St. Ephraim of Katounakia: The Martyr of Obedience

 

Here is a video with English subtitles of a talk of Metropolitan Athanasios of Lemesou on the newly-canonized St. Ephraim of Katounakia, including video clips of the Saint himself, who is celebrated today as his first feast day. May we have his prayers and blessings! (source)

   

Selected hymns from the service to St. Ephraim of Katounakia (Commemorated February 27th), written by Dr. Charalampos Bousias, Hymnographer of the Patriarchate of Alexandria 

Apolytikion in the Plagal of the First Tone. Let us worship the Word.

O newly-shining lamp-lighter of noetic prayer, as a dweller of Katounakia and a light of the Holy Mountain, who illumined all with the light of your virtues, O most-divine Ephraim, who proceeded to the heights of theosis, dispassion and nepsis: Do not cease to entreat Christ for us.

 

Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone.

Let us praise the hard-working, prayerful and neptic ascetic of Katounakia, who was lifted up from every baseness of the nous towards the virtues through purification, as one equal to the Angels, let us mortals praise him with psalms and divine hymns, crying out: Rejoice, O most-divine Father.

 

Oikos

The Angels were astonished, beholding your feats in Katounakia, O Ephraim, and the chaste citizens of Athos beheld the grace that dwelt in you through your monastic way of life, and they cry out these things with compunction in soul:

Rejoice, bodiless one bearing flesh,

Rejoice, inheritor of Heaven.

Rejoice, defender of dispassion and nepsis,

Rejoice, fellow-dweller with non-possessiveness and grace.

Rejoice, unassailable foundation of prayer of the heart,

Rejoice, greatly-varied stream of perfect obedience.

Rejoice, you who were a disciple at the feet of Joseph,

Rejoice, you who showed to all the virtue of your heart.

Rejoice, godly offspring of Thebes,

Rejoice, goodness by canon and knowledge.

Rejoice, dweller of Katounakia,

Rejoice, protector of those who approach you.

Rejoice, O all-venerable Father.

 

Synaxarion

On this day (February 27th), the memory of our Venerable and God-bearing Father Ephraim, who lately lived in asceticism in Katounakia.

 

Verses

Obedience, prayer and a harsh way of life

You lived, O Ephraim, in Katounakia.

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!