The Monk Ephraim the Syrian, a teacher of penance, was born in the early fourth century (the year of his birth is unknown for sure) in the city of Nisibia (Mesopotamia) into a Christian family of poor farmers. His parents raised their son in piety. But, distinguished from childhood by a short-tempered, irritable character, in his youth he often quarreled, committed rash acts, and even doubted God's Providence until he received admonition from the Lord, which guided him on the path of repentance and salvation. One day, he was wrongfully accused of stealing sheep and imprisoned. In it, in a dream, he heard a voice calling him to repent and correct his life. He was acquitted and released.
Deep repentance was awakened in Ephraim. The young man retired to the surrounding mountains and became a hermit. This kind of Christian asceticism was introduced in Nisibia by the Egyptian hermit Eugene, a disciple of St. Anthony the Great.
Among the hermits, the famous ascetic, preacher of Christianity and accuser of Arians, Bishop Saint James of the Nisibis Church (commemorated on January 13), stood out. St. Ephraim became one of his disciples. Under the grace-filled guidance of St. Ephraim, the Monk Ephraim acquired Christian meekness, humility, and submission to God's Providence, which gives him the strength to endure various temptations without a murmur. St. James knew the high virtues of his disciple and used them for the benefit of the Church. He instructed him to preach, teach children at school, and took him with him to the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325). Saint Ephraim was in obedience to Saint James for 14 years until his death.
After the capture of Nisibia by the Persians in 363, the Monk Ephraim left the desert and settled in a monastery near the city of Edessa. Here he saw many great ascetics who spent their lives in prayer and psalmody. Caves were their only refuge, and they ate only plants. He became especially close to the ascetic Julian (October 18), who shared with him the same penitent spirit. Saint Ephraim combined with his ascetic labors the unceasing study of the Word of God, drawing from it tenderness and wisdom for his soul. The Lord gave him the gift of teaching, and people began to come to him, waiting to hear his instructions, which especially affected their souls because he began them by chastising himself. Both verbally and in writing, the monk taught everyone repentance, faith, and piety, and denounced the Arian heresy that was then agitating Christian society. The pagans, listening to the sermons of the monk, converted to Christianity.
He also worked hard in interpreting the Holy Scriptures, explaining the Pentateuch of Moses. He wrote many prayers and hymns that enriched church Worship. There are well-known prayers to the Most Holy Trinity, the Son of God, and the Most Holy Theotokos. He wrote hymns for his Church on the days of the twelve feasts of the Lord (Christmas, Epiphany), Resurrection, funeral hymns. His penitential prayer, "Lord and Master of my life..." is read during Lent and calls Christians to spiritual renewal. Since ancient times, the Church has highly appreciated the works of St. Ephraim: his writings were read in some churches at meetings of the faithful after the Holy Scriptures. And now, according to the Church's Rules, some of his teachings are supposed to be read on days of fasting. 
In the numerous works of the monk, there are complete pictures of the life of Syrian ascetics, the main place in which was occupied by prayer and then work for the common fraternal benefit, obedience. All Syrian ascetics had the same views on the meaning of life. The monks considered Communion with God and the implantation of Divine grace into the soul of an ascetic to be the ultimate goal of their exploits. For them, real life was a time of weeping, fasting and labors.
The Monk Ephraim, in his humility considering himself inferior and inferior to all, at the end of his life went to Egypt to see the exploits of the great hermits. He was welcomed there as a welcome guest and he himself received great comfort from communicating with them. On his way back, he visited St. Basil the Great in Caesarea of Cappadocia (January 1), who wished to ordain him as a presbyter, but the monk considered himself unworthy of the priesthood and, at the saint's insistence, accepted only the rank of deacon, in which he remained until his death. Subsequently, St. Basil the Great invited St. Ephraim to the episcopal see, but the saint presented himself as a fool in order to reject this honor, out of humility considering himself unworthy of it.
Upon returning to his Edesian desert, St. Ephraim wanted to spend the end of his life in solitude. But God's Providence once again called him to serve his neighbors. The inhabitants of Edessa suffered from a raging famine. With a strong word, the monk encouraged the rich to help the poor. With the offerings of the faithful, he built an almshouse for the poor and the sick. Then the monk retired to a cave near Edessa, where he remained for the rest of his life.