St. Macarius of Alexandria

From. Palladium, Bishop of Helenopolis, some time disciple of the Saint, Historia Lav.siaca, chap. 19, Ru.fi.nu* and others

ST. MACARIUS, commonly called the Alexandrian, to distinguish him from the other St. Macarius, of whom we have been just treating, was born at Alexandria about the beginning of the fourth century. In his younger days he endeavored to obtain an honest livelihood by selling fruit, sweetmeats, and such like wares, till being called by God to greater perfection, he for sook all things to follow Christ in an anchoretical life, and put himself under the direction of St. Antony, in srder to learn from so great a master the true science of the saints. The progress he made in this school oi grace, was so extraordinary, that he became qualified to instruct many others in the way of perfection, as St. Antony himself saw and acknowledged, when one day Macarius being with him, and asking him for some beautiful palm-branches, which ho kept for hia work, be told him it was written: Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's goods: at which words the palm-branches in an instant actually withered away, and grew quite as dry as if they had been touched by the fire, which St. Antony, seeing, told Macarius that he perceived the Spirit of God had taken up his abode ic his soul; and that from this time forward he should look upon him as the heir and successor of all those graces and gifts which the divine bounty had bestow ed upon himself.

Shortly after the devil seeing him in his wilderness exceedingly fatigued with travelling, and quite exhausted for want of food, suggested to him, since you have received the grace of Antony, why do not you make use of his power, and ask the necessary supply of food and strength from God, that you may be en abled to pursue your journey? The Saint replied: " The Lord is my strength — the Lord is my glory; — but as for thee, Satan, be gone, and don't presume to tempt one that is determined to be the servant of his divine Majesty." The devil upon this assumed the shape of a camel that appeared to be wandering about the desert, laden with all kinds of necessaries for life, and coming up he stood near to the Saint, who suspecting it to 'be a diabolical illusion, prayed to God, and presently the phantom sunk into the earth, and disappeared.

From the desert of Thebais, where St. Antony re sided, Macarius passed to that of Scete, and partly there ox on mount Nitria, or in the neighboring wilderness called Cellia, or the place of the cells, he spent the greatest part of his mortal life. In this last place he was, on account of his eminent sanctity, or dained priest, and in that quality had the charge of the church, and the superiority and direction of all the saintly souls that lived dispersed in separate cells throughout that holy solitude. Here his virtues shined forth with such extraordinary lustre and miracles, as to make him be looked upon, both then and ever since, as one of the brightest lights of the Church of God in his time, and on that account he had also a great share in the persecution which fell in a particular manner upon the religious of these quarters, under Valens the Arian emperor; when he was also, as we have seen above, sent into banishment with some other servants of God, who had miraculously converted the inhabitants of the island to which they were banished from idolatry to the faith of Christ.

As to the employment of his time in these wilder nesses, we find he distributed it in such manner, ao to spend the best part of it in prayer, in which he ex ercised himself a hundred times in the space of every twenty-four hours; another part-he dedicated to manual labor, in order to obtain his livelihood: and the remainder he gave to those that came to consult him about the affairs of their souls, and to receive his instructions. In the mean time, the austerities of tho penitential life to which he condemned himself were so great, that we may truly say, they were more to be admired than imitated. His fasts were long and rigorous: — for seven years he never eat anything but raw herbs or pulse, moistened with cold water, with out bread, or any thing whatever that had come near the fire. — For three years more he lived only upon four or five ounces of bread in the day, with water in proportion. Once, for the space of twenty days, ho labored to live without any sleep whatever; and to this purpose, during all that time, he never entered under any cover, but exposed himself the whole day to the parching heat of the sun, and all the night abroad to the cold air, till unable to hold out any longer, he was at tength constrained to yield to nature. At another lime, to punish himself for a small fault, or as others say, no fault, but to extinguish a temptation of the flesh, he condemned himself to pass six whole months in the marshes of Scete, in the remote parts of the dec<ert, infested, by a number of large gnats with stings like wasps; by which, during his course of penance, he was so roughly treated, and stung in so terrible a manner, that at his return home his whole body appeared like that of a leper, and he could only be known by his voice.

The reputation of the extraordinary austerities, and the excellent lives of the religious of Tabenna, under fH ST. MACARKS OF ALEXANDRIA.

their holy founder St. Pachomius, inspired Macar- w with a desire of going- thither and joining their holy company, yet so as not to be known who or what he was. In order thereto, having changed his habit for the dress of a common laborer, he travelled fifteen days' journey through the deserts till at length he ar rived at the monastery of Tabenna. Here calling for the Abbot St. Fachomius, he begged to be admitted amongst his monks. The abbot told him, that at his time of life he could not be able to conform himself to the austerities which were practised in his monastery, and therefore refused to admit him. Macarius how ever did not desist, but continued seven days at the gate, begging for admission, and fasting the whole time, till his perseverance prevailed with the abbot and community to receive him. Arid now the penitential time of Lent arrived, in which the religious assigned to themselves the particular exercises of devotion and penance in which they designed to pass that holy time: some of them resolving to eat but once in two days, — others only twice in a week, — others again, after spending the whole day in manual labor, proposing to watch and pass the night in prayer without ever lying down to take their rest. Macarius for hi? part said nothing; but gathering together a large provision of the leaves of the palm-trees for making mats, passed the whole time standing at work in a corner by himself, with his heart raised to God in silent prayer without once sitting down or leaning against any thing whatever. He eat only on the Lord's day, and thon nothing but some raw leaves of cabbage, without bread or any thing else, or even drinking any liquid whatso ever The rest of the religious observing him to practice these extraordinary austerities, began to murmur against their abbot for having admitted amongst them, for their condemnation, a man that seemed not to be made of flesh and blood; whereupon St. Pachomius, who was frequently favored with divine revelations, applying himself to God in prayer, with a desire to know7 who this person was that had passed the Lent in so extraordinary a manner, learnt from God that it was the Abbot Macarius, of whose sanctity he had heard so much. Whereupon taking him by the hand, and leading hirn into the chapel before the altar of the monastery, he said: " Is it then you, venerable Father? Are you the celebrated Macarius, and would not let me know it! As it is a long time since I have had a desire to see you, now I must return you thanks for the stay you have made amongst us, by which you have humbled my children, and taught them not to think much of their own austerities. You have sufficiently edified us by your presence, I beg of you, there fore, to return home and pray for us." And thus dis missed the Saint, requesting him to go back to his former habitation.

But if these rigorous penances and extraordinary

19* ST. MACfARIUS OF ALEXANDRIA.

austerities of St. Macarius may seem to be beyond the reach of our imitation, we cannot say as much with respect to the following instance of the spirit, as well of mortification as of charity, which both himself and his brethren showed upon a less occasion, as recorded in the history of his life. Some one having sent him a fine bunch of grapes at a time when he had a longing desire after that kind of fruit, in order to exercise himself at once both in abstinence and charity, he sent them to another solitary, who being sick and infirm stood more in need of them. The good sick man, after thankfully receiving the present, which, had he follow ed his own inclinations, he would gladly have eaten, through the same spirit of mortification and charity, refrained from eating them, and sent them to a third who lived at some distance in the wilderness, the third again in like manner to a fourth; and so on till they had passed from one to another of most of the inhabit ants of the cells dispersed through the desert, without any one ever tasting them. At length he who received them last, not knowing from whom they first came, and thinking they might be agreeable to their holy father, sent them to St. Macarius. The Saint perceiving the grapes to be the very same, and learning also upon inquiry through how many hands they had pass ed, gave God thanks for that spirit of abstinence and self-denial which his brethren had showed on this occasion; and for his own part was animated thereby to

A greater fervor in all the exercises of a spiritual life, but nevertheless could not be induced to eat of the grapes himself.

As to the miracles of our Saint, church history as sures us, that the two Saints Macarius were equally illustrious, not only for the works of faith, but also for the miraculous graces, and other supernatural gifts wherewith God favored them; — that they equally ex celled in the knowledge of the secrets of God, — in the power they had to make themselves terrible to the devils, — to cure diseases, and work all kinds of won ders. It is particularly recorded of our Saint, that he had an extraordinary grace in casting out unclean spirits, and delivering numbers that were either possessed or assaulted by them. The tempter one day took occasion from thence to suggest to him thoughts of vain-glory, which tended to withdraw him from his solitude, under the specious pretext of doing good to many, and to carry him to Rome, that he might exercise his talents in casting out devils, and curing all diseases in the capital of the universe. Macarius saw through the deceit, and strongly resisted the suggestion: and as the temptation did not cease, but rather acquired additional strength, he laid himself prostrate on the threshold of his cell, and cried out to the demon of vain-glory, by whom he was tempted, that he would remain there till the evening; and that if he would remove him from thence, it should be by main force, for that with his good will he would never go, violently soever he might tempt him. After sun-set finding the temptation returning again with more violence than ever, he took a large basket that held two bushels, and filling it with sand, laid it on his should trs, and being loaded in this manner, walked up and down in the desert. Theosebius, surnamed Cosmetor, a native of Antioch, having met him whilst he was at this exercise, said: " What is the meaning of this, holy father? Why do you thus torment yourself? Let me ease you of your burthen." Macarius replied: " I am plaguing one that is plaguing me: and who, seeing that I am lazy at home, will needs have me go and travel abroad:" and thus he continued carrying about his load of sand, till being quite wearied and spent, and all bruised with his burthen, he returned to his cell.

As to the particulars of the many miracles wrought by St. Macarius, we shall not pretend to recount them here: we shall only take notice of one recorded by Palladius, of which he was an eye-witness. This* prelate relates, that being at that time himself a disciple of the Saint, he came one day to his cell, and found there lying before the door, a priest of a country parish, in the most wretched condition that can be ima gined; his head being eaten in such a manner by a cancer, that a great part of his skull was seen quite bare. lie came hither to seek his cure from the

Baint, who would take no notice of him whatsoever. Upon which Palladius going* in, began to intercede for him. The Saint answered, that he was unworthy to be delivered from this evil, which God had sent him for a punishment. " But," said he, " if you desire he should be cured, prevail on him to resolve never more to presume to approach the altar to celebrate the sacred mysteries. For this punishment has been sent him on account of being guilty of acts of impurity, arid saying mass in that sinful condition." Palladius told the poor man what the Saint had said; when upon his promising with an oath never more to exercise any of the priestly functions, the Saint received him into his cell, and after he had confessed his sins, with a sincere resolution of never more returning to them, he laid his hands upon him, and in a few days ient him home perfectly cured and glorifying God.

As to the other extraordinary gifts and graces of St. Macarius, it is recorded of him that he frequently s?;iw in spirit, not only the state of the souls of his re-. ligious at the time of their communion, but also their inward thoughts and dispositions in the time of prayer. One night the devil knocked at his cell, crying out; " Arise, abbot Macarius, that we may accompany the brethren to midnight prayers." The Saint knowing, by the light of God, that it was the enemy, replied: " And what hast thou to do, O lying spirit, thou eneaiy of all truth, with the assembly of the Saints, 01 their night prayers? " " Assure thyself, replied the devil, " that the religious never meet to pray without us: Come along, and thou shalt see/' The Saint having previously prayed to God that he might know whether what the devil vaunted of was true or not, went to the place where the brethren were assembled for the night office; and at the time they were reciting the psalms, saw a number of these wicked spirits in the shape of filthy blackamoors, running about the church, and playing a variety of tricks, with a view either to distract the religious, or overcome them with sleep; and when, after the twelve psalms were ended, they prostrated themselves in silent prayer, he perceived how busy they were about them, representing to one the figure of a woman, — to another a building or a journey, — and to others a prodigious variety of such like phantoms and images. Now there were some of the brethren who seemed to drive them away by a superior force, and to fling them down upon their backs with so much violence that they durst not approach them any more; whilst Dthers, more indolent and negligent, suffered them to ride upon their heads and shoulders, and to make a mockery of them at pleasure. The Saint being much moved with this spectacle, addressed himself to God, with many tears, in behalf of his religious, begging he would deliver them from all the snares and deceits of these spirits of darkness: using these words of the

ST. MACAEIUS OE ALEXANDRIA. 2CI ruyK! prophet, Ps. Ixvii. Let God arise, a«!-J let his enemies be scattered: and let them that hate him flee from before his face. After the prayers were ended, calling to him the brethren, he found upon enquiring of each one in particular that had been so distracted with those vain or wicked imaginations which tha Saint had seen represented to them by those blacks; hence they came to understand that those distracting thoughts, which so often interrupt the attention and devotion of the soul at the divine office or other prayers, are illusions of the wicked spirit: and that the best way to repel them and keep them at a distance, is to watch over ourselves, and to keep our souls closely united to God by a fervent application of all its powers and faculties.

It is also recorded of St. Macarius, that being one day in company with the other Saint of the same name, and obliged to pass over the Nile in a barge that served for that purpose, i. happened that two tribunes or colonels were ferried over at the same time, each having a pompous equipage and great retinue to attend him. These officers beholding the two Saints in their mean garb at one end of the barge, with all that sererity, recollection, and interior peace of mind, which seemed apparent in their faces, to gether with a sovereign contempt of all that this world admires, could not help extolling to each other the happiness of such a kind of life as that which these servants of God led. Accordingly one of them addressing himself to the Saints, said: " You are both happy, who are thus above the world, and tread it under your feet. You speak as if it were by a prophetic light," replied our Saint, "in calling us kappy, for the name of both of us is Macarius, which in the Greek signifies happy. But if you have great reason to say, that they who have renounced all things else to consecrate themselves entirely to the service of God are happy, inasmuch as they tread the world under their feet, we have also great reason to compassionate your happiness, in being slaves to the world, and suffering yourselves to be mocked by it." These words of the Saint made so deep an impression upon him, that on his return home he resigned his commission, — distributed his substance to the poor, — and quitting the world, embraced a solitary and religious life.

We shall conclude our account of the life of St. Macarius with a remarkable history, recorded by St. Jerome, of a certain solitary of Nitria, who by the price of his work, which was making linen-cloth, had saved so much money, that when he died there was fijund by him the sum of one hundred crowns. The religious assembled on this extraordinary occasion to deliberate what should be done with the money; which some thought should be given to the poor or to the church, and others to the kindred of the deceased. But Macarius, our Saint, Pambo, Isidore, and others who were called the fathers, being inspired bj the Holy Ghost, ordained that they should cast the money into the grave together with the corpse, repeat ing those words of St. Peter to Simon Magus, Keep ih*y fnoney to thyself, to perish with thee. And this whole some severity spread such a terror amongst all the religious of Egypt, that they looked upon it as a crime for any one of there +o leave so much as ono crown behind them after death.

St. Macarius, after having served God for sixty years in a religious life, departed to our Lord about the year 395. His name is registered in the Roman Marty r-ology on the second of January.