|
Holy
Hierarch
Ephraim,
Bishop
of
Pereyaslavl
(Sf.
Ierarh
Efrem
episcopul)
| Feastday: |
JANUARY
28
SEPTEMBER
28
(Synaxis
of
the
Venerable
Fathers
of
the
Kiev
Near
Caves)
2nd
Sunday
of
Great
Lent
(Synaxis
of
all
the
Monastic
Fathers
of
the
Kiev
Caves) |
Saint
Ephraim
of
the
Caves,
Bishop
of
Pereyaslavl,
before
his
tonsure
into
monasticism,
was
treasurer
and
steward
of
household
affairs
at
the
court
of
the
Kiev
Great
Prince
Izyaslav
(Demetrius)
Yaroslavich
(1054-1068).
Weighed
down
by
this
noisy
and
bustling
life
and
wishing
to
become
a
monk,
he
was
accepted
by
St.
Anthony
of
the
Kiev
Caves
and
was
tonsured
by
St.
Nikon
(March
23).
The
enraged
prince
demanded
that
Ephraim
return,
threatening
to
lock
him
up
in
prison
and
to
destroy
the
Monastery
of
the
Caves.
St.
Anthony
and
the
brethren
left
the
monastery
and
decided
to
go
to
another
place.
Izyaslav,
however,
feared
the
wrath
of
God.
He
took
his
wife's
advice
and
withdrew
his
forces
from
the
monastery
in
disgrace.
St.
Ephraim
felt
that
because
of
him,
the
holy
monastery
had
to
endure
much
from
the
devil,
and
so
he
gave
himself
up
to
the
ascetic
life
with
especial
fervor
and
zeal,
so
that
by
fasting,
prayer
and
vigil,
he
might
attain
a
decisive
victory
over
Satan.
He
submitted
himself
wholly
to
his
instructor
and
guide,
St.
Anthony,
and
desired
to
imitate
him
in
everything.
Thus,
St.
Ephraim
desired
to
visit
the
holy
places
of
Palestine
so
that
by
personal
contemplation
of
the
places
in
which
the
holy
fathers
of
the
Church
had
attained
salvation,
he
would
be
more
inflamed
with
love
and
zeal
in
imitating
their
holy
life.
The
saint
appealed
to
St.
Anthony
for
a
blessing
to
visit
Greece
and
the
Near
East.
Having
received
the
blessing,
he
visited
Constantinople
and
Palestine,
and
went
to
the
sacred
places
of
the
desert
ascetics,
acquainting
himself
with
their
life.
While
in
Constantinople,
St.
Ephraim
made
a
copy
of
the
Studite
monastic
Rule,
and
took
it
to
Kiev
at
the
request
of
St.
Theodosius.
As
soon
as
he
received
the
Rule,
St.
Theodosius
implemented
it
in
his
monastery.
St.
Ephraim
did
not
remain
in
the
monastery
very
long
after
returning
from
the
holy
places.
After
the
year
1072,
Bishop
Peter
of
Pereyaslavl
reposed
and,
through
God’s
will,
at
the
desire
of
Great
Prince
Vsevolod
Yaroslavovich,
Metropolitan
John
of
Kiev
consecrated
St.
Ephraim
to
the
vacant
See,
for
St.
Ephraim’s
God-pleasing
life
of
virtue
and
struggle
had
become
widely
known.
As
bishop,
St.
Ephraim
began,
with
great
zeal,
to
construct
churches
in
his
diocese
with
God’s
help.
By
the
labor
and
concerns
of
St.
Ephraim,
a
beautiful
and
very
large
church,
named
for
Archangel
Michael,
was
built
to
be
the
cathedral
of
the
Pereyaslavl
diocese.
Moreover,
he
built
the
stone
churches
of
St.
Theodore
and
of
the
Holy
Apostle
Andrew
the
First-Called,
and
many
others.
All
these
beautiful
buildings,
however,
were
destroyed
during
the
Tartar
invasion.
He
also
adorned
Pereyaslavl
with
many
public
buildings,
including
free
hospices
for
the
poor
and
travelers
and
several
public
bath-houses,
and
built
stone
walls
around
the
city
in
the
Greek
manner.
In
the
year
1091,
St.
Ephraim
participated
in
the
opening
and
solemn
transfer
of
the
relics
of
St.
Theodosius.
A
Life
of
St.
Ephraim
existed
in
former
times,
but
it
has
not
survived.
We
find
an
account
of
him
both
in
the
Life
of
St.
Theodosius,
and
in
the
Russian
Chronicles.
A
tale
and
encomium
for
St.
Nicholas
the
Wonderworker
is
ascribed
to
St.
Ephraim.
St.
Ephraim
died
in
the
year
1098
and
was
buried
in
the
Antoniev
(Far)
Caves
of
the
Kiev
Caves
monastery,
where
his
relics
lie
incorrupt.
This
relic
was
given
as
a
gift
to
the
parish
by
His
Grace,
Bishop
IRINEU
on
Sunday,
January
15,
2006. |