St. Raboula of Edessa +435

St. Raboula of Edessa +435

December 17th is the commemoration of the dukhrono of St Raboula of Edessa +435 according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church. Mor Raboula Urhoyo was born in a wealthy family of Kenneshrin/Qinnasrin village (Chalcis near Aleppo, Syria). His father was a pagan priest & mother was a Christian. He learned Greek & Syriac, got married in his youth & led a family life. Once while listening to an evangelical talk in Mor Abraham Dayaro in Kenneshrin he felt a desire to listen to & study the word of God. Later he learned theology from Mor Eusebius of Smishath & Aakkak Episcopo of Aleppo. When he returned to Kennishrin he lived away from his family making his wife & children lead an ascetic life. He freed his slaves & shared his riches with the poor, later joining Mor Abraham Dayro. St. Raboula was ordained a priest in AD 388 & in AD 411 after the death of Bishop Diogenes of Urhoy (Edessa), Raboula was ordained as the successor by the Patriarch of Antioch. He was a close friend of St. Cyril of Alexandria. Mor Raboula was vehemently opposed to Nestorianism. With fierce determination he combatted the growing rise of heresy in his diocese & elsewhere, even traveling to Constantinople to preach the true faith & denounce Nestorian ideology in front of Patriarch Theodosius (who was leaning towards Nestorianism). His literary legacy comprises of rules for the ascetics, rules for the children of the covenant, rules about services in the Church, a few madraso, sugeetho & bovootho. He is a well known for abolishing the use of the Syriac Diatessaron (harmonized combination of the Gospels) ordering instead that the Syriac translations of the 4 canonical Gospels be made available in every church. It was customary for Raboula to stay at Mor Abraham Dayaro every year fasting & meditating for spiritual rejuvenation. The writings of St. Rabbula demonstrate that long before the Holy Ecumenical Council of Ephesus 431AD, the faithful of Antioch affirmed the Orthodoxy of Miaphysitism, which is the faith of the Doctors of the Syriac Church like Sts. Aphrahat, Ephrem, and Cyrilona. Therefore, what St. Cyril of Alexandria taught at the Holy Ecumenical Council of Ephesus is the same as what the Orthodox Fathers of the Holy See of Antioch kept and handed down since Apostolic times. Contrary to previous reports, Mor Rabbula did not take part in the Synod of Ephesus in AD 431 nor in the council held by John of Antioch to condemn St. Cyril. His reign as Bishop of Edessa lasted for 24 years. Biography courtesy of, 'Martyrs, Saints and Prelates of the Syriac Orthodox Church' Oh Mor Raboula Urhoyo! Plead for us before God's throne of grace. Amen. RSoH