Novena to the Holy Deacons, Day 5: Saint Ephrem the Syrian

O glorious Saint Ephrem, harp of the Spirit, filled with compassion for those who invoke you, I kneel at your feet and humbly beg you to take my present need under your special protection and to make your prayer mine:

O Lord, Master of my life, grant that I may not be infected with the spirit of slothfulness and inquisitiveness, with the spirit of ambition and vain talking.

Grant instead to me, your servant, the spirit of purity and of humility, the spirit of patience and neighborly love.

O Lord and King, grant me the grace of being aware of my sins and of not thinking evil of those of my brethren. For you are blessed, now and ever, and forever.

V Most holy Saint Ephrem, pray for us
R That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

Our Father. Hail Mary. Glory be.

Saint Ephrem the Syrian

Ephrem the Syrian was born around the year 306 in the city of Nisibis (now Nusaybin in Turkey). He left us hundreds of hymns and poems on the faith that inflamed and inspired the whole Church.

The originality, imagery, and skill of his hymns captured the hearts of the Christians so well, that Ephrem is given credit for awakening the Church to the important of music and poetry in spreading and fortifying the faith.

Ephrem served as teacher and deacon under four bishops of Nisibis. Tradition tells us that during the famine that hit Edessa in 372, Ephrem was horrified to learn that some citizens were hoarding food.

When he confronted them, he received the age-old excuse that they couldn’t find a fair way or honest person to distribute the food. Ephrem immediately volunteered himself and it is a sign of how respected he was that no one was able to argue with this choice. He and his helpers worked diligently to get food to the needy in the city and the surrounding area.

The famine ended in a year of abundant harvest the following year and Ephrem died shortly thereafter, as we are told, at an advanced age on or about June 9, 373.