 |
|
Abba Moses the Strong
 Moses, called the Robber or the Negro, was a released slave who lived as a robber in Nitria; late in life he became a
monk and was trained by Isidore the Priest. He was ordained priest and became one of the great fathers of Scetis. On the advice of Macarius he retired to Petra; he was martyred with seven others barbarian invaders.
1. It happened that Abba Moses was struggling with the
temptation of fornication. Unable to stay any longer in the
cell, he went and told Abba Isidore. The old man exhorted
him to return to his cell. But he refused, saying, 'Abba, I
cannot.' Then Abba Isidore took Moses out onto the terrace
and said to him, 'Look towards the west.' He looked and saw
hordes of demons flying about and making a noise before
launching an attack. Then Abba Isidore said to him, 'Look
towards the east.' He turned and saw an innumerable
multitude of holy angels shining with glory. Abba Isidore
said, 'See, these are sent by the Lord to the saints to bring
them help, while those in the west fight against them. Those
who are with us are more in number than they are.' Then
Abba Moses, gave thanks to God, plucked up courage and
returned to his cell.
2. A brother at Scetis committed a fault. A council was
called to which Abba Moses was invited, but he refused to
go to it. Then the priest sent someone to say to him, 'Come,
for everyone is waiting' for you. 'So he got up and went. He
took a leaking jug, filled it with water and carried it with him. The others came out to meet him and said to him, 'What is this, Father?' The old man said to them, (my sins ran out behind me, and I do not see them, and today I am coming to judge the errors of another.' When they heard that they said no more to the brother but forgave him.
3. Another day when a council was being held in Scetis,
the Fathers treated Moses with contempt in order to test
him, saying, 'Why does this black man come among us?'
When he heard this he kept silence. When the council was
dismissed, they said to him, 'Abba, did that not grieve you at
all? 'He said to them, 'I was grieved, but I kept silence.'
4. It was said of Abba Moses that he was ordained and
the ephod was placed upon him. The archbishop said to him,
'See, Abba Moses, now you are entirely white.' The old man
said to him, 'It is true of the outside, lord and father, but what about Him who sees the inside?' Wishing to test him the
archbishop said to the priests, 'When Abba Moses comes into
the sanctuary, drive him out, and go with him to hear what
he says.' So the old man came in and they covered him with
abuse, and drove him out, saying, 'Outside, black man!'
Going out, he said to himself, 'They have acted rightly
concerning you, for your skin is as black as ashes. You are
not a man so why should you be allowed to meet men?'
5. Once the order was given at Scetis, 'Fast the week.'
Now it happened that some brothers came from Egypt to
visit Abba Moses and he cooked something for them. Seeing
some smoke, the neighbours said to the ministers, 'Look,
Moses has broken the commandment and has cooked
something in his cell.' The ministers said, 'When he comes,
we will speak to him ourselves.' When the Saturday came,
since they knew Abba Moses' remarkable way of life, the
ministers said to him in front of everyone, 'O Abba Moses,
you did not keep the commandment of men, but it was so
that you might keep the commandment of God.'
6. A brother came to Scetis to visit Abba Moses and
asked him for a word. The old man said to him, 'Go, sit in
your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.'
7. Abba Moses said, 'The man who flees and lives in
solitude is like a bunch of grapes ripened by the sun, but he
who remains amongst men is like an unripe grape.'
8. The magistrate heard about Abba Moses one day and
he went to Scetis to see him. They told the old man. He got
up and fled to the marsh. Some people met him and said to
him, 'Old man, tell us where the cell of Abba Moses is.' He
said to them, 'What do you want with him? He is a fool.' So
the magistrate went back to the church and said to the
ministers, 'I heard people talk about Abba Moses and I went
to see him, but there was an old man going into Egypt who
crossed our path and we asked him where Abba Moses' cell
is, and he said to us , "What do you want with him? He is a
fool."' When they heard this, the clergy were offended and
said, 'What kind of an old man was it who spoke like that
about the holy man to you?' He said, 'An old man wearing
old clothes, a big black man. 'They said, 'It was Abba Moses
himself and it was in order not to meet you that he said that.'
The magistrate went away greatly edified.
9. At Scetis Abba Moses used to say, 'If we keep the
commandments of our Fathers, I will answer for it on God's
behalf that the barbarians will not come here. But if we do
not keep the commandments of God, this place will be
devastated.'
10. One day, when the brethren were sitting beside him,
he said to them, 'Look, the barbarians are coming to Scetis
today; get up and flee.' They said to him, 'Abba, won't you
flee too?' He said to them, 'As for me, I have been waiting
for this day for many years, that the word of the Lord Christ
may be fulfilled which says, "All who take the sword will
perish by the sword."' (Matt. 26.52) They said to him, 'We
will not flee either, but we will die with you.' He said to
them: 'That is nothing to do with me; let everyone decide for
himself whether he stops or not.' Now there were seven
brothers there and he said to them, 'Look, the barbarians are
drawing near to the door.' They came in and slew them. But
one fled and hid under the cover of a pile of rope and he saw
seven crowns descending and crowning them.
11. A brother questioned Abba Moses saying, 'I see
something in front of me and I am not able to grasp it.' The-
'old man said to him, 'If you do not become dead like those
who are in the tomb, you will not be able to grasp it.'
12. Abba Poemen said that a brother asked Abba Moses
how someone could consider himself as dead towards his
neighbour. The old man said to him, 'If a man does not think
in his heart that he is already three days dead and in the
tomb, he cannot attain this saying.'
|
|
|
|
