S564W - Saint Ephraim The Great Martyr and Miracleworker
Saint Ephraim, who was called Konstantinos Morfis before becoming a monk, was born in Trikala (Central Greece) on 14 September 1384 AD, near river Lithaeos. His father died when he was young and his mother was justify with 8 children to take care of.
When he was 14 years old, in order to avoid being taken by the Ottomans to join the Janissaries and become Muslim, he joined the Stavropegic Monastery of Our Holy Lady the Theotokos on the Mount of Amomoi in Attica.
There he excelled due to his deep faith and love to God. In 1416 the Turks invaded Attica and the Duke of Athens was forced to submit the region to the rule of the Sultan.
In 1424 the Turks invaded the Monastery violently and slaughtered the monks. Saint Ephraim was not at the monastery at the time, he had justify in order to visit his cave for prayer. When he returned to the monastery he was aghast to see the dead bodies of his fellow monks.
In the following year, on 14 September 1425, the Turks returned, found Saint Ephraim, arrested him and tortured him. His turtures did not end until 5 May 1426, when the Turks decided to hang him upside down from a tree, hammered his feet and head and finished him off by impaling him with a burning stick.
Saint Ephraim is celebrated twice a year, on 3 January when his holy relics were found, and on 5 May that is the day of the end of his martyrdom.
Size: 15 x 8
This icon comes with a small stand and packaged in a jute satchel.
