From the editor
The Siberian Blagozvonnitsa publishing house has prepared the publication of the collected works of one of the greatest teachers of the Church, the famous Syrian ascetic, Christian theologian and poet St. Ephraim the Syrian. The Monk Ephraim is an unusually prolific writer; the number of his works reached a thousand, and this is even if we exclude from them the prayers he composed, which partially received liturgical use. Even during the life of the Monk Ephraim, his words and conversations were translated into Greek and read in churches along with the Holy Scriptures.
Speaking about the creations of his Syrian contemporary, St. Gregory of Nyssa in his “Eulogy to our Venerable Father Ephraim the Syrian” compares it with the mental Euphrates of the Church, which waters many Christian souls, cultivating in them the seed of faith, as well as with a grapevine, which, like sweet clusters, abounds in the fruits of teaching and delights all members of the Church with the fullness of Divine love.
The voice of this Syrian ascetic still resounds in his works, calling us to repentance, to fight our passions, to cultivate virtues, and at the same time encouraging us with God’s great love and mercy for people.
We have divided all the works of St. Ephraim by topic. The theme of this book is prayer. It unites the words and conversations included in it. Here we also publish prayers composed by the monk to the Lord and the Most Holy Theotokos, in which his God-loving soul was poured out, as well as “Tombstone Hymns,” in which the author calls for prayers for the dead in unshakable trust in the mercy of the Redeemer of all, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalms, or divine reflections, extracts from the works of our holy father Ephraim the Syrian
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arranged in order of the Psalms of David
1. Beatitudes 2. Doxology to the Savior 3. Grant all-satisfying grace 4. You are everything for us, Lord 5. Be everything to us, and let us devote all of ours to You 6. The hopes of those who have left the world 7. The soul that has felt salvation in the Lord 8. Fallen sinners have only one hope - the Crucified Lord 9. We lament the inattention to the influences of grace 10. I can’t cope with myself, grant me the spirit of repentance 11. I can’t cope with myself and with the enemy, You, Lord, help me! 12. The last hour is near. Grant, Lord, to repent in order to safely make the terrible transition after death 13. Enlighten and strengthen, for the sake of redemption 14. Redeemer of all, save me too, and grant tears - to wash away the wall that protects me from You 15. God-manhood 16. Send down grace, yes will revive me, as in spring everything is enlivened by the breath of life 17. About guiding grace and tears 18. Despite sins, hear, drive away the enemy and strengthen for good 19. About calming the conscience from inner turmoil 20. About the free passage of ordeals and pardon at trial 21. Go with repentance, the Lord is ready to accept 22. Lessons of life: Beatitudes 23. The God-manhood of the Savior 24. On the gift of tears and driving away the enemy 25. Deliver from negligence and laziness 26. All hope is Christ. Cry out to Him 27. Don’t lose heart. There is hope - Christ 28. Lessons of life 29. Confession of God-manhood in Christ Jesus the Lord 30. Death is about to happen. Sober up, soul 31. Give me the memory of eternal life in order to adequately prepare for it 32. Are you looking for mercy? Be merciful yourself 33. Forgiveness of sins for the forgiveness of offenses 34. Give tears to wash yourself and free from the bonds of passions 35. To the Mother of God - about cleansing from passions and inner well-being 36. Lessons of life - beatitudes 37. Confession of the Holy Trinity 38. Remember the second coming, - and be sober 39. Punish here, and correct with grace, so as not to be ashamed there 40. Excite, give energy and tears 41. Internally I am not what I am externally: heal 42. I have fallen; raise up and let me work at least a little, so as not to be put to shame at the trial 43. Lessons of life 44. Praise to the Redeemer 45. Incomprehensible inattention to eternal blessings and endless torments. Calling to contrition 46. To the Mother of God; I myself have no boldness; pray, You are an ambulance 47. I myself do not dare: pray, saints 48. Everything will come into reality there. Hurry to correct yourself while there is still time 49. The Bliss of Pardon 50. The Hope of Pardon 51. Life Lessons: – Beatitudes 52. Complaint against the enemy. Prayer for deliverance from him and mercy at the trial, for the sake of redemption 53. Lament for the impoverishment of the saints 54. Days pass; do not put off repentance 55. A model of self-examination and self-reproach 56. The devil succeeds in the careless, and prepares crowns for the careless 57. Lessons of life 58. On behalf of the Lord, a reproach to a careless soul 59. Turn tears for the sake of and grant to bear the fruits of repentance 60. To the Mother of God - about guidance in life and intercession in death 61. Here, correct all the most sinners 62. To the saints - for intercession 63. Prayer for the granting of every virtue 64. Lessons of life: beatitudes 65. On what is the hope of justification at trial 66. The enemy carried me away - and I I have sinned a lot, I confess my sins, have mercy 67. Against the machinations of the enemy 68. Deliver from the enemy, as one who is zealous for the soul betrothed to you 69. The machinations of the enemy and the resourcefulness of sin 70. How mercifully the Lord accepts those who repent! 71. Instability of will and unsteadiness of determination 72. With tears, go to the Doctor, and he will heal 73. I am extremely thin; but, by Thy mercy, allow me to repent and deliver from condemnation 74. For the sake of tears, cleanse sins and give strength, so that the enemy may be put to shame 75. A complaint about the world and a prayer for extraction from it 76. The fragility of the blessings of the world is an incentive to alienation from it 77. Life lessons 78. Heal, O Lord, for the shame of the enemy 79. Crying from contemplation of the bitter fate awaiting the sinner 80. Our weakness and changeability, and the firmness of the saints 81. And the persistent petition is heard under the condition of the promise of good will 82. About a serene sleep 83. Ask with tears forgiveness, but first forgive yourself 84. Have mercy before my last befell me 85. Lessons of life Beatitudes 86. Confession of redemption and prayer for the Church 87. Be merciful to us and to those who have departed 88. To the Mother of God for inner spiritual well-being 89. The soul itself gets carried away - the enemy is not insurmountable 90. Tears of the night 91. Stay awake day and night in prayer, so that the day of death does not come suddenly 92. Cry: the days pass, and there are ordeals 93. Life lessons 94. Vigilant effort in prayer will attract mercy there 95. Morning singing 96 Evening doxology 97. Do not allow the members who labored here for Your Glory to experience suffering there 98. Defilements prevent grace from entering, wash it so that it may abound 99. The transition through ordeals is terrible, cleanse here, Lord 100. Arise while time, and cleanse yourself with tears 101. Lessons of life - bliss 102. The hope of pardon is in redemption 103. Arise, having grown old in sins, and approach the Savior with hope 104. Against the evil and persistent enemy 105. To the Mother of God - about the granting of repentance 106. By to labor - reward 107. Grant, Lord, repentance and firmness to the end 108. Lessons of life: grief 109. Grant the grace of hymns and teachings, so that they can atone for even a little sins 110. Shame and disgrace await the careless, cry 111. To the Mother of God with the confession of ever-virginity Through it and prayer for worthy communion of the Holy Mysteries 112. Tears buy the healing of the soul 113. Drive away the enemy, for without You who can deal with him 114. Grace comes and, finding the heart unclean, departs - keep the heart pure 115. Due to extreme filthiness, you are unworthy I come to You, Lord, and pray 116. Death and judgment - to repentance 117. Lessons of life - eight evil thoughts 118. Praise to the Lord incarnate for our salvation 119. If you sinned - forgive. I will try to be correct with the help of Your grace 120. How many times have I made a promise - and kept deceiving; but, by Thy grace, despise this too 121. Convert by force, without waiting for my will 122. It’s time to finally recognize the deception of the enemy and come to your senses 123. For the sake of our selfishness, show mercy 124. God’s punishment and love 125. Life lessons 126. Do not despair and do not be self-confident, but cry out in humble hope: Lord, have mercy! 127. Words in judgment to those on the right hand and to those on the left 128. I bring one desire for good: for his sake have mercy and save! 129. The enemy is cunning, but we are careless, let us take heed lest we lose the Kingdom 130. I am not what I should be, I am afraid of conviction at the trial. Give repentance and strength 131. All hope is in the mercy of God 132. There is no longer mercy, here there is a cry 133. Whether God hears or does not hear prayers, everything is for good 134. Creation, redemption, resurrection 135. What will I repay? – I will accept the cup of salvation 136. Enlightening myself with the thought of death and what accompanies it 137. Life flows 138. God Himself will give everything; but you also need to pray (4, 423). 139. Everything is the same in me, how long will it be?.. Turn around, for this is the end 140. There is no need to hide - God sees everything. Better hurry to wash yourself while there is time 141. To the Mother of God: - Even though I am unclean, accept prayer. Let me repent and defend in court 142. Life lessons: grief 143. Blessed is the merciful Creator and Redeemer 144. Who are the blessed? 145. Death - and hopes with it 146. To whom will I resort?.. Save for the sake of Your name 147. To the Mother of God - about intercession in life, death and after death 148. The saints themselves will be surprised at their glory 149. At the sight of death - the consolation of the resurrection 150 Praise be to the Resurrector of the Dead
Preface to the “Psalter of St. Ephraim the Syrian" compiled by St. Theophan the Recluse.
This name is given to this publication, which contains selected prayer offerings to God by St. Ephraim the Syrian, for the Psalter is a book of praises of God, the same as prayer offerings to God. St. Ephraim was filled with the grace of God, and moved by it, he poured out his heartfelt prayers before God.
It is the duty of every Christian to kindle the spirit of grace within oneself. The main means to achieve this is prayer. In whom grace is warmed, he himself prays as he should - when the power of grace is in motion within him; but whoever has not yet reached this point needs to cultivate prayer itself in himself; It is nurtured by spiritually moved prayers poured out from souls blazing with grace. – That is why the Holy Church gives prayer books to Orthodox Christians: in addition, the present publication of selected prayers can also help.
Just as among the Prophets, St. David is primarily a Psalmist, so among the Holy Fathers, St. Ephrem is primarily a prayer book. His soul could not touch a single Divine object without being delighted with grief in prayerful outpourings of feelings. That is why his writings are filled with prayers. This Holy Father can rightly be called the Christian Psalmist.
The measure of the number of selected articles was the number of psalms in the Inspired Psalter, and the index of their content was the content of the psalms. In the psalms, in addition to prayers, there is dogma, there is history, there is moral teaching. The same article content is included in this edition of selected prayers from the writings of St. Ephraim.
Of the dogmas, from ancient times we have printed with the Psalter: Confessions of Faith of St. Athanasius the Great and St. Maximus the Confessor - about the Most Holy Trinity and about the incarnation of God the Word. The exposition of these dogmas is taken here from St. Ephraim. The history in the psalms is the history of the people of God. History in the prayers of St. Ephraim is the history of every Christian, which is externally determined by birth, life on earth, death, resurrection and eternal participation, and internally consists primarily of the struggle with sin, of uprisings and downfalls, of bright states in goodness and of dark sojourns in evil. – In the writings of St. Ephraim all this is depicted in the most subtle shades and in the most varied details. This is the main part of our publication.
Moral teaching in the Psalter constitutes the content of most of the psalms. In accordance with them, “beatitudes” and “woe” were taken from St. Ephraim with the addition of very few other articles under the title: life lessons. The desire to diversify its content prompted us to include moralizing articles in our Psalter, and the reason for choosing primarily these articles was that in their form of expression they are very suitable for prayerful figures of speech.
Imitating the Divinely inspired Psalter in the number and content of articles, we imitate it in the division that is given to it in Church use - 150 articles are divided into 20 sections, like the Psalter into 20 kathismas, and each section into three parts, glory, just as there each kathisma into three. At the beginning of each of the almost 20 sections there is a dogma, and at the end there is a moral teaching - life lessons.
It was intended that each prayer contain something special. An attentive reader will immediately notice this, despite all the apparently identical prayer figures of speech. But even for those to whom other prayers seem the same, it should not be boring to read them, just as it is not boring for someone who loves to pray to repeat countless times: Lord have mercy, or: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.
We accompany this Psalter with a sincere desire that everyone who opens it will always find in it what they need according to the state of their spirit: admonition, contrition, inspiration, consolation.
Through the prayers of our Holy Father Ephraim the Syrian, may the Lord grant this to all of us.
Troparion to Ephraim the Syrian, tone 8:
With your tears you cultivated the barren streams of the desert, and those who sighed from the depths with a hundred labors brought forth fruit, and you were the lamp of the universe, shining miracles, Ephraim, father Oh, pray to Christ God to save our souls.
Kontakion, voice 2.
For an hour, constantly foreseeing the Judgment, you wept bitterly, Ephraim, as if you were a loving and silent teacher, but you were an active teacher in affairs, reverend. Moreover, universal father, you lift up the lazy to repentance.
Preface to the first edition of the works of St. Ephraim the Syrian in Russian
This essay[1] belongs to A.K. Sokolov, bachelor of the Moscow Theological Academy, who died in 1881 in the rank of archpriest of the Moscow Holy Trinity Church, also on Gryazekh. It was placed in the first edition of the works of St. Ephraim the Syrian, published in 1818.
Information about the life of St. Ephraim was borrowed by the author, firstly, from works in which St. Ephraim himself narrates about some incidents of his life: “Reproaching oneself and confessing”; secondly, from the “Laudatory to St. Ephraim,” the author of which is St. Gregory of Nyssa, as well as from the stories of some other Greek writers; thirdly, from the Syrian biographies of Saint Ephraim - a short one and two lengthy ones, which have some differences from each other.
The essay is reproduced with minor changes. For ease of perception, we have divided it into two sections: The Life of St. St. Ephraim the Syrian and the Works of St. St. Ephraim the Syrian.
