28—Ephrem, Symbolist

As a theological poet, he is peerless but for Dante. Yet Ephrem’s fame rests not only on his words, but also on his heroic deeds. He lived almost his entire life in a war zone. He helped invent the hospital and the women’s choir. He served tirelessly in times of famine and natural disaster—and he died caring for the sick during a pandemic. More than 500 of his hymns have survived into our time.

Links

Free audiobook readings of St. Ephrem’s hymns https://www.catholicculture.org/search/search.cfm?searchgoals=6&andsearch=Ephrem%20audiobooks

Ephraim the Syrian, The Nisibene Hymns https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2224

Ephraim the Syrian, Nineteen Hymns on the Nativity of Christ in the Flesh https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2225

Sozomen, Ecclesiastical History (Ephraim’s story is at Book III, Chapter XVI) https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/view.cfm?recnum=2885

Robert Murray, S.J., Symbols of Church and Kingdom: A Study in Early Syriac Tradition https://www.amazon.com/Symbols-Church-Kingdom-Syriac-Tradition/dp/0567030822/

More works by the Fathers https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/fathers/

Mike Aquilina’s website https://fathersofthechurch.com

Mike Aquilina's books https://catholicbooksdirect.com/writer/mike-aquilina/

Theme music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed http://www.ccwatershed.org

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