my brother,
for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen. Prostration.
O God cleanse me, a sinner. (12 times, with a bow, touching the floor each time.)
a spirit of idleness, despondency, and idle talking give me not. Prostration.
But rather a spirit of chastity, humble-mindedness, patience, and love
bestow on me Thy servant. Prostration.
Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see my failings
and not condemn my brother,
for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen. Prostration.
O God cleanse me, a sinner. (12 times, with a bow, touching the floor each time.)
Then O Lord and Master, and the rest, with a final prostration.
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A prayer before reading Scripture, by St. John Chrysostom
(read here)
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A Prayer to St. John Chrysostom
O great and holy hierarch John Chrysostom, thou didst receive many and divers gifts from the Lord, and like a good and faithful servant thou hast increased well the talents given thee; wherefore, thou wast truly a teacher of the whole world, for people of every age and every calling were taught by thee. Thou art a model of obedience for children, a beacon of chastity for the youth, an instructor in industrious labor for men, a teacher of guilelessness for the old, a rule of abstinence for monks, a guide inspired by God for those who pray, an enlightener of the mind for those seeking wisdom, an inexhaustible well-spring of the words of life for eloquent orators, a star of loving kindness for the charitable, an image of wise rule for those who govern, an inspiration to boldness for lovers of justice, an instructor in patience for those persecuted for righteousness' sake—thou wast made all things to all men, that thou mightest by all means save some. For all of them thou didst acquire the love which is the bond of perfection, and thereby, as with divine power, thou didst join together all spiritual gifts in thy one person; and the same love, which reconcileth those things which are separated, thou didst preach to all the faithful in thine interpretation of the words of the apostles. But we sinners, each possessed of his own gift, do not possess oneness of spirit in the bond of peace, for we are become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another. For this cause, the gifts distributed amongst us are not unto peace and salvation, but unto enmity and our condemnation. Wherefore, though buffeted by disunity, we fall down before thee, O holy hierarch of God, and in contrition of heart we ask: through thy supplications drive from our hearts all the pride and jealousy which divide us, that the body of the Church may consist of many members, that, as thou hast said in thy prayer, we may love one another and with oneness of mind may confess the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity consubstantial and indivisible, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.
A prayer before reading Scripture, by St. John Chrysostom
(read here)
____________________________________________________
A Prayer to St. John Chrysostom
O great and holy hierarch John Chrysostom, thou didst receive many and divers gifts from the Lord, and like a good and faithful servant thou hast increased well the talents given thee; wherefore, thou wast truly a teacher of the whole world, for people of every age and every calling were taught by thee. Thou art a model of obedience for children, a beacon of chastity for the youth, an instructor in industrious labor for men, a teacher of guilelessness for the old, a rule of abstinence for monks, a guide inspired by God for those who pray, an enlightener of the mind for those seeking wisdom, an inexhaustible well-spring of the words of life for eloquent orators, a star of loving kindness for the charitable, an image of wise rule for those who govern, an inspiration to boldness for lovers of justice, an instructor in patience for those persecuted for righteousness' sake—thou wast made all things to all men, that thou mightest by all means save some. For all of them thou didst acquire the love which is the bond of perfection, and thereby, as with divine power, thou didst join together all spiritual gifts in thy one person; and the same love, which reconcileth those things which are separated, thou didst preach to all the faithful in thine interpretation of the words of the apostles. But we sinners, each possessed of his own gift, do not possess oneness of spirit in the bond of peace, for we are become vainglorious, provoking one another, envying one another. For this cause, the gifts distributed amongst us are not unto peace and salvation, but unto enmity and our condemnation. Wherefore, though buffeted by disunity, we fall down before thee, O holy hierarch of God, and in contrition of heart we ask: through thy supplications drive from our hearts all the pride and jealousy which divide us, that the body of the Church may consist of many members, that, as thou hast said in thy prayer, we may love one another and with oneness of mind may confess the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity consubstantial and indivisible, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.