Saint Abraham of Kidunaia, born in 296 near Edessa, Syria, came from wealth. Early in life, he faced a marriage he didn’t wish for. As the celebrations progressed, Abraham chose solitude over matrimony. He secluded himself in a structure close by, communicating his spiritual aspirations through a mere aperture to his initially resistant family. Their eventual acquiescence led to the dissolution of his marriage, allowing him a decade of devout seclusion.

Summoned from this solitude by the Edessa bishop, Abraham found himself unwillingly ordained and dispatched to Beth-Kiduna, a stronghold of paganism. There, through resilience in the face of hostility and by leading through example, he managed to convert the entire populace. His mission completed within a year, he humbly requested a successor from God and retreated to his hermitage, henceforth bearing the name Kidunaia, a testament to his transformative work in Beth-Kiduna.

Abraham’s reclusion was interrupted twice thereafter. His niece, Mary of Edessa, notorious for her debauched lifestyle, prompted Abraham to adopt a soldier’s guise—a strategy to win her audience. Their encounter led to her spiritual awakening. Abraham then resumed his isolation, which was only broken by his death, leaving behind a legacy celebrated by a vast assembly of mourners. His life and deeds were immortalized by his contemporary, the venerable Saint Ephrem of Syria.

Photo credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
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13 COMMENTS

  3. No. But it is better than marriage, as it provides the context for
    an undivided heart for the LORD. 1 Corinthians 7:32.

  4. I would;nt say that Celibacy is the only way to serve God, He made marraige a sacrament. THe Husband has to go out to work and bring home the Bacon so to speak. THe Wife carrries the babies for nine months before giving birth and in to-days economy, the wife may have to go back to work when the children are reared. Any state in life can be a holy and a wholesome thing.

  7. Saint Abraham of Kidunaia, please pray for us especially for me , my children, grandchildren and the rest of my family so we’ll be able to follow your footsteps so strong when you committed yourself to God as a true believer. Amen!

  12. Dio a creato l’Uomo e la Donna per procreare la vita e prendersi cura del Creato e per vivere in Dignità collaborando con i suoi simili in amore e in Fratellanza.
    La Famiglia e il più grande Pilastro della Civiltà Umana che Onora Dio e il Creato;
    Dio non a nessun celibato e nessuna religione; Ma sono gli uomini stessi che sentendosi in colpa per la disobbedienza di Adamo e Eva e per Caino e Abele e per dominare i loro simili hanno creato leggi mode e religioni.

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