A Spiritual Psalter: or, Reflections on God

Publication Data: Liberty, TN: The St. John of Kronstadt Press, 2004
Format: hardcover
Number of Pages: 256
Dimensions (l × w × h): 17.3 cm × 11.6 cm × 1.5 cm
Additional Information: two-color printing, black-and-white illustrations, one bookmark ribbon
ISBN: 0‒912927‒40‒2

   
excerpted by Bishop Theophan the Recluse from the works of our Holy Father Ephraim the Syrian
arranged in the manner of the Psalms of David
translated by Antonina Janda
together with The Life of St. Ephraim translated by Br. Isaac E. Lambertsen

“This publication, which includes selected prayers that St. Ephraim the Syrian offered up to God, is called a Psalter because the Psalter is a book of praises of God; they both contain prayers offered up to God. St. Ephraim was filled with the grace of God and, moved by it, he poured out his heartfelt prayers to God. [...]The number of psalms contained in the God-inspired Psalter served as a guide for choosing the works included here and the list of their contents reflects the contents of the Psalms. In addition to prayers the psalms contain dogma, history, and moral teachings. Works of this nature have been included in the selection of prayers by St. Ephraim.”
—“Preface”

CONTENTS

1 Beatitudes
2 A Song of Glory to the Savior
3 Grant grace to satisfy all needs
4 All that we need is in Thee, O Lord
5 Be all for us and grant that we may dedicate all...to Thee
6 The hopes of those who have left the world
7 The soul which has experienced salvation in the Lord
8 The one hope for fallen sinners is the Crucified Lord
9 Lament that the influence of grace has been ignored
10 I cannot manage my own self; grant me the spirit of repentance
11 I can control neither myself nor the enemy. Help me, O Lord!
12 My last hour is at hand. Grant, O Lord, that I may repent...
13 Enlighten and strengthen me for the sake of redemption
14 O Redeemer of all, save me and grant me tears...
15 God became man
16 Send grace to quicken me...
17 About the guidance of grace and about tears
18 Despite my sins, hearken unto me, drive away the enemy...
19 How to relieve the conscience of inner anxiety
10 Grant free passage through the toll-houses...
21 Go with repentance, for the Lord is ready to receive you
22 Life’s lessons: Beatitudes
23 Our Savior, both God and Man
24 The gift of tears and the banishment of the enemy
25 Deliver me from apathy and slothfulness
26 All our hope is Christ. Cry unto Him.
27 Do not lose heart. There is hope, and it is Christ.
28 Life’s lessons
29 A Confession of the God Who became man...
30 Death is right here. Be sober, O soul.
31 Give me remembrance of eternal life, that I might prepare...
32 Do you seek mercy? Be merciful yourself.
33 Forgiveness of sins for forgiveness of offences
34 Grant tears that I might wash myself and be freed from passions
35 To the Theotokos—about good intention...
36 Life’s lessons: Beatitudes
37 Confession of the Holy Trinity
38 Remember the second coming and be sobered
39 Punish me here and correct me with grace...
40 Rouse me, give me energy and tears
41 Inside I am not what I appear to be: Heal me.
42 I have fallen: Raise me up and grant that I may labor...
43 Life’s lessons
44 A song of praise to the Redeemer
45 Lack of concern for eternal bliss and endless torment...
46 To the Theotokos: I am not bold enough. Pray for me...
47 I dare not do so myself: pray for me, O ye saints.
48 All will be made manifest at that time.
49 The blessedness of forgiveness
50 Hope for forgiveness
51 Life’s lessons: Beatitudes
52 A complaint lodged against the enemy: A prayer for deliverance from him and compassion at the judgement
53 Lament over the scarcity of saints
54 The days are passing; do not put off repentance
55 How to scrutinize and reproach yourself
56 The devil has success with the indifferent...
57 Life’s lessons
58 Reproach from the Lord for the indifferent soul
59 Because of my tears, convert me...
60 To the Theotokos: a request for guidance...
61 Correct me who am most sinful while I am here
62 To the saints: a request for intercession
63 Prayer for the granting of al virtues
64 Life’s lessons: Beatitudes
65 On what is our hope of vindication at the Judgement founded?
66 The enemy has led me astray and I have committed many sins
67 A defense against the enemy’s wiles
68 Deliver me from the enemy, who is a rival for my soul...
69 The wiles of the enemy and the resources of sin
70 How mercifully the Lord accepts the penitent!
71 An unstable and indecisive will
72 Approach the physician with tears and he will heal you
73 I am exceedingly vile..., grant that I may repent...
74 By my tears cleanse my sins and give me strength...
75 A complaint against the world...
76 The impermanence of the world’s benefits...
77 Life’s lessons
78 Heal me, O Lord, and thereby shame the enemy
79 Lament upon contemplation of the bitter fate that awaits sinners
80 Our weakness and inconstancy versus the stability of the saints
81 A ceaseless supplication is heard...
82 For untroubled sleep
83 Ask forgiveness with tears, but first forgive others yourself
84 Have mercy on me before the hour of death overtakes me
85 Life’s lessons: Beatitudes
86 A confession of redemption and a prayer for the Church
87 Be merciful to us and to those who have turned away
88 To the Theotokos: a prayer for inner spiritual well-being
89 The soul becomes distracted on its own...
90 Tears in the night
91 Be vigilant in prayer day and night...
92 Weep: the days are passing...
93 Life’s lessons
94 If you force yourself to be vigilant in prayer...
95 A morning song
96 An evening exaltation
97 Do not let the members of our bodies that have labored for Thy glory suffer when they leave this world
98 Stains hinder the entrance of grace...
99 Terrible is the passage through the toll-houses...
100 Get up while there is time and cleanse thyself with tears
101 Life’s lessons: Beatitudes
102 In redemption is hope for forgiveness
103 Arise, Thou who hast grown old in sins...
104 Against the wicked and unyielding enemy
105 To the Theotokos—an appeal for the granting of repentance
106 According to their labors shall men receive their reward
107 Grant, O Lord, repentance and endurance to the end
108 Life’s lessons: woe
109 Grant the grace of psaltry and teaching...
110 Weep, for shame and disgrace await the careless
111 To the Theotokos—a confession of Her perpetual virginity...
112 A cure for the soul is purchased with tears
113 Drive away the enemy, for without Thee, who can cope with him?
114 Grace approaches and, finding the heart impure, withdraws...
115 Because of my extreme corruption, I am unworthy...
116 Death and the Judgement lead us to repentance
117 Life’s lessons—eight evil thoughts
118 Praise to the Lord Who took flesh for our salvation
119 I have sinned—forgive me. Helped by Thy grace...
120 How many times have I promised, yet every time I failed...
121 Convert me by force; do not wait for me to choose...
122 It is time at last to recognize the enemy’s deceit
123 Show mercy on account of our failings
124 God’s punishment and love
125 Life’s lessons
126 Despair not and be not self-confident; rather, humbly cry out
127 The words to be spoken at the judgement...
128 Just once do I desire good: on account of this, have mercy...
129 The enemy is cunning, but we are careless...
130 I am not what I ought to be, and I fear my errors will be exposed
131 All my hope is in God’s mercy
132 In that place there is no forgiveness, so cry out...
133 Whether or not God answers our prayers, all is for the best
134 Creation, redemption and resurrection
135 How shall I repay Thee? I shall accept the cup of salvation.
136 Correct yourself by contemplating death and what accompanies it
137 Life passes quickly
138 God will Himself give all that is necessary; yet one must also pray
139 Inside I remain the same—how long will this go on?...
140 There is no hiding—God sees all....
141 A prayer to the Theotokos: Though I am unclean, accept my prayer
142 Life’s lessons: woe
143 Blessed is the merciful Creator and Redeemer
144 Who is blessed?
145 Death—and hope in the face of it
146 To whom shall I run? Save me for Thy name’s sake
147 A prayer to the Theotokos for help...
148 The saints themselves shall marvel at their glory
149 Faced with death we are comforted by the resurrection
150 Praise to the Resurrector of the dead
   The Life of St. Ephraim