Collect taken from the memorial of St. Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor
Collect: Pour into our hearts O Lord, we pray, the Holy Spirit, at whose prompting the Deacon Saint Ephrem exulted in singing of your mysteries and from whom he received the strength to serve you alone. Through our Lord Jesus Christ…
“Pour into our hearts O Lord, we pray, the Holy Spirit, at whose prompting the Deacon Saint Ephrem exulted in singing of your mysteries”
– It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can adequately praise God’s goodness and the mysteries of our redemption. So, while we honor St. Ephrem as a doctor of the Church for his beautiful writings about the mysteries of the faith, we nonetheless recognize that all such Goodness comes from God and returns to him.
“and from whom he received the strength to serve you alone.”
– Serving God alone is no easy task because it requires us to scorn all that impedes our single-minded devotion to him. Thus, just as we need the Spirit to praise God, so we need his strength to genuinely serve him.
Questions & Advice: Is praise of God a regular part of your prayer life? Do you truly serve God alone or do you often make compromises? How often do you call upon the Holy Spirit to help you in each of these areas?
Read about praise in the Catechism (2639+). Dedicate some of your daily prayer time to praising God for his goodness. Spend a few moments reflecting on what most competes with God for your devotion and ask God to help you place Him first in everything.
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| Sancte Ephrem, ora pro nobis! |