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 Poet,
teacher, orator and defender of the faith, Ephrem is the only Syrian
recognized as a doctor of the Church. He took upon himself the special task
of opposing the many false doctrines rampant at his time, always remaining a
true and forceful defender of the Catholic Church.
Born in Nisibis, Mesopotamia, he was baptized as a young man and became
famous as a teacher in his native city. When the Christian emperor had to
cede Nisibis to the Persians, Ephrem, along with many Christians, fled as a
refugee to Edessa. He is credited with attracting great glory to the
biblical school there. He was ordained a deacon but declined becoming a
priest (and was said to have avoided episcopal consecration by feigning
madness!).
He had a prolific pen and his writings best illumine his holiness. Although
he was not a man of great scholarship, his works reflect deep insight and
knowledge of the Scriptures. In writing about the mysteries of humanity’s
redemption, Ephrem reveals a realistic and humanly sympathetic spirit and a
great devotion to the humanity of Jesus. It is said that his poetic account
of the Last Judgment inspired Dante.
It is surprising to read that he wrote hymns against the heretics of his
day. He would take the popular songs of the heretical groups and, using
their melodies, compose beautiful hymns embodying orthodox doctrine. Ephrem
became one of the first to introduce song into the Church’s public worship
as a means of instruction for the faithful. His many hymns have earned him
the title “Harp of the Holy Spirit.”
He preferred a simple, austere life, living in a small cave overlooking the
city of Edessa. It was here he died around 373.
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