Synaxarium

On this day is the commemoration of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Glorious in the flesh, for the salvation of the world. The Holy Scripture mentions that a great darkness covered the face of the whole earth from the sixth hour to the ninth hour, as the sun hid its rays when it saw its Creator hidden in the visible flesh and suspended by His will on the wood of the cross. He bowed His head and gave up the spirit. The Holy Church teaches us that His divinity did not separate from His humanity for one moment or the blink of an eye, and that He descended into Hades before the crucifixion to save those imprisoned there. Accordingly, the Apostle Peter said: "Who was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which also He went and preached to the spirits in prison" (1 Peter 3:18-19). In the heavens He was exalted, and on earth a Savior; glorified be His power. There is no place without Him. He redeemed us by His own self and opened for us the door of His kingdom, to Him be glory, power, and authority forever. Amen.

On this day in the year 8 A.M. (392 A.D.) the blessed father, the lamp of the wilderness, the father of all monks, the great saint Anba Macarius, departed. This saint was born in Shibshir in the district of Menouf to pious and righteous parents. His father's name was the priest Abraham, and they had no children. One night he saw in a vision a person sent by the Lord who told him: God will grant you a son whose name will be famous in the lands of the earth, and you will be granted spiritual sons. After some time, this saint was granted a son whom he named Macarius the Blessed. He was obedient to his parents, and the grace of God was upon him from his youth. When he grew up, his parents married him off against his will. He pretended to be ill for some days, then persuaded his father to let him go to the wilderness for a change of air, and his father allowed him. He went and prayed to the Lord Jesus to help him do what pleases Him. When he was in the wilderness, he saw a vision of a cherub with wings who took him by the hand and ascended him to the top of a mountain, showing him the entire wilderness east, west, north, and south, and told him that God had given him this mountain as an inheritance for him and his sons after him. When he returned from the wilderness, he found his wife had died while still a virgin, and he thanked the Lord Jesus greatly. After that, his parents died, and he distributed all their inheritance to the poor. The people of Shibshir saw his purity and chastity, so they took him to the bishop of Ashmoun, who ordained him a priest over them. They built him a place outside the town, and they would come to him and draw near, appointing a servant to sell his handiwork and provide for his needs.

When Satan saw his exaltation in virtue, he brought upon him a severe trial. He incited a girl who had committed evil with a young man to claim that Saint Macarius was the one who brought this evil upon her. When her people learned of this, they insulted and severely beat him, which he endured silently. When the woman went into labor, she suffered for four days without giving birth until she confessed her falsehood against the saint and named the young man who seduced her.

When the girl's people saw this, they came back to him asking forgiveness for what they had done to him. He fled from them to avoid worldly glory. At that time, he was thirty years old. When he thought not to return to his village, the angel of the Lord appeared to him and traveled with him for two days until they reached the Nitrian Valley. Then the saint said, "Lord, appoint for me a place to dwell." He answered, "No, lest you leave it later and be contrary to the word of the Lord. The whole wilderness is yours; choose any place you wish to dwell." So he dwelt in the inner wilderness where the monastery of Saints Maximus and Domadius is, now known as the Baramous Monastery.

When he went to visit Saint Anthony, he said upon seeing him, "This is truly an Israelite without deceit." He then clothed him with the sacred habit and returned to his place. When the brethren increased around him, he built for them a beautiful church. His fame spread, and kings heard of the many miracles he performed. The angel of the Lord appeared to him and brought him to the top of the mountain by the western salty lake and informed him to take that place as his dwelling. He built a cell and a church there because many people would come to him (1), now known as the Monastery of Saint Macarius.

One day he thought the world was devoid of righteous people, and a voice from heaven said to him: "Know that there are two women in the city of Alexandria who fear the Lord." He took his staff and went to Alexandria, inquiring until he reached their home. When he entered, they welcomed him and washed his feet with warm water. When he asked about their conduct, one of them said: "We are not related by blood. When we married these two brothers, we asked them to let us become monks, but they did not allow us. So we vowed to spend our lives fasting until evening and praying much. Each of us was granted a child. When one cries, the other holds and nurses him, even if he is not her own child. We live together in unity of mind and purpose, and our husbands tend the sheep. We are poor and suffice with our daily bread, and what remains we distribute to the poor and needy." When the saint heard this, he exclaimed, "Truly God looks at the readiness of hearts and grants the grace of His Holy Spirit to all who wish to worship Him." He bid them farewell and returned to the wilderness.

There was a monk in Oxyrhynchus who misled people by saying there is no resurrection of the dead. The bishop of Oxyrhynchus came to Saint Macarius and complained about this monk. He went to him and remained with him until he returned from his error. On the day of his departure, he saw Saints Anthony and Pachomius and a group of saints and angels, and he gave up the spirit at the age of ninety-seven years.

He had instructed his disciples to hide his body, but some people from Shibshir came and stole his body and built a church for him, placing his body there for about one hundred and sixty years until the days of the Arab rule and the building of the cells, when they returned it to his monastery.

It is recorded in the manuscript of Shebin El-Kom that Saint Pbenoudhis, his disciple, saw the soul of the saint ascending to heaven, and the demons shouted after him saying: "You have overcome us, Macarius." He answered them: "I have not overcome you yet." When he reached the gate of heaven, they shouted again: "You have overcome us." He replied as before. When he entered the gate of heaven, they shouted: "You have overcome us, Macarius." He said to them: "Blessed be the Lord Jesus Christ who saved me from your hands." May his prayers be with us. Amen.

On this day, Saint Domicius was martyred. It is recorded that during the days of the unbelieving Emperor Julian, Shapur II Arshak, king of Persia, who was peaceful towards the Roman state and paid tribute to Emperor Constantine, the beloved of God, prepared an army to fight the Romans. At that time, Saint Domicius received the crown of martyrdom because after Julian offered sacrifices to his idols in the city of Cassius, which is six miles from Antioch where the idol Apollo was, the enemy of God, accompanied by soothsayers and magicians, advanced with the Roman army to meet the Persians. Passing through a secluded place, he saw a large crowd of men, women, and children because the sick were healed by the prayers of Domicius, the servant of God.