Thought for the Day – 9 June
The writings of Saint Ephrem speak volumes about his passion for the truth of the Gospel and his zeal for spreading the Word of God. We are blessed to have poems, hymns, prayers and writings today, penned nearly 2 centuries ago, reminding us not only of the constancy of the love of the Lord but of the long-standing traditions and teachings of the Church. As we read the writings of Saint Ephrem, we pray for his zeal for the Lord and the future of His Church on earth.
Before his death, Saint Ephrem reflected on his life, writing in his testament: “There grew a vine-shoot on my tongue: and increased and reached unto heaven. And it yielded fruit without measure: leaves likewise without number. It spread, it stretched wide, it bore fruit: all creation drew near. And the more they were that gathered,the more its clusters abounded. These clusters were the Homilies and these leaves the Hymns. God was the giver of them, glory to Him for His grace! For He gave to me of His good pleasure, from the storehouse of His treasures.”
St Ephrem, pray for us that we too may grow a vine-shoot on our tongues by the grace of God!