On January 28 of each year, the Church commemorates Saint Ephrem the Syrian.
Saint Ephrem was born in the city of Nisibis in Mesopotamia, likely in they year 308 AD or earlier. He flourished during the reigns of Constantine the Great (324-337 AD), Julian the Apostate (361-363 AD), and his successors. From an early age, he was instructed in faith and virtue by the Bishop of his hometown, Iakovos (309-364 AD). Although the bishop ordained him a deacon, Saint Ephrem declined to accept a higher office.
He embraced the monastic life at a young age and, inspired by the Holy Spirit, authored numerous works on spiritual and moral edification. Hence, he is esteemed for the abundance and elegance of his works.
Having studied in depth all doctrinal issues, he was aware of how to fight against heresies and uphold Orthodoxy with clarity. He engaged in debates and successfully refuted the heretic Apollinarius, guiding numerous individuals back to piety.
When, Nisibis was ceded to the Persians under the treaty of 363 AD signed by Jovian, the successor of Julian the Apostate (363-364 AD), Saint Ephraim left his homeland and came to Edessa, where he became an ascetic on a nearby mountain.
In the year 370 AD, he visited Basil the Great in Caesarea of Cappadocia and shortly afterwards the Fathers and Ascetics of Egypt.
Saint Ephraim reposed in peace in the year 373 AD.
Source: Vema of the Church / Translated by Thanos Chrysanthopoulos
