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St. Ephraim came from Amidene and was a count when Justinus the Thracian was
reigning in 518. He came to Antioch to rebuild it because it had been
destroyed by earthquakes for a second time. By royal command he was
consecrated bishop by the people of Antioch in 527 as Meletios writes
and as it had happened in times of old with Ambrosios of Mediolana
(Milan) and Nectarios of Constantinople. Ephraim was a great enemy
of the Monophysites. So, he wrote strongly against them, as Photios
says. He heard that there was stylite monk in Hierapolis who was a
follower of Severus the monophysite. So, he was moved by holy zeal,
went to him and started teaching him the orthodox faith. But he was
not at all convinced by his words. He only said: "Let us both get into the fire and whosoever is not harmed by the flame is orthodox
and victorious." He said these words in order to scare the Patriarch away. But Ephraim said: "Bring here wood and fire and I shall get into it resting all my courage on omnipotent
God. So, you, too, descend from your pillar." But he did not want to come down. Then, the Patriarch took his overcoat off,
prayed and threw both himself and his overcoat onto the fire. Miraculously
the fire was immediately put out and he and his overcoat remained unharmed
and unburnt. When the stylite saw this miracle, he came down from his
pillar and anathematized Severus' heresy. Thus, he was united with
the catholic Church. These things are told by Sophronios, Patriarch
of Jerusalem. Because Antioch had been ruined by earthquakes for a
second time, as we have said above, the fear of earthquake made every
Christian write on his homedoor these words: "May Christ stand with us." So, because of this Antioch was called Theoupolis (God's city) as Nicephoros
relates in book xvii of his history. Emperor Justinus weeped a lot
over the destruction of Antioch. St. Ephraim ministered his flock well
and in a way pleasing to God for eighteen years according to Meletios
and then departed to the Lord.
Apolytikion in the Plagal of the First Tone:
Since Thou hast given us the miracles of Thy holy Martyrs as an invincible
battlement, by their entreaties scatter the counsels of the heathen, O Christ
our God, and strengthen the faith of Orthodox Christians, since Thou alone
art good and the Friend of man.
Source: http://www.goarch.org
Read lives of other Saints - https://www.truechristianity.info/en/saints_en.php
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