January 19translatedThis page has been translated from Serbian to English. It may contain minor phrasing or syntactic issues.
The Lives of the Saints
1. VENERABLE MACARIUS THE GREAT
Macarius was an Egyptian, one of the younger contemporaries of Anthony the Great. His father was a priest. Out of obedience to his parents he married, but his wife soon died and he withdrew into the desert where he spent a full sixty years in labor and struggle, internal and external, for the heavenly kingdom. When they asked him why he was so thin whether he ate or did not eat, he answered: "From the fear of God." He succeeded so much in purifying his mind from evil thoughts and his heart from evil desires that God gifted him with the abundant gift of wonderworking, so that he even raised the dead from the grave. His humility amazed people and demons. A demon once said to him: "There is only one thing in which I cannot overcome you; it is not fasting, for I never eat anything; it is not vigil either, for I never sleep." "Then what is it?" Macarius asked him. "Your humility," the demon answered. To his disciple Paphnutius, Macarius often said: "Condemn no one, and you will be saved." He lived ninety-seven years. Nine days before his death, Saint Anthony and Saint Pachomius appeared to him from the other world and announced to him that in nine days he would die, which indeed happened. Just before his death a cherub appeared to him who revealed to him in a vision the blessed heavenly world, praised his labor and virtue and told him that he was sent to take his soul into the heavenly Kingdom. He reposed in the year 390.
2. VENERABLE MACARIUS OF ALEXANDRIA
Macarius was born in Alexandria and was at first a fruit seller. He was baptized only in his fortieth year and as soon as he was baptized, he went to ascetic struggle. He was at first a disciple of Saint Anthony together with Macarius the Great, and afterward abbot of the monastery called Cells, between Nitria and Scetis. Somewhat younger than that Macarius, he died later. He lived over one hundred years. Tormented by demonic temptations, especially the temptation of vainglory, he calmed himself with extremely difficult labors and unceasing prayer, raising his mind unceasingly to God. Once a certain brother saw him filling a basket with sand and carrying it up a hill and pouring it out. Astonished, the brother asked him: "What are you doing?" Macarius answered: "I am wearing out the one who is wearing me out" (that is, the devil). He reposed in the year 393, being over 100 years old.
3. SAINT ARSENIUS, BISHOP OF CORFU
He completed and in its present form compiled the rite of the mystery of Holy Unction. He reposed in the year 959. His relics rest in the Cathedral church on Corfu.
4. SAINT MARK, ARCHBISHOP OF EPHESUS
Mark is famous for his courageous defense of Orthodoxy at the Council of Florence despite both emperor and pope. He reposed peacefully in the year 1452. On his deathbed he entreated his disciple George, later the renowned Patriarch Gennadius, to beware of the snares of the West and to defend Orthodoxy.
5. BLESSED THEODORE
Blessed Theodore was a fool-for-Christ of Novgorod. Before death he ran through the streets and shouted to all and everyone: "Forgive me, I am traveling far!" He reposed in the year 1392.
Hymn of Praise
In Egypt in the desert Great love reigned Among simple monks As in a kingdom of saints. Holy Macarius was Like a Cherub among them. In every good deed He was an example to the monks. Macarius fell ill; A monk sought strawberries for him, Went, found them, and brought them To ease his elder's pain. Macarius would not eat, "There is," he said, "a sicker brother, Take them to him: this gift Is more needed by that brother." The second patient wept, To the gift-bearer said: "Forgive! But my neighbor needs This kindness more than I." The gift-bearer took the gift away And gave it to that neighbor, This one gave it to a third, He to a fourth, all in order. From cell to cell, And from brother to brother, Until the last with the strawberries To Macarius—and at the door! "Behold, father, you are sick!" Macarius wept, Seeing the wondrous brotherly love He would not eat them either. On hot sand he poured them And gave thanks to God, That the dead, dry desert, From love became paradise. That brother loves brother more Than he loves himself: "O Lord, this is a gift, A gift of love, a gift from Thee!"
Reflection
The examples of meek endurance of violence which we find in the Holy Fathers are simply marvelous. Once returning from a journey to his cell, Macarius the Great saw a certain thief taking his things out of his cell and loading them on a donkey. Macarius said nothing to him, but even helped him to comfortably load all the things on the donkey, saying to himself: we brought nothing into this world (1 Timothy 6:7). Another certain elder, when robbers took everything from his cell, looked around and saw that they had not taken a certain bundle of money that lay somewhere hidden, so he quickly took that bundle, called after the robbers and gave them that too. A third again, finding thieves plundering his cell, shouted to them: "Hurry, hurry, lest the brethren come and prevent me from fulfilling Christ's commandment: of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again" (Luke 6:30).
Contemplation
Contemplate the Lord Jesus as the salt of the earth, namely: 1. As salt which gives taste to this life in general; 2. As salt which preserves from decay the human race, which would otherwise completely rot from one end of history to the other; 3. As the salt of my own life.
Homily
on the victory over the world
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33)
The Conqueror of the world, the only and unique one, by these words teaches His followers not to fear the world.
Truly the world seems very strong, but is not He who created the world stronger than the world? Very terrible is the world for one who does not know that God rules the world, and that He has the power to keep it in being as long as He wills, and to return it to non-being when He wills. But whoever knows this, for him the world is not terrible.
Compared with Christ the Lord, this world is like a tissue of weaknesses alone, while in Christ the Lord there is not a single weakness. Whoever does not know this, for him the world is terrible, but whoever knows this has no fear of the world.
The world is full of troubles, torments, graves, and the odor of decay—who can endure all this? Only one who has a strong heart. And only one in whose heart Christ dwells has a strong heart.
The world has lent us a body, but for this it wants to take our soul. But how will the world overcome us if we stand as soldiers of the Conqueror of the world?
The Conqueror of the world gives us weapons for battle, by His example teaches us battle, exposes the hidden enemy, shows the way of attack and retreat, upholds us with His hand, shelters us with His wing, feeds us with His life-giving body and gives us to drink of His life-giving blood, and still encourages us calling out: fear not! What then, brethren, can the world do to us, when its defeat is sealed by Christ's victory?
O Lord, Conqueror of the world, and our victorious Commander, be always near us, that we may not be afraid, and guide us, that we too may with heart, mind and soul always be near Thee. To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.