Saint Abba Ephraim, the Syrian
July 21, 2022
Saint Abba Ephraim, the Syrian was a man from the city of Kawakebet, and his father was a priest of idols, who hated the worship of our Lord Jesus Christ. At that time, Abba Ephraim departed to Saint Abba Jacob, Bishop of Nisibis, who admonished, taught and baptized him with Christian baptism. He lived with him and fought a fight greater than that usually fought by men in his days. He fasted frequently and prayed without ceasing. Then, the grace of the Holy Spirit descended upon him. He disputed with the people and overcame them in argument.
When the Council of the father Bishops, Three Hundred and Eighteen in number, assembled in the city of Nicea, this Saint went with his teacher Abba Jacob to the Council of the Saints. He overcame Arius the infidel. That night Abba Ephraim saw a pillar of light standing upon the earth, and it reached up to heaven. When he saw it he marveled and a voice came to him from heaven, saying, “This pillar of light which you see is the blessed Basil, Bishop of the city of Caesarea.” So, he longed to see him.
Abba Ephraim departed to the city of Caesarea, went into the church and stood in a corner of it. He saw Saint Basil, as he went up to the throne to read the Holy Gospel, and he wore priestly vestments of gold, which were of great price. He was in doubt about him and God showed him a white dove on the head of this Saint Basil. Saint Basil knew that Abba Ephraim was standing in the corner of the church. Then, he sent and called him by his name and Ephraim went to him. After, they saluted each other through an interpreter. Abba Ephraim asked Abba Basil of they might talk together without an interpreter and the grace of the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Then, each knew the language of the other.
Then Basil made Abba Ephraim a deacon. After a few days he was made a priest, and many virtues appeared in him while he fought a great fight. At that time there was a certain honorable woman of high rank who was ashamed to confess her sin openly to Saint Basil. So, she wrote on paper a confession of all the sins which she had committed from her youth up to that day. There remained one sin only which she did not set down in what she had written. Then she brought the paper to Saint Basil, and she asked him before the people, saying, “I am a sinful woman. Behold, I have written all my sins on this paper, and I ask you to remit them so that they may be blotted out from this paper, it remaining sealed.” He took the paper, and prayed for her. The paper became blank in every place, and all her sins were blotted out with the exception of the one sin, which was a very grievous one. When she saw it she wept, and entreated him to remit to her the one sin, which remained. He said to her, “Go to the desert, to Abba Ephraim, and he shall remit to you this one remaining sin.”
Straightway she went to Abba Ephraim and told him what had befallen her saying, “Take me quickly to Abba Basil before his departure from this world, for he is the chief-priest, and he must remit to you your sin.” The woman returned to Abba Basil, and she found out about his death whilst they were carrying him in his bed on the heads of the priests. She wept and laid the paper on the body of Abba Basil, so that he might blot out for her the sin, which remained on the paper. The saint blotted it out by his prayer.
Abba Ephraim performed many miracles in his days. Once upon a time there appeared a certain wicked denier of Lord Jesus Christ whose name was Walda Didan. This father disputed and overcame him. His father composed very many Homilies, and it is found written in the books that the number of the works which he composed by the Holy Spirit was one thousand four hundred Homilies and Admonitions. Abba Ephraim asked God, the Most High, saying, “O my Lord, take from me the waves of your grace.” Having finished his good fight, he departed to God, Whom he loved.
May Saint Ephraim’s intercession be with us, Amen!
Source: The Ethiopian Syanaxarium pages 642-643