Icon of St. Ephraim of Nea Makri - 00STEN01

Feast Day/Commemorated: January 3

The holy New Martyr Ephraim was born in Greece in 1384 and was raised by his pious mother after his father passed away. When he was just fourteen, he entered a monastery dedicated to the Annunciation and Saint Paraskevḗ on the mountain of Amoman, near Nea Makri in Attica. Driven by an intense love for God, he embraced the monastic life with zeal. For nearly twenty-seven years, Saint Ephraim rigorously followed the path of the desert Fathers, dedicating himself to ascetic discipline and purifying himself from worldly passions. Through God's grace, he became an abode of the Holy Spirit and was found worthy to be ordained to the priesthood, serving the altar with great devotion.

The saint’s peaceful life was violently interrupted on September 14, 1425, when a brutal Turkish invasion struck the area, destroying the monastery and looting the surrounding region. While many of the monks were killed, Saint Ephraim was captured. His calm demeanor during the ordeal only infuriated his captors, who imprisoned him and began subjecting him to daily tortures in an attempt to force him to convert to Islam. For several agonizing months, he was kept in a small cell without food or water, yet he held firmly to his Christian faith despite the relentless beatings and horrific treatment.

Finally, on Tuesday, May 5, 1426, the Turks decided to execute him. They led Saint Ephraim from his cell, tied him upside down to a mulberry tree, and began to savagely beat and mock him. Through the agonizing pain, the saint did not lose courage but continued to pray silently, asking God for strength and to forgive his sins. The barbarians tore at his beard and continued their torture until his strength failed, his body covered in blood and wounds. Still not satisfied, one of the tormentors took a flaming stick and violently plunged it into the saint's navel, causing a heart-rending scream.

The Turks continued this gruesome torture, watching as Saint Ephraim's body convulsed and his strength finally ebbed away. Thinking he was dead, they cut the ropes, letting his body drop to the ground, and continued to kick and beat him. After a short while, however, the martyr opened his eyes for one last moment of prayer, uttering, "Lord, I give up my spirit to Thee." Around nine o'clock that morning, the holy martyr's soul departed from his body, concluding a life defined by unwavering devotion and a painful martyrdom. His remains lay forgotten for nearly five centuries.

The remarkable story of Saint Ephraim was only revealed in 1950 at the site of the former monastery, which by then housed a women's community. The Abbess Makaria, feeling a spiritual connection to the martyred fathers, was guided by an inner voice to a specific spot. After digging, they unearthed the saint's remarkably fragrant relics. That evening, the saint appeared to Mother Makaria, introducing himself as Saint Ephraim and recounting the full story of his life and martyrdom. The Lord has since granted Saint Ephraim the grace of working miracles, and he is now venerated as a wonderworker, answering the prayers of the faithful who call upon his name.

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