Poet Scott Cairns gives us a fresh look at the Prayer of St. Ephrem in his poetic rephrasing of the Great Lenten prayer.
O Lord and Master of my life,
remove from me this languid spirit,
this grim demeanor, this petty
lust for power, and all this empty talk.
endow Thy servant, instead,
with a chaste spirit, a humble
heart, longsuffering gentleness,
and genuine, unselfish love.
Yes, O Lord and King, grant
that I may confront my own offenses,
and remember not to judge my brother.
for You are–always and forever–blessed.
(Love’s Immensity, pp. 17-18)
Fraternized 