St. Macarius tbe Great
was born in the year 300 and died in 390. Thus his life was passed entirely in
the 4th century, that exceptional and remarkable period in the history of the
Church. At its very beginning the persecution of three centuries against Christians
came to an end, and there was born the great Byzantine culture which gave to
the whole world for all times the greatest spiritual treasures which Orthodoxy
contains.
The Empire, in the
person of the Caesar Equal to the Apostles, Constantine, received baptism; the
Church came out of the, catacombs, out of its enforced seclusion, and accepted
under its sacred vaults the seeking ancient world. But the world brought here
its anxieties, doubts, temptations. The world brought also great anguish, as
well as great pride. The Church had to assuage this anguish and humble this
pride. In trouble and tribulation the ancient world was reborn and entered into
the Church's life. Spiritual awakening embraced the whole of society.
In the epoch of
persecutions every Christian had to be prepared at any moment for the exploit
of confessing the Faith and suffering martyrdom. Such a condition could be the
lot of only a few chosen ones. Now religion became accessible to the masses and
the former high spiritual level was inevitably lowered. It began to be
difficult to live in a Christian way in the world. The new epoch required a new
means for acquiring "heavenly crowns." In order to attain
passionlessness, one had to traverse a long path of battling with the passions.
The martyr's exploit was replaced by a voluntary martyrdom: self-renunciation
and asceticism, life in the desert amidst labor and privations. There began a
great exodus into the desert. The epoch of monasticism was born.
A marvelous and
striking spectacle is to be seen in the astonishing spread of monasticism at
its very beginning. Egypt, where paganism had its chief support, where
superstition and idol-worship reached the highest degree, now assimilated such
a throng of monks that there were no fewer dwellers in the desert than there
were in the cities.
As a rapid, strong
current, until now held back in its course, tears a barrier asunder and strives
to inundate the whole land, as the onetimeworshiped Nile fertilized all around
it, - so now did monasticism spread throughout Egypt and give fertility, not of
earthly, but of heavenly, fruits. It was an unearthly world in the midst of
this world, astonishing men by the grandeur of its spirit and granting them to
know what a marvelous power human nature displays, what authority and might it
contains, when man is entirely penetrated by the power of Christ's grace.
"I saw in
The friend and favorite
of Christ, the Apostle John, commands: Love not the world, neither the things
that are in the world... For all that is in the world [is] the lust of
the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vainglory of life (1 John
2:15,16). Monasticism strives to crush the lust of the flesh by the vow of
chastity, the lust of the eyes by the vow of poverty, and the vainglory of life
by the vow of obedience. Beholding the glory of the
"The heavens,
speckled with a multitude of stars, are not as bright," says Chrysostom,
"as the Egyptian desert, which displays everywhere the huts of monks ...
It is better than paradise, where we see in human form numberless choirs of
angels, throngs of martyrs, assemblies of virgins; we see the whole tyranny of
the devil overthrown, and the Kingdom of Christ shines."
The founder of
monasticism was the great Anthony. His disciple and continuator of his work was
the great Macarius.
ST. MACARIUS was born
in the Egyptian
The parents of
Macarius, the Presbyter Abraham and Sarah, were of righteous life and. like the
Old Testament forebears of the same name, lived to old age without having
children. The birth of St. Macarius was foretold to his father by the Patriarch
Abraham, who appeared to him in a dream, and then by an angel as well. Likewise
in a dream an angel appeared to the Presbyter Abraham when he was sick, healed
him and, predicting the birth of a son, said, "He will be a dwelling of
the Holy Spirit and will bring many to God." The new-born son was given
the name Macarius, which signifies "blessed."
This "chosen
vessel" was distinguished by an extraordinarily sensitive conscience. The
Saint himself related an incident from his childhood. His companions stole some
figs from somebody's garden. In running away they dropped one. Macarius picked
it up and ate it. For his whole life he grieved over his action and could not
remember it without tears.
When Macarius grew up,
he submitted to his parents’ will and, against his own wishes, entered into
marriage; however, feigning illness, he evaded married life. Soon his wife
died, and in a short time his aged parents also departed to the Lord.
Macarius prayed
fervently that the Lord would send him a wise instructor in the spiritual life.
By Divine inspiration there came to church an ascetic of fair appearance, with
long hair and a beard, with a body weakened by ascetic labors. There Macarius
met him. Spending the whole day in spiritual conversation in the cell of an
anchorite, the exhausted Macarius fell asleep with the approach of night; the
elder, however, stood at prayer and had a prophetic vision suddenly there
appeared throngs of monks in white garments and with wings and began to walk
around the sleeping Macarius, calling him to the service indicated to him by
God. The elder advised Macarius not to postpone his intention to devote himself
wholly to the monastic life. Macarius accepted the advice. Having given away
all his possessions, he returned to the anchorite, who, accepting him with
love, instructed him in the monastic life and in basket-weaving. He settled him
in a separate: cell not far from himself where Macarius gave himself zealously
over to ascetic deeds, advancing rapidly in the spiritual life.
Macarius acquired the
love and respect of the residents of the nearby village, his native Ptinapor,
and they persuaded the bishop who was visiting them to make Macarius a cleric
of their church, despite: the fact that he was still very young. This was
against the wishes of Macarius. A few days after his ordination as a deacon he
left and settled near another village.
Here there came upon
him a difficult trial which he bore with extraordinary good-heartedness, which testified
of the already high degree of his spirituality. In this village a girl, being
pregnant, under the influence of the evil spirit slandered Macarius, saying
that he was the Cause of her sin. The enraged parents together with their
fellow-villagers subjected him to beating and tortures. Leaving him scarcely
alive, they obligated him to furnish support for the girl. Meekly and without
murmuring, St. Macarius bore all this and began to work all the harder saying
to himself: "Now Macarius you have a wife and children, and therefore you
have to work day and night to furnish their support."
When it came time for
the girl to give birth, the just judgment of God overtook her for several days
she was in terrible torment and could not be delivered of her burden. Then she
understood that this was a punishment for her slandering of an innocent man.
She acknowledged everything and indicated the one who was really guilty.
Heating this, all were greatly frightened, fearing God's chastisement for
wronging the righteous one, and, bothered by their conscience, they decided to
go to Macarius in order to obtain forgiveness for themselves. A friend of
Macarius with joy forewarned him of this. But Macarius, who had willingly
accepted dishonor, did not desire to receive honors and glory. At night he
secretly left for the
There he lived and
labored in asceticism in a cave for some time, and then went to St. Anthony in
the
Macarius remained a
long time with Anthony as his disciple. When Macarius had completely matured
for an independent anchoretic life, St. Anthony commanded him to depart to the
St. Macarius, like his
Abba Anthony, began to be subjected here to demonic attacks. He had to fight
day and night with the demons. Sometimes they fell upon him in fury in the form
of various monsters; sometimes in the form of enraged soldiers with a wild roar
and cry they fell upon him, as if wishing to kill him; and sometimes they
strove to unsettle him by means of trickery. Thus once at night demons, taking
the: form of angels, surrounded him and woke him up and said: "Arise,
Macarius, and sing with us and do not sleep" But he, recognizing the
demonic attack answered them without rising from his bed: "Depart from me,
ye cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for your father the devil and for
you'" The demons continued to call him to prayer, but not succeeding in
this they began to beat him. The Saint, however, called out to the Lord:
"Help me, Christ my God, and deliver me from those who encompass me, for a
pack of dogs has encompassed me and opened their mouths against me!" And
the whole multitude of demons disappeared suddenly with a great roar.
When St. Macarius was
gathering palm branches in the desert, a demon encountered him and said to him:
"I suffer a great sorrow in being unable to conquer you. Everything that
you do I do also: you fast, and I eat nothing at all; you keep vigil, and I
never sleep. In one thing only do you surpass me -- in humility. "
Soon after St. Macarius
had settled in Scetis, disciples began to gather around him. The more terrible
was the
ST. MACARIUS was only
30 years old when he went off into the desert, and then he was already called
"youth-elder" for his spiritual experience and wisdom. At about the
age of forty St. Macarius was ordained priest. At this time he possessed
already the gift of prophecy and wonderworking. He was always distinguished by
exceptional emaciation, whether he had been fasting or not. When asked. the
reason for this, the Saint replied: "As a poker used to turn burning logs
and sticks in a stove is always being scorched by fire, so in a man who directs
his mind always to the Lord and always keeps in mind the terrible torments of
the fire of gehenna, this fear not only gnaws the body, but dries up the bones
as well."
When the number of the
brethren had significantly increased, St. Macarius erected four churches. Each
church had its own priest. The monks lived in cells separately from each other.
St. Macarius himself lived also separately far off in the desert and had with
him only two disciples. Ham his ceil the Saint dug a subterranean passageway a
half-mile long, and at its end a small cave. When he wished to hide from his
numerous visitors, he went off to the cave, and no one knew where he was.
St. Macarius continued
to visit his teacher, Abba Anthony, often and he was enabled to be present at
his blessed repose. He received St. Anthony's staff. This gift he received as a
precious holy object, and there with the spirit of the great Anthony reposed
upon him, as once the Prophet Elisha bad accepted the spirit of the Prophet
Elijah.
Socrates, the
biographer of St. Macarius, speaks of how he performed numerous miracles and
freed so many from evil spirits that to describe it all would require a whole
book. Here are some of them.
A certain man was
burning with passion for a married woman, but she had spurned him. Then he
turned for help to a sorcerer. In order to make the husband put away his wife,
the magician by means of demonic sorceries cast upon her such a spell that she
began to appear to everyone like a horse. The husband surmised what was the
matter and brought her to St. Macarius. Those around him took her for a horse
and prevented him from entering the monastery. St. Macarius, however, said to
them: "You yourselves are like animals if your eyes see the form of a
beast; but she, created a woman, will remain one, and only seems an animal to
your eyes which have been deceived by sorcerers." Having blessed water, he
poured it out upon the woman, and she instantly resumed her natural appearance.
And he told the woman that her trial had been allowed because she had not
communicated of the Divine Mysteries for five weeks.
St. Macarius' gift of
working miracles was so great that he could raise the dead. Once the heretic
Hierax, who taught that there would be no resurrection of the dead, appeared in
the desert and began to disturb the minds of the anchorites. He came also to
Scetis and, in the presence of Macarius and numerous brethren, began to unfold
his teaching, mocking the Saint's simplicity of speech. Seeing that the
brethren were beginning to waver, Macarius proposed that all go to the
cemetery; there, having prayed, he turned to the grave of a recently deceased
monk and loudly called him by name. He answered from under the earth. The
brethren hastened to dig him up and brought him alive out of the grave. Struck
with terror, the heretic took flight and, pursued by the brethren, left their
boundaries.
On two other occasions
also St. Macarius raised a dead man: once (witnessed by Abba Sisoes) to
exonerate an innocent man accused of murdering the dead man, and once (related
by Rufinus) to save a woman about to be sold into slavery with her children.
A multitude of pilgrims
and the sick flocked to St. Macarius. For them a guest-house was built in the
monastery. The Saint had the custom of healing every day, anointing with oil,
only one sick man, with the wise intention that the sick, remaining longer in
the monastery, would receive spiritual benefit.
Once there came a
priest with his head afflicted with gangrene, with open wounds on his neck. St.
Macarius explained the reason for this: the priest had dared to serve Liturgy
after committing the sin of adultery. The priest promised never again to serve,
and St. Macarius healed him.
Of the Saint's
extraordinary power of prayer and his clairvoyance the following incident will
testify. His young disciple was selling baskets and mats in town. Here he was
subjected to the peril of falling when a harlot, wounded by the beauty of the
youth, by cunning, under the pretext of buying something, lured him to her.
When she began to incline him to sin, the novice cried out to the Lord: "O
Christ and King, Who delivered HIS servant from the belly of the whale, deliver
me also from this sin!" And instantly he was carried off and found himself
in his cell in the desert, where he saw St. Macarius, who with his spiritual
eyes had seen his disciple in danger and had prayed for him to God.
ABBA Macarius
constantly instilled the idea that the foundation of everything is humility:
"If we see that anyone exalts himself and becomes haughty because he is a
participant of grace, then even were he to perform signs and raise the dead, if
he does not acknowledge his soul to be dishonored and debased, and himself poor
in spirit and vile, he is robbed by malice and does nor know it." This
feeling of humility in the presence of an abundance of the gifts of grace is
explained by St. Macarius in an excellent comparison: "If a king leaves
his treasure with a poor man, the one who receives it does not consider this
treasure as his own property, but everywhere acknowledges his poverty, not
daring to spend another's treasure, because he always reasons with himself:
this treasure is not only not mine, but what is more has been left me by a
powerful king, and he, when he wishes, will take it from me. Thus should those
who possess the grace of God think of themselves. If they exalt themselves and
their hearts begin to grow haughty, the Lord will take from them His grace, and
they will be left the same as they were before receiving it." "If
anyone says, 'I have enough and more than enough,' he is deceived and a liar."
St. Macarius related
how once he had had a revelation that he had not attained as yet such
perfection in virtuous life as two women who lived in town. Then he left
immediately on the long journey to town and sought them out, and at his request
they related to him the following concerning themselves: "We married two
brothers and lived together in one house for fifteen years. During this time we
did not utter a single malicious or shameful word and lived together in peace
and harmony. We wanted to leave our husbands and go to a convent, but, even
though we begged with many tears our husbands did not let us go. Then we made a
covenant with God and among ourselves -- not to utter a single worldly word to
our very death." And the Saint said; "In truth God seeks neither
virgin nor married woman, neither monk nor layman, but a free intent, accepting
it as the deed itself, and He grants to the free will of every man the grace of
the Holy Spirit, which operates in a man and directs the life of everyone who
desires to be saved."
"I am not yet a
monk, but I have seen monks," said Abba Macarius to the Nitrian brethren,
and related how once by inspiration from above he went to the inner desert and,
coming to an immense marsh, saw wild animals who had come to drink water. Among
them were two naked men. They informed the Saint that they had dwelt here for
thirty years already and lived on the food of dumb animals. They informed the
Saint that they suffered neither from frost in winter nor from heat in summer.
"What must I do to be a monk?" Macarius asked them. They said;
"If you cannot renounce the world as we have, then go to your cell and
weep over your sins."
The gift of love in St.
Macarius attained the highest degree. His love for his neighbor was revealed
especially in his condescension to the weaknesses of others. By the testimony
of the elders of Scetis, he was as it were an "earthly god" just as
God, they said, while seeing the whole world docs not chastise sinners, so also
Macarius covered up men's weaknesses, which as it were he saw without seeing,
and' heard without hearing.
"Christians,"
he said, "should judge no one, neither an open harlot, nor sinners, nor
dissolute people, but should look upon all with simplicity of soul and a pure
eye. Purity of heart, indeed,' consists in seeing sinful and weak men and
having compassion for them and being merciful. "
With meekness arid
mildness Macarius directed his brethren, inspiring in them above all love for
each other. He said: "If, in giving someone a reprimand, you come in
irritation, then you are: gratifying your passion. In this fashion, without
saving others you cause harm to yourself as well."
Having received power
over evil spirits, St. Macarius could see: them with his spiritual eyes and
enter into conversation with them. Once he saw a demon coming as if with gourd
dishes hanging from him. Questioning him, the Saint discovered that he: was
going to a neighboring monastery to tempt the brethren. In the dishes various
temptations had been prepared as if some kind of victuals. Finding out from the
demon that a certain monk by the name of Theopemptus was to be subjected to
temptations, Abba Macarius hastened to that monastery. All the brethren came
out with palm branches to meet the great and renowned Abba. Each one hoped that
he would stop at his cell, but the Saint went to Theopemptus. The latter was
extremely gladdened and consoled by this. In conversation with Macarius this
brother was ashamed to confess his impure thoughts, and even denied that they
tempted him. Macarius said: "How many years I have labored in asceticism,
and I, an old man, am troubled by the spirit of fornication." And
Theopemptus replied: "Believe me, Abba, I am likewise troubled." The
elder spoke also of other thoughts, as if they tempted him, and in this fashion
brought the monk to complete avowal. Then, having given him instruction on the
battle with thoughts and on fasting, he left him. And from that time [his
brother labored in asceticism more than others.
With love and humility
St. Macarius converted to Christ a certain pagan priest. A disciple of the
Saint met him first and called him a demon. The indignant priest beat the monk
almost to death. When, however, Macarius met him right after this and behaved
kindly to him, this so affected him that he grasped Macarius' feet and said:
"You are a man of God; I will not let you go until you make me a
monk." Following the priest, many pagans too were converted to Christ.
Recalling this incident, the elder said: "A bad word makes bad even the
good, but a good word makes good even the bad."
One youth, desiring to
become a monk, asked St. Macarius: “How may I be saved?" The latter sent
him to the cemetery, at first to rebuke and then to praise the dead, and then
asked him what they had replied. "They were silent both to praise and to
reproach," replied the youth. "And so you too," said the elder,
"if you wish to be saved, be dead like the dead: think neither of insults
from men nor of human glory."
Let us cite several instructions of St.
Macarius:
"If for you disgrace is like praise, poverty
like wealth, insufficiency like abundance, then you will not die."
"If we shall remember the evil that
men have done us, the remembrance of God will grow weak in us; but if we shall
remember the evil brought upon us by demons, we shall be safe from their
arrows."
Asked how to pray, he replied: "It is
enough if you will often repeat from your whole heart: Lord, as it pleases Thee
and as Thou knowest, have mercy on me. And if temptation comes upon you: Lord,
help me! The Lord knows what is profitable for us and has mercy on us."
IF WE speak of Macarius the Great, we
should make note also of his contemporary, St. Macarius of
During the domination of the Arians in the
reign of the Emperor Valens (364-378) there was a severe persecution of the
Orthodox. After the death of Athanasius the Great his see in
An extraordinary and irresistible
impression was produced by St. Macarius on all who came into contact with him.
Divine grace transfigured his whole being. It could be noticed in his glance,
in his speech, and in that extraordinary love which poured out upon all around
him. His word, even the simplest, was always uttered with authority. It created
and built. Filled with divine wisdom and power, it penetrated to the very depth
of the human spirit. Even those who didn't know St. Macarius recognized him
instantly amidst other monks by his extraordinary appearance.
Not long before the death of Macarius, the
desert dwellers of the Mount of Nitria appealed to him with a request:
"Father, so as not to trouble: the whole multitude of the brethren with
coming to you, do you yourself, before: you depart to the Lord, come to
us." When the: Saint came: to them, all with great joy came out to meet
him. The elders begged him to give them all instructions, and St. Macarius
said: "Let us weep, brethren: let our eyes pour out tears before we depart
for a place where our tears will burn our bodies." All burst out weeping,
fell on their faces and begged: "Father, pray for us!"
St. Macarius possessed the grace-bestowed
gift of tears. He often shed them and said : "You will become worthy of
the vision of the wondrous and blessed images of the Jerusalem on high in no
other way than by day and night shedding tears according to the example of him
who said: Every night I flood my bed, I water my couch with my tears (Ps.
6:7). A tear shed from great sorrow and heartfelt distress is food for the
soul, given from heavenly bread."
FOR SIXTY YEARS St. Macarius lived in his
On the day of his death a Cherubim
appeared to him with a multitude of angels and said: "Arise, O follower of
the Lord, and come with us into eternal life.” The Cherubim indicated to him
the throngs of saints who had come out to meet him: "Behold the assembly
of apostles, behold the throng of prophets, behold the multitude of martyrs,
behold the choir of holy hierarchs, fasters, monks and righteous men. Give Unto
me now your soul, which I was commanded by God to preserve during its earthly
life." With the words, "Into Thy hands, 0 Lord, I commend my
spirit," St. Macarius departed to the Lord.
The compiler of his life, Bishop Sarapion
of Thmuis, relates how he heard from St. Paphnutius, the disciple of St.
Macarius, that certain of the fathers saw with their mental eyes the ascension
of the Saint's soul, as they saw also standing in the distance legions of
demons who cried out: "You have escaped our hands, Macarius, you have
escaped!" Only after having reached the gates of paradise did Macarius
answer: "Yes, guarded by the power of my Christ, I have escaped your
snares'"
ANTHONY THE GREAT, in his God-inspired
insights, gave a direction to monasticism for all times, both by his
instructions and rules for beginners and for those in various stages of
spiritual development, and by his guidance for the accomplished. It remained
for following generations only to discover and develop the possibilities which
the great Anthony gave them.
Macarius the Great, the disciple and
closest friend of St. Anthony, having attained the measure of his Abba, not
only assimilated his teaching, but in his writings transmits also his own
contemplations and insights. His Homilies are founded on personal
experience, and therefore their language is clear, expressive, and possessed of
an extraordinary imagery and power. His teaching is the writings of a dweller
of heaven, a heavenly man. To him, who had attained perfection, the spiritual
world and its laws were open. He beholds the soul and sees all that takes place
in it. He indicates to it the path to perfection. He is entirely caught up in
contemplation of God and in exaltation. To him the great Secrets of the world
above are open.
His writings speak to us chiefly of
deification. He develops the philosophy of communion with God, although he built
no philosophical system. "Genuine philosophy is ascetical doing, the
acquisition of the Spirit of Wisdom and Reason. A God-bearing contemplator or
seer of mysteries is a true wise man or lover of wisdom (philosopher)." He
speaks of the acquisition of the Holy Spirit. External labors -- fasting,
vigil, prayer -- are only means to this and are not in themselves an end. This
teaching of the acquisition of the Holy Spirit comes down through the centuries
to our own great Seraphim. In the renowned Conversation with Motovilov
As a precious heritage of the spiritual
wisdom of St. Macarius, there remain to us fifty of his Homilies and
seven Ascetic Treatises.
Several prayers written by Macarius the
Great have entered into Church use. These are:
From the Prayers before Sleep, the first
prayer, “O Eternal God," and the fourth, "What shall I offer Thee."
From the Morning Prayers, the-first
prayer, “O Lord, cleanse mc," the second, "Having risen from
sleep," the third, "To Thee, O Lord," the fourth, “O Lord, Who
in Thy abundant goodness," and according to Greek manuscripts the ninth
also, "O Holy Angel."
The relics of St. Macarius the Great
repose in
