June 9—St. Ephrem the Syrian, Deacon and Doctor of the Church

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I bet you learned your ABCs by singing the Alphabet Song. You may also know songs that tell what the planets are. You may have difficulty with the Star-Spangle Banner but try reciting it! I imagine you will break into song within the first five lines. Why is that? Music appeals to a different part of the brain and memorization is a lot easier when put to music. Today’s saint probably knew that. St. Ephrem, also known as the “Harp of the Holy Spirit,” would write over 400 hymns to counter the heretical songs then prevalent.

St. Ephrem was born in AD 306 in Nisibis, Syria, now located in Turkey. He became a deacon but declined the priesthood. He died around AD 373 and was named Doctor of the Church in 1920. When Nisibis fell to the Persians he moved to Edessa and founded a school to teach orthodoxy against Arianism, Manicheism, Gnosticism, and other teachings and religions. He used poetry and music to bring people to Christ. For example, he wrote a hymn about Mary, which also taught about the Incarnation:

“A wonder is Your mother: the Lord entered her
And became a servant; He entered able to speak
And He became silent in her, He entered her thundering
And His voice grew silent; He entered Shepherd of all;
A lamb He became in her; He emerged bleating.” (113, L. Gambero)

The New Evangelization is a method of bring Christ’s message to those who have already heard it. We need to speak, or as St. Ephrem did, sing the Good News. We need to engage our brothers and sisters to stir their hearts in the joy and peace of Christ’s love through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration. Let us follow in St. Ephrem’s “song” steps.

*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ic%C3%B4ne_Ephrem_le_Syrien.jpg

November 10--St. Leo the Great, Pope

                                   

What does it take to be "Great"?  All the saints are great in holiness.  Some are greater than others with respect to their charisms, or gifts, from God.  But for a pope to be called "Great", what must he do?  Our saint of the day, Leo the Great, was called great because of his abilities to strengthen the papacy.  Leo was elected in 440, during the decline of the Roman Empire in the West.  The capital had been moved to Constantinople; the Western Roman Emperor was weak; the army couldn't defend the people from the invading barbarians; heresies were ravaging the Church.  Life was rough, to say the least.

In steps Leo, who was an amazing administrator.  He helped control the heresies of Pelagianism, which says that we don't need God's grace to choose good; Manicheism, which says that the body is evil; and Monophysitism, which says that Jesus was more God than man.  Each of these is dangerous to the faith and our understanding of the relationship we have with God.  He also stopped Attila the Hun from invading Rome and kept the barbarian Vandals from burning Rome when they invaded.

So what can we learn from this great pope?  We each have charisms that allow us to spread the Good News in our special way.  We each have our occupations, our avocations, and our relationships.  Each person develops the skills to become good at those jobs, hobbies, and relationships.  We can turn those skills into opportunities to share God's love, to serve God's people, to teach our faith in God.  Each of us is called to greatness in holiness.  We can also be "Great".