A powerful poet Not much is known about the life of St Ephrem, but he left hundreds of hymns and poems on faith which were so powerful that they inspired the whole Church. He is quoted as once saying: “I was born in the way of truth: though my childhood was unaware of the greatness of the benefit, I knew it when trial came.” Historians have concluded from this that Ephrem was raised by Christians but not baptised until he was an adult. It is thought that he was born in the early 4th century in Mesopotamia, possibly in Nisibis, where he spent most of his adult days. Ephrem served as a teacher and probably as a deacon under several bishops. While serving under the Bishop of Nisibis, Ephrem did not live in easy times. As he said: “I have chanced upon weeds, my brothers, that wear the colour of wheat, to choke the good seed.” Hymns against heresy Ephrem began writing hymns in order to counter the heresies of the time. One in particular was about a Syrian heretic, Bardesan, who denied the truth of the Resurrection: “How he blasphemes justice, and grace her fellow-worker. For if the body was not raised, this is a great insult against grace, to say grace created the body for decay. And this is slander against justice, to say justice sends the body to destruction.” Some time in 364 he settled as a solitary ascetic on Mount Edessa, but danger was waiting there for him. The Emperor Valens threatened to kill all Christians who did not obey him; but he was eventually worn down by the courage and tenacity of the Edessans, who were strengthened by Ephrem’s hymns. When famine struck, Ephrem was the only one trusted to distribute what food there was fairly. An abundant harvest followed the famine, but Ephrem soon passed away.