TELE LUMIERE & NOURSAT


	Devotions Almanac Prayers Novenas Litanies Holy Rosary Teachings Fathers of the church Catechism of the Catholic Church Prayers request Easterns Saints Anthony of Egypt Ephrem Basil John Chrysostom Augustine of Hippo John of Damascus Thomas Aquinas Nimatullah Hardini Charbel Makhlouf Rafqa Rayyes		Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church Ephrem (ca 306-73), also Ephraem of Syria was the author of numerous hymns and works of biblical exegesis for which he was named a Doctor of The Church in 1920, the only Syrian to be so honored. Born in Nisibis (Mesopotamia) he was baptized ca 324 and joined the CathedralSchool there, eventually becoming its head. After the Persians captured Nisibis in 363, Ephrem took up the life of a monk in a cave near Edessa. It was during this period that he produced his many hymns (over five hundred survive) and exegetical writing on nearly the whole of the Old Testament and much of the New Testament. His hymns were sung during the liturgy, and his exegetical writings were translated into several languages and often read immediately after the reading of the Scriptures. He was also renowned for his preaching and is referred to by Catholic and Orthodox Syrians alike as "the Harp of the Holy Spirit". He was ordained a Deacon, perhaps late in his life. In 372 he organized a relief effort on behalf of famine victims in and around Edessa and died a month later in his cave. Ephrem's feast is on the General Roman Calendar and he is commemorated by the Church of England on this day. His feast is celebrated by the Russian and Greek Orthodox Churches on January 28, and he is commemorated by the Episcopal Church in the USA on June 10.