Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim

[Caleb Shoemaker]

Can anyone give me advice about how this is done, when (morning prayer/evening prayer?)?

[Owen]

In his preface to The Lenten Triodion, Met. Kallistos Ware gave a rather complete explanation of the Prayer of St. Ephraim, and how it is done in monasteries.

The Prayer is said on Wednesday and Friday of Dairy Week (the week before Lent), and on all weekdays of Lent (excluding weekends) and Holy Week through Great Holy Wedyesday. It is said once through with three prostrations, or twice through with an additional 12 bows interpolated between the first recital and the repetition., depending on when during the liturgical cycle it is said.

In non-monastic use, it is usually said once through with three prostrations, with the normal morning and evening prayers.

[Fr Raphael Vereshack]

Just a brief note Owen that in modern use parishes that follow the Russian version of the typikon (most OCA parishes, rocor, Ukrainians, etc) follow the same pattern for the prayer of St Ephraim as is done in monasteries. This also follows for the basic structure of the services itself although a parish will tend to do more abbreviations than a monastery does.

This marks a major difference from those who follow various Byzantine usages. From what I have seen monasteries follow the typikon of St Sava (as do the Russians) while parishes follow a more recent revision of this. This comes out especially in the Matins and in the continual use of festal style antiphons at liturgy.

In Christ- Fr Raphael