St. Macarius of Alexandria

St.
Macarius of Alexandria 19 January / 1 February

The Saint was born in the year 295 in Alexandria. He was a merchant until the age of 40 when he recei!ed Holy "a#tism and went off into the desert. After se!eral years of ascetic life he was ordained a #resbyter and a##ointed #rior of a monastery $nown as the %&ellii ' or %cells' in the (gy#tian desert between the )itria mountain and a s$ete in which monastic hermits li!ed in silence each in his own cell. He was the truest friend of *enerable +acarius of (gy#t ,- ca. .90/.940 and together with him was exiled from his homeland during the reign of *alens. The two +acariuses were !ery much ali$e in character and manner of life and shared a single instructor and director 1 *enerable St. Anthony the 2reat ,- .530 who re#eatedly instructed them in how to #erfect themsel!es by li!ing a !irtuous life. 4t so ha##ened that *enerable Sts. +acarius of Alexandria and +acarius of (gy#t had to cross the ri!er )ile in a large ferryboat5 also crossing on it were two tribunes together with their s#lendid retinue of military attendants 6 wea#ons/bearers and bodyguards adorned with gold braid and gold belts. 7hen those tribunes noticed the two !enerable elders wearing old clothing and standing in the corner they #raised their humble life of #o!erty8 9ne of the tribunes said to the elders %:ou are blessed in being scorned by the world.' 4n res#onse *enerable +acarius of Alexandria said %Truly we are scorned by the world but the world laughs at you. 7hat you said was not of your own !olition5 it was #ro#hetic8 we are both named %+acarius ' ;a word< which means =blessed>.' ?#on returning home the tribune dee#ly mo!ed by +acarius of Alexandria>s words cast off his clothing ga!e his #ossessions to the #oor and chose the life of a hermit. 4ntensifying his s#iritual struggle *enerable St. +acarius made it his rule not to eat any bread or #ottage exce#t for coarse millet or some other grain soa$ed in water. @or se!en years he maintained that $ind of abstinence. Then for three years he would eat but a small #iece of bread ,less than a #ound0 #er day with an eAual measure of water5 greatly mortifying his flesh. +arshalling all his resources the *enerable 9ne also fought to a!oid slee#ing but after such a s#iritual struggle would instruct others %To the extent that 4 could 4 o!ercame slee# but it was not within my #ower to o!ercome human nature which reAuires slee# and so 4 had to show it obedience.' To o!ercome the demon of lust that had begun to se!erely tem#t him St. +acarius sat na$ed for six months in a swam# at the s$ete allowing himself to be bitten by a multitude of large mosAuitoes. 7hen he returned to his cell it was only by his !oice that the others could recogniBe him as Abba +acarius. Ha!ing learned of the extremely strict rule for monastic life obser!ed at the Tabbenesiot +onastery whose #rior was *enerable St. Cachomios the 2reat ,.4D0 St. +acarius disguised himself in secular clothing and o!er the course of the entire Euadragesima ;the 40/day 2reat Fent< neither ate bread nor dran$ water. He would eat only a few cabbage lea!es on Sundays and he e!en did that only so that the other mon$s might see him eat and so that he would not fall into the sin of haughty arrogance. *enerable St. +acarius wor$ed throughout the
night without sto##ing to rest or e!er sitting or lying down. He would stand with his mouth shut not s#ea$ing with anyone $ee#ing silent and with his whole heart raising u# #rayers to 2od. 7itnessing the Saint>s s#iritual struggle the other monastic strugglers were ashamed for they had become conceited ta$ing #ride in their s#iritual struggle and fasting. Ha!ing demonstrated humility and taught a lesson to all St. +acarius returned to his #lace. The enemy of the human race from time immemorial was greatly embittered by St. +acarius> strictly ascetic way of life. Thus he began to tem#t the Saint with !anity #ressing him to go to Gome. "attling that tem#tation the Saint filled a sandbag too$ it on his shoulders and carrying that burden for a long time wal$ed about the desert until his body had become exhausted and the #rideful idea had left him. Through his ascetic way of life fasting and reHection of e!erything earthly *enerable St. +acarius acAuired the gift of wor$ing miracles and seeing #eo#le>s hidden thoughts. He was made worthy to ha!e many miraculous !isions. @illed with Ii!ine grace Abba +acarius saw that demons were #resent during liturgical chanting and during monastic assemblies. He witnessed them moc$ some by bringing them somnolence or ;ina##ro#riate< thoughts. Sitting on the nec$s and shoulders of other brethren those among the wea$est those inattenti!e in #rayer they maliciously moc$ed and Heered them. Howe!er as soon as the demons would start to do something ina##ro#riate before certain mon$s they would immediately be dri!en off by some $ind of force and would no longer dare to either sto# in front of or e!en #ass by those mon$s. *enerable St. +acarius told of something else e!en more mar!elous and frightening8 how *enerable +ar$ one of the ascetics of the Holy +onastery was ta$ing Jommunion from the hands of the Angels and how careless mon$s were recei!ing not the "ody of Jhrist but burning coals while the "ody of Jhrist offered by the hand of the #riest would return to the Altar. The demons would flee far away from those worthy of recei!ing Holy Jommunion. +eanwhile the Angel of the Ford stood with the #riest near the Altar and extended his hand alongside that of the #riest to distribute the Ii!ine +ysteries. St. +acarius gained renown for a multitude of miraculous healings of the sic$ and healings of those #ossessed by demons. After many labors and s#iritual struggles *enerable St. +acarius de#arted in #eace to the Ford in ca. .94/.95 at the age of K00 years. St. +acarius was a religious writer whose wor$s include his %Homily 9n the Ie#arture of the Soul' ,incor#orated in the 2reat Csalter0 as well as a .0/cha#ter +onastic Gule and an e#istle addressed to monastics.

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St.

Macarius of Alexandria 19 January / 1 February

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