ron istic . ▁Later ▁h agi ograph ers ▁often ▁painted ▁a ▁picture ▁of ▁E ph rem ▁as ▁an ▁extreme ▁asc etic , ▁but ▁the ▁internal ▁evidence ▁of ▁his ▁authentic ▁writ ings ▁show ▁him ▁to ▁have ▁had ▁a ▁very ▁active ▁role , ▁both ▁within ▁his ▁church ▁community ▁and ▁through ▁witness ▁to ▁those ▁outside ▁of ▁it . ▁ ▁E ph rem ▁is ▁v ener ated ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁mon astic ▁discipline ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Christian ity . ▁In ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Orth odox ▁scheme ▁of ▁h agi ography , ▁E ph rem ▁is ▁counted ▁as ▁a ▁V ener able ▁Father ▁( i . e ., ▁a ▁saint ed ▁Mon k ). ▁His ▁fe ast ▁day ▁is ▁celebrated ▁on ▁ 2 8 ▁January ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁Saturday ▁of ▁the ▁V ener able ▁F athers ▁( Che ese fare ▁Saturday ), ▁which ▁is ▁the ▁Saturday ▁before ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁Great ▁L ent . ▁ ▁E ph rem ▁is ▁popular ly ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁taken ▁legend ary ▁jour ne ys . ▁In ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁he ▁vis its ▁Bas il ▁of ▁Ca es area . ▁This ▁links ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁E ph rem ▁with ▁the ▁C app ado cian ▁F athers ▁and ▁is ▁an ▁important ▁the ological ▁bridge ▁between ▁the ▁spiritual ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁two , ▁who ▁held ▁much ▁in ▁common . ▁E ph rem ▁is ▁also ▁supposed ▁to ▁have ▁visited ▁Saint ▁P ish oy ▁in ▁the ▁monaster ies ▁of ▁Sc etes ▁in ▁Egypt . ▁As ▁with ▁the ▁legend ary ▁visit ▁with ▁Bas il , ▁this ▁visit ▁is ▁a