Teaching the Prayer of St. Ephraim this Lent
It’s almost Lent, that time of year when we are called to slow down and focus on growing closer to Christ. That means we Orthodox Christians will be praying the Prayer of St. Ephraim rather a lot. The prayer itself models repentance from the kinds of bad habits that cause a lot of problems, but it can be difficult to help children figure out where those big, general ideas manifest in their own lives. My favorite way to teach this prayer is to write the sins on a bubble wrap snake and have the students stomp on it after each prayer. This routine gives students a chance to experience what it’s like to imitate our Holy Mother of God in stepping on the serpent. By showing the group how we work together to overcome our tendencies to sin, with the help of God and His Mother, we get a greater depth of understanding.
Students look forward to this accessible prayer routine each Lent. Watch the video below for the full demonstration.
The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian (GOARCH)O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.But give rather the spirit of chastity,
humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.Yea, Lord and King! Grant me to see my own errors
and not to judge my brother,
for Thou art blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.