April 7
Aphraates, anchorite
Anchorite and Father of the Church
Practical advice
Read a short passage of Holy Scripture today and write down a teaching that you can put into practice.
Biography
A writer of some importance, and the oldest of the Syrian Church Fathers, is St. Aphraates, called "the Persian Wise" by later Syrian writers. We know very little about his life. From his writings we can conclude that he was born in paganism and that, upon converting, he embraced the religious or ascetic life.
A short time later he appears as a hero figure within the Church of Syria. Aphraates changed his name to Santiago. We do not know if this happened when he was baptized, or if it rather occurred when he was consecrated a bishop, according to an Eastern custom, and not precisely when he was initiated into sacred orders.