Homily – 06-09-2008 – St. Ephrem

Today we celebrate the Feast of "The Harp of the Holy Spirit," St. Ephrem, the Syrian. He was born of a Christian family at Nisibis around the year 306. Ordained a deacon, he exercised this office throughout the country and in Edessa, where he founded a theological school to counteract heresies that were rampant at the time. Despite his ascetic life he did not relax his ministries of preaching and writing books to confute the errors of the time. He was most eloquently inspired to write poems and hymns to refute heresy which also proclaimed its message by the same means. He wrote some 500 hymns – many of which were used at the celebration of Mass. For this reason he became known as the "harp of the Holy Spirit" – and music became a very valid and useful tool to fight heresy.

The first reading today tells us that when the word of Christ; that is: when Christ himself, dwells within us, then we are compelled to teach and admonish one another, and to sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in our hearts. Whatever we do – in word and deed – must be done in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him!

In the gospel passage we see Jesus telling his disciples to be authentic, genuine and real – to let their outside and inside match. The fruit of the tree demonstrates the kind of tree it is – whether good or bad – whether useful or detrimental. Living our life as his disciple, we must be bearers of good fruit because we are a part of him who is the very best tree! How could it be otherwise?

St. Ephrem took to heart the words of the first and second readings today: he threw himself into his work of defending the Church of God – and was thus named a Doctor of the Church in 1920; he bore good fruit, he bore great fruit because he was securely a part of the vine which is Christ!

May we this day imitate him in defending the Church of God – singing his praises – and bearing good fruit by our holy actions of loving to service to those who are our brothers and sisters, and those who are always invited to become our brothers and sisters!

The mouth of the just murmurs wisdom!