Synaxarium

On this day, the great saint Anba Moses the Black, the one with the wondrous life, was martyred. He truly seized the kingdom of heaven, as the Gospel says: "The kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12). In his early life, he was a servant to people who worshiped the sun, a mighty and strong man, excessive in eating and drinking wine, killing, stealing, and doing evil. No one could stand against him or oppose him. Most of the time, he looked at the sun and addressed it, saying: "O sun, if you are God, reveal yourself to me." Then he said: "And you, O God whom I do not know, reveal Yourself to me." One day, he heard someone say: "The monks of the Nitrian Desert know God; go to them, and they will know you." So he immediately took his sword and came to the wilderness. He met Saint Isidore the priest, who was afraid of his appearance, but Moses reassured him, saying he came to know God. He was brought to Saint Macarius the Great, who taught him the faith, baptized him, accepted him as a monk, and settled him in the wilderness. Saint Moses devoted himself to many devotions surpassing those of many saints. The devil fought him with his former love of eating, drinking, and other things. He informed Saint Isidore about this, who comforted and taught him how to overcome the devil's tricks. It is narrated that when the elders of the monastery slept, he would pass by their cells, take their jars, and fill them with water he brought from a well far from the monastery. After many years of struggle, the devil envied him and struck him with a sore on his leg that confined him and made him sick. When he realized it was the devil's work, he increased in asceticism and worship until his body became like burnt wood. The Lord looked upon his patience, healed him of his illness, and removed his pains, and the grace of God came upon him. After some time, five hundred brothers gathered around him, and he became their father. They chose him to ordain him a priest. When he appeared before the patriarch for ordination, the patriarch wanted to test him and said to the elders: "Who brought this black man here? Cast him out." He obeyed and left, saying to himself: "They did well to do this to you, O black one." But the patriarch called him back, ordained him, and said: "O Moses, now you have become all white."

It happened that he went with the elders to Saint Macarius the Great, who said: "I see among you one who has the crown of martyrdom." Saint Moses replied: "Perhaps I am he, for it is written: 'He who kills with the sword shall be killed by the sword.'" When he returned to his monastery, he did not stay long before the Berbers attacked the monastery. He said to the brothers with him: "Whoever wants to flee, let him flee." They said to him: "And you, our father, why do you not flee?" He said: "I have been waiting for this day for many years." The Berbers entered and killed him and seven brothers with him, except one brother who hid behind a mat. The angel of the Lord appeared to him holding a crown, standing waiting for him. He soon came out quickly to the Berbers, and they killed him as well.

Consider, beloved, the power of repentance and what it has done. It transformed a pagan, murderer, adulterer, and thief into a father, teacher, comforter, priest, lawgiver for monks, and a name remembered at the altars. The body of this saint is now at the monastery of the Virgin "Barmous," where his feast is celebrated. May his prayers be with us, and to our Lord be glory forever. Amen.