Oblate Program at Belmont Abbey, NC

Tag: Macarius

Abba Macarius and the Talking Skull

Abba Macarius said, ‘Walking in the desert one day, I found the skull of a dead man, lying on the ground. As I was moving it with my stick, the skull spoke to me. I said to it, “Who are you?” The skull replied, “I was high priest of the idols and of the pagans… Read More ›

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The soul that loves God

The soul that really loves God and Christ, though it may do ten thousand righteousnesses, esteems itself as having wrought nothing, by reason of its insatiable aspiration after God. Though it should exhaust the body with fastings, with watchings, its attitude towards the virtues is as if it had not yet even begun to labour for them.     Souls that… Read More ›

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Sin can only be defeated by God

To uproot sin and the evil that is so imbedded in our sinning can  be done only by divine power, for it is impossible and outside man’s competence to uproot sin.  To struggle, yes, to continue to fight, to  inflict blows, and to receive setbacks is in your power.  To uproot,  however, belongs to God… Read More ›

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The meeting-place of angels, and the harbor of all Souls

(At the consecration of a monastic church dedicated to St. Macarius, the Coptic patriarch Benjamin I, 622-661, relates) When I had finished the divine service and communicated the clergy, I saw again a great grace which I must not hide from thee.  For when the old men came up for communion, I saw a vapour… Read More ›

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Uprooting sin belongs to God Alone

To uproot sin and the evil that is so imbedded in our sinning can be done only by divine power, for it is impossible and outside man’s competence to uproot sin.  To struggle, yes, to continue to fight, to inflict blows, and to receive setbacks is in your power.  To uproot, however, belongs to God… Read More ›

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Blessed be the Lord in all things

When Abba Macarius was in Egypt, he found a man who had brought a beast to his cell and he was steeling his possessions. He went up to the thief as though he were a traveler who did not live there and helped him to load the beast and led him on his way in… Read More ›

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Kind and humble speech would turn evil men to better

Once when the Abbot Macarius was climbing up the mountain in Nitria, he bade his disciple go a little way before him. And as he went on ahead, the disciple met a priest of the idols, hurrying swiftly, and carrying a great log. And the disciple shouted at him, “Where are you going so fast,… Read More ›

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How Should We Pray

They asked Abba Macarius, “How should we pray?” And the old man replied, “There is no need to speak much in prayer; often stretch out your hands and say, “Lord, as you will and as you know, have mercy on me.” But if there is war in your soul, add, “Help me!” and because he… Read More ›

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Faith and Trust

It was said of Abba Macarius the Egyptian that one day when he was going up from Scetis with a load of baskets, he sat down, overcome with weariness and began to say to himself, “My God, you know very well that I cannot go any farther,” and immediately he found himself at the river…. Read More ›

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Abba Macarius and the Hyena

While Abba Macarius was praying in his cave in the desert, a hyena suddenly appeared and began to lick his feet and taking him gently by the hem of his tunic, she drew him towards her own cave. He followed her, saying, “I wonder what this animal wants me to do?” When she had led… Read More ›

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