Quote of the Day: St. Ephraim of Syria

This is the fast which exalts; which appeared from the First Born,
So as to extol the younger ones. There is occasion for delight for the discerning ones in fasting;
When one sees how much he has grown. Fasting secretly purifies the soul
So it can gaze on God and grow by the vision of Him.
For the weight that is from the earth, bends it back to the earth.
Blessed is He Who gave us fasts,
The sheer wings by which we fly to him!

From St. Ephraim of Syria's Hymns on Fasting.

St. Ephraim's Seminary in Saydnaya Celebrates Feast Day

This past Friday, the feast of St. Ephraim of Syria in the West Syrian Rite, the Syriac Orthodox Church's St. Ephraim's Seminary in Ma'arat Saydnaya, Syria, celebrated its feast day with Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatios Zakka I (Iwas) of Antioch. The celebrations included the ordination of new deacons at the festal divine services, a talk on St. Ephraim, and remembrances of the Seminary's founder, Patriarch Ignatios Afrem I (Barsoum) of Antioch. More here.

St. Ephraim of Syria

Joyous feast! The life of St. Ephraim, a great father and hymnographer of the Church of Antioch, can be found here. May his blessing and prayers be with us all! What follows is his testament to his disciples:

I Ephraim am dying and writing my Testament,
To be a witness for the pupils who come after me:
Be constantly praying, day and night;
As a ploughman who ploughs again and again,
Whose work is admirable.
Do not be like the lazy ones in whose fields thorns grow.
Be constantly praying, for he who adores prayer
Will find help in both worlds.

Quote of the Day: St. Ephraim of Syria

I Ephrem am dying and writing my testament,
To be a witness for the pupils who come after me:
Be constantly praying, day and night;
As a ploughman who ploughs again and again,
Whose work is admirable.
Do not be like the lazy ones in whose fields thorns grow.
Be constantly praying, for he who adores prayer
Will find help in both worlds.

Quote of the Day: St. Ephraim of Syria

Blessed is the person who has consented to become the close friend of faith and of prayer: he lives in single-mindedness and makes prayer and faith stop by with him. Prayer that rises up in someone's heart serves to open up for us the door of heaven: that person stands in converse with the Divinity and gives pleasure to the Son of God.

Quote of the Day: St. Ephraim of Syria

"If you, O man, do not forgive everyone who has sinned against you, then do not trouble yourself with fasting. If you do not forgive the debt of your brother...then you fast in vain. God will not accept you. Fasting will not help you, until you become accomplished in love and in the hope of faith. Whoever fasts and becomes angry, and harbors enmity in his heart, such a one hates God and salvation is far from him."