Saint of the Day: San Efrén de Siria
Today, on June 9th, we celebrate the feast day of San Efrén de Siria. Efrén is a male name of Aramaic origin, meaning ‘fruitful’. Currently, 2,846 men in Spain bear this name and honor their saint, San Efrén de Siria.
San Efrén de Siria, also known as Ephrem the Syrian, was a Father and Doctor of the Church. He was born around the year 306 in Nisibis, present-day Turkey, which was then a province of the Roman Empire. Despite being constantly harassed by his pagan father for embracing Christianity from a young age, he found refuge in the home of Bishop Jacob of Nisibis. Under his guidance, Efrén was ordained as a deacon, although he always refused to become a priest.
Later on, he established his own school in Nisibis known for its high level of education. Due to invasions, he founded a second school in Edessa, also within the Roman Empire. San Efrén de Siria was a staunch defender of Christian doctrine, particularly the Christological and Trinitarian teachings. He wrote commentaries on the entire Bible and numerous poems, which marked the beginning of liturgical singing in Christian worship.
In addition to San Efrén de Siria, other saints commemorated on June 9th include San Columba de Iona, San Diomedes de Nicea, San Ricardo de Andria, San Vicente de Vernemet, San Feliciano mártir, San Maximiano de Siracusa, and San Primo mártir.
Let us honor these saints and reflect on their teachings as we celebrate the feast day of San Efrén de Siria on this 9th of June.