Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor

7But after some days, the torrent dried up. For it had not rained upon the earth. 8Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying: 9“Rise up, and go to Zarephath of the Sidonians, and dwell there. For I have instructed a widowed woman there to feed you.” 10He rose up and went away to Zarephath. And when he had arrived at the gate of the city, he saw the widowed woman collecting wood, and he called to her. And he said to her, “Give me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.” 11And as she was going to bring it, he called out after her, saying, “Bring me also, I beg you, a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12And she responded: “As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, except a handful of flour in a jar, and a little oil in a bottle. See, I am collecting a couple of sticks, so that I may go in and make it for myself and my son, so that we may eat it and die.” 13And Elijah said to her: “Do not be afraid. But go and do as you have said. Yet truly, first make for me, from the same flour, a little bread baked under ashes, and bring it to me. Then afterward, make some for yourself and for your son. 14For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘The jar of flour will not fail, nor the bottle of oil be diminished, until the day when the Lord will grant rain upon the face of the earth.’ ” 15She went and acted in accord with the word of Elijah. And he ate, and she and her household ate. And from that day, 16the jar of flour did not fail, and the bottle of oil was not diminished, in accord with the word of the Lord, which he had spoken by the hand of Elijah.

13You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its saltiness, with what will it be salted? It is no longer useful at all, except to be cast out and trampled under by men. 14You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. 15And they do not light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that it may shine to all who are in the house. 16So then, let your light shine in the sight of men, so that they may see your good works, and may glorify your Father, who is in heaven.