Grant free passage through the toll-houses...

 


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)

20 Grant free passage through the toll-houses...


Mightily do I magnify Thee, O Lord, Who hast regarded my humility and not delivered me into the hands of mine enemies, and saved my soul from want. 


And now, O Master, may Thy hand shield me, and may Thy mercy be upon me, for my soul is troubled and grieves greatly that when it leaves this poor body the cunning hand of the adversary might not find it and keep it back in darkness for the sins which I have committed in this life, both in knowledge and in ignorance. 


Be merciful to me, O Master of all, that my soul might not behold the lurid glance of the cunning demons; but may it be received by Thy pure and radiant angels. 


Give glory to Thy holy name, and by Thy strength raise me up to Thy divine throne. 


When I am judged, may the hand of the prince of this world not seize me and drag me, a sinner, away to the depths of hell. But protect Thou me and be my defender. 


Have mercy, O Lord, on my soul, which has been defiled by the passions of this life; and if I have, as a man, due to the weakness of my nature, sinned in anything, whether in word or deed or thought, O Thou Who hast power to release men from their sins, forgive and release me that I might obtain Thy cooling solace and be found without any impurity or stain, without reproach and unsullied before Thee; and by Thy hand receive me, O Master, for Thou art blessed throughout the ages.




21 Go with repentance, for the Lord is ready to receive you


Thou to Whom the penitent are pleasing, incline Thyself to me, a sinner. Fill me with the crumbs from Thy great banquet; do not let my life perish at the left side in darkness. May Thy truth not behold the terrible impurity of my misery in that great morning when the sentence unto eternity shall be pronounced. 


The joy of this world is better. Woe to him who is seduced by it! As a boat is tossed by waves, so is my life convulsed by my misery. Vain joy captures it with the illusion of satisfaction. Be Thou my helmsman and steer my ship to Thy harbor in that great morning when the sentence unto eternity shall be pronounced. 


God loves the sinner when he comes to repentance and, with his eyes full of tears, sighing and sobbing, he cries out to Him: O our Lord, deliver me from fire! I pray Thee, accept the tears of my misery. Voluntarily have I sinned before Thee, yet voluntarily do I also repent. 


So come forth boldly, O sinner. The door is already open and ready to receive you. Bring the Lord a sacrifice of tears and go freely to Him. He does not demand fits, nor does He have any respect of persons. He is kindhearted to men and willingly forgives the sins of repentant sinners.


Prayers of Saint Ephrem the Syrian




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