Saint Ephrem (or Ephraim) the Syrian was born around the year A.D. 306 in Nisibis, a Syrian town located in modern-day Turkey. Ephrem was baptized as a young man by Bishop James of Nisibis. He lived during a time when churches were suffering great persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian. He became highly respected in his hometown, but later fled with other Christians to Edessa, where he continued teaching and praying.
St. Ephrem composed more than 1000 poems and hymns, earning him the name, “Harp of the Faith.” He composed prayers, sermons in metrical form and wrote commentaries on the Old Testament and on St. Paul’s Epistles. He died in Edessa in A.D. 373 while ministering to victims of the plague. He is most famous today for “The Prayer of Righteous Ephrem,” also called “The St. Ephrem Prayer,” which is considered a classic Lenten prayer.
(adapted from an article by Bob Hostetler)
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