Episode 18. The Spiritual Psalter of St Ephraim the Syrian (featuring Spooky Cat)

I love this book so much, so let's talk about it more in the comments section below!
Want a copy? I defy you to find an orthodox bookseller that doesn't carry it, but here's a link anyway. www.holycross....

[@OrthodoxReview]

Update 2/23: The Spiritual Psalter is currently OUT OF PRINT. CreateSpace versions can be found on Amazon, but I can not attest to their quality.

[@Uncreated_Light]

The book is going for $2,500 on eBay! I regret buying a $12 print-on-demand paperback version when I could have (at that time) spent $35-$40 and gotten this version! Didn't know how much of a re-read keeper of a book it was at that time though. Hopefully it's reprinted one of these days!

[@OrthodoxReview]

@MrMan-mo4kt that price is disgusting. Shame on them!

[@processandbeing]

I love everything I've seen from St Ephraim. Noice.

[@roblesd1]

I love that book. I read it especially during lent. I use it as a prayer book. It helps me pray with compunction.

[@Papayianni623]

Thabk you for the review. This book should be in every Orthodox family's prayer corner and library.

[@wisewomanhealing]

Yes! Intimidated by it is a good way of putting how I feel about this book. Almost as if 'I'm not worthy'! We were supposed to read this for the nativity Fast and a week into it I just had to put it down. It's been an intense 40 days (our deacon died Thanksgiving week) and I just cannot with the heavy reading right now. Lord have mercy! Thank you for the vid. Give Spooky cat a nose boop for me.

[@tuck-brainwks-eutent-hidva1098]

Random notes from the future of your comment.... So sorry to hear about your deacon 😔; may his memory be eternal....🕯🙏 ☦ On an unrelated note -- this little cat is quite a charmer, ¿no? 😽

[@wisewomanhealing]

@@tuck-brainwks-eutent-hidva1098 Thank you so much for your kind words. Our deacons presence is greatly missed. Spooky Cat is totes adorbs!

[@Simonet1309]

Hadn’t heard of this until I saw your review. I have now got hold of a copy, and wow! Its like a spot light on the soul. So much of it pierces the heart and motivates you to repentance, prayer etc. So, thank you very much and God bless you.

[@michaelkennedy2057]

Thanks for sharing. I’m going to get this book now. God Bless you for your work and holy mission spreading the good word found in these great books. Best regards.

[@pravolub8]

A wonderful book! I had my copy for a couple of decades and read it last year with the readings from the Psalter.

[@Iceland874]

I’ve been thinking of getting this book. It’s a bit expensive though. It would be nice to get it in Russian too or in parallel form.

[@joer9156]

I very much like to listen to the audiobook version that is on KZbin (or at least a lot of it - some bits are missing). I think I will buy a copy.

[@Michael_Binkley]

Psalm 132 O Lord, as if I were standing in front of Your fearful throne, I, who am condemned, see my deeds revealed and the sentence You will pass on my wretchedness, to take me away from Your holy face and throw me into intolerable torment. And as I will call on You then, so now I call out, quaking and with tears. O most just Judge, you are righteous, and just are your judgments. You commit no error in judging me. As if I were standing there, I speak to the angels, "O compassionate and brilliant angels, weep for me, because I did not even have mercy on myself. I repelled God's mercy, and it is indeed just that I be punished. The Lord offered mercy to me, but I was without discernment and never paid heed to it. And now justly He turns away from me." Then, the angels will of course reply in anger, "This is not the time to repent, but to judge. Prayer as no further power, and weeping has no effect. Here there is a multitude only of tears wept in pain. Here groans of remorse are not heard, but rather endless groans and howls of torment. Depart and accept the caustic and bitter reward for your actions. Burn in flames as foul matter, fueling the unquenchable fire of Hell. Enjoy, because you are a son of dimness and you love eternal darkness. Look upon the black visions on account of which you have rejected the everlasting light and be happy. There, there will be perpetual weeping and intense gnashing of teeth." Woe, O my miserable soul stripped of all works. How will you look to the impartial Judge, the angels and archangels, and those born on earth who are present there in large numbers? Woe O my soul, how you will suffer then, but you will not be heard. All things will change, and be different. The saints will rejoice evermore and sinners will suffer everlasting torture. They bore no gladness to the God of all, and will themselves be estranged from all joy forever. Thus, let us call to God, O soul, while we are here, "Save us, before we come to ruin in the end."

[@hughmccann919]

Spooky says, “You *need* this book!”

[@tuck-brainwks-eutent-hidva1098]

This looks completely amazing. My list is growing, and you are climbing to the top of another list. You're getting into bigger trouble with my overflowing bookshelves, and this doesn't seem to concern you -- there are just more and more videos.... 😏

[@OrthodoxReview]

I've not even been doing this a year. I started back in October, so this is just the beginning...😁

[@tuck-brainwks-eutent-hidva1098]

Okay -- I did order this and it's amazing. You are officially forgiven for drowning me in recommendations 😉. Crawling my way through this one, on my pathetic hands and knees.... 🙄

[@user-gb4jj8ix7t]

Great review ! Thank you

[@OrthodoxReview]

Thank you for watching it :)

[@SuperHoneybee79]

Bro I bought that last year when me and my wife went home to Tennessee and I actually didn't notice until I got home that it was not the actual psalter rather spiritual Reflections by saint Ephraim and it tripped me out. like it's so heavy and me living in the world like I am I can't deal with it sometimes.

[@OrthodoxReview]

It's best tasted in small doses.

[@anntraditio4627]

Waiting for mine👍🏼. you said St Isaac in video but meant St Ephraim ;) I’m also waiting for the Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian. Just found your page, will have to ck if you did a review on the later ☝🏼. Thanks for your vid.

[@OrthodoxReview]

And thank you for catching what is, I'm sure, one of many slips in my videos lol. I glad you are getting the book, as my review doesn't do it justice. And thanks for checking out my videos!

[@anntraditio4627]

Rec’d this book today. I could only finish reading The First Stasis (BEATITUDES). How it put me in contemplation of my unworthiness and His unfailing Love. This Spiritual Psalter will indeed be a life-long companion.

[@artist1758]

I needed this book, it is out of stock almost everywhere. Is it in the library? thx

[@OrthodoxReview]

It's currently out of print. There are some other translations available on Amazon.

[@8polyglot]

I like the book's content but I just can't find any intuitive way to incorporate it into my life. Any suggestions on how to integrate this into one's daily/prayer life?

[@OrthodoxReview]

You could star by just reading one per day. I like to read it with my morning coffee.

[@Iceland874]

It’s 40. now.

[@electromusings3823]

Random question: What method did you use to get your book to lie so flat and how long did it take you? I've been trying to break my copy in gently without breaking the spine over the past couple of days.

[@OrthodoxReview]

Just hold it down, and go page by page creasing in both directions.

[@yakovmatityahu]

Please tell me where i can buy this????

[@danieljclark5922]

For dense newbies like me, you may want to somehow make clear that this isn't a version of the usual 151 Old Testament psalms, but something completely different, following them only in literary format. I initially saw the "Spiritual Psalter" title and assumed it was a Saint's commentary on the 151 psalms, and didn't watch it as I have little interest in OT related books.

[@digitalsublime]

Have you understood the importance of the Psalms one year later?

[@flearhcp]

Is this book about compunction ?

[@OrthodoxReview]

Some of it. Did you watch the video?

[@flearhcp]

@@OrthodoxReview yeah i did , i am keen to explore this because i read that the Syrians were not so heavily Hellenized until much later.

[@OrthodoxReview]

Well, think of it like someone's personal psalter. These came from a time when the hymns of the church that we know today where being composed, so it's very much in the Syriac poetic tradition.

[@flearhcp]

I ordered the book on Amazon !!!! Thank you for replying .

[@OrthodoxReview]

No worries, enjoy!