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Abba Macarius the Great
 Saint Macarius, one of the founding fathers of monasticism, was born in Upper Egypt around the year 300, and died in 390. The area were he lived, and in fact the whole of Egypt, had been profoundly affected by the ascetic efforts of Saint Anthony the Great, whose desert settlement was known far and wide as a place of holy living. During his early years, Saint Macarius lived in an atmosphere of respect and reverence for the monastic life, and he chose follow that path himself fairly early in life. Several extraordinary things, however, happened to him on his way to this solitary life.
He began as a monk and was soon approached by churchmen who wanted him to be ordained, but like other great monks such as Saint Anthony and Saint Pakhomius, he wanted to avoid ordination, so he scaped to another village. At this new cite, he was to have an experience that almost changed the course of his life completely. An unmarried pregnant girl accused him of fathering her child. The pious saint did not protest; he quietly accepted the responsibility she had unjustly laid on him, and was attacked and beaten by the villagers and the girl's family, who demanded that he supported her. He did so, selling the baskets he wove and giving the money to her parents.
When the time came for the girl to give birth, she cried out that it was not Saint Macarius, but another man who was her baby's father. As soon as they heard this, the villagers felt ashamed of the way they had treated the saint, and went to ask his forgiveness. When they had arrived at his little hut, they found it completely empty; he had fled from their praise and flattery.
Saint Macarius was now on his way to Scetics, where he would spend most of his remaining sixty years of his life.
Saint Macarius' relationship with his fellow monks was a very special one. To them he was the 'aged youth' because, although he was young, having been thirty when he came to Scetis in the year 330, he had depth and wisdom of a person much older. But for all his wisdom and the high regard in which people held him, Saint Macarius had no wish to be treated with awe and reverence.
The monks new that Saint Macarius was kind and extremely vigilant in his personal discipline, though very privately and secretly. There were those who knew that when Saint Macarius visited a sick monk who asked for sherbet to cool his burning tongue, the saint went in secret haste to bring it all the way from Alexandria.
Saint Macarius also knew how to be kind to those outside the Christian community. He knew that loving words had a greater effect than harsh ones.
The story is told of his once having walked with younger monk, and meeting a pagan priest whom the younger monk greeted rather insultingly. But Saint Macarius gave him a loving greeting, so much that the pagan asked why Saint Macarius was so thoughtful. The monk answered that he felt sorry for one who did not know that all his worship and effort were in vain. So deeply impressed was the pagan that he ended by joining the monastery, and becoming a model Christian, who attacked many other pagans by his own love and care for them.
Saint Macarius' love for his brothers led him to
take the most unusual step in the year 340. He felt the
need for the monks to worship together at Liturgy in
their own monastery, not traveling forty miles or have
occasional visiting priests as they had done up to then,
so he was ordained. The monks could receive the
sacraments together, which would serve to strengthen
the bonds of love and mutual care among them all.
By the year 374. Saint Macarius' strength was
to be tested in the most severe way. Saint Athanasius
the Apostolic died, and his crusade against the heresy
of Arianism was over. An Arian bishop was forcibly put
at the throne of Alexandria, with the support of Emperor Valens. Saint Macarius was quick to join other of the Orthodox Faith who resisted this move, refusing to acknowledge the new bishop, or to preach heretical doctrines. With many other monks, priests, and bishops, Saint Macarius soon found himself exiled to a small pagan island in the Delta.
While he was there with Saint Macarius of
Alexandria, a pagan priest's daughter began to have
terrible fits, and everyone agreed that she was possessed by a demon. The two monks were able to
heal her, and in gratitude, the people tore down there
pagan shrine and replaced it with a church. Hearing of
this, the authorities were quick to send both monks
back to their respective monasteries.
Following this incident, Saint Macarius returned
to Scetis, where he continued to build on the foundations of monastic living laid by Saint Anthony and Saint Pachomius. His monastery grew and prospered, as did monastic life in general. May his blessings be with us all.
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