Fr. Lou’s March Kandili Article
“REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND.” (Mt. 4:17)
These words were the first words Jesus stated following His baptism and subsequent 40 day temptation in the wilderness. They mark the beginning of His three year public ministry. They are the exact words that the Forerunner, John the Baptist, stated as he was baptizing in the wilderness. (Mt. 3:2). We of course recognize Repentance as a central theme of Great Lent. We speak, teach, and preach about it annually. Repentance, from the Greek scriptural word, “metanoia”, means a change of mind. This leads to a change of heart and therefore a change of direction in ones life. Its reference is a change of focus from self and the material realm to God and the spiritual. One of the great Lenten tools we have to assist us in this attitudinal change is the Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian of the 4th Century:
“Lord and Master of my life, deliver me from the spirit of laziness, despondency, desire
for power over others and useless talk.”
(metanoia or prostration)
“Give rather to me your servant, a spirit of purity, humility, patience and love.”
(metanoia)
“Yes Lord and King, allow me to see my own sins and faults and not to judge others, for you are blessed forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.”
(metanoia)
This prayer is said liturgically in every weekday service of Great Lent. We are encouraged personally to likewise say it in our daily Lenten personal prayers with the accompanying prostrations.
The essence of this prayer is metanoia or repentance. In his book, The Lenten Covenant, Fr. Leonidas Contos, of blessed memory states about the prayer, “For within its small compass it succeeds in capturing the very essence of ‘metanoia’, not merely as a penitential attitude, needful as that may be, but as an act of authentic conversion, a turning completely around of mind and heart.” (pg. 68). The prayer begins by asking our Lord and Master to deliver us from four negative attitudes: laziness or slothfulness; despondency—lack of hope; desire for power—a centering on self bringing contempt to others; and idle or useless talk—denigrating the “Word”, God’s image within us through useless words. This request for “deliverance” is followed by a metanoia, a prostration whereby we “die” to those negative or sinful aspects of life, and live renewed as an offering to God. The second stanza continues asking for the following positive replacements to the negative clothing discarded: purity; humility; patience; and love—again followed by a prostration. The final stanza reminds us to focus on our own sin and fault, not judging others, so as to not give in to the great temptation of pride. We once again end with a prostration or metanoia.
This powerful and needful theme of repentance is our Religious Education theme for March. Please allow this simple prayer of St. Ephraim to be a guide of repentance this Great Lent and always for you and me. And remember, repentance is not a negative, but rather a positive attitudinal change.
“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” Jesus Christ
With our Lord’s Blessings,
Fr. Lou