June 9 2021 - St. Ephrem the Syrian - "Blessed are the Pure of Heart"

 

In popular devotion, the deacon St. Ephrem is not as well-known as St. Francis or St. Anthony or St. Patrick, yet Ephrem is a wonderful saint for us.  He was so steeped in God’s word, so in love with God.  Earlier this week, we heard the beatitudes from the Lord’s Sermon on the Mount. Well, St. Ephrem embodied that beatitude “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God”. He was enraptured with God. He composed poetry and hymns to God and to the Blessed Mother. 

His poetry and hymns also served another purpose. He used them to catechize and defend the faith against the false doctrines and heresies rampant in his time, particularly the Arian heresy which denied the full divinity of Jesus.

Love of God impelled him to defend the faith, and lead others sweetly to the faith. When your love for God is great, you want others to know that love.  It is said that St. Ephrem had such an acute vision of the goodness of God and man’s need for God, that he was often “dissolved in tears.”  He is was in this constant state of weeping because of his insight into God’s love for us.  

He is known as St. Ephrem the Deacon because he was ordained a deacon by St. Basil the Great, but never a priest.  In fact, the people wanted him to be a bishop, but he is said to have avoided episcopal consecration by pretending to be insane. Smart man! He died in 373 while caring for those infected by the plague.  

There are many people today who do not know that Jesus is God. They do not know God’s love for them, nor will they acknowledge their need for God. Saints like Ephrem point us to the one true God by the goodness of their life, by their labors, by their concern for souls. They remind us to be wary of the glamours and errors of the world, and call us to that purity of heart in which we contemplate the truth, goodness, and beauty of the one, true, God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

May St. Ephrem help us in remaining free from all that keeps us from contemplating God’s goodness, truth, and beauty this day for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For the whole Christian people, that the beatitudes of Christ may animate our lives. Let us pray to the Lord. 

For our President and all elected government representatives, may the Holy Spirit grant them wisdom and guide them to promote authentic and lasting peace in the world, an end to terrorism, respect for religious freedom, and a greater reverence for the sanctity of Human Life. Let us pray to the Lord.

For our young people beginning summer vacation, that they may be kept close to the truth and heart of Jesus, that young people may live in faith-filled homes where the Gospel is cherished, studied, and lived-out. Let us pray to the lord.

For all of the sick and suffering, for the grace to unite their sufferings with Christ and to know His consolation and peace.

For our departed loved ones and all of the souls in purgatory, and for N. for whom this Mass is offered. We pray to the Lord.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord