Two teachers

The West Syriac calendar commemorates on the 2nd Saturday of the Great Fast two very important saints in our tradition, St. Ephrem and St. Isaac. (Two of the hymns for this feast in our Church’s canonical hours can be found here.) They also happen to be two teachers to whom I owe much and feel a special kinship.

I was struck that the Penqitho (the West Syriac book of offices for Sundays and feasts) remembers St. Ephrem and St. Isaac as “Teachers of Prayer”. Their greatest legacy lies not their theological smarts but in the hymns and writings by which they have taught—and continue to teach—the Church to pray. “Teacher of prayer”—isn’t that a great definition of “theologian”?

Since the Byzantine calendar recently commemorated these men on January 28th, Kevin and Jonathan already wrote beautiful and informative posts about them, so I’ll just supply the links:

• Kevin Edgecomb (Biblicalia): “Two Syrian Pearls“
• Jonathan Allen (Thicket and Thorp): “An Ineffable Transformation“

Oh, and since I’ve been thinking Confucius, here is a saying attributed to one of his disciples which I think sheds some light on the importance of honoring the saints:

Master Zeng said: “When the dead are honored and the memory of remote ancestors is kept alive, a people’s virtue is at its fullest.” (The Analects 1.9)

A great weekend to all!