Macarius of Egypt

Makarios, called the Great or the Egyptians, (c. 300 in the Thebaid in Upper Egypt; † around 390 in the Sketischen desert in Egypt) is a disciple of Anthony the Great and have been 60 years have lived as a hermit in the desert.

Under his name incorrectly 50 homilies have been preserved, which have been known since 1595 and had a great influence on the Western mysticism. He is also distinguished from the apologists Macarius Magnes.

Legends and sayings

The " old man boy "

Even as a boy he was said to have a mature, senile -like attitude; the hagiographic tradition saw him as a " boy old man " ( paidariogeron ). In the course of the Arian controversies of the Emperor Valens had him deported together with others on a pagan island. After he had converted the islanders to Christianity ( Sozomen, Historia ecclesiatica VI. 20 and others), he fled in the year 341 in the Sketische desert.

Asceticism

Together with Makarios lived there two companions, one of which was the one his servant and the other a nearby cell inhabited. Makarios acted as priests, fought against the demons and possessed the gift of healing the sick and of prophecy. He had made it a principle to drink in the company of his brothers wine, but after a whole day to take care of each cup no secret of water. When the brothers learned of this, they gave him to drink no wine.

Humility

Once it is the devil who confessed that he has been defeated by him through his humility. In fact Makarios seemed only to see his own mistakes, the mistakes of others he saw when he did not see her, she heard when he did not hear her. He said to his disciples: If we revolve around the evil that people do to us, we deprive ourselves of the ability to think of God. If we make ourselves aware though, that the devil is this evil excited so we will be invincible.

Attentiveness

His disciples, he gave the following exhortation:

Always remember the presence of the Almighty who sees through the thoughts of all men and the hearts explored.

We should say to ourselves: If you fear to sin you from people who are yet sinners, why should not the majesty of the Almighty, before whose eyes everything is open and uncovered there, fear much more!

Last words

According to the testimony of Socrates Scholasticus (hey IV 18) met Makarios to all who came to him with reverence and seriousness. Prior to the end desired to see him again the fathers of the desert. He let her come to him and said: Weep, O brothers weep before we go where our tears burn our body! And all wept, and fell on their faces, and said: Father, pray for us! He died at the age of 90.

Veneration of saints

The body of Makarios is venerated in the Cathedral of Amalfi ( Cattedrale di Sant'Andres ). Iconography, he is shown as a hermit kneeling on a prie-dieu in a rocky cell in his left hand a book, holding in his right hand a cross, undeterred by the demonic figures that flit around him, the prayers incumbent. The history associated with it attribute is provided with a straight handle bar. An image of Pietro Laurati shows the death of the saint who is surrounded by his monks.

Makarios monasteries

In the " desert of St. Macarius " met Konstantin von Tischendorf in the 19th century, four monasteries, which bore his name. About the lifestyle of the monks, he wrote: We met fifteen brothers. Their faces were all pale, several morbidly yellowish. In the eyes suffered most; the head was completely blind. The cells are dark, almost carved in stone chambers or cubby to the flat earth, with no windows; only through the door falls in the light. The monastic diet is more than lean. Meat you eat on very few days of the year; the greater part of the year you can enjoy nothing but bread, dipped in a broth of very malodor taste, lentils, onions and linseed oil. During the service, they all perform a wooden stick with it. This is called the rod Makariosstab. I also saw always the hl. Makarios shown with this character image. And from the head of a second monastery he told: The Oldest Monastery was an old man of a hundred and twenty years. Blinded, he has been a long time. In its narrow, dark chamber he adheres to a crossbeam, and singing or praying loudly day and night; only an hour he sleeps. This evening of life has a beautiful train. So deep so attached to this old man, who must have seen four people age, the narrow valley of the earth in the sky with his holy lights, that being of the world already divorced eye only God sees that his lip only pray!