Because Arie was baptized into the Russian Orthodox Church, I've been slowly and surely learning more and more about Orthodox traditions in an effort to see how we can incorporate some of them into our religious expression. This year as I learned about the Orthodox tradition of lent, I found a beautiful lenten prayer and have decided to take it on daily for the duration of the season. I love knowing I am joining with thousands of Orthodox voices- my brothers and sisters in Christ- across the world. I also love the spirit of this prayer; it perfectly captures the spirit of lent. If you are looking for something to take on during this season of lent, I invite you to join me in praying this prayer. I believe God will use it to humble us and bring us into deeper communion with him.
Saint Ephrem's Prayer:
O LORD and Master of my Life,
Take from me the spirit of
sloth,
despondency,
lust for power,
and idle talk.
But grant unto me, Thy servant, a spirit of
integrity,
humility,
patience,
and love.
Yes O LORD and King,
grant me to see mine own faults
and not to judge my brother.
For blessed art Thou unto the ages.
Amen.
What a great prayer! Thank you for sharing. It is such a wonderful thing you are doing- learning about the faith Arie was baptized into. You are one great mom!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! It is a blessing to my heart to hear that!
DeleteWow! What a great prayer! :-) And a good confirmation that staying off of facebook for Lent is a good idea for me. :-) (Not everyone, but definitely me).
ReplyDeleteI love the Prayer of St. Ephrem! My best friend is Orthodox and gave me a prayer card a few years ago with his Lenten Prayer on it. I've prayed it every morning since - it's one of the most all-encompassing, perfect prayers I've ever found.
ReplyDelete