A Lenten "Ecclesia Orans"

Coptic Divine Liturgy of St. Basil, Fraction Prayers for Great Lent:

Master and Lord, God Almighty
Who sent His Only-Begotten Son to the world ...
taught us that fasting and prayer cast out devils,
as He said:
This kind cannot come out by anything,
except by prayer and fasting.

• Fasting and prayer are those which raised Elijah to heaven and saved Daniel from the lions' den.
• Fasting and prayer are those which Moses pursued, until he received the Law and the Commandments written with the Finger of God.
• Fasting and prayer are those which the people of Nineveh pursued, so God had mercy upon them and forgave them their sins and lifted His wrath away from them.
• Fasting and prayer are those which the prophets pursued, and prophesied concerning the advent of Christ many generations before His coming.
• Fasting and prayer are those which the Apostles pursued, and they preached to all nations and made them Christians, and baptized them in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
• Fasting and prayer are those which the Martyrs pursued, until they shed their blood in the Name of Christ, Who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate.
• Fasting and prayer are those which the righteous, the just, and the cross-bearers pursued, and dwelt in the mountains, deserts, and holes of the earth, because of their great love for Christ the King.
  

And we, too, let us fast from all evil, in purity and righteousness;
and let us proceed forth to this holy sacrifice, and partake of it with thanksgiving ~

Again from St. Ephrem "On Reproof":

Let us be builders of our own minds
into temples suitable for God.

If the Lord dwells in your house,
honor will come to your door.

How much your 'honor' will increase
if God dwells within you.

Be a sanctuary for Him, even a priest,
and serve Him within your temple.

Just as for your sake He became
high priest, sacrifice, and libation;

You, for his sake, become
temple, priest, and
sacrificial offering.


The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem

O Lord and Master of my life,
take from me the spirit of sloth, despondency,
lust for power, and idle talk.

But grant unto me, Thy servant,
a spirit of chastity, humility,
patience, and love.

Yea, O Lord and King,
grant me to see my own faults,
and not to judge my brothers and sisters.
For blessed art Thou
unto ages of ages.
Amen.

And from St. Paul
Rm 12:1-18

A Living Sacrifice

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Gifts of Grace

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Marks of the True Christian

Let love be genuine.
Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Love one another with brotherly affection.
Outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.
Never be wise in your own sight.
Repay no one evil for evil,
but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
If possible, so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all.

On the Keeping of Lent
St. Benedict's Rule, ch 49

The life of a monk ought always to be a Lenten observance.

However, since such virtue is that of few,
we advise that during these days of Lent
he guard his life with all purity
and at the same time
wash away during these holy days all the shortcomings of other times.

This will then be worthily done,
if we restrain ourselves from all vices.

Let us devote ourselves to tearful prayers,
to reading and compunction of heart,
and to abstinence.