Psalm 27, A Spiritual Psalter
St Ephraim the
Syrian
Do not lose heart,
O soul, do not grieve; pronounce not over thyself a final judgment for the
multitude of thy sins; do not commit thyself to fire; do not say: The Lord has
cast me from His face.
Such words are not pleasing to God. Can it be that he who has fallen
cannot get up? Can it be that he who has turned away cannot turn back
again? Dost thou not hear how kind the Father is to the prodigal?
Do not be ashamed to turn back and say boldly: I will arise and go to my
Father. Arise and go!
He will accept thee and will not reproach thee, but rather rejoice at they
return. He awaits thee; just do not be ashamed and do not hide from the
face of God as did Adam.
It was for they sake that Christ was crucified; so will He cast thee
aside? He knows who oppresses us. He knows that we have no other
help but Him alone.
Christ knows that man is miserable. Do not give thyself up to despair and
apathy, assuming that thou hast been prepared for the fire. Christ
derives no consolation from thrusting us into the fire; He gains nothing if He
sends us into the abyss to be tormented.
Imitate the prodigal son: leave the city that starves thee. Come and
beseech Him and thou shalt behold the glory of
God. They face shall be enlightened and thou silt rejoice in the
sweetness of paradise. Glory to the Lord and Love of mankind Who saves us!
From A Spiritual Psalter by our Holy Father St Ephraim
of