§ 128. Прп. Ефрем Сирин. Жизнь его.

Ephraim the Syrian 331 was called the Prophet of Syria by his compatriots, and was appointed by the All-Seeing One to be a teacher of the Universal Church 332 . He was born in the vicinity of Nizibia 333 from poor parents. “From my ancestors I received instruction about Christ, says Ephraim himself: those who gave birth to me according to the flesh instilled in me the fear of the Lord.... My ancestors confessed Christ before the Judge; I am a relative of the martyrs" 334. The summers of Ephraim's youth did not pass without some stumbling blocks. Naturally fiery, he was, as he himself says, irritable; “I got into quarrels over unimportant matters, acted recklessly, indulged in evil plans and lustful thoughts.... My youth almost assured me that what happens to us in life happens by chance. But God’s Providence enlightened the ardent youth.” Ephraim was accused of stealing sheep and thrown into prison; two others were planted after him, just as innocently as Ephraim. “After spending seven days, on the eighth I saw in a dream, says Ephraim, that someone was saying to me: be pious and you will understand Providence; go over in your thoughts what you were thinking about and what you were doing, and you will realize for yourself that these people are not suffering unjustly, but the guilty will not escape punishment.” Ephraim saw all this, as he tells in detail 335. These events struck Ephraim so much that he soon left the world and retired to the mountains to hermits, where he became a disciple of St. James, later the great saint of Nizibia 336. St. James took him with him to the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea 337. Under the leadership of Jacob, Ephraim practiced deeds of piety, studied the word of God and taught others in school 338. The spirit of Ephraim, purified by prayer and labor, participated in the miraculous defense of Nizibia from Shapur 339. When, after the death of St. Jacob Nizibia in 363 was betrayed into the power of the Persians, who destroyed the school in it, and many of the Christians left Nizibia: St. Ephraim retired to Edessa; in the city, which, as he says, “was blessed with living lips, Save through His disciple”; His first task here was to venerate the relics of the Apostle Thaddeus 340 and the Face of the Savior Not Made by Hands 341. For his livelihood, he hired out to work for the owner of the bathhouse and used his free time to preach the word of God to the pagans; then, on the advice of St. Elder Julian, retired to the deserted Mount Edessa for exploits: soon a vision revealed to the elder in Ephraim a husband, to whom one of his modern compatriots was given a book to admonish people 342. Ephraim began to write a commentary on the Pentateuch 343. This first experience of interpreting Scripture in the Syriac language attracted many Edessians to Ephraim, and Ephraim wanted to escape from the people. “Ephraim! where are you running? asked the angel who appeared. “I want to live in silence and run from rumors and the seductions of the world,” answered Ephraim. The angel said: “Be afraid lest the word of the Scripture be fulfilled on you: Ephraim is like a young cow that wants to free its neck from a yoke.” Ephraim returned to the rank to which he was called 344. From that time on, he began to teach faith and piety orally and in writing. To succeed in his pious work, he opened a school in Edessa, from which the famous teachers of the Syrian Church subsequently emerged 345. The fate of Orthodoxy in the Edessa Church, which, due to the significance of the city and the See of Edessa, could have an influence on the whole of Mesopotamia, especially attracted the concerns of an ardent zealot of the pure truth of Christ. The sects of Bardesan and Arius were stronger than other sects in Mesopotamia and partly in Edessa. And St. Ephraim denounced the offspring of wickedness with all zeal. “I found,” he wrote in one of his hymns, the book of Bardesan, and was troubled for a time by sorrow, because it had defiled my ears and heart with the stench of her blasphemies. I heard blasphemy in his poems and slander in his readings.... To dispel the darkness of error, I turned to St. Scripture" 346. The insolence of the followers of Arius aroused fear in him, and he more than once, in confirmation of his accusations, pointed to the modern formidable judgments of God - the devastation of the Persians, as the executions of God for attention to wickedness. The point is clear, he wrote, you see for yourself how God punishes us through the wicked. Instead of being wheat, we became dust: and then a sudden wind from the east scattered us away. We did not seek refuge in the only refuge of salvation, and we were not saved by the most fortified cities. Our shepherds, for the sake of vain glory, strived for the highest degrees: and now they lie defeated on the earth, or are taken to the land of the magicians” 347. The amazing firmness in Orthodoxy that the inhabitants of Edessa showed under Valens after the death of St. Erem, testifies that the exploits of St. Ephraim for Orthodoxy brought wonderful fruit to the Holy Church 348. For this reason, these feats cost Ephraim himself both work and troubles. The heretics were so irritated by the successes of St. Ephraim in his exploits for the faith, that once they attacked Ephraim with stones and weapons and left him barely alive. This did not weaken Ephraim’s jealousy: he retired to his favorite cave, but from time to time he again appeared in Edessa with the sword of the word of God 349. No matter how obvious Ephraim's spiritual gifts were, no matter how great his monastic exploits were, and his merits for the Church: the humble Ephraim considered himself the least of all and wished to see the great desert dwellers of Egypt and famous teachers of the faith. Taking with him a student who could speak Greek, he reached the shores of the Mediterranean Sea and boarded a ship to be in Egypt. Mount Nitria received him as a dear guest. The Syrian biographer says that Ephraim saw here the God-chosen monk Paisius, and John Kolov, describing the life of Paisius, also describes Paisius’ conversations with “the great father among the Syrian ascetics.” “We had here a man of God, the Syrian, the Great Elder among the fathers, enlightened in mind and heart,” says Kolov 350. The Monk Ephraim also visited other Egyptian ascetics and left a memory in their hearts as of a God-enlightened man 351. He wrote instructions for them 352, at the same time as he received lessons from them for himself 353. And in Egypt he denounced the Arians and people weak in piety; and here, when his word turned out to be unsuccessful, the miraculous power of God acted 354. On his way back from Egypt, he visited Caesarea to see the Great Basil. He himself describes his meeting with the Great Saint. It was in the church. “When the Lord was pleased, Ephraim writes, to show his mercy to me, I heard a voice: Arise, Ephraim, eat spiritual food (νοήματα). In great confusion I answered: what is it, Lord? And it was said to me: behold, in my church the royal vessel (βασιλικον) will give you food. Amazed by what was said, I stood up and went to the church of the Most High.... Penetrating into its vestibule, I saw in the Holy of Holies a chosen vessel, bright, stretched out before the flock, adorned with beautiful words, and the eyes of all looked at it. Vasily then offered a lesson. At the end of the instruction, it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit about me, and he sent for me, poor, and asked me through an interpreter: are you Ephraim, who has bowed his neck under the yoke of the saving word. I am Ephraim, who has lost the path to heaven from himself, I answered. Then this wonderful man embraced me, sealed me with a strong holy kiss - and offered me a meal.... What good deeds can we, he asked, appease the Lord? How to resist the attacks of sin? How to block the entrance to passions?.. With tears I answered: you yourself, father, be the doctor of the paralytic and lazy, guide me on the right path; soften my stony heart yourself, the God of spirits sent me to you so that you heal my soul.” And then he says how Basil the Great talked with him about the suffering feat of the 40 martyrs of Sebaste 355. The Caesarea saint wanted to invest Ephraim with the rank of presbyter: but the humble one never agreed to accept this rank and - Basil could only ordain him as a deacon, and his disciple as a presbyter 356. Subsequently, the Caesarea archpastor sent two of his disciples to Edessa with an invitation to Ephraim to become a bishop; but Ephraim, with feigned madness, rejected this honor, which, out of humility, he considered himself unworthy of 357. Upon returning to Edessa, St. Ephraim wanted to spend the rest of his life in solitude. At this time, feeling the proximity of his death, he wrote his exhortations 358. The famine that struck the Edessians once again called him to Edessa to help the suffering. With his strong words, he persuaded the rich to alleviate the suffering of the poor, while they did not even want to sell the bread they had lying around. This was his last feat for the Church. Upon returning from Edessa, he soon fell ill and, having written a will, died peacefully in 372 359. Stories about St. Ephraim, collected Assemanon from the writings of Ephraim: the laudatory word of Gregory of Nyssk., the news of Sozomen and other Greeks (S. Ephraemi Op. grae T. 1, pp. 1–51), two ancient Syrian narratives about the East. Menologues (S. Ephraemi Op. Syr. T. 3. Assemani Bibl. Oriest. I, 25–55). The lengthy Syrian biography was compiled, no doubt, no later than the 5th century. According to the vision of the Mother, what is the will of Ephraim (Bibl. Or. 34), Gregory of Nyssa, Menologist of Basil. Sozomen 3, 16. “Reproaching oneself,” p. 225. Syrian biographer. St. Ephraim denounces himself: “My ancestors, prosperous in life, were farmers; My parents, leading the same life, were poor in condition and origin.” The Syrian biographer (Op. Syr. Vol. 3, p. 24) says that Ephraim’s father was a pagan priest, and for Ephraim’s love for the faith of Christ, he kicked him out of the house; Maybe this was the case and later his father accepted Christianity. Melchite and Maronite menologists say that Ephraim was baptized in the 18th year. Ephraim himself: “even in his young years he made a vow of Baptism.” “Reproaching Yourself,” p. 208. “Reproaching Yourself,” p. 215. Sirian life history. Bibl. Or. 1, 17. Sire. lifeop. V.O. 417. Theodorit N.E. 1. 7. Ben-attib at Asseman V.O.T. 3. R. 2. R. 224 Sirsk. life Sire. lifeop. and Gregory Abulfaraj - V. O. I, 30. See about St. Jacob. Testament of St. Ephraim: “Blessed is the city in which you live, Edessa, the mother of the wise, blessed by the living lips of the Son through his disciple. May this blessing remain upon you until the saint comes. St. Gregory: “he was drawn there by the desire to venerate the shrine there, and first of all by the desire to find a learned man from whom he could receive or to whom he could communicate the fruit of the vision.” About the burial of Thaddeus in Edessa at Asseman, V.O.T. 3. R. 2, p. 8–10. Ephraim in the word about Julian; Gregory of Nyssa in the word ar. Asseman, b. X. Sirsk. pov Bibl. Or. ρ. 33–35. Patericon ar. Coteler in Monum. grae. T. I. p 43. Armenian menologist. This is probably the lengthy interpretation in the book. Genesis, which in the Syrian language is read inseparably from the interpretations of Jacob of Edessa. Ephraim himself in a brief interpretation of the book. Genesis says that he writes it after the extensive. And what Basil the Great says about the words of Ephraim is in that lengthy interpretation, and not in a short one. Sirsk. lifeop. Ephraim himself reminds of this in his will: “Hosea greatly frightens me and thunders and scolds me like this: “Ephraim’s hair is gray, but he is not ashamed.” (Hos. 7–9): “Ephraim is like a young cow that wants to free her neck from the yoke.” Hos. 10–16 ). Of course they can say: Hosea speaks there of Ephraim the son of JOSEPH: but I know well that he does not distinguish Ephraim from Ephraim and me from another.” Gregory of Nyssa. Testament of Ephraim, Syrian. Gregory of Nyssa, ben-attib at Asseman V. O. T. 3. Or. 2, r. 224. See note below. 32. Sire. lifeop. r. 50. This is the hymn of St. Ephraim has come down to us only in a passage from his biography. The same biographer quotes words from another song of St. Ephraim against Bardesan, which also has not reached us. Deside Op. Syr. r. 207. Here at St. Ephraim refers to the devastation of the Persians, who destroyed Amida and other fortresses in 359. The terrible situation of Amida during the siege, and the siege itself, is described in detail by the eyewitness Ammianus Marcellinus XIX, 1–9. “Wars were raised by the Persians and barbarians, and our country was devastated, so that we, fearing God, would come to repentance: but this did not change us,” says St. Ephraim in another work. T. I, p. 68–71. Theodorit N. E. 4, 16–17. Socrates 4, 18. Sozomen 6, 18. The Syrian biographer dates this incident to the time of the apostate Julian: but he is mistaken. The Edessa Chronicle speaks of meetings of the Orthodox under 373. Assemani V. O. I, 398. Sire. lifeop. V. O. I, 37–38. Menologist Melkhitov. Sirsk. lifeop. Op. Syr. T. 3, § 23. The life of Paisius, described by John Kolov, almost without any change, everything was placed in Chet-Menai on June 16. Brief news about him in “Hon. tale oh feat. St. Fathers." Among the writings of Ephraim there are instructions, with the inscription in some of the texts: “to the Egyptian monks.” Op. gr. I. b. CXV. In 10 ch. teachings on the words: listen to yourself, Ephraim mentions in the life of St. Antonia († 355). Sire. lifeop. Op. Syr. T. 3, p. 41–42. Sirsk. lifeop. Gregory of Nyssa. – Jerome and Palladius call Ephraim a deacon of the Church of Edessa. Only Menologist Vasiliev says that Ephraim was ordained by Vasily as a presbyter. But this is nothing more than an incorrect explanation of the words of St. Gregory. He says: “As a priest, he offered up Abel’s godly sacrifice.” But here every word is not its own, “like a priest,” and so on. not yet a priest. Sirsk. lifeop. V.Or. I, 49. Sozomen N. E. 3, 16. I am close to death; “And here is my will,” and so on. Parae nesis 43. T. 6, p. 502. Sozomen N. E. 3, 16. Sirsk. lifeop. Brief sears. lifeop. Chronicle of Edessa and Dionysius Catholicos (V.O.I, 25–397–55), attribute the death of St. Ephraim to 372. The testimony of the Edessa chronicle, which is generally distinguished by accuracy, is confirmed by the fact that in it the persecution of the Orthodox in Edessa by the Arians is based three months after the death of St. Ephraim; neither biographers nor historians (Socrates, Sozomen, Theodoret), when describing the persecution of Valens, do not mention Ephraim, whereas for his jealousy they would not fail to imprison him then. You might be interested in: