ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 5, 2025
On this Ash Wednesday, I offer a reworking of a prayer written by St Ephrem the Syrian, a fourth-century writer.
O Lord and Source of Life! Remove from me the attitudes and actions of apathy, timidity, the unquenchable desire for power, and any talk that is void of purpose. Instead, provide me with a spirit capable of focusing on what is truly important: humility, patience, and love. Allow your Holy Spirit to act as a midwife, nurturing these precious and life-giving qualities. And may you, Sacred Guide and Model, grant me the capacity to see my own shortcomings and refrain from judging those around me through a lens obscured by a log. You are the Gift and the Eternal Blessing, and I express my greatest gratitude. Amen.
