St. Abraham of Harran
by Matt Leming (Feb. ’02)
Each year on February 14, we celebrate the holiday of Valentine’s Day. On this day we are usually giving each other candy hearts and looking for ways to surprise our loved ones. We don’t take too much time for God. Even if we do take time to remember God on this day, we think of St. Valentine. However, the same feast day is shared by a saint far less known than St. Valentine. His name is St. Abraham of Harran. This is the very reason this article is dedicated to St. Abraham.
St. Abraham was born in Cyrrhus in Ancient Syria. He began devoting his life to God when he lived in the desert. Here he controlled his earthly body by fasting and prayer. He departed for a town in Lebanon when he heard that the town was “engulfed in the darkness of impiety.” After nearly being killed by the inhabitants of this town, he was able to convert them to Christianity and served as their priest for three years. The town’s name was never documented; however, it was believed to be Aquara.
When he left the town he appointed one of his good friends from there to be his successor. Upon leaving Lebanon, he was made Bishop of Carrhae. Later he visited the Emperor Theodosius II and his wife the Empress Eudocia in Constantinople, where he died. His body was then escorted to the city of Antioch by the Emperor and Empress’ entourage. He was buried in that holy city.
This is just a brief summary of the life of St. Abraham. There is one verse in the Bible that comes to mind when reading about this great saint. That is John 13:34: “A new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another; even as I do, that you also love one another.” This man did just that. He showed love toward people who nearly killed him. He gave them the greatest gift one could receive, the gift of God. So on Valentine’s Day, go ahead and enjoy the surprises and the candy hearts, but please remember to take time to remember other saints of the past who struggled to spread the word of our Lord Jesus Christ.