Macrina the Younger

Macrina the Younger ( * 330 327, † 379 ) was a consecrated virgin and the older sister of St. Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste. She was a similarly outstanding spiritual personality as their brethren, whose life she had a strong influence. She is worshiped in the Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican and the Armenian Church as saints, within the meaning of Article 21 of the Augsburg Confession by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Your Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican feast day is July 19, the Armenian on 18 July and the Protestant on June 14.

Her parents Basil the Elder and Emmelia and their grandmother were also saints, Macrina was the eldest of ten children of a respected and wealthy family in Cappadocia. She received the name of her grandmother, father hand Macrina the Elder, a disciple of Gregory the miracle worker who suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Christians under Diocletian. Because of a dream her mother, she also received the name after the holy Thekla Thekla.

Macrina was carefully educated, where the mother used the Psalms and the Book of Wisdom instead of the usual not always morally impeccable poems. According to Gregory of Nyssas dialogue on the soul and resurrection Makrinas education must also include philosophy and natural science. As a beautiful girl from respected and wealthy family, she had numerous suitors. Her father became engaged as a fourteen year old with a young rhetorician from the extended family. After the early death of her fiancé to Macrina decided her fiance to remain faithful and to be a supporter of her mother, not only in the home but after the early death of her father and in the administration of the vast family estates. She moved with her mother to a family estate at Iris in Pontus and persuaded the mother gradually to lead an ascetic life with her.

Macrina had great influence on their younger siblings and was an authority for them: His father died shortly after the youngest son Peter birth. Macrina took over the education of her youngest brother and was after Gregory's words father, mother, educator and teacher for him. Gregory himself addressed them with teachers and spoke with the utmost respect of their wisdom and their knowledge. When he visited the meanwhile, the famous bishop and told her about his difficulties in the Arian controversy, explained to him the older sister that he should not be so ungrateful. Its much more talented and more educated father had been known only in Pontus, but he now spoke cities and nations - he should realize that this was due to the prayers of his parents, and he himself had brought little or no talent for such a success.

When Basil came back from his training, obviously proud of his knowledge and skills, Macrina introduced him vigorously to task and converted him instead of pursuing his career as a rhetorician, also to asceticism.

After her mother's death, Macrina was the leader of a community of consecrated virgins in Pontus, where her brother visited her after the death of Basil, and was on his deathbed. Her life is portrayed by her brother Gregory of Nyssa in the life of Macrina and dialogue on the soul and the resurrection, where he represents as his spiritual teacher.