Prayer of St Ephraim

[QuoVadis]

Hello everyone.  I have only been a convert in the Orthodox Church now for 4 years, and am learning new and blessed things every day.  I have a question about the Prayer of St Ephraim which is said during Lent.

I was visiting a convent on the weekend, and on Monday morning's service the nuns fully prostrated themselves about three times, then did numerous half prostrations.  I assumed they were praying the prayer of St Ephraim.  Please excuse me for this basic question, but 1) are they doing the full prostrations when praying this prayer, 2) and how many prostrations do they do, 3) and how many half prostrations do they do, and 4) what are they praying when doing half prostrations?

I felt like a bit of a nut just standing there not quite knowing what to do, or what I was doing (as the prayers are in slavonic, and I don't understand much).

Thanks everyone.  I appreciate your answers and help.
In Christ!
QuoVadis

[PeterTheAleut]

I was visiting a convent on the weekend, and on Monday morning's service the nuns fully prostrated themselves about three times, then did numerous half prostrations.  I assumed they were praying the prayer of St Ephraim.  Please excuse me for this basic question, but 1) are they doing the full prostrations when praying this prayer, 2) and how many prostrations do they do, 3) and how many half prostrations do they do, and 4) what are they praying when doing half prostrations?

Excellent questions you ask (as Yoda would say).

The practice prescribed for the Prayer of St. Ephraim is as such:

• Read the prayer once, making a full prostration after each section of the prayer for a total of 3.

     The following two items are prescribed only for weekdays of Lent, not for Sunday Vespers.

• Make 12 bows (half-prostrations), each time reciting this prayer: "O God, cleanse me a sinner and have mercy on me."
• Read the prayer of St. Ephraim again, this time making only one prostration at the end.

[QuoVadis]

Ah ...   ... I understand!  Thank you for that explanation.  Next time, I won't look like a sore thumb sticking out!

[Tsarina]

Never feel like a nut. We're not born with the ability to just 'know', but to learn. I bet there are a lot of things that you know that we may not.

I'm also a new convert, and many things are new to be, and it's been a great blessing to be apart of all of these beautiful Orthodox teachings.

They're more things in our journey, let's be patient and prepared for them.  

God bless.

[Tags:]

OrthodoxChristianity.net > Moderated Forums > Liturgy (Moderator: arimethea) > Topic: Prayer of St Ephraim