Jun 9 – Memorial for St. Ephrem of Syria, deacon and Doctor of the Church
St. Ephrem (306-373) was baptized at age 18. He helped to evangelize Nisibis, Mesopotamia. He may have attended the Council of Nicaea in 325. He was a deacon and preacher, and had a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In 363 Nisibis was ceded to Persia, and great persecution of Christians began. St. Ephrem led an exodus of the faithful to Edessa, where he founded a theological school. He helped introduce the use of hymns in public worship, wrote poems and hymns, and used them to fight Gnosticism and Arianism. In 1920, St. Ephrem was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.
- Patron Saint Index
Tob 11:5-17
Mk 12:35-37
“Tobit went into the house, and with a loud voice joyfully blessed God.”
I believe that miracles can still occur if we open ourselves to the possibility of it. We may never again see a man walk on water, but God’s work never ceases to inspire wonder and joy. I am constantly humbled by His largeness and His grace. A few years ago, my husband and I were trying to get our union blessed by the Catholic Church. It was a long road of self-reflection and prayer. During that time, we found ourselves examining our faith, questioning our religion and scrutinizing our commitment to the church and to each other. Love is the endurance to keep supporting each other when things do not go well. The Catholic Church has strict rules about divorce and remarriage; annulments are not taken lightly. After a few years of waiting, the Church finally granted us permission to have our union blessed in God’s house. In all of my conversations with God, I was too afraid to ask for a direct outcome, praying only that we, as husband and wife, would find our way to Him. The power of prayer always astonishes me.
Scripture gently reminds us that “Love is patient, it is kind… it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (1 Cor 13:4-8). Tobit waited a long time for his illness to be healed. It was rough going for Anna and him. At times, harsh words were exchanged, but they persevered through it. Restoration and healing do not automatically occur despite the prayers of the faithful. God takes His time, and maybe that’s because he wants us to be living proof to others that He lives, and through Him, we will prevail. I have learned that everything happens when they are supposed to, all in His time. God allowed Tobit to be healed, by his son Tobiah, no less. He was restored in time to greet his daughter-in-law Sarah, herself newly healed by the angel Raphael. What a connection they must have both shared, being touched by God’s grace like that! God set it up so that their family life would have as its cornerstone, a strong relationship with the Father. Miracles like that still occur in the present. I am testament of it! God said ‘Yes’ to us! I had often hoped that He would be the cornerstone of our marriage and family life, and I eventually reached that goal. God hears the desires of the heart, even when we are too afraid to speak it aloud. Amen to that!
(Today’s OXYGEN by Sharon Soo)
Prayer: We pray for all who are newly married. May God grant them the endurance and love to support each other when things get rough.
Thanksgiving: I give thanks for my husband and my children, God’s greatest blessing to me.
OXYGEN 
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