Catholic Fire

June 9 is the optional memorial of St. Ephrem of Syria, deacon, Doctor of the Church, hymnographer, and theologian of the 4th century. Known as the "Harp of the Holy Spirit", St. Ephrem was born around 306 A.D. in Nisibis, Mesopotamia. He is the only Syrian Father who is honored as a Doctor of the Universal Church. Ephrem was baptized at the age of eighteen and became a disciple of the famous bishop of Nisibis, St. Jacob. He also accompanied St. Jacob to the Council of Nicaea in 325. Due to his great knowledge of the Church and doctrine, Ephrem was put in charge of a school of theology in Nisibis. He lived through three sieges laid to Nisibis by the Persians. Although the Persians failed to capture the town by direct attack, they obtained it in 363 as part of the price of a peace settlement following the defeat and death of the Emperor Julian. The Christians then abandoned the city and Ephrem retired to a cave in a rocky height overlooking Edessa (present-day Turkey)....

June 9 is the optional memorial of St. Ephrem of Syria, deacon, Doctor of the Church, hymnographer, and theologian of the 4th century. Known as the "Harp of the Holy Spirit", St. Ephrem was born around 306 A.D. in Nisibis, Mesopotamia. He is the only Syrian Father who is honored as a Doctor of the Universal Church. Ephrem was baptized at the age of eighteen and became a disciple of the famous bishop of Nisibis, St. Jacob. He also accompanied St. Jacob to the Council of Nicaea in 325. Due to his great knowledge of the Church and doctrine, Ephrem was put in charge of a school of theology in Nisibis. He lived through three sieges laid to Nisibis by the Persians. Although the Persians failed to capture the town by direct attack, they obtained it in 363 as part of the price of a peace settlement following the defeat and death of the Emperor Julian. The Christians then abandoned the city and Ephrem retired to a cave in a rocky height overlooking Edessa (present-day Turkey)....

The saint of the day for January 23 is St.Vincent of Saragossa, deacon and martyr. St. Vincent of Saragossa was one of the Church's three most illustrious deacons, the other two being Stephen and Lawrence. He is also Spain's most renowned martyr. Ordained deacon by Bishop Valerius of Saragossa, he was taken in chains to Valencia during the Diocletian persecution and put to death. From legend we have the following details of his martyrdom. After brutal scourging in the presence of many witnesses, he was stretched on the rack; but neither torture nor blandishments nor threats could undermine the strength and courage of his faith. Next, he was cast on a heated grating, lacerated with iron hooks, and seared with hot metal plates. Then he was returned to prison, where the floor was heavily strewn with pieces of broken glass. A heavenly brightness flooded the entire dungeon, filling all who saw it with greatest awe. After this he was placed on a soft bed in the hope that leni...

On the day after the solemnity of Christmas, we celebrate today the feast of St. Stephen, deacon and first martyr. All that we know of him is contained in the Acts of the Apostles, chapters 6 and 7. In Acts 6:5 seven men were selected and specially ordained by the Apostles to take care of the temporal relief of the poorer members. Of these seven, Stephen, is the first deacon mentioned and the best known. The Church had, by selecting him for a deacon, publicly acknowledged him as a man "of good reputation, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" (Acts 6:3). He was "a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost" (vi, 5), "full of grace and fortitude." Certain Jews, members of the Synagogue of Roman Freedmen, debated with Stephen but proved no match for the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke. They persuaded others to make the charge of blasphemy against him. He was seized and carried before the Sanhedrin. Stephen spoke to the crowd and recalled the mercies ...

St. Ephrem was born around 306 A.D. in Nisibis, Mesopotamia. He is the only Syrian father who is honored as a doctor of the Universal Church. Ephrem was baptized at the age of eighteen and became a disciple of the famous bishop of Nisibis, St. Jacob. He also accompanied St. Jacob to the Council of Nicaea in 325. Due to his great knowledge of the Church and doctrine, Ephrem was put in charge of a school of theology in Nisibis. He lived through three sieges laid to Nisibis by the Persians. Although the Persians failed to capture the town by direct attack, they obtained it in 363 as part of the price of a peace settlement following the defeat and death of the Emperor Julian. The Christians then abandoned the city and Ephrem retired to a cave in a rocky height overlooking Edessa. In Edessa, Ephrem led an austere life, sustained only by a little barley bread and a few vegetables. It was here that he wrote the greater part of his spiritual works. His appearance was that of an ascetic. He wa...