Slave porters transport their master (Brazil, 1831)
I want to be the first!
And this latent steering captivates a person so much that he believes that if he is steering, then everyone else must necessarily give way to him, and he owes nothing to anyone.
And he will beep furiously, cut off, flash his high beams, and call everyone an asshole. A picture familiar to many, I think.
At the same time, in all other situations and relationships, the same person may not behave like a leader at all. At work, he can be a completely quiet employee who obeys his, for example, very tough boss in everything.
Moreover, a quiet employee may just love a strong hand and in every possible way declare his personal respect for the dictatorial system of government. But as soon as he gets behind the wheel, the little dictator awakens in him.
We are not slaves, are we not slaves?
By its very nature, lust is a slavish feeling. The feeling is not that of a servant of God, but a base, downtrodden, envious, greedy for power, even the smallest, vile feeling that can manifest itself in the smallest things. And a person can be a despot in relation to those who are weaker than him or are in some way subordinate to him.
The dictator can be the house manager or the concierge in the house. There is even a special expression - “watchman syndrome”, when a small person, vested with little power, asserts himself to the fullest over those who are dependent on him.
This can manifest itself in a person completely unexpectedly, just give it a reason.
It turns out that he is, as it were, recouping his constant slavery on those who are safe. This is the nature of hazing. Any hazing is based on the principle: “I was a slave, I was humiliated, I hated everyone like a slave, and now I will take it out on those who cannot defend themselves.”
An example opposite to covetousness is given to us by Christ Himself. In the Gospel, the Lord does not simply say: Whoever among you wants to be first will be your servant. I came to you not to be served, but to serve Myself. Christ acts: he goes and washes the feet of the disciples.
And in this action there is a spirit of humility, nobility, generosity, and inner freedom.
Great Lent, if we go through it correctly, should bring us closer to the image that Christ gives us: to the image of someone who serves, who gives way, who gives room for life to another.
Power or love?
Pushkin very accurately called the spirit of covetousness a “hidden snake.” After all, a person may think that he does not have this spirit.
We, church people, all gladly take upon ourselves the image of external humility: we joyfully say that we are unworthy and indecent servants of God.
But at the same time, we maintain a tough spirit and a desire to always displace others, to take the place that we consider to be ours by right, and from this place we begin to look down on others.
In fact, there are two ways for a person to rise: the slave way and the evangelical way.
First: elevate yourself by humiliating others. This is the way of the Pharisee, who exalted himself at the expense of the publican, saying: Thank you, Lord, that I am not like this publican.
The second is the path of Zacchaeus, who is from the Gospel, who, in order to become “bigger”, first put up with ridicule and, like a boy, climbed a tree to see Christ passing by. And when he saw Christ, something mysterious happened in his soul, he suddenly realized what true wealth was: not in collecting money, which obviously had previously given Zacchaeus, whom others despised, the illusion of power and security, but in giving from the heart.
Zacchaeus on the tree; fresco vt.pol. 17th century, Yaroslavl. Image from comorinemuritoare.ro
Feeling this, Zacchaeus truly humbles himself: from a miserly tax collector, he turns into a generous and kind one, who wants to repay those he has offended fourfold.
Zacchaeus ceased to be a slave of lust and became a servant of God, noble and generous, because his meeting with Christ, a real one, and not just an eventual one, revealed to him what the main value of life is: in love, and not in power.
After all, power and the desire for power are often just a distorted need for love. And if it doesn’t work out with love, a person begins to dominate. “If they don’t like it, then at least let them be afraid.”
The less love there is in a person’s heart, the more he strives to command, at least in this way feeling his “significance”, his presence in life.
Learn to control yourself
But is the desire for power never good? After all, a person can feel the potential of a leader and desire power in order to do good? He may be able to do this good, and even on a large scale, and even inspire people to do good deeds!
Unfortunately, this is another great illusion. The desire for power never leads to good things, unless it is the desire to dominate oneself.
Until a person has learned to control himself, has not understood what motivates him, evil or good, he, even having come to power with good intentions, will deviate into untruth. Oranges will not be born from aspen trees. The desire to rule, to rule is a desire to surpass, to be superior, there is no love here, and since there is no love, the deed will not bear good fruit.
***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! sad spirit of 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.
A.S. Pushkin
M.V. Nesterov, “Desert Fathers and Immaculate Wives” (1932).
This article contains: prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian for despondency - information taken from all over the world, the electronic network and spiritual people.
A Word on the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian
St. Ephraim begins his prayer with an appeal to God: Lord and Master of my life... The Word of God reveals to us that our life is connected with God, depends on Him and is supported by Him. In His merciful hands is the fate of the righteous and the unrighteous, the good and the evil, and the entire animal and plant world. No one and nothing can exist for a day or an hour without His creative power of the Holy Spirit, which supports the existence of every created living creature. Therefore, feeling God in our hearts, we cannot begin, continue, or complete any work on earth without prayer to Him, without His blessing. God truly is the Master, the Chief, the Ruler of our lives.
In the first petition Reverend Ephraim asks God not to give him spirit of idleness. Idleness is clear to everyone - it is laziness and carelessness about the most pressing matters and, above all, about one’s salvation. It can bring a person to immobility, to complete stagnation both in spiritual life and in necessary daily activities.
External idleness is understandable to almost everyone, because we are all, to one degree or another, partakers of this mental illness, when we indulge in negligence and laziness and neglect our home prayer, skip going to church, or when we allow ourselves haste in prayer in order to finish it quickly and indulge in rest or vain chatter; but when this illness affects all our spiritual strength, then a difficult moral and mental state sets in. Then a person no longer lives a normal, real life, because he does not have a constant life-giving principle in his soul for full-fledged human activity, but lives a ghostly, fictitious, useless life, useless to anyone. He loves to indulge in useless dreams and idle, vain conversations and is incapable of any good deed.
This idleness, this relaxation and negligence take us away from our main concern - about salvation. Therefore, we pray that the Lord will deliver us from this illness.
In the second petition the disease of despondency. Dejection is such a gloomy, melancholy state of mind when a person sees everything in life only from the dark side. He does not rejoice in anything, nothing satisfies him, circumstances seem unbearable to him, he grumbles at everything, gets irritated at every occasion - in a word, life itself then becomes a burden to him. Despair comes, as the Holy Fathers teach, from the same idleness, from lack of faith, unbelief, from unrepentance for one’s sins. Previous anger or insults caused to someone, lack of fear of God, verbosity, or failures in personal life, work, and similar troubles can also lead to despondency.
At the same time, very often despondency itself leads to another, more dangerous state of mind, called despair, when a person often admits the thought of premature death and even considers it a significant benefit on the path of his earthly life.
To give in to despair means to stop communicating with the outside world and not have communication with the Source of our life - God. “I don’t want to live, I’ve lost interest in life, and there’s no meaning in it”—these words can be heard from a person overcome by despair. Since this illness is very serious, the Reverend asks the Lord to deliver him from it. This vice is such that one must pray against it with persistent, persistent prayer. The Savior Himself teaches us this in the Gospel, saying that we should never lose heart, but should always pray (see: Luke 18:1).
Persistent, constant prayer, combined with faith in the power of prayer and God’s help, will restore connection with the world around you and save you from despondency. We must also combine with prayer the work of cleansing our conscience in the Sacrament of Repentance, which also imparts the grace of God, strengthening our spiritual strength. Reading spiritual books and living according to God’s commandments - all this will be the best way to protect against the destructive spirit of despondency.
In the third petition Reverend Ephraim asks the Lord to deliver him from spirit of greed. The passion of covetousness is inherent in our sinful, proud nature, and it manifests itself in all areas of human life. For example, in the relation of the father of the family to the family, the boss to his subordinates, the mentor to his students, the elders to the younger: everyone wants to subordinate others to their influence, to dictate their will to them. Such a spiritual disposition is contrary to the teaching of the Gospel, the teaching of Christ, Who Himself showed an example of the deepest humility and repeatedly said that whoever wants to be greater must be a servant to everyone (see: Matt. 20, 26-27; Mark 10, 43-44; Luke 22, 26).
This vice is associated with hidden secret pride, and therefore when we have a passion to teach others, instruct, reprove, then this is a sure sign that our soul is possessed by the spirit of lust for power and lust. This spirit makes a person disgusting to everyone around him, and in addition, incapable of fighting his passions and vices. That is why we pray to the Lord that He would deliver us from him and not allow him to take possession of our soul.
In the fourth petition Reverend Ephraim asks the Lord to deliver him from spirit of idle talk, to which almost all people are also involved. Everyone loves to gossip, while the gift of speech is given so that we glorify God with our lips and through the word have communication with each other, serving for mutual edification. There is a wise folk proverb that says that the word is silver, and silence is gold. And this truth was adhered to by many saints who closed their lips, although it was necessary - for edifying purposes - to open them for conversation.
By verbosity a person empties his soul, weakens it and makes it absent-minded. Let's look at the Savior, how brief He was in his teachings and instructions! The Lord's Prayer is given in only seven petitions, and the Beatitudes are given in nine verses. The angels praise God briefly: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God of hosts!”
Just as a vessel that is often opened does not retain the strength and aroma of the most fragrant substance placed in it, so the soul of a person who loves to talk a lot does not retain good thoughts and good feelings for a long time, but spews out streams of condemnation, slander, slander, flattery, etc. That is why the Church prays through fasting: Set, O Lord, a guard over my mouth and a door of protection over my mouth. Do not turn my heart into words of deceit (Ps. 140, 3-4). Just as weeds clog the soil and prevent good grains from growing on it, so empty, rotten words kill the soul and do not allow good thoughts and feelings to grow in it.
So, dear brothers and sisters, remembering and keeping the good lessons hidden in the prayer of St. Ephraim, following them, we will certainly attract the grace of God and become dear to our Heavenly Father, we will be worthy to see the Heavenly Jerusalem and bliss with all the Heavenly Powers and the souls of the righteous.
And therefore, always, and especially during the days of Great Lent, we will cry out more often: Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk. Grant me the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love, Thy servant. To her, Lord the King, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother, for blessed are you forever and ever. Amen.
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Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian - about despondency
Prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian - about despondency
Z Hello, dear visitors of the Orthodox website “Family and Faith”!
IN In the previous publication, dedicated to the great prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, we read the interpretation of St. Luke of Voino-Yasenetsky - about idleness.
P Here is the following interpretation of St. Luke, in which we will talk about a feeling that is destructive for the soul - despondency:
Lord and Master of my life! Do not give me a spirit of despondency.
H What is the spirit of despondency? This is what is called discouragement. People who do not understand Christianity at all, who do not understand our spiritual life, think that the entire Christian religion is filled with a spirit of despondency. Looking at the monks walking in black clothes with downcast eyes and fingering their beads, they think that the whole religion is dull, like the appearance of monks. And this is not at all true. This contradicts the spirit with which all Christianity is permeated, for tell me, can a person with a decline in spirit have the spiritual strength, the spiritual vigor necessary to follow the narrow path, tirelessly fighting demons? Of course not.
Our religion is not a religion of despondency, on the contrary, it is a religion of vigor, energy, willpower, strength of character. Our religion’s fruit is not despondency, but something completely opposite, what the Apostle Paul speaks of: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Gal. 5:22-23).
This is the true spirit, the essence of our religion: not despondency at all, but righteousness, peaceful joy in the Holy Spirit. Can someone who has this joy be sad? Of course not.
People often make mistakes when judging a person's appearance. A true Christian does not have the same appearance as people who indulge in the joys of life. He is always peaceful, often looks deeply thoughtful, walks with his head down, indulging in his thoughts. Does this mean that he is despondent, lost in spirit? This means that the joys of the world, which other people value, are far from Christians, alien to him, just as children’s games and amusements are alien to an adult.
A Christian’s thoughts are focused on the eternal, on the Kingdom of God, on turning to the Lord Jesus Christ, so he is always serious and thoughtful. Sometimes it happens that Christians also become despondent at times, and a loss of spirit sets in. Having already gone far along the path of Christ, the path of renunciation of the world, sometimes their thoughts return to their previous path; It seems to them that they left this path in vain, that it would be good to follow the wide beaten path that most people follow. Then they become despondent.
This is the state of those people who have learned the great mysteries of Christ, left the wide path of temptations of the world, and followed the path of suffering following Christ. They are seduced by the devil, legions of demons stop them, they prevent them from walking along the path of Christ, presenting pictures of the joyful life they left behind, a picture of family happiness, the bliss of friendship, they are pulled back from the great path, back to this path.
And often demons manage to achieve their goal: a person becomes despondent, loses heart, loses zeal for the Lord Jesus Christ, and this despondency is a great danger that awaits every Christian on his path following Christ, this is a temptation of the devil. All the saints were subjected to these slander of the spirits of darkness, and in the vast majority of cases, through prayer, fasting, and vigil, Christians defeated the spirit of despondency brought on by the devil. But there were also those whose spirit of despondency grew and grew in their souls, and they left the path of Christ. And when they left, they felt abandoned by God, the emptiness and heaviness of life became unbearable for them, and they often committed suicide.
That is why all the saints considered despondency a great danger, a great misfortune, and directed all their strength to fight the spirit of despondency.Even holy people can fall into despondency. Why, where? No longer from Satan, not from the spirits of darkness. Dejection arises when they are temporarily abandoned by God's grace. This happened to all the saints; this is a necessary test for everyone who strives in piety. It is necessary so that a person does not attribute to himself, his strengths, his virtues, everything that he has already achieved. He needs to be reminded that he did not achieve this on his own, but only by God’s grace.
When a person reaches a high life, he sometimes thinks of himself, and God’s grace leaves him for a while. He then falls into a difficult, unbearable state of mind, his heart immediately becomes empty. Instead of the warmth sent from God, coldness settles in the heart, impenetrable darkness sets in instead of light, and deep despondency sets in instead of joy. The Lord does this in order to remind the ascetic that it is not by his own strength, but by the grace of God that he follows the path of Christ.
This is one source of despondency. What other sources are there? I told you about idleness; it should be clear to you that idleness is one of the mothers of despondency. People who are idle, not working and completely well off, drowning in luxury, people who are satiated with the blessings of life, lose their taste for life, they get bored with everything, everything becomes uninteresting, boring, they find no joy in anything, their hearts are filled with despondency - this heavy and a dangerous enemy of our salvation.
Another source of despondency: there are people who tend to see everything in a gloomy light, they are called pessimists. They tend to be in such a mood, to focus their thoughts on the dark - sinful. They pose the question: where is the justice of God, where is the truth, if the poor but pious suffer, and the unbeliever is rich, and the one who walks on crooked paths is blissful?
If a person is inclined to notice only the dark, only the bad in life, the despondency that takes possession of him increases, reaching the point that the person does not see anything good and commits suicide. The spirit of despondency is so strong. This is the second time I’m saying how he can drive him to suicide.
There is another source of despondency, the most common source. These are the sorrows, the unfortunate incidents that we experience in life. A loved one will die, a child, a husband, a mother will die. The person becomes depressed. The world is not dear to him, he thinks only about his deceased loved one, a poor man wanders in thought near the grave, imagines his loved one lying in a coffin and decomposing. The despondency becomes deeper and deeper.
What is the remedy to get rid of this despondency? There is no need to wander around the grave with your thoughts, remember the past, shed tears. The deceased is far, far away. We must be carried away to where the dear one, beloved with all the power of thought, has gone. Know that his soul stands before God and the angels, rejoicing at its liberation. If you focus not on the dark, but on the light, not on the perishable, but on the eternal, the spirit of despondency will go away.
Sometimes serious physical illnesses make you feel despondent. There are many people who are impatient with illness. And there were holy people who lay bedridden with illness all their lives and praised God for it. We need to remember about these and be able to accept illnesses sent from God. There is no need to refuse the help of a doctor, for the wise son of Sirach says: “God created the doctor to help people” (Sir.38:1, 12).
A doctor is a servant of God who can alleviate suffering and drive away the spirit of despondency.
These are the sources and causes of despondency. The main means of combating them is prayer. This is a remedy that has been tested by all the saints for many, many centuries. There is no more effective means than prayer, a constant request to God for help.
When you enter into a conversation with God, He comforts you and drives away the spirit of despondency. When you come to the temple of God, where everything is so far from the bustle of the world, listen to the chants, and your spirit will leave the dark region of despondency and soar.
And if you begin the powerful means of combating despondency that the Lord Jesus Christ gave, if in confession you open your heart before the shepherd of the Church and if after this you partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, you will feel relief and joy, and then the spirit of despondency will be driven away from you in shame .
Do not focus your thoughts on the gloomy, on the sinful, on the heavy, but, lifting up the mountain in spirit, stay with God in your heart, in the palaces of heaven, where there is no access to dark spirits that bring despondency.
Here's what every Christian needs to know about discouragement.
But what can we say about people who hardly know Christ, who follow the worldly path, seeking joy and consolation from the world? In appearance they often seem content, cheerful, cheerful, as if they are not depressed. Do not think that this is so, do not be tempted by their appearance, but think about turning them away from the path. If only they knew what was going on in the depths of their hearts. In the depths of their souls the conviction of conscience never ceases. No one can hear your conscience. The inner man sometimes raises his head and begins to scream. This is the constant suffering of those who pursue worldly prosperity. The Apostle Paul says: “Sorrow, even according to God, brings unrepentant repentance to salvation, but worldly sorrow brings about death” (2 Cor. 7:10).
If you do not turn from sorrow for the world to sorrow for God, you will perish. Remember the severity of despondency, remember that the heart of a Christian must be filled with joy in the Holy Spirit, the joy of striving for light, and must be alien to the sadness that fills the hearts of sinners.
Remember this always, and may the Lord God have mercy on you, and may Saint Ephraim assist you with his prayers. Amen.
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Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian for all occasions
The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is very powerful and is read in churches during Lent. It can be used by all people who want to take the righteous path and get rid of sinful inclinations. It is important to understand every word, otherwise prayer will be useless.
Who is Saint Ephraim the Syrian?
The Christian theologian and poet Ephraim the Syrian was canonized as a saint. In the Orthodox Church he is remembered on January 28, and in the Catholic Church on June 9. In his youth he was rude, angry, in general, all his actions were terrible. One day he was accused of stealing a flock of sheep and was sent to prison. At night he heard a voice that ordered him to change, and then Ephraim vowed to devote the rest of his life to repentance.
The Monk Ephraim the Syrian wrote works that are intertwined not only with the works of Christian scholars, pagan mythology and other areas. Most of the writings consist of sermons and prophecies, which are largely moralizing. He talks about repentance, the fight against passions, death, the Last Judgment and other important religious facts. The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is well known, which helps a person to beg for forgiveness and take the righteous path.
Prayers of Ephraim the Syrian for every day
Prayer texts have enormous power that can work miracles, but only if they are pronounced correctly. The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read, taking into account some rules:
- Each word must be pronounced meaningfully, therefore, if something is unclear, it is better to first look at the meaning.
- The tearful prayers of Ephraim the Syrian must be read from a pure heart and with unshakable faith in the Lord and his power.
- You need to pronounce the text slowly, but without hesitation. If it is difficult to learn it by heart, then copy it down on paper and read it.
- The Sirin prayer should be said alone at home or in church. It is important that nothing distracts from the process.
Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian during Lent
The saint wrote a prayer in the 4th century, combining in it all the important positive and negative qualities of people. The prayer of Ephraim the Syrian “Lord of my life” is very strong and important, so it is read by the priest in the church, facing the Royal Gate. The prayer text is said throughout Lent, with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays. The last time the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is repeated is on Holy Wednesday. After each reading of the prayer, it is necessary to bow, and this means that a person must be restored in faith both in body and soul, otherwise it will not be possible to return to God.
Repentant prayer of Ephraim the Syrian
The text of the prayer appeal includes only a few dozen words that describe the basic provisions necessary to repent of your sins and come to the Lord. The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, presented above, helps a person choose the right path for himself in order to get rid of the shackles of dark forces. You can say it not only during Lent, but also if you want to repent. To understand the meaning of Ephraim the Syrian’s prayer, it is necessary to consider the human qualities presented.
- Idleness. Laziness is the companion of a huge number of people who live their lives in vain. Each person received from God talents and knowledge that he must use for the benefit of people. Idleness is considered the main cause of sins, since it weakens the body and soul of a person, making him vulnerable.
- Dejection. A state arises as a consequence of idleness. A person stops doing good deeds and being interested in the world around him, and the situation is constantly getting worse.
- Inquisitiveness. This word refers to the love of power, which can manifest itself in family, work and friendship, and so on. Lust for ambition appears due to laziness and despondency, which affect the attitude towards life, and a desire to rule appears.
- Celebration. Every year society becomes more embittered, using various condemnations and insults. Empty and abusive words are considered sinful.
- Chastity. Believers must spiritually control themselves, not only their actions, but also their emotions. Moral purity in words and thoughts is of great importance.
- Humility. This is one of the first consequences of chastity, when a person begins to understand that he is no better than others.
- Patience. When people do, they begin to show intolerance towards others in life. Through patience you can learn to wait and hope.
- Love. This is the main gift of humanity. Thanks to this quality, a person becomes merciful and learns to forgive others. Only through love can you get closer to the Lord.
Prayer for weight loss to Ephraim the Syrian
In the modern world, a huge number of people live according to the principle of living to eat, but those who believe in the Lord must choose a different path - to eat in order to live. Increasingly, when choosing food, a person becomes whimsical, and only a few observe fasting. Passion for food often causes excess weight and it is very difficult to get rid of the love of tasty food. The prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian will help you understand that food is only a means to maintain strength and life. Its text is presented above.
Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian for children
Many sacred texts are incomprehensible to the younger generation, so it is important to provide them with some kind of transcript with explanations. A short prayer by Ephraim the Syrian can be pronounced by a child in his own words, the main thing is that they convey the essence of the original text. The prayer was poetically retold by A.S. Pushkin in the poem “Desert Fathers and Immaculate Wives.” The meaning of Sirin’s main repentant prayer looks like this:
Prayer to Ephraim the Syrian for anger
In Christianity, anger is considered one of the greatest human vices. It is called "disease", both physically and spiritually. When a person experiences bouts of anger, he moves away from God and draws closer to Satan. In such situations, Ephraim the Syrian’s prayer for anger will help, as it calms and teaches you to express your emotions differently. It is best to say it daily, and also in difficult situations when irritation reaches its peak.
Prayer for those who offend Ephraim the Syrian
It is believed that when a person begins to pray for people who have harmed him, he is ready to enter the Kingdom of the Lord. Many clergy, during their painful death, asked God to forgive the offenders for their actions. There is a special prayer to Sirin “For those who hate and offend us,” which helps a person free himself from anger, evil and resentment. Thanks to it, you can not only cleanse yourself mentally, but also protect yourself from negative influences in the future. You need to say the prayer to Ephraim the Syrian three times a day, every day, throughout your life.
Prayer of Ephraim the Syrian about idle talk
Jesus Christ argued that for every idle word a person will have to answer at the Last Judgment. Idle talk implies the use of swear words, as well as deception and slander. It can destroy a person and lead him astray from the righteous path, but kind and wise words live in the hearts of people, giving them good fruits. The prayers of Ephraim the Syrian are a request to the Lord to help protect himself from idle talk.
Ephraim the Syrian's prayer for despondency
The word “despondency” is understood as a loss of spirit when a person ceases to enjoy life and even loses zeal for the Lord Jesus Christ. According to legend, all the saints were subject to despondency, which was caused by the Devil, but thanks to their prayer and fasting, they returned to the righteous path. If a person cannot cope with despondency, he may become depressed and even commit suicide. There are many reasons that can drive one into such a state, but in any case there is only one means of struggle - prayer to St. Ephraim the Syrian. You need to read it every day.
Ephraim the Syrian's prayer against condemnation
It is much more difficult to see your own problem than to point out someone else's. Many people blame the people around them for all their problems. Flattery, exalting oneself over others, servility, all this destroys a person from the inside. To get rid of these shackles and start living with a clean slate, you need to repent. The prayer of St. Sirin has enormous power, which is important to read regularly, otherwise you will not be able to cope with the problem.
Ephraim the Syrian's prayer for forgiveness of the enemy
Probably, every person at different stages of life had enemies who sought to harm in different ways. In most cases, people react to such manifestations with retaliatory aggression, but this is the wrong way. A believer must be able to forgive enemies and let go of resentment, then he will be even closer to the Lord. The Orthodox prayer of Ephraim the Syrian is read every day, and after pronouncing the text, you need to say the names of your enemies.
What is idleness? Is she good or bad? Where does idleness end and laziness begin? Over the prayer of St. Archpriest Igor Prekup continues to reflect on Ephraim the Syrian.
The soul calls out to its Lord, to the Giver of life and its Lord, asking to protect it from everything that strives to replace its essence, become its content, climbs inside, takes root in it and kills it, pumping out all the juices.
Speaking about spirit in this context, we mean an internal state, a mood, a certain principle that determines a person’s life, his volitional aspirations or, conversely, his passivity, lack of will. Both virtue and vice can be considered both in terms of specific manifestations, which naturally entail corresponding changes in personality, and in the essential aspect.
Virtue as such has a certain essential basis, which is established in the soul as a person tries to embody it. The spirit of virtue is a stable state of the human soul, expressed in the desire to know what is good and to live in accordance with this knowledge. As inherent in the human spirit, which, according to , is “the highest side of human life, the force that draws him from the visible to the invisible, from the temporary to the eternal, from creation to the Creator, characterizing man and distinguishing him from all other living creatures on earth,” the spirit of virtue at all times encouraged man to seek the Truth.
Therefore, in the works of the Fathers and Teachers one can find advice to study ancient philosophy, showing wise selectivity: “Almost everyone who deserves attention in wisdom, each to the best of his ability, in his writings more or less spread the praise of virtue; one must believe them, and one must try to express their teachings in life itself,” he addresses the young men.
Quite the opposite, the spirit of vice is a stable state of the soul, expressed in deviation from the paths of virtue and in the distortion of the very idea of it, in the tendency not only to give in to depravity in oneself, but also to blur the very ideas of good and evil. This sin as such, elevated to the principle of life.
The same can be said about the spirits of individual virtues and vices: each virtue and vice forms a corresponding state of the soul - the spirit of this or that virtue, this or that vice. As St. says. Innocent of Kherson, “every virtue, as soon as it is established in a person, and every vice, as soon as it takes possession of him, forms from itself its own spirit, according to its type. This spirit of virtue is stronger and more luminous than virtue itself; this spirit of vice is darker and more evil than vice itself.<…>The fight against the spirit of vice is much more difficult than against the vice itself. You can leave a vice immediately, but the spirit of vice will not leave you soon: you have to fight for a long time, strive for a long time and endure in order to free yourself from it.”
However, there is another aspect. All these internal states produced by virtues or vices, and, in turn, determining the vision of various situations, their assessment, and predisposing to appropriate actions - these are not just states of the psyche or character traits, features of the worldview, etc. These states are formed under the influence of spirits, let’s say, “specializing” in the formation of specific virtues (Angels) or vices (demons) in people. Speaking about spirit as a state, we must not forget about the spirit that the corresponding state “breathes” into our soul, infuses it, fertilizes and nurtures it.
"Turn away from evil and do good"(Ps. 36; 27), exhorts the Psalmist. Here it is very important not to get carried away by “evasion” as some kind of end in itself, postponing doing good “for later, when I have finally dealt with evil.” Although the creation of good is spoken of in the second place, the sequence here is not temporary. A I. The desire for good, and a purposeful desire, for the sake of knowing what and why there is good, what (or rather, Who) is the highest, primordial Good - this desire must precede evasion from evil if only because, Without knowing good, you cannot define evil.
If we proceed from the Aristotelian position that virtue is the mean between two opposite vices, then, without focusing on the path of virtue, we, starting from one evil, risk falling into its opposite: wanting to avoid idleness, we become “workaholics”; Thinking of overcoming despondency, we know no limits in entertainment and succeed in the skill of avoiding solving our internal problems; trying to fight our lust, we stifle all initiative, will, firmness, courage in ourselves, and we become a piece of something unknown, floating with the flow; Deciding to get rid of idle talk, we withdraw into ourselves and, wittingly or unwittingly, we push away not only those who like to wag their tongues, but also those who are drawn to us in the simplicity of their hearts with all their souls.
Of course, it is not enough just to know the path of virtue and its signs; one must also understand what this or that vice consists of. Otherwise, we risk either cutting off something that is not evil, or throwing away something good and valuable along with evil, without which we become defective, and our entire further path of virtue then becomes unreliable, and virtue itself turns out to be, at a minimum, a wormhole. .
It is worthy of attention that St. Ephraim combines several passions together. It is clear that each of them has its own spirit (in both of the above-mentioned senses), but this multitude has a certain common basis, a common “connecting substance”, a single spirit, despite their apparent incompatibility. Well, it would seem, what do lust have in common? The question is not at all rhetorical. But first, about idleness.
It would be primitive to reduce idleness to laziness. In general, idleness is a state of being unoccupied; it is neither good nor evil. In this case, what is meant is passionate idleness, which by no means boils down to doing nothing, which is only the “top of the iceberg.” Everything is much more serious.
Idleness in itself (based on Russian etymology) is not a bad state. The question is, for what? After all, in Slavic, idleness is unburdenedness, unemployment, freedom. The Greek word for this understanding of idleness is σχολάζων <схолазон>from σχολή <схоли>- leisure, from here σχολαστής <схоластис>- a lazy person who does not want to work (not to be confused with medieval scholastics, no matter how reasonable this may seem!).
It is no coincidence that celebrations for the sake of which a person is freed from duties performed in order to earn food for himself or arrange earthly well-being are called “holidays” (charitable, selfless work, helping others on a holiday - this is not only not a sin, but the most there is a godly deed).
Leisure is considered a sacred duty, it is commanded already in the Old Testament (Saturday is a day of rest), but this leisure is not just an element of a healthy lifestyle or social stability (so that the family does not fall apart, there must be a time when its members want, and not will be able to run away to work and hack jobs). Leisure considered a sacred duty is time dedicated to God but not as an arbitrary gift, because it is - His time, it belongs to Him.
We cannot give Him something that has already been sanctified, that is, taken by Him as His inheritance: we use it either in accordance with or contrary to the will of the Master, but in the latter case we dispose of God’s property, appropriate a shrine for ourselves, or rather, steal it , in other words, we are sacrilege... This is His time, and we can only use it as He pleases.
And He wants us on this day to distract ourselves from the transitory, from everything that is significant only for the duration of earthly life, and focus on what is significant in eternity. The commandment of godly idleness frees a person from the whirlpool of the vanity of this world so that he would devote at least one of the seven days, not counting special holidays, to what he actually came into this world for - preparation for eternal life, and therefore ... " Let us now put aside every care of this life.” This is the meaning of soul-beneficial idleness, sanctified leisure.
It’s a different matter - idleness as emptiness, when idleness is not freedom as an opportunity to join higher values, but a passive, careless openness to everything that doesn’t knock before entering, for everything that flatters vanity, gives reason to imagine oneself, for everything , which does not require labor, constancy, depth, dedication, sincere readiness to reject everything alien to the Truth - in other words, this state is opposite in spirit, hostile to a “change of mind”: repentance.
Word αργός <аргос>(empty, meaningless), which was used by St. Ephraim, this is exactly what idleness implies. The spirit of idleness is such a disposition of a person in which he is terribly burdened by something filled with high meaning, because “position obliges”; any duties precisely because it is “necessary”; any duty, because it binds, limits the possibilities of choice (i.e. you can choose, but who are you after that, if there is something “should”, and you choose something else?).
The spirit of idleness can encourage, spur on activity, even enterprise (however, rather, adventurism), but... only in the mood, as entertainment. And the mood passed - and hello, everyone is free, and I’m off to the sofa (to a pub, hanging out with guests, smoking weed, going on a binge - that’s who knows)!
Laziness in idleness is secondary. And laziness of laziness is discord. Once upon a time it was customary to blame Oblomov. Nowadays it is generally accepted that “Oblomovism” is a very ambiguous phenomenon. Its root is a feeling of emptiness and meaninglessness of life. Hence the reluctance to allow oneself to be drawn into something that is obviously empty, vain, dead and deadening in essence, and therefore puts on the guise of life-affirming socially useful activity. And so, a person fights for his inner freedom in such a unique way, not allowing himself to be enslaved by this universal self-deception, as if saying: “My sofa is my fortress (shelter, cache, country of internal emigration - whatever)!”
However, good, healthy sensitivity in itself in relation to everyday realities turns into evil when the conclusion about the meaninglessness of vanity is transferred to life itself, to God’s gift. Awareness of the vanity of the “vanity fair” should serve as a turning point for reassessing values, rethinking one’s life and actively surrendering it to one’s Provider for the purpose of further collaboration with Him, but this is the disastrous role of the spirit of idleness, that it does not give to be abolished free yourself from vanity, channeling all a person’s energy into the struggle for an imaginary, illusory “freedom from.”
Idleness is organically connected with despondency. They are, one might say, unanimous (so we mention in prayer about a single spirit of idleness, despondency, etc.). These are, in a way, mutually communicating vessels. Which, God willing, we will continue with next time.
WORD AT THE END OF THE MORNING SERVICE
ON TUESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF THE GREAT
LENT IN THE RESURRECTION CATHEDRAL OF POKROVSKY
STAUROPYGIAL CONVENTIONAL MONASTERY
About the sin of covetousness, or lust for power
In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!
During Great Lent, we repeatedly repeat the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, the words of which find a living response in our soul: “Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk.” We turn to the All-Merciful Creator with a prayer to protect us from these vices that are destructive to the human soul.
Among other sins, the prayer mentions the vice of covetousness, or lust for power. Throughout the history of the human race, the institution of power has been of great importance in organizing people's lives. Power is strength, and strength has always been desirable for humans - after all, it is often with the help of force that people strive to achieve their goals. But if a person not vested with power, when solving his problems, relies, as a rule, only on his own strengths and bears responsibility only for himself, then those with authority to achieve goals use the strengths, capabilities and abilities of other people. However, they bear a special responsibility before God - both for themselves and for them. Using the power of others, while the most significant aspect of power, is also a great temptation and seduction, especially when power is seen as a means to achieve personal goals or is used as a source of pleasure and enjoyment in having others obey your will. It is from such a perception and use of power that we ask God to protect us, turning to Him in the words of the prayer of the saint
Ephraim the Syrian. Power is a difficult cross, requiring from everyone who is endowed with it constant work, attention and vigilant care for their neighbors, for those who, due to the prevailing circumstances, find themselves in a dependent position. It is very important that those in power pursue in their activities only godly, just, worthy goals. Otherwise, the efforts of many people through the mechanism of power can be aimed at achieving ungodly goals, and then the one with power will tempt and lead astray those who are forced to work with him,
Why does Saint Ephraim, in his heartfelt prayer, mention covetousness? - Because covetousness is a sin, but power is not a sin. Moreover, the Word of God says: “all authority is from God” (Rom. 13:1). This does not mean that all power is good and justified, but it does mean that the institution of power itself is blessed by God. Already in paradise, in the primordial family, Adam was first and foremost, and Eve was given to him as a helper (Gen. 2:18).
Someone may say: “But most people do not have power, why does the monk invite everyone to pray to the Lord for protection from the vice of lust for power?” In particular, monastics can ask this question, because the Monk Ephraim composed this prayer primarily for those with whom he labored together - for the monks, monastics. What power do monks have? And what power do most people have? Many, understanding by this term only political, economic power, the power of influential and powerful people, may ask in bewilderment: “Well, what kind of power do I have?”
However, lust for power and power can also manifest themselves in everyday life, and this happens quite often. How many conflicts and quarrels occur in the family due to the fact that spouses wage an irreconcilable struggle for power over each other! And it often happens that the stronger one, having suppressed his opponent and won “victory,” enjoys his power, humiliating and making the other—his wife or husband—unhappy, because lust for power even on such microscopic scales—on the scale of just one family—destroys the soul and brings sorrow.
Often, both in work collectives and in various informal groups, a person who has greater influence and enjoys higher authority revels in his ability to influence others with power.
Whenever someone seeks to receive only pleasure from power, he sins, for power is given to serve others. She has no other goal blessed by God than serving her neighbors. And this concerns
not only influential and powerful people who hold the reins of government of entire nations in their hands, but everyone who has at least some kind of power, be it the power of word or thought, conviction or example - all this can serve either the death or salvation of a person.
In order to prevent the sin of lust for power from enslaving us, especially those who are vested with power by position, we must always remember and repeat the words of Saint Ephraim addressed to the Lord: “Do not give me the spirit of lust for power.”
But in addition to sincere and heartfelt prayer that the exercise of official authority or simply authority in a family, team or society does not turn into lust for power, you need to constantly keep your thoughts and actions, your lifestyle and style of communication with others under control. Here is what Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk said about the vice of covetousness: “Love of power is a great evil in man and the beginning of all evil... We know that the lawless Herod was not afraid to kill so many thousands of innocent babies, just so as not to lose royal power. 0, the great evil is lust for power! A person wants to control others, but cannot control himself... We must first learn to control ourselves, and then accept power over others.”
May the Lord grant to everyone who has power - both large and very small - wisdom and a clear understanding that through power one can gain salvation and through power one can destroy a soul. And in order for any exercise of power or the use of personal authority, whether in the Church, society or state, to contribute to the prosperity and well-being of people, one must ask the Lord for deliverance from the temptation of covetousness and for the gift of inner humility, the ability to realize one’s sinfulness, weakness, and unworthiness before the face of God. Then the possession of power will not become an obstacle to achieving one’s salvation through serving one’s neighbors, as many great men and women who were canonized as saints did it, being involved in the royal, princely, bishopric and many other types of high service in the human race. May the Lord help everyone to treasure in their hearts the words of the inspired prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian!
Amen.
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On March 8, 2011, on Tuesday of the first week of Lent, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' prayed during the statutory service in the Resurrection Cathedral of the Intercession Stauropegial Convent in Moscow. At the end of the service, the Primate of the Russian Church addressed the believers with a Primate’s word
“During Great Lent, we repeatedly repeat the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, the words of which are well known to us: “Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, covetousness and idle talk.” The prayer lists the vices that are destructive to the human soul, and we turn to God so that the All-Merciful Creator will protect us from these vices and remove them from our lives.”
“It is the use of the power of other people that is the most significant aspect of power, which is at the same time a great temptation,” Patriarch Kirill emphasized the high responsibility of those who have any power. “That is why it is important that the goals that stand before those in power are pleasing to God.”
“Why does Saint Ephraim especially highlight covetousness, including mention of this vice in his heartfelt prayer? But because covetousness is a sin. Power is not a sin; Moreover, the word of God says: “all authority is from God” (see Rom. 13:1). This does not mean that all power is good, it does not mean that all power is justified by God, but it does mean that the very institution of power is blessed by God. In fact, already in paradise, in the primordial family, Adam was the first. Throughout the history of the human race, power has played a huge role in organizing people’s lives.”
His Holiness the Patriarch spoke about the manifestations of the sin of lust for power, lust for power: “Lust for power, lust for power can also manifest itself in everyday life... it often happens that the stronger, having gained the upper hand, enjoys his power and makes the other - a wife or husband - unhappy just because lust, lust for power even in these microscopic dimensions - on the scale of just one family - destroys the souls of people and brings sorrow,”
“In order for covetousness or lust for power not to dominate us, especially those in power, we must remember the words of Saint Ephraim addressed to the Lord: “Do not give me the spirit of covetousness,” the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church appealed to his flock.
“May the Lord give everyone who has power - both large and very small - wisdom and understanding that through power one can gain salvation and through power one can destroy a soul.”
“May the Lord help us all to keep the words of Saint Ephraim the Syrian in our hearts. Amen,” the Patriarch concluded his heartfelt address to the believers with these words.