St Ephraim the Syrian….what more can be said about this holy man of God? Perhaps one the greatest ascetics of all time, this saint born of poor farmers in Nisibis in Mesopotamia was not your typical child, from the earliest reports he was a quick tempered, ill mannered child, who was constantly in trouble. After a false accusation against him turned his life around. He became totally a different man, and devoured himself in the Holy scriptures. He also became the preeminent man of prayer in the church so much so that the Church still uses his instructions during Great Lent and recites the Prayer of St. Ephraim every day during Lent. His focus on theosis is a center piece of his work, which is the call by God for us to become like him (Psalm 82:6) and that we become a part of the divine nature. St. Ephraim embodies this Psalm and calls all of us to accept this gift from God to become like him and obtain theosis. His life is the example of Philippians 2:12-13. Spending his life in the desert of Syria he was able to grow in stature and love of God. Let us all ask St Ephraim for his prayers.
Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment