Today is the feast of St. Ephrem. He is a doctor of the church, which means he is known for his wisdom and ability to teach the faith. He is the only male member of the doctors of the church who is not a priest or bishop. He is simply a deacon and became so late in his life.
St. Ephrem was one known for his tears. He wept often. Many who knew him would say that his soul was dissolved in tears.
What an image. A soul that is dissolved in tears speaks to two realities.
St. Ephrem often times would be in tears because of the misery he recognized in humanity. The depths of man's misery as he would turn so often from God was overwhelming. These were bitter tears that fell as he saw men and women alike flee from God and spend their life refusing his love.
On the other side, he would weep for a much tender reason. Apart from weeping bitterly for man's treason to God; he would also weep tears of great joy in recognizing God's continued goodness to man. It was God's consistent and ever abiding goodness despite man's betrayal that caused his soul to weap more profusely, "not because we loved Him, but because He first loved us."
Many of us go through life crying about all the wrong things. We shed tears over that which is petty and no matter of consequence. When was the last time we wept over man's continued betrayal of God's mercy and love? When was the last time we wept for joy out of God goodness poured forth upon us with each new dawn that breaks forth?
Tears are a beautiful testimony to deep affection and love. The wisdom St. Ephrem possessed in his ability to spread the faith flowed from the tears he shed. His ability to weep at the right times testified abundantly to his true and profound grasp of God in our life.
May we all receive the wisdom to cry at all the right times; weeping for sins and transgressions and weeping for God's mercy and goodness through it all.
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