St. Ephrem of Syria (Feast: June 9)

St. Ephrem of Syria, Deacon and Doctor of the Church: ca. 306-373 A.D.

Birth and early life

St. Ephrem (also spelled Ephraem), was born in Nisibis, Northern Mesopotamia. When he was converted to Christianity, some biographers say his pagan parents disowned him. This is not certain. But what is certain is that he was baptized at the age of eighteen, and then taken by St. Jacob, the bishop of Nisibis.

St. Ephrem was reported to have accompanied Bishop Jacob to the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. Upon their return, the bishop ordained Ephrem as a deacon - which was to be the last permanent diaconate in the Church until after Vatican II.

After Bishop St. Jacob's death, Ephrem served the next three succeeding bishops.

The fall of Nisibis into Persian rule

St. Ephrem stayed in Nisibis and became well known as a superb teacher in the Christian biblical school of Nisibis. But Nisibis was soon to be attacked by the Persians - not once, but three times. St. Ephrem was credited with securing the deliverance of the city by his prayer in 328 A.D. However, Nisibis was eventually awarded to the Persians in a peace settlement made in 363 A.D.

Retirement to Edessa

Fearing for their safety, St. Ephrem and the other Christians fled the city to go to Edessa in Syria. Ephrem retired to a cave on a lonely mountain, and led a very austere life. He spent much time in prayer and work. It was here in Edessa where Ephrem did much of his writing. According to the Byzantine historian Sozomen, St. Ephrem wrote more than a thousand works during his lifetime. He also eventually became well known in Edessa, which he called the "city of blessing". Preaching often to the people in the city, he spoke against the Arian heresy.

"Harp of the Holy Spirit"

St. Ephrem was among the first Christians to make sacred songs part of public worship. As one way to battle the heresies of his day, St. Ephrem took the popular melodies of his time and substituted it with words that clearly expressed Christian teaching. The themes of his songs and hymns included the superiority of the virgin state of life, faith, and the existence of the Church as the continuation of Jesus on earth. His hymns earned him the title "Harp of the Holy Spirit".

His writings

St. Ephrem wrote voluminously in Syriac on exegetical, dogmatic, and ascetical themes, drawing heavily on scriptural sources. He also wrote against the Arians and the Gnostics, and on the subject of the Last Judgment. His other writings were commentaries on the Old Testament books and an annotation on the Diatessaron, a writing about the Redemption. St. Ephrem's works were translated from Syrian into Greek, Latin and Armenian.

Famine in Edessa and death

As a deacon, St. Ephrem administered large sums of money for the Church in Edessa. In the winter of 372 A.D., a famine struck Edessa and caused suffering among the people of Syria. St. Ephrem organized a relief operation which included providing ways to carry the sick. The great work St. Ephrem exerted in the service of the people, may have caused him a great loss of strength and resistance. After he returned to his cave on the lonely mountain overlooking the city of Edessa, he died a month later in 373 A.D.

Doctor of the Church

Due to his exceptional humility, St. Ephrem is probably the least known of the Doctors of the Church. He was not declared a Doctor of the Church until the twentieth century - in 1920 A.D. - 1547 years after his death. St. Ephrem is the only Syrian honoured with the title in the Church. Along with St. Cecilia, he can be considered a patron of music. The Church celebrates his feast on June 9.

Sources of this blog post:

• Dictionary of Saints, by John J. Delaney
• A Year with the Saints, by Don Bosco Press, Inc.
• Saints for Our Time, by Ed Ransom
• The Doctors of the Church, volume one, by John F. Fink
• The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism, by editor Bernard McGinn

Memorial of Saints (June 5)

St. Boniface was influenced early in life to commit himself to God. After his ordination, he became a very inspiring preacher. In 718 A.D., Boniface was authorized by the Pope to be a missionary to Germany. Boniface had to convert the people from pagan superstitions. He built new churches and new convents all over Germany. He was then named Bishop of Mainz and Primate of Germany. In 754 A.D., while quietly reading in his tent, he was killed by a band of pagans. St. Boniface is known in Catholic tradition as the Apostle of Germany (died ca. 754 A.D.).

St. Dorotheus of Tyre was a scholar and a priest who was exiled during Emperor Diocletian's persecution of Christians. After the persecutions ended, Dorotheus returned and was made bishop of Tyre. He was able to attend the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D., but had to flee again, this time to Varna in Bulgaria, because of another wave of persecutions. St. Dorotheus was arrested there at Varna and died of the beating he received (died ca. 362 A.D.).

St. Sanctius was born at Albi, France, and was captured by the Moors as a young boy. He was brought to Cordova where he was trained to be a member of the Turkish infantry corps. He however decided to declare his Christian faith. Because of this declaration, he was condemned by the authorities, was tortured and then impaled to death as a martyr for Christ (died ca. 851 A.D.).

Trinity Sunday (A)

(Edited) Sunday reflections: (From) years 2014 (A), 2015 (B), and 2016 (C)

June 15, 2014
Liturgical readings
Exodus 34:4b-6, 8-9
Daniel 3
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
John 3:16-18

"God sent his Son that the world might be saved through him."

The truth about the Most Blessed Trinity is an important teaching of the Catholic faith. It is a truth emphasized by St. John Paul II when he dedicated the years 1997, 1998, and 1999, to each of the Persons of the Holy Trinity. This act of the Church before the turn of the millenium shows the importance of the doctrine of the Trinity to the lives of all Catholics and other Christian denominations who believe in the Trinity. For Catholics, the Trinity is an essential part of worship and liturgy. The name of the Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is always invoked at the beginning and conclusion of every prayer in the liturgy. It is also invoked in every prayer gathering of the family, and in personal prayers.

It is difficult to understand a mystery, but the Holy Trinity can be understood through hymns and poems, since these are expressions of love and devotion. As an example, a hymn by Felice de Giardini honors God as "the great One in Three". Singing the hymn, the "great One in Three", is easy to understand; the heart quickly "sees" what the head sometimes miss to see. Catholics know by heart what it means: to have faith in a Father who provides; to have faith in the Son who saves from sins; and to have faith in the Holy Spirit who breathes new Life. This is the faith and the truth all are called to live by. Each one is called to make his soul a dwelling place of the Most Holy Trinity: "If a man loves me," says the Lord, "he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him (Catechism #260).

To be a dwelling place of the Most Holy Trinity is a call to a way of praying and living. Much is required to purify in one's being: vices and sinful directions. There is one classic teacher who can instruct as in this: St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622 A.D.). He writes in his books and letters that: "from time to time, we are to examine the evil passions that dominate our hearts". Once discovered, the soul is called to strive to live in a manner opposed to these evil passions. As St. Francis de Sales counsels, (and so do the Church even in these modern times), it is necessary to bring one's soul to the Sacrament of Confession. With the Sacrament of Confession, the grace and the strength to resist these evil passions is easier. Only when purged from these evil passions, one step at a time, one day at a time, will the life of the Trinity indwell in the soul.

Scripture quotes for reflection:
"Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever." (Daniel 3)