Flame and
Fire:
The Passion
Within Us
For
those
of us
who
have given
no voice
to it, and
blench before
the scandal
of the truth
within —
take heart
— the
flame within
the sinner
is the fire
within the
Saints:
“Woe
is me, to what judgment
will I be subject, and of
what disgrace I am worthy!
My inner self is not like
my outward appearance, I
talk about how to free oneself
from the passions, but day
and night I myself think
about disgraceful passions
...
Alas ! what trials await
me? The truth is that I
bear the image of righteousness,
but lack its capacity.
What face shall I who am
guilty of such indecency
wear when I approach the
Lord God who knows the secrets
of my heart ...
What can I expect, I who
am weighed down with such
a heavy burden of sins?
My heart is consumed with
fire, my mind is clouded,
righteous thoughts have
failed me ...
I have no boldness before
Him who will try my heart
and inner workings, I have
no clean thoughts, no tears
while praying ...
You know, O Lord, my passions
hidden in the darkness,
the sores of my soul are
known to You. Heal me, O
Lord and I will be healed.
If You will not build the
house of my soul, I labor
in vain trying to build
it myself ...
O, Lord, enlighten the eyes
of my heart, that I might
rightly recognize the deceit
and malice of the passions.
May Your grace shield me,
that I might be able to
stand firm and resist, having
girded my loins with courage
...
No one is strong enough
to heal the passionate temperament
of my soul.
Condescend and save me by
Your kindness.”
St. Ephrem the Syrian
__________________________
Saint Ephrem died June, 373 A.D. He was an exegete and prolific writer of commentaries on Sacred Scripture as well as poems, hymns, and homilies. You may either listen to, or read his extraordinary hymn on the contention between Christ and the devil, and between sanctity and sin here.
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“Scio opera tua ... quia modicum habes virtutem, et servasti verbum Meum, nec non negasti Nomen Meum”
“I know your works ... that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My word, and have not denied My Name.” (Apocalypse 3.8)
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