June 09th - Ephrem of Syria

Quick - name all of the Doctors of the Church!
Okay tell me the number of Doctors then...
Okay, name one of the Doctors of the Church...
I am sure that Ephrem is not the Doctor who jumps to mind when struggling to answer these questions. Yet he was widely acknowledged in his day and afterwards. St. Jerome said: "Ephraem, deacon of the Church of Edessa, wrote many works in Syriac, and became so famous that his writings are publicly read in some churches after the Sacred Scriptures. I have read in Greek a volume of his on the Holy Spirit; though it was only a translation, I recognized therein the sublime genius of the man" (De viris illustr., c. cxv).
Ephrem did not just write about the wondrous mysteries of God, he sang about them. Many hymns and poems are also attributed to him (he even wrote homilies in verse). He was known as the “Harp of the Holy Spirit,” and in recognition of his theological works and for spreading the faith through song, Pope Benedict XV declared him a Doctor of the Church, in 1920.
P.S. the number of doctors is 35 if I count right and no, I cannot name them off the top of my head either.

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The Light of the just and joy of the upright is Christ Jesus our Lord.
Begotten of the Father, He manifested himself to us.
He came to rescue us from darkness and to fill us with the radiance of His light.
Day is dawning upon us; the power of darkness is fading away.

From the true Light there arises for us the light which illumines our darkened eyes.
His glory shines upon the world and enlightens the very depths of the abyss.
Death is annihilated, night has vanished, and the gates of Sheol are broken.
Creatures lying in darkness from ancient times are clothed in light.
The dead arise from the dust and sing because they have a Savior.
He brings salvation and grants us life. He ascends to his Father on high.
He will return in glorious splendor and shed His light on those gazing upon Him.

Our King comes in majestic glory.

Let us light our lamps and go forth to meet Him.
Let us find our joy in Him, for He has found joy in us.
He will indeed rejoice us with His marvelous light.

Let us glorify the majesty of the Son and give thanks to the almighty Father
Who, in an outpouring of love, sent Him to us, to fill us with hope and salvation.
When He manifests Himself, the saints awaiting Him in weariness and sorrow,
will go forth to meet Him with lighted lamps.

The angels and guardians of heaven will rejoice
in the glory of the just and upright people of earth;
Together crowned with victory,
they will sing hymns and psalms.

Stand up then and be ready!
Give thanks to our King and Savior,
Who will come in great glory to gladden us
with His marvelous light in His kingdom.

-- Hymn to the Light