O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power and idle chatter. [prostration]
Instead, grant to me, Your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love. [prostration]
O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brother; for You are blessed now and ever and forever. Amen. [prostration]
Eastern Orthodox theologian Alexander Schmemann wrote a commentary on St. Ephrem's prayer, which concluded with these words on the importance of using our bodies, and not just our words, when we pray:
"After each petition of the prayer we make a prostration. Prostrations are not limited to the Prayer of St. Ephrem but constitute one of the distinctive characteristics of the entire lenten worship. Here, however, their meaning is disclosed best of all. In the long and difficult effort of spiritual recovery, the Church does not separate the soul from the body. The whole man has fallen away from God; the whole man is to be restored, the whole man is to return. The catastrophe of sin lies precisely in the victory of the flesh -- the animal, the irrational, the lust in us -- over the spiritual and the divine. But the body is glorious; the body is holy, so holy that God Himself "became flesh." Salvation and repentance then are not contempt for the body or neglect of it, but restoration of the body to its real function as the expression and the life of spirit, as the temple of the priceless human soul. Christian asceticism is a fight, not against but for the body. For this reason, the whole man - soul and body - repents. The body participates in the prayer of the soul just as the soul prays through and in the body. Prostrations, the "psycho-somatic" sign of repentance and humility, of adoration and obedience, are thus the lenten rite par excellence."
(You can read all of Father Schmemann's reflection on St. Ephrem's prayer at: http://www.sv-luka.org/misionar/lentenpr_n2.htm)
I don't expect to overcome my reserved nature and do full-fledged prostrations all throughout Lent like Christians from the East do. Hopefully, though, my Lenten prayer discipline this year will include more of what is comfortable to me (and most Western Christians) during prayer - kneeling, making the sign of the cross, and lifting up my hands. And who knows - maybe the Holy Spirit will knock me over into doing a prostration or two.
Thank you Jay. As I think about Lent and disciplines I was reminded again how important waiting and clinging to the cross is to Spiritual servants. Prostration is a natural physical form of doing both clinging and waiting and your comments have brought this to a clearer point for me. I'll try it if you will!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary - thanks for visiting my blog and for your thoughts! I've actually done a few prostrations when I visit my friends at St Thomas Orthodox here in Sioux City, but need to include it in my regular prayer life. I like your imagery of waiting and clinging.
ReplyDeleteWhat is good mental health? We are all more or less mentally healthy, and this usually varies through CBD for anxiety and depression lives especially as we deal with difficult life events, change and so on. Whether we call this psychological wellbeing, happiness, contentment, positive mindset, all these terms relate to good mental health.
ReplyDeleteBeing aggressive, high cbd or stressed out due to excess work or rising pressures is not something that only you might be facing.
ReplyDeleteUnlike women, who are more informed about women's health concerns, men hardly ever sit to talk about prostate Health List. And when they do experience prostate discomforts, they often don't know which course of action to take and wind up doing nothing.
ReplyDeleteYou must be very astute at research and writing. This shows up in your original and unique content. I agree with your primary points on this topic. This content should be seen by more readers. travel blogger how to start
ReplyDeleteI don’t even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was good. I do not know who you are but certainly you are going to a famous blogger if you aren’t already Cheers! is weed bad for you
ReplyDeleteHealth is wealth, so goes the old adage. Now, with more ailments than ever to contend with, and with healthcare costs and insurance premiums continually rising beyond the reach of the average citizen, more and more persons are beginning to see jacob hooy cbd oil wisdom in that old adage. It is not uncommon to see families spending up to $1000 on health insurance each month...
ReplyDeleteI genuinely enjoy your website, but I’m having a problem: any time I load one of your post in Firefox, the center of the web page is screwed up — which is bizarre. May I send you a screenshot? In any event, keep up the superior work; I definitely like reading you. where can i buy solidworks software
ReplyDeleteYoure so cool! I dont suppose Ive read anything similar to this before. So nice to discover somebody with original ideas on this subject. realy thanks for starting this up. this web site is a thing that is required on the net, somebody if we do originality. beneficial job for bringing something new to the internet! Autocad | BuyCheapCad
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though more and more people feel as though they do not have control over their health. This article discusses how our everyday actions affect our overall health and explains that we have more control over how we look and feel than we realize. noson nasal dilator
ReplyDeleteUnlike women, who are more informed about women's health concerns, men hardly ever sit to talk about prostate health. And when they do experience prostate discomforts, they often don't know which course of action to take and wind up doing nothing. one shot keto price
ReplyDeleteKnowing the best foods to feed our children is a challenge as we try to navigate the pervasive misinformation we are fed from every direction. If we are to stem the tide of increasing sickness in our society and among our kids then we need to understand some important nutrition fundamentals and key health issues so we can support our children in achieving great health that will last a lifetime. This article reveals the myths and truths about the best first foods for baby. psychedelics for sale
ReplyDeleteAn attention-grabbing discussion is worth comment. I believe that you should write more on this matter, it won’t be a taboo topic however usually persons are not sufficient to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers place to buy nuts online
ReplyDeleteAn attention-grabbing discussion is worth comment. I believe that you should write more on this matter, it won’t be a taboo topic however usually persons are not sufficient to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers colorado dispensary shipping worldwide
ReplyDeleteFailure to cope with marijuana withdrawal symptoms is the most common cause of relapse among its dependent users. Many find it hard to give up the vice because of the undesirable symptoms that comes with a few days after stopping marijuana. Furthermore, there are many others who, by genetic predisposition or perhaps lack of will power, simply cannot cope with the initial effects of giving up the vice. og kush strain
ReplyDeleteWhen 2010 health care reform became law, child-only policies in Georgia were stopped. Will a new bill bring this option back to parents who want their children covered? Best Knee replacment surgeon in chennai
ReplyDeleteThe city of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, now has the world's 3rd most expensive train fares for a 5km adult single peak journey and the world's 2nd most expensive bus fares for a 5km adult single peak journey. We also hold the title of having the world's most expensive maximum daily fares for multiple 5km adult bus and train journeys and the world's most expensive 5km single journeys without a refund policy if delays occur. If you are thinking about driving your new or used car into town and parking you will be happy to know that Brisbane's CBD parking prices have also increased 28.7% in the last 12 months, four times that of Sydney and Melbourne. CUCUMBER FACE WASH
ReplyDeleteThis article addresses whether people are purchasing health insurance online through a website or if the are purchasing health insurance through an agent in a traditional manner. There is also some commentary concerning the new health care reform and the impact this will have on the insurance industry. testosterone for sale
ReplyDeleteThe direct commitment of senior management and the participation of employees in the development of workplace health policies are an essential prerequisite to the successful implementation of policies that are designed to address the real needs of the working community. The following main steps and/or activities should be considered in the development and implementation of workplace health management at the enterprise level: Develop a short policy statement from the employer or senior executive that explicitly states senior management's commitment to and acceptance of responsibility for the health management strategy within the company... somatropin hgh for sale
ReplyDeleteHealth Coaching is a relatively new profession which focuses on helping people making positive changes in their health, physical, mental and emotional lives, that they have not been able to do for themselves. Here are ten "pain for gain" reasons to hire (or become) a health coach. hgh injections for sale usa
ReplyDeleteYou might not be a member of the aging baby boomer generation; those born between the years of 1946 and 1964, but maintaining great health and well-being should be a priority in your life, no matter what age you are. Enjoying a healthy life is pivotal to your longevity and happiness. Having good health keeps you strong and vital, and that is the fibre that keeps you resilient to get through some of life's challenges, that will inevitably come your way. A safe and natural way to maintain your well being is with natural health products. non surgical nose job
ReplyDeleteYou might not be a member of the aging baby boomer generation; those born between the years of 1946 and 1964, but maintaining great health and well-being should be a priority in your life, no matter what age you are. Enjoying a healthy life is pivotal to your longevity and happiness. Having good health keeps you strong and vital, and that is the fibre that keeps you resilient to get through some of life's challenges, that will inevitably come your way. A safe and natural way to maintain your well being is with natural health products. buy steroids online
ReplyDeleteWhat should health be about? In this article, you will learn about two different approaches to health (negative and positive) and what you need to do in order to create positive health. buy clenbuterol
ReplyDelete