God became man...

Prayers that St. Ephraim the Syrian offered up to God.


Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian 

O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency, lust for power and idle talk. (full prostration) But grant unto me, Your servant, a spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love. (full prostration) Thus, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brothers and sisters. For You are blessed unto the ages of ages. Amen. (full prostration) O God, cleanse me, a sinner (12 times, with bows from the waist) (Read the entire prayer through once more from the beginning, followed by a full prostration.)


15 God became man...


The Father exclaimed: this is my beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased; heed Him. Thus He spoke of the Son, Who is undivided from the glory of the Divinity. For the Father and the Son together with the Holy Spirit are one nature, one force, one essence and one kingdom. 


And Mary was called the mother of God by His Son in the flesh, Who was undivided from the glory of His Divinity. for one is god, Who has appeared to the world in the flesh. 


His glory proclaimed His divine nature which is from the Father, and His body proclaimed His human nature which was from Mary; both of His natures converged and were united in a single hypostasis. 


He was the Only-Begotten of the Father and also the Only-Begotten of Mary. And he who divides the hypostasis in Him will also be separated from His kingdom, and he who conjoins His natures will be deprived of the life that is of Him. 


He who denies that Mary gave birth to God will not see the glory of His divinity, and he who denies that he was clothed in sinless flesh will receive neither salvation nor the life which was granted through His body.


His very deeds give witness and His divine strength teach the contemptuous that He is true God. And His sufferings give proof that He is true man.


16 Send grace to quicken me... 


O good lover of mankind! If Thy grace pours forth upon the grass, the flowers and all earthly vegetation in its time, then the more so shalt Thou grant to Thy servant that which he requests of Thee. 


For the air becomes clear and the birds adorn their voices with varied melodies, singing glory to Thy great wisdom. Al the earth is clothed with a raiment of many-colored flowers woven without human hands, and is glad and celebrates the holy day. 


Water also my heart with the dew of Thy grace, O good Lover of mankind! Just as a sown field cannot sprout and nourish its plants without sufficient rainfall, so my heart is incapable of producing things pleasing to Thee and of bearing the fruits of truth without Thy grace. 


Lo, the rain nourishes the plants and the trees are crowned with diverse flowers. May the dew of Thy grace also enlighten my mind and may it adorn my heart with the flowers of contrition, humility, love and patience. 


May my prayer draw near to Thee, O Lord! Grant me Thy holy seed, that I might bring Thee a harvest of sheaves abundant in good fruits and say, "glory to Him Who gave me this that I might bring it unto Him," and bow down to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.


Prayers of Saint Ephrem the Syrian


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