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Saint Aphraate le Perse
Anachorète à
Antioche (IVe siècle)
Fils de persans convertis, il affermit beaucoup de chrétiens dans la foi en la divinité du Verbe. Il avait établi son ermitage d'abord près d'Edesse en Mésopotamie, puis sur les bords de l'Oronte à Antioche. Son austérité et ses dons prophétiques imposèrent le respect aux représentants de l'empereur. Ce pourquoi il ne fut jamais persécuté.
Il vint de son pays pour se faire baptiser à Edesse puis il s'en fut jusqu'à Antioche dont la communauté chrétienne était divisée par l'hérésie d'Arius. Il s'installa non loin de la ville, mais par son rayonnement et son autorité spirituelle, il ramena bien des fidèles à la foi orthodoxe.
Près d'Antioche en Syrie, vers 378, saint Aphraate, anachorète. Persan de
naissance et d'éducation, et suivant les traces des mages à Bethléem, il se
convertit au Seigneur. Puis, gagnant Éphèse, il se retira dans une petite
maison en dehors de la ville; enfin à Antioche, par sa prédication et ses
écrits, il défendit la foi catholique contre les ariens.
Soutien aux étudiants en
Irak #EtudiantsEnIrak
Mgr Mirkis: "En soutenant les jeunes, nous les maintenons dans le pays. Il
y aura ainsi des médecins, des pharmaciens et architectes, des ingénieurs"
Martyrologe romain
SOURCE : https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/5377/Saint-Aphraate-le-Perse.html
BENOÎT XVI
AUDIENCE GÉNÉRALE
Mercredi 21 novembre 2007
Aphraate, le Sage persan
Chers frères et sœurs,
Dans notre parcours dans
le monde des Pères de l'Eglise, je voudrais aujourd'hui vous guider dans une
partie peu connue de cet univers de la foi, c'est-à-dire dans les territoires
où fleurirent les Eglises de langue sémitique, qui n'étaient pas encore
influencées par le pensée grecque. Ces Eglises, durant le IV siècle, se
développent au proche Orient, de la Terre Sainte au Liban et à la Mésopotamie.
Au cours de ce siècle, qui est une période de formation au niveau ecclésial et
littéraire, ces communautés voient l'affirmation du phénomène ascétique et
monastique avec des caractéristiques autochtones, qui ne subissent pas
l'influence du monachisme égyptien. Les communautés syriaques du IV siècle représentent
donc le monde sémite, dont la Bible elle-même est née, et elles sont
l'expression d'un christianisme dont la formulation théologique n'est pas
encore entrée en contact avec des courants culturels différents, mais qui vit
sa propre forme de pensée. Ce sont des Eglises où l'ascétisme sous diverses
formes érémitiques (ermites dans le désert, dans les grottes, reclus,
stylites), et le monachisme sous des formes de vie communautaire, exercent un
rôle d'importance vitale dans le développement de la pensée théologique et
spirituelle.
Je voudrais présenter ce
monde à travers la grande figure d'Aphraate, également connu sous le nom de
"Sage", un des personnages les plus importants, et dans le même temps
les plus énigmatiques, du christianisme syriaque du IV siècle. Originaire de la
région de Ninive-Mossoul, aujourd'hui en Irak, il vécut dans la première moitié
du IV siècle. Nous ne possédons que peu d'informations sur sa vie; il entretint
cependant des rapports étroits avec les milieux ascétiques et monastiques de
l'Eglise syriaque, dont il nous a transmis des informations dans son œuvre et
auxquels il consacre une partie de sa réflexion. Selon certaines sources, il
fut même responsable d'un monastère et, pour finir, il fut également consacré
Evêque. Il écrivit 23 discours, connus sous le nom d'Expositions ou
Démonstrations, dans lesquels il traite de divers thèmes de vie chrétienne,
comme la foi, l'amour, le jeûne, l'humilité, la prière, la vie ascétique
elle-même, et également le rapport entre judaïsme et christianisme, entre
Ancien et Nouveau Testament. Il écrit dans un style simple, en employant des
phrases brèves et en utilisant des parallélismes parfois contrastants; il
réussit toutefois à formuler un discours cohérent avec un développement bien
articulé des divers thèmes qu'il traite.
Aphraate était originaire
d'une communauté ecclésiale qui se trouvait à la frontière entre le judaïsme et
le christianisme. C'était une communauté profondément liée à l'Eglise-mère de
Jérusalem, et ses Evêques étaient traditionnellement choisis parmi ceux qu'on
appelle "les proches" de Jacques, le "frère du Seigneur"
(cf. Mc 6, 3): il s'agissait en fait de personnes liées par le sang et par la
foi à l'Eglise hyérosolimitaine. La langue d'Aphraate est la langue syriaque,
une langue donc sémitique comme l'hébreu de l'Ancien Testament et comme
l'araraméen parlé par Jésus lui-même. La communauté ecclésiale dans laquelle se
déroule la vie d'Aphraate était une communauté qui cherchait à rester fidèle à
la tradition judéo-chrétienne, dont elle se sentait la fille. Celle-ci
conservait donc un lien étroit avec le monde juif et avec ses Livres sacrés.
Aphraate se définit de manière significative "disciple de l'Ecriture
Sainte" de l'Ancien et du Nouveau Testament (Démonstrations 22, 26), qu'il
considère comme son unique source d'inspiration, ayant recours à celle-ci d'une
manière si fréquente qu'il en fait le centre de sa réflexion.
Aphraate développe
plusieurs arguments dans ses Démonstrations. Fidèle à la tradition syriaque, il
présente souvent le salut accompli par le Christ comme une guérison et, donc,
le Christ lui-même comme un médecin. En revanche, le péché est vu comme une
blessure, que seule la pénitence peut guérir: "Un homme qui a été blessé
lors d'une bataille, dit Aphraate, n'a pas honte de se remettre entre les mains
d'un sage médecin...; de la même façon, celui qui a été blessé par Satan ne
doit pas avoir honte de reconnaître sa faute et de s'éloigner d'elle, en
demandant le remède de la pénitence" (Démonstrations 7, 3). Un autre
aspect important de l'œuvre d'Aphraate est son enseignement sur la prière, et
en particulier sur le Christ comme maître de prière. Le chrétien prie en
suivant l'enseignement de Jésus et son exemple d'orant: "Notre Sauveur
nous a enseigné à prier ainsi, en disant: "Prie dans le secret Celui qui
est caché, mais qui voit tout"; et encore: "Entre dans ta chambre et
prie ton Père dans le secret, et le Père qui voit dans le secret te
récompensera" (Mt 6, 6)... Ce que notre Sauveur veut montrer, c'est que
Dieu connaît les désirs et les pensées du coeur" (Démonstrations 4, 10).
Pour Aphraate, la vie
chrétienne est centrée sur l'imitation du Christ, sur le fait de prendre son
joug et de le suivre sur la voie de l'Evangile. Une des vertus qui s'adapte le
mieux au disciple du Christ est l'humilité. Celle-ci n'est pas un aspect
secondaire dans la vie spirituelle du chrétien: la nature de l'homme est
humble, et c'est Dieu qui l'exalte pour sa sa propre gloire. L'humilité,
observe Aphraate, n'est pas une valeur négative: "Si la racine de l'homme
est plantée dans la terre, ses fruits croissent devant le Seigneur de la
grandeur" (Démonstrations 9, 14). En restant humble, même au sein de la
réalité terrestre dans laquelle il vit, le chrétien peut entrer en relation
avec le Seigneur: "L'humble est humble, mais son coeur s'élève à des
hauteurs éminentes. Les yeux de son visage observent la terre et les yeux de
l'esprit, les hauteurs éminentes" (Démonstrations 9, 2).
La vision qu'Aphraate a
de l'homme et de sa réalité corporelle est très positive: le corps de l'homme,
à l'exemple du Christ humble, est appelé à la beauté, à la joie, à la lumière:
"Dieu s'approche de l'homme qu'il aime, et il est juste d'aimer l'humilité
et de rester dans la condition d'humilité. Les humbles sont simples, patients
aimés, intègres, droits, experts dans le bien, prudents, sereins, sages,
calmes, pacifiques, miséricordieux, prêts à se convertir, bienveillants,
profonds, pondérés, beaux et désirables" (Démonstrations 9, 14). Chez
Aphraate, la vie chrétienne est souvent présentée dans une claire dimension
ascétique et spirituelle: la foi en est la base, le fondement; elle fait de
l'homme un temple où le Christ lui-même demeure. La foi rend donc possible une
charité sincère, qui s'exprime dans l'amour envers Dieu et envers le prochain.
Un autre aspect important chez Aphraate est le jeûne, qu'il entend au sens
large. Il parle du jeûne de la nourriture comme d'une pratique nécessaire pour
être charitable et vierge, du jeûne constitué par la continence en vue de la
sainteté, du jeûne des paroles vaines ou détestables, du jeûne de la colère, du
jeûne de la propriété des biens en vue du ministère, du jeûne du sommeil pour
s'appliquer à la prière.
Chers frères et soeurs,
revenons encore - pour conclure - à l'enseignement d'Aphraate sur la prière.
Selon cet antique "Sage", la prière se réalise lorsque le Christ
demeure dans le coeur du chrétien, et il l'invite à un engagement cohérent de
charité envers son prochain. Il écrit en effet:
"Apporte le
réconfort aux accablés, visite les malades,
sois plein de sollicitude
envers les pauvres: telle est la prière.
La prière est bonne,
et ses oeuvres sont
belles.
La prière est acceptée
lorsqu'elle apporte le réconfort au prochain.
La prière est écoutée
lorsque dans celle-ci se
trouve également le pardon des offenses.
La prière est forte
lorsqu'elle est remplie
de la force de Dieu" (Démonstrations 4, 14-16).
Avec ces paroles,
Aphraate nous invite à une prière qui devient vie chrétienne, vie réalisée, vie
pénétrée par la foi, par l'ouverture à Dieu et, ainsi, par l'amour pour le
prochain.
Je suis heureux de vous
accueillir, chers pèlerins francophones. Je salue particulièrement les jeunes,
ainsi que les responsables chrétiens d’associations humanitaires, du diocèse de
Fréjus-Toulon, avec leur Évêque, Monseigneur Dominique Rey. Que votre foi et
votre prière augmente et affermisse votre charité. Avec ma Bénédiction
apostolique.
APPEL
Des nouvelles
douloureuses nous parviennent à propos de la situation humanitaire précaire en
Somalie, en particulier à Mogadiscio, toujours plus frappée par l'insécurité
sociale et par la pauvreté. Je suis avec inquiétude l'évolution des événements
et je fais appel à ceux qui exercent des responsabilités politiques, aux
niveaux local et international, afin qu'ils trouvent des solutions pacifiques
et que l'on apporte du réconfort à cette chère population. J'encourage
également les efforts de ceux qui, malgré l'insécurité et les difficultés,
restent dans cette région pour apporter de l'aide et du réconfort aux
habitants.
© Copyright 2007 -
Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Voir aussi : http://www.patristique.org/Benoit-XVI-Aphraate-le-Sage.html
APHRAATE le Syrien,
appelé aussi le sage Persan, un nom à la sonorité des contes des milles et une
nuits, et pourtant une personne bien réelle. Une personne bien réelle et
cependant bien mystérieuse… D'APHRAATE, nous savons peu de choses sinon qu'il
serait né de parents païens et serait peut-être mort en 344-345, lors de la
persécution des chrétiens sous SHAPUR II, roi de PERSE. Converti au CHRIST, il
serait devenu ascète puis peut-être évêque. Il vécut probablement dans la
région de NINIVE, la MOSSOUL actuelle, au pays des mages.
Nous le connaissons grâce
aux 22 exposés que nous avons de lui. Nous retiendrons ici le sixième qui est
adressé aux « fils de l'alliance ». Qui sont ces « fils de l'alliance » ? Ce
sont des chrétiens qui au jour de leur baptême se sont engagés par une promesse
à suivre le CHRIST dans l'ascèse et le célibat. Ils ont fait « alliance » d'une
manière toute spéciale avec lui. Ces chrétiens vivaient par groupes informels
au milieu de la communauté ecclésiale. Ils assuraient, entre autres, des
fonctions de portiers, « sacristains », catéchistes, enseignants, lecteurs,
chantres.
Nous relèverons dans cet
exposé quelques points plus particulièrement importants :
• Être baptisé : http://abbaye-veniere.fr/2c-aphraate-le-persan-2.php
• Être les temples du
Messie et de son Esprit : http://abbaye-veniere.fr/2c-aphraate-le-persan-3.php
Être disciple du Messie :
Ceux qui sont disciples du MESSIE ne peuvent se comporter en contradiction avec
la vie de leur Maître. APHRAATE médite sur la vie du MESSIE. C'est en le
regardant que les disciples pourront conformer leur vie à la sienne et lui
ressembler : la vie du MESSIE est caractérisée par l'humilité, la douceur, la
pauvreté, le service laborieux des hommes jusqu'au don de sa vie, la patience
dans les outrages. De là découlent concrètement pour les « fils de l'Alliance »
: la tranquillité de la parole, la simplicité du vêtement, la pureté des
pensées, le support des injustices, le don de leurs biens aux pauvres.
• Vivre dans l'attente du
retour du Messie : http://abbaye-veniere.fr/2c-aphraate-le-persan-5.php
Mener le combat spirituel :
Tendus vers le Royaume à venir, les « fils de l'Alliance » ont à combattre
contre l'Adversaire. C'est le combat spirituel auquel aucun chrétien vivant
authentiquement la suite du MESSIE ne peut échapper. Si le chrétien lutte,
c'est uniquement du MESSIE qu'il peut obtenir la victoire : « Recevons de notre
Seigneur le pouvoir de piétiner serpents et scorpions » (p. 361). La victoire
est assurée : « Celui qui veut obtenir la couronne, qu'il coure au combat comme
un vainqueur » (p. 366).
APHRAATE énumère les
attaques portées par le Mauvais contre les « fils de la lumière » et les
parades qui lui sont opposées :
« S'il se fait pour eux
semblable aux ténèbres, eux seront lumière.
S'il rampe vers eux comme
un serpent, ils seront le sel qu'il ne peut manger. […]
S'il cherche à entrer
chez eux par le désir de la nourriture, ils le vaincront par le jeûne à l'image
de notre Sauveur. […]
S'il cherche à entrer
chez eux pendant le sommeil, ils veillent, montent la garde, psalmodient et
prient.
S'il les attire par les
biens, ils les donnent aux pauvres.
S'il fait semblant d'être
doux pour pouvoir entrer chez eux, ils ne le goûtent pas, parce qu'ils savent
qu'il est amer » (p. 371, 372).
Quel rapport entre le
serpent et le sel ? Le serpent a été condamné à ramper et à manger de la
poussière et l'homme à redevenir poussière (Gn 2, 14 ; 19). Aussi APHRAATE
appelle t-il l'homme : « nourriture de serpent » ! Mais le sel a comme
propriété d'empêcher la décomposition, il est utilisé pour conserver les
aliments. Le sel est le symbole de la nouvelle condition du disciple de JESUS :
« Vous êtes le sel de la terre » (Mt 5, 13). Il échappe ainsi au serpent !
• Vivre déjà dans le
Royaume : http://abbaye-veniere.fr/2c-aphraate-le-persan-7.php
Les citations qui seront
faites dans ces pages sont tirées de : Aphraate le Sage Persan. Exposés
(exposés I-IX). Tome I, trad. Marie-Joseph Pierre, Paris, Cerf, 1988, SC 349.
Abbaye Notre Dame
Venière. 71700 BOYER. Tel : 03 85 51 05 85
SOURCE : http://abbaye-veniere.fr/2c-aphraate-le-persan-1.php
Also
known as
Aphraates of Edessa
Afraate…
Afraates…
formerly 7 April
Profile
Studied pagan magic
as a young man,
but converted to Christianity in Jerusalem.
He then retired to Edessa, Mesopotamia as an anchorite living
in a small house outside the city walls. Preached and wrote against
the Arian heresy.
Born
c.378 near
Antioch, Syria (in modern Turkey)
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MLA
Citation
“Saint Aphraates of
Antioch“. CatholicSaints.Info. 1 October 2021. Web. 7 January 2023.
<https://catholicsaints.info/saint-aphraates/>
SOURCE https://catholicsaints.info/saint-aphraates/
BENEDICT XVI
GENERAL AUDIENCE
Wednesday, 21 November
2007
Aphraates, "the
Sage"
Dear Brothers and
Sisters,
In our excursion into the
world of the Fathers of the Church, I would like to guide you today to a
little-known part of this universe of faith, in the territories where the
Semitic-language Churches flourished, still uninfluenced by Greek thought.
These Churches developed throughout the fourth century in the Near East, from
the Holy Land to Lebanon and to Mesopotamia. In that century, which was a
period of formation on the ecclesial and literary level, these communities
contributed to the ascetic-monastic phenomenon with autochthonous
characteristics that did not come under Egyptian monastic influence. The Syriac
communities of the fourth century, therefore, represent the Semitic world from
which the Bible itself has come, and they are an expression of a Christianity
whose theological formulation had not yet entered into contact with different
cultural currents, but lived in their own way of thinking. They are Churches in
which asceticism in its various hermitic forms (hermits in the desert, caverns,
recluses, stylites) and monasticism in forms of community life, exert a role of
vital importance in the development of theological and spiritual thought.
I would like to introduce
this world through the great figure of Aphraates, known also by the sobriquet
"the Sage". He was one of the most important and at the same time
most enigmatic personages of fourth century Syriac Christianity. A native of
the Ninive-Mossul region, today in Iraq, he lived during the first half of the
fourth century. We have little information about his life; he maintained,
however, close ties with the ascetic-monastic environment of the
Syriac-speaking Church, of which he has given us some information in his work
and to which he dedicates part of his reflection. Indeed, according to some
sources he was the head of a monastery and later consecrated a Bishop. He wrote
23 homilies, known as Expositions or Demonstrations, on various aspects of
Christian life, such as faith, love, fasting, humility, prayer, the ascetic
life, and also the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, between the
Old and New Testaments. He wrote in a simple style with short sentences and
sometimes with contrasting parallelisms; nevertheless, he was able to weave
consistent discourses with a well-articulated development of the various
arguments he treated.
Aphraates was from an
Ecclesial Community situated on the frontier between Judaism and Christianity.
It was a community strongly-linked to the Mother Church of Jerusalem, and its
Bishops were traditionally chosen from among the so-called "family"
of James, the "brother of the Lord" (cf. Mk 6: 3). They were people
linked by blood and by faith to the Church of Jerusalem. Aphraates' language
was Syriac, therefore a Semitic language like the Hebrew of the Old Testament
and like the Aramaic spoken by Jesus himself. Aphraates' Ecclesial Community
was a community that sought to remain faithful to the Judeo-Christian
tradition, of which it felt it was a daughter. It therefore maintained a close
relationship with the Jewish world and its Sacred Books. Significantly,
Aphraates defines himself as a "disciple of the Sacred Scripture" of
the Old and New Testaments (Expositions 22, 26), which he considers as his only
source of inspiration, having recourse to it in such abundance as to make it
the centre of his reflection.
Aphraates develops
various arguments in his Expositions. Faithful to Syriac tradition, he often
presents the salvation wrought by Christ as a healing, and thus Christ himself
as the physician.
Sin, on the other hand,
is seen as a wound that only penance can heal: "A man who has been wounded
in battle", Aphraates said, "is not ashamed to place himself in the
hands of a wise doctor...; in the same way, the one who has been wounded by
Satan must not be ashamed to recognize his fault and distance himself from it,
asking for the medicine of penance" (Expositions 7, 3). Another important
aspect in Aphraates' work is his teaching on prayer, and in a special way on
Christ as the teacher of prayer. The Christian prays following Jesus' teaching
and example of oration: "Our Saviour taught people to pray like this,
saying: "Pray in secret to the One who is hidden, but who sees all'; and
again: "Go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is
in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you' (Mt 6: 6)....
Our Saviour wants to show that God knows the desires and thoughts of the
heart" (Expositions 4, 10).
For Aphraates, the
Christian life is centred on the imitation of Christ, in taking up his yoke and
following him on the way of the Gospel. One of the most useful virtues for
Christ's disciple is humility. It is not a secondary aspect in the Christian's
spiritual life: man's nature is humble and it is God who exalts it to his own
glory. Aphraates observed that humility is not a negative value: "If man's
roots are planted in the earth, his fruits ascend before the Lord of
majesty" (Expositions 9, 14). By remaining humble in the earthly reality
in which one lives, the Christian can enter into relationship with the Lord:
"The humble man is humble, but his heart rises to lofty heights. The eyes
of his face observe the earth and the eyes of his mind the lofty heights"
(Expositions 9, 2).
Aphraates' vision of man
and his physical reality is very positive: the human body, in the example of
the humble Christ, is called to beauty, joy and light: "God draws near to
the man who loves, and it is right to love humility and to remain in a humble
state. The humble are simple, patient, loving, integral, upright, good,
prudent, calm, wise, quiet, peaceful, merciful, ready to convert, benevolent,
profound, thoughtful, beautiful and attractive" (Expositions 9, 14). Aphraates
often presented the Christian life in a clear ascetic and spiritual dimension:
faith is the base, the foundation; it makes of man a temple where Christ
himself dwells. Faith, therefore, makes sincere charity possible, which
expresses itself in love for God and neighbour. Another important aspect in
Aphraates' thought is fasting, which he understood in a broad sense. He spoke
of fasting from food as a necessary practice to be charitable and pure, of
fasting understood as continence with a view to holiness, of fasting from vain
or detestable words, of fasting from anger, of fasting from the possession of
goods with a view to ministry, of fasting from sleep to be watchful in prayer.
Dear brothers and
sisters, to conclude, we return again to Aphraates' teaching on prayer.
According to this ancient "Sage", prayer is achieved when Christ
dwells in the Christian's heart, and invites him to a coherent commitment to
charity towards one's neighbour. In fact, he wrote:
"Give relief to
those in distress, visit the ailing,
help the poor: this is
prayer.
Prayer is good, and its
works are beautiful.
Prayer is accepted when
it gives relief to one's neighbour.
Prayer is heard when it
includes forgiveness of affronts.
Prayer is strong
when it is full of God's
strength" (Expositions 4, 14-16).
With these words
Aphraates invites us to a prayer that becomes Christian life, a fulfilled life,
a life penetrated by faith, by openness to God and therefore to love of
neighbour.
To special groups
To all the
English-speaking pilgrims and visitors I extend a warm welcome. In a special
way I greet Senior Staff members of the USS Harry S. Truman, diaconate
candidates from the Diocese of Brownsville and members of the All-American Star
Dance Team. May your visit to Rome be a time of growth and renewal. Upon all of
you I cordially invoke an abundance of joy and peace in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lastly, I greet the
youth, the sick and the newly-weds. This Sunday, the last of Ordinary Time, we
will celebrate the Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe. Dear young
people, put Jesus at the centre of your life. May Christ, who has made his
Cross a royal throne, teach you, dear sick people, to comprehend the redemptive
value of suffering lived in union with him. I invite you, dear newly-weds, to
place Jesus at the centre of your matrimonial journey.
APPEAL
Distressing news is being
reported about the precarious humanitarian situation in Somalia, especially in
Mogadishu, ever more gravely afflicted by social insecurity and poverty. I am
anxiously watching the evolution of events and I appeal to those who have
political responsibility on the local and the international levels to find
peaceful solutions and to bring relief to that beloved population. In addition,
I encourage the efforts of those who, even amid insecurity and discomfort,
remain in that region in order to bring help and relief to the inhabitants.
© Copyright 2007 -
Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Aphraates lived
during the first half of the fourth century (about 300 to 350 A.D.) He lived in
an area that is now part of modern day Iraq. At the time, his culture was still
part of the Semitic world, uninfluenced by Greek thought. That means, he grew
up with different influences than most of the other Fathers of the Church. But,
it was still a Christian culture, and one heavily influenced by Judaism. It
originally had very strong ties to the Church in Jerusalem that we read about
in the Book of Acts. In fact, the leaders of his Church traced their ancestry
back to the James who lead the Church of Jerusalem during the time of the Acts.
23 homilies that he wrote
have survived to our time. Aphraates is known for emphasizing Jesus' role as a
healer. He describes sin as a disease that attacks and harms us. Then, he talks
about how Jesus offers us healing, freeing us from our suffering, and
ultimately death.
In response, Christians
must devote themselves to the imitation of Christ. There is nothing
"foreign" sounding to us in that idea. What Aphraates taught in the
300's would be the same thing that Thomas a Kempis wrote about one thousand
years later in the northwestern part of Europe: we must model everything we do
after Jesus Christ.
Pope Benedict XVI quoted
Aphraates about prayer:
"Give relief to
those in distress, visiting the ailing,
help the poor: this is
prayer.
Prayer is good, and its
works are beautiful.
Prayer is accepted when
it gives relief to one's neighbour.
Prayer is heard when it
includes forgiveness of affronts.
Prayer is strong
when it is full of God's
strength."
SOURCE : http://www.stpatstolono.org/index.cfm?load=page&page=236
Aphraates of Antioch, Hermit (RM)
Born in Syria; died c. 345. Saint Aphraates was born into an illustrious pagan
family on Syria's border with Persia (Iran). After his conversion to
Christianity, he gave up all worldly possessions and became a hermit at Edessa
in Mesopotamia, where he lived in severe austerity. He then moved to a
hermitage next to a monastery in Antioch, Syria, and attracted numerous
visitors with his reputation for holiness and as a miracle-worker.
He publicly and valiantly opposed Arians, who attempted to exile him, but
Emperor Valens refused to allow it because he thought the death of his
attendants who had threatened to murder Aphraates was retribution for his
threat.
Some scholars considered Aphraates identical with the bishop of the monastery
of Mar Mattai near Mosul, Mesopotamia, and the author of Demonstrations, 23
treatises written between 336 and 345 (the oldest document of the Church in
Syria), which give a survey of the Christian faith. This Aphraates may have
suffered persecution at the hands of King Shapur the Great and was known as
'the Persian sage' (Benedictines, Delaney, Encyclopedia).
In art, Saint Aphraates is a hermit striking a rock from which water gushes
out, or refusing a rich robe (Roeder).
SOURCE : http://www.saintpatrickdc.org/ss/0407.shtml
Aphraates
(Greek, Aphraates; Syriac Aphrahat or Pharhad).
The long list of Syriac
writers whose works have come down to us is headed by Aphraates (fourth
century), surnamed the "Persian Sage". The few biographical data
which we possess of this illustrious author are gleaned from his own writings.
From these we learn that he was born of pagan parents during the
last half of the third century, very probably on the frontier region of the
Persian empire. After his conversion to Christianity he
embraced the religious
life, and was later elevated to the episcopate, on which occasion he
assumed the Christian
name of Jacob. The adoption of this name subsequently led to a
confusion of identity, and for centuries the works of Aphraates were ascribed
to the famous Jacob, Bishop of Nisibis (d. A.D.
338). It was not until the tenth century that the "Persian Sage" was
finally identified with Aphraates, the name under which he is known to modern
scholars. According to a manuscript of the
British Museum dated A.D. 1364 (Orient, 1017) Aphraates was "Bishop of the
monastery of Mar Mattai", on the eastern shore of the Tigris, near the
modern Mosul in Mesopotamia. The ruins of this monastery, now called
"Sheikh Matta", are still to be seen. It was here that he seems to
have spent most of his life. Regarding the date of his death,
nothing is known. Barhebræus (Chron. Eccles., Part II, § 10) informs us that
Pharhad, or Aphraates, flourished in the time of Papas I, the Catholicus who died
in A.D. 334. This is in accord with the data found in our author's writings
which place the period of his literary activity between A.D. 337 and 345.
The writings of Aphraates
consist of twenty-three "Demonstrations", or homilies on moral
and controversial topics. The first twenty-two are alphabetical, each beginning
with one of the Syriac letters in alphabetic order, and may be divided into two
groups according to the time of their composition. The first ten, which were
written in A.D. 337, treat of (i) "Faith", (ii) "Charity",
(iii) "Fasting", (iv) "Prayer", (v) "Wars", (vi)
"Monks", (vii) "Penitents", (viii)
"Resurrection", (ix) "Humility", and (x)
"Pastors". The second group, composed in A.D. 344, are entitled, (xi)
"Circumcision", (xii) "The Passover", (xiii) "The
Sabbath", (xiv) "Hortatory", (xv) "Divers Meats",
(xvi) "The Call of the Gentiles", (xvii) "Jesus the
Messias", (xviii) "Virginity", (xix) "The Dispersion of
Israel", (xx) "Almsgiving", (xxi) "Persecution",
(xxii) "Death and the Latter Times". To this collection is subjoined
a twenty-third "Demonstration", composed in A.D. 345 and entitled
"Concerning the Grape", in reference to Isaiah 65:8.
These homilies,
which are also called "Epistles" because they are in the form of answers
to the queries of a friend, constitute the earliest extant document of the
Syrian Church, and besides their linguistic importance are of the highest value
for the Catholic apologist. They abound
with precious information on the most important questions of dogmatic and moral theology,
liturgy, ecclesiastical,
and even profane history, and are pregnant with important conclusions in favour
of the conformity of the doctrines of the Catholic Church with those
of the early Christian
Church in the fourth century. Some of these doctrines are, for
example, the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin and
her Divine Maternity, the foundation of the Church on St.
Peter, and the existence of all the sacraments except
matrimony, which is not mentioned. In regard to the Holy Eucharist,
Aphraates affirms that it is the real Body and Blood of Christ. In the seventh
"Demonstration" he treats of penance and penitents, and represents
the priest as
a physician who is charged with the healing of a man's wounds. The sinner must
make known to the physician his infirmities in order to be healed, i.e. he must
confess his sins to
the priest, who
is bound to secrecy. Because of the numerous quotations from Holy Writ used by Aphraates,
his writings are also very valuable for the history of the canon of Sacred Scripture and of exegesis in the
early Mesopotamian Church.
The editio princeps of
the Syriac text of the twenty-three "Demonstrations" was issued by W.
Wright, "The Homilies of Aphraates" (London, 1869). Since then another
edition of the series of twenty-two has been published by the Benedictine scholar
Dom Parisot [Graffin, Patrologia Syriaca (Paris, 1894), I], including a Latin
version, and preceded by a learned and copious introduction. A German translation
of the whole work was published by Bert [Gebhardt and Harnack, Texte und
Untersuchungen (Leipzig, 1888), III]. An English translation of eight
"Demonstrations", including an historical introduction, was published
by Dr. John Gwynn [Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (New York, 1898), XIII].
Sources
SASSE, Prolegomena in
Aphraatis sepientis Persæ sermonies homileticos (Leipzig, 1879); FORGET, De
vitâ et scriptis Aphraatis (Louvain, 1882); WRIGHT, A Short History of Syriac
Literature (London, 1894), 31-33; DUVAL, La littérature syriaque (Paris, 1900),
224-229; LABOURT, Le christianisme dans l'empire Perse (Paris, 1904), 32-42 et
passim; BURKITT, Early Christianity outside the Roman Empire (Cambridge, 1899),
Lectures ii, iii; PARISOT in VIG., Dict. de la Bible (Paris, 1892); IDEM in
Dict. de théol. cath. (Paris, 1903); NESTLE IN HERZOG, Realencyklopädie (3d
ed.).
Albert, Francis
X.E. "Aphraates." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol.
1. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. 7 Jan.
2023 <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01593c.htm>.
Transcription. This
article was transcribed for New Advent by Robert B. Olson. Offered to
Almighty God for Hugh Afshari and family.
Ecclesiastical
approbation. Nihil Obstat. March 1, 1907. Remy Lafort, S.T.D.,
Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
Copyright © 2021 by Kevin Knight.
Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
SOURCE : https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01593c.htm
April 7
St. Aphraates, Anchoret
From Theodoret, Philoth.
c. 8. and Hist. b. 4. c. 26. See Tillemont, t. 10. and Henschenius, t. 1. Apr.
p. 664
Fourth Age
THIS saint was descended
from an illustrious family in Persia, but infected with the superstitions of
idolatry. He had the happiness of attaining to an early knowledge of the truth,
which he embraced with his whole heart. Grieving to see it so little known and
loved in his own country, regardless of honours and worldly advantages, he
renounced all pretensions to them; and, leaving his friends and country, came
to Edessa, in Mesopotamia, where Christianity flourished. There he diligently
informed himself what was the best manner of serving God perfectly, and
securing his only affair, the eternal salvation of his soul. After some
deliberation, he shut himself up in a little cell without the walls of that
city, applying himself entirely to the exercises of penance and heavenly
contemplation. After some time he removed into a cell near a monastery in the
neighbourhood of Antioch, in Syria, where many resorting to him for spiritual
advice, he became a great advocate of virtue and truth against vice, and the
reigning Arian heresy, by whomsoever professed. He ate nothing but a little
bread after sunset, to which, when he was grown extremely old, he added a few
herbs. He made use of no other bed than a mat laid on the bare ground. His
clothing was one coarse garment. Anthemius, who was some time after appointed
governor of the East, and consul, returning from an embassy in Persia, pressed
Aphraates to accept of a robe he had brought with him, because the product of
his own country. Aphraates made answer: “Do you think it reasonable to exchange
an old faithful servant for a new one, merely because he is a countryman?” “By
no means,” replied Anthemius. “Then,” said the hermit, “take back your garment;
for I have one that I have worn these sixteen years; and I am not willing to
have two at the same time.” Hitherto the saint had lived retired in his cell;
but seeing the Arian persecution under Valens make great havoc in the flock of
Christ, he left his retreat to come to the assistance of the distressed
Catholics of Antioch; where he omitted nothing in his power to comfort the
faithful, and to assuage the fury of their heretical persecutors. Valens had
banished the holy bishop Meletius; but Aphraates joined Flavian and Diodorus,
who governed St. Meletius’s flock during his absence. His reputation for
sanctity and miracles gave the greatest weight to his actions and words. The
Emperor Valens being at Antioch, looking one day out of a window of his palace
upon the high road which parted it from the river Orontes, and led into the
country, saw the saint passing by, and asked who that old man was, so meanly
clad, and making such haste; and being told it was Aphraates, for whom the
whole city had the greatest veneration, asked him whither he was going in so
great a hurry? The man of God replied, “To pray for the prosperity of your
reign.” For the Catholics, not being allowed a church in the city, held their
assemblies of devotion in a field where martial exercises were performed. The
emperor said, “How comes it that you, who are by profession a monk, leave your
cell thus to ramble abroad?” Aphraates answered, “I lived retired, so long as
the flock of the heavenly Shepherd enjoyed peace; but now I see it torn to
pieces, how can I sit quiet in my cell? Were I a virgin confined in my father’s
house, and should see it take fire, would you advise me to sit still and let
the house be burnt, in which I should also perish; or leave my room to run and
procure help, carry water, and exert my utmost endeavours to put out the fire?
Reprove me not, O emperor, if I do the like; rather blame yourself, who have
kindled the fire, not me for labouring to quench it.” The emperor made not the
least reply; but one of his eunuchs, then in waiting, reviled the aged saint,
and threatened him with death. But God chastised his insolence: for soon after,
going to see if the emperor’s warm bath was ready, being taken with giddiness,
he fell into the caldron of boiling water, and nobody being there to give him
assistance, was scalded to death. This example so terrified the emperor, that
he durst not listen to the suggestions of the Arians, who endeavoured to
persuade him to banish the saint. He was also much moved by the miraculous
cures which the holy man wrought by the application of oil or water, upon which
he had made the sign of the cross. Aphraates would never speak to a woman but
at a distance, and always in as few words as possible. After the miserable
death of Valens, when peace was restored to the church, our saint returned to
his solitude, and there happily departed this life to possess God, “with whom,”
says Theodoret, “I believe he has greater power than when he was on earth: on
which account I pray also to obtain his intercession.” The whole church has
imitated his example. St. Aphraates is honoured in the Synaxary of the Greeks,
and in the calendars of other oriental churches on the 29th of January; but in
the Roman Martyrology his name is placed on the 7th of April.
Every saint is eminently
a man of prayer; but this is the peculiar perfection of holy hermits and monks.
This was the means by which so many in that state had been raised to such
wonderful heights in heroic virtue, so as to seem seraphim rather than men on
earth. As a vessel at sea is carried by a favourable wind with incredible ease
and swiftness, so a soul, which is borne upon the wings of a true spirit of
prayer, makes sweetly, and without experiencing either difficulty or pain,
quick and extraordinary progress in the paths of all interior virtues,
particularly those of a close union of her affections and powers with God, and
those of divine charity, the queen and form of all perfect Christian virtue. In
this spirit of prayer a simple idiot has outstripped the most subtle
philosopher, because its foundation is loud by profound humility, and perfect
simplicity and purity of heart; and compunction and love require neither
penetration nor depth of genius, nor elegance of words, to express or raise
their most tender affections. St. Bruno was an eloquent and learned man; yet in
his most sublime contemplation he expressed to God all the burning sentiments
of his soul by a single word, which he wished never to cease repeating, but to
continue actually to pronounce it for all eternity with fresh ardour and
jubilation: “O goodness! O goodness! O infinite goodness!” But by this word his
heart said more than discourses could express in many years or ages.
Rev. Alban
Butler (1711–73). Volume IV: April. The Lives of the
Saints. 1866
SOURCE : http://www.bartleby.com/210/4/071.html
On
Deification in the Law and the Prophets
Sunday, July 7, 2013 by Admin
St. Aprahat the Persian
Sage ca. 270-345
(This is) a reply against
the Jews, who blaspheme the people gathered from among the Gentiles… they bring
forward as an argument, that God said:— I am God and there is none else beside
Me. Deut. 32:39 And again he said:— You shall not worship
another God. Exo. 34:14. Therefore, (say they), you are opposing God
in that you call a man, God.
For the venerated name of
Godhead has been applied also to righteous men, and they have been held worthy
to be called by it. And the men with whom God was well pleased, them He called,
My sons, and My friends. When He chose Moses His friend and His beloved and
made him chief and teacher and priest unto his people he called him God. For He
said to him:— I have made you a God unto Pharaoh. Exo. 6:1 And He
gave him His priest for a prophet, And Aaron your brother shall speak for
you unto Pharaoh, and you shall be unto him as a God, and he shall be unto you
an interpreter. Exo. 7:1 Thus not alone to the evil Pharaoh did He make
Moses God, but also unto Aaron, the holy priest, He made Moses God.
Again, hear concerning
the title Son of God, by which we have called Him. They say that though
God has no son, you make that crucified Jesus, the firstborn son of God. Yet
He called Israel My first-born, when He sent to Pharaoh through
Moses and said to him, Israel is My first-born; I have said unto you, let
My Son go to serve Me, and if you are not willing to let (him) go, lo! I will
slay your son, your firstborn. Exo. 4:22-23 And also through the Prophet
Hos. 11:1-2 He testified concerning this, and reproved them and said to
the people, Out of Egypt have I called My son. As I called them, so they
went and worshipped Baal and offered incense to the graven images. And
Isaiah said Isa. 1:2 concerning them, Children have I reared and brought
up, and they have rebelled against Me. And again it is written, You
are the children of the Lord your God. Deut. 14:1 And about Solomon He
said, He shall be to Me a son, and I will be to him a Father. 2 Sam.
8:14 So also we call the Christ, the Son of God, for through Him we have gained
the knowledge of God; even as He called Israel My firstborn son, and as He
said concerning Solomon, He shall be to Me a son. And we call Him God, even
as He surnamed Moses by His own Name. And also David said concerning
them:— You are Gods and children of the Highest, all of you. And when they
amended not themselves, therefore He said concerning them:— As men shall
you die, and as one of the princes shall you fall (Psa. 82:6-7).
For the name of Divinity
is given for the highest honor in the world, and with whomsoever God is well
pleased, He applies it to him. But however, the names of God are many and are
venerable, as He delivered His names to Moses, saying to him:— I am the
God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God
of Jacob. This is My Name for ever, and this is My memorial unto generations.
Exo. 3:6, 15 And He called His name Ahiyah ashar Ahiyah, El
Shaddai and Adonai Sabaoth. By these names is God called. The great and
honorable name of Godhead He withheld not from His righteous ones;
even as, though He is the great King, without grudging He applied the great and
honorable name of Kingship to men who are His creatures.
For by the mouth of His
prophet God called the heathen King Nebuchadnezzar, King of Kings. For
Jeremiah said:— Every people and kingdom that shall not put his neck into
the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Kings, My servant, with famine and
with sword and with pestilence will I visit that people. Though He is the great
King, He grudges not the name of Kingship to men. And (so), though He is the
great God, yet He grudged not the name of Godhead to the sons of flesh. And
though all fatherhood is His, He has called men also fathers. For He said to
the congregation:— Instead of your fathers, shall be your children. And
though authority is His, He has given men authority one over another. And while
worship is His unto honor, He has yet allowed it in the world, that one man
should honor another. For even though a man should do worship before the wicked
and the heathen and them that refuse grace, yet is he not censured by God.
And concerning worship He commanded His people, You shall not worship the
sun or the moon or all the hosts of heaven; and also you shall not desire to
worship any creature that is upon the earth. Deut. 4:17 Behold the grace
and the love of our good Maker, that He did not grudge to men the name of
Godhead and the name of worship, and the name of Kingship, and the name of
authority; because He is the Father of the created things that are over the
face of the world, and He has honoured and exalted and glorified men above all
creatures. For with His holy hands He fashioned them; and of His Spirit He breathed
into them, and a dwelling-place did He become unto them from of old. In them
does He abide and among them does He walk. (Demonstration 17.1-6)
Filed Under: All, Holy Fathers, St.
Aphrahat the Persian Sage ca. 270-345, Theosis/Salvation
Thursday, February 23,
2012 by Admin
St. Aphrahat the Persian
Sage ca. 270-345
But concerning these
things that I have written for you, my beloved, namely, concerning that which
is written in Daniel, I have not brought them to an end, but (have stopped)
short of the end. And if any man dispute about them, say thus to him, that these
words are not concluded, because the words of God are infinite, nor will they
be concluded. For the foolish man says, Here unto (these) words
reach. And again, it is not possible to add to them or to diminish from
them. Deut. 4:2 For the riches of God cannot be computed or limited. For if you
take away water from the sea, the deficiency will be imperceptible. And if you
remove sand from the sea-shore, its measure will not be diminished. And if you
count the stars of heaven, you will not arrive at the sum of them. And if you
kindle fire from a burning, it will not a whit be lessened. And if you receive
of the Spirit of Christ, Christ will not a whit be diminished. And if Christ
dwell in you, yet He will not be completed in you. And if the sun enter the windows
of your house, yet the sun in its entirety will not come to you. And all these
things that I have enumerated for you were created by the word of God.
Therefore know that, as concerning the word of God no man has reached or will
reach its end. Therefore, have you no disputation about these things, but
say:— These things are so. That is enough. But hear these things from
me, and also enquire about them of our brethren, children of our faith. But
whosoever shall mock at the words of his brother, even if he say, mine are
wise, yet hearken not to his words. (Demonstrations 5.25)
Filed Under: All, Bible, Holy Fathers, St.
Aphrahat the Persian Sage ca. 270-345
Saturday, October 8, 2011 by Admin
St. Aphrahat the Persian
ca. 270-345
But the Lord was not yet
arrested. After having spoken thus, the Lord rose up from the place where He
had made the Passover and had given His Body as food and His Blood as drink,
and He went with His disciples to the place where He was to be arrested. But He
ate His own Body and drank of His own Blood, while He was pondering on the
dead. With His own hands the Lord presented His own Body to be eaten, and
before He was crucified He gave His Blood as drink; and He was taken at night
on the fourteenth, and was judged until the sixth hour; and at the sixth hour
they condemned Him and raised Him on the Cross. (Treatises, 12, 6; JR, v.
1, 689. Excerpted from R. Sungenis “Not By Bread Alone” by pg. 205)
Filed Under: All, Eucharist, Holy Fathers, Sacrament, St.
Aphrahat the Persian Sage ca. 270-345
Wednesday, August 31,
2011 by Admin
St. Aphrahat the Persian
ca. 270-345
Remember that the Apostle
also said, We shall judge angels. 1 Cor. 6:3 And our Lord said
to His disciples, You shall sit on twelve thrones, and judge twelve tribes
of the house of Israel. And Ezekiel said concerning righteous men, Eze.23:24-25
that they shall judge Ahola and Aholibah. Since, then, the righteous are to
judge the wicked, He has made clear concerning them that they shall not come
into judgment. And as to what the apostles say, that We shall judge angels,
hear, and I will instruct you. The angels who shall be judged by the apostles
are the priests who have violated the law; as the Prophet said, The lips
of the priest shall guard knowledge, and the law shall they inquire of his
mouth; because he is the angel of the Lord, the most mighty.
Mal. 2:7 The angels who are the priests, of whose mouth the
law is inquired, when they transgress the law, shall be judged at the last by
the apostles, and the priests who observe the law. (Demonstrations 22.16)
SOURCE : https://classicalchristianity.com/category/bysaint/st-aphrahat-the-persian-sage-ca-270-345/
Sant' Afraate Anacoreta
IV secolo
Etimologia: Afraate
= Afra = originario dell'africa, dal latino
Martirologio
Romano: Vicino ad Antiochia di Siria, oggi in Turchia, sant’Afraate,
anacoreta, che, nato ed educato tra i Persiani, seguendo le orme dei magi, a
Betlemme si convertì al Signore e, raggiunta Edessa, si ritirò in una piccola
abitazione fuori le mura; ad Antiochia, infine, difese la fede cattolica dagli
ariani con la predicazione e con gli scritti.
La Chiesa maronita ricorda il 7 aprile Afraat il Sapiente Persiano, prima grande figura delle chiese siriache i cui insegnamenti siano stati tramandati come esempio ai posteri.
Afraat nacque sul finire del III secolo, verosimilmente nei dintorni di Ninive-Mossul, nell'odierno Iraq. Se il suo nome sembra tradire un'origine pagana, nondimeno la sua conoscenza delle Scritture e la sua esegesi sono altamente influenzate dai metodi giudaici.
Figlio di una chiesa di confine tra cristianesimo e giudaismo, egli visse la separazione e il conflitto tra chiesa e sinagoga con relativa serenità, con toni polemici ma pacati.
Afraat fu un «figlio del Patto», cioè un uomo impegnato a rimanere nel celibato per testimoniare la riunificazione escatologica dell'uomo inaugurata in sé dal Cristo, primo solitario, a cui i figli del Patto si ispiravano. Egli dimorò probabilmente presso il monastero di Mar Mattai, e secondo alcuni fu anche superiore di monaci e poi vescovo.
Estraneo alle controversie cristologiche che attanagliavano l'occidente, Afraat
visse come discepolo delle Scritture, secondo la sua stessa definizione, e si
premurò di trasmettere per iscritto i suoi insegnamenti sulla vita spirituale e
sul rapporto fra cristianesimo e giudaismo attraverso le Dimostrazioni, unica
sua opera giunta fino a noi. Dalle pagine di Afraat, scritte secondo uno stile
sapienziale, inizia a emergere quel gusto per la bellezza e per la dolcezza
spirituali che caratterizzerà il cristianesimo siriaco.
Ama, mio amato, la condizione nella quale dimorano i figli della carne.
Retto è per l'uomo umiliare se stesso; la condizione di Adamo è polvere dalla terra.
Il suo Signore stabilì per lui un comandamento da custodire; se lo custodirà, il suo Signore farà pervenire alla condizione eccelsa colui che fu condannato. Adamo si esaltò e fu umiliato e ritornò alla polvere, alla sua condizione d'un tempo. Il nostro Salvatore, altissimo e magnifico, si umiliò e fu esaltato e fu elevato alla sua condizione d'un tempo e la sua gloria fu accresciuta e tutto gli fu sottomesso. Perciò, mio amato, all'uomo che ama Dio, si addice ed è giusto amare l'umiltà e restare nella sua condizione di umiltà. Poiché se la sua radice è piantata nella terra, i suoi frutti salgono davanti al Signore di grandezza.
(Afraat il Sapiente Persiano, Dimostrazioni 9,14)
Fonte : www.monasterodibose.it
SOURCE : http://www.santiebeati.it/Detailed/39040.html
Voir aussi : http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/rebyz_0766-5598_1991_num_49_1_1846_t1_0288_0000_1
