Saint Mary of Egypt
One
of the greatest gifts that God has given to man is repentance.
Repentance redeems us from sin and secures us the way to salvation.
Saint Isaac the Syrian says; "Repentance was given to people as grace
after grace". The first grace is the holy Baptism which frees us from
the original sin and unites us with God through the Theanthropic Body
of Christ. The second grace is the sacrament of Repentance. The Lord
knows how prone to sin we are, which divines us from Him, so He
provided us with the grace of repentance, through which we regain the
possibility to get close to Him and live with Him. Repentance washes
away all our sins. That is why the sacrament of Baptism washing of
rebirth. In this saving bath , God repeatedly incites us; " Wash and
make yourself clean"(Isaiah 1,16) and "Come now, let us reason
together, says the Lord. Though your sins are like scarlet, they will
be as white as snow"(ib. 1,18)
All
this is advice full of mercy and concern for our salvation, since
repentance is the last key with which we can open the gate of His
Kingdom. That is why the first preaching of John the Prodrome in the
desert is repentance(Mth 3,12 , Luk 3,30), so is the first preaching of
the Lord (mth 4,17) and also the first one of the apostles after the
Pentecost (Act. 2,37-38).Repentance was what the Fathers of the Church
and also the life of all the saints preached. With repentance the "old
man" becomes "a new creation in Christ", a new man; the avaricious
becomes merciful, the unjust manloving, the liar honest, the prodigal
prudent, the publican righteous, the robber dweller of paradise, the
harlot a saint of our Church. Repentance is the change of thought, the
change of a lifestyle. Saint Mary of Egypt is an example, just like
many other souls.
Saint Mary of
Egypt probably lived during the 4th century and came from Alexandria of Egypt.
At that time Alexandria was one of the richest and most corrupted cities. So there were many excuses for moral deviation, mainly from people without good spiritual and moral behaviour. Within this environment Mary was prone to sin. She was misled and corrupted since the age of 12. She lived possessed by her passion of lust and under the rule of the demon of fornication. After 17 years full of successive falls to carnal sins, she reached the extreme downfall. She had become famous in the society of Alexandria. The depraved people would talk about her and many sacrificed everything for her favour. Victim and perpetrator in the service of sin, Mary herself was captured in the Devil's nets until she reached the age of 30. Her natural beauty became an inevitable trap for her. What force could take her away from that trap and redeem her from her attraction to sin?
One day at the port she saw a ship, ready to sail to Jerusalem, carrying worshippers. Inside her she strongly desired to travel with them and so she rushed into the ship. It was in the morning of 14th September, the day on which our Church celebrated the Exaltation of the Cross, when Mary arrived in Jerusalem. Thousands of people were entering the temple which Saint Helen had built, in which the Cross was found, to worship it. Mary was among them and wanted to pass the temple gate, but an invisible force prevented her from doing so. This happened repeatedly until she realized that it was her sins which prevented her, that she was unworthy of entering to worship the Cross. This feeling brought tears to her eyes. Then she saw, at the top of the entrance of the temple, an icon of Panagia. Having felt how sinful she was, she prayed to Christ's Mother to intercede to her Son to forgive her sins. Mary shed tears when she excitedly passed the gate of the temple and reached the Lord's Cross. She venerated and contrite with grief she promised that she would change her way of life.
When she came out of the temple, she started thinking where to go and what to do. She then heard a voice telling her; "Having crossed the Jordan River, you will find much rest". In fact she went to the Jordan River, found a spiritual father, confessed her sins, and after crossing the river she went to desert. She lived there for 47 years with strict fast, prayers and tears. She who used to live in Alexandria in luxury. She, who had at her disposal whatever food and drink she wanted, she who wore silk clothes and precious jewels, she who used to have all comforts and all the pleasures of the flesh, she was the one who left behind all these. For 47 years she lived eating the weeds of the desert. She satisfied her thirst drinking the water of Jordan River. She used to sleep on the hard soil of the desert, using as covers the stars of the heaven. She was befriended by the wild animals. But God dispensed things for her to meet a man, the only human being she needed. He was Abba Zosimas from the monastery of the Precious Cross which was near the Jordan River.
The monks, in order to make their ascetic life harder, during Great Lent, used to go to the desert from Clean Monday to Palm Sunday. The elder Zosimas went to the desert with other monks to beg God to show him an elder of the desert for his spiritual benefit. During his prayers he saw something which had the shape of a human being and taking it to be demonic plot he made the sign of the Cross. He finally realized that it was a human being with a black naked body, with its white hair falling on its shoulders. Zosimas believed he had found what he was looking for and hurried to meet what he thought was a hermit. But he went away quickly and Zosimas begged him with tears to stop in order to be blessed. The hermit stopped and apologized to the elder; "Forgive me Abba Zosimas. If you want me to stay and come to bless me, throw to me your cassock to cover myself because I am a naked woman". When Abba Zosimas heard how she called him, by his name, he realized that the woman had a second sight gift. He gave her his cassock and asked her to bless him, while she was asking him to bless her since he was a priest. The elder, seeing how great her second sight gift was, begged her to bless him and knelt with his face down to earth. The saint was praying and the elder saw her standing about one foot above the earth. At that moment he fell at her knees and asked her to tell him about her life and her ascetic straggles. The saint obeyed him. She told him about her life, as we all know it. The way she had lived, how she had withstood the heat of the day, the hard cold of the night, how she had straggled with the memories of her previous life, how she had fought with the temptations, with God's help, and how she had defeated Satan. Later Mary bid the abba farewell and advised him not to pass the Jordan River at the next Lent of Easter because he would not be able to do so. She only asked him to come and give her the Holy Communion on Holy Thursday.
Abba Zosimas returned to the monastery without telling anyone what had happened, as the hermit woman had desired. Next year, after Clean Monday, the abba was not able to go to the desert; he was ill, and remembered what the hermit woman had told him; that he wouldn't be able to go out. On holy Thursday the elder took the Holy Communion, as he had been told, some figs, dates and soaked seeds of lentils and went to the Jordan River, feeling anxious because he saw there was no way to cross the river and it had began to get dark. Just then he saw the Holy Mother across the river doing the sign of the cross while she was walking on the water, as if there was no water at all. They were very excited to meet each other, the abba for what he had seen and Mary because she would receive Christ's Blood and Body for the absolution of her sins and eternal life. After receiving the Holy Communion, she thanked God and the elder. She also asked him to go again next year to the same place they had first met and told him; "You are going to see me, as God wills". Then the elder begged her to taste at least the food he had brought for her. She took only three seeds of lentils doing the sign of the cross, crossed the Jordan River walking on the waves and vanished in the desert. Then abba Zosimas returned to the monastery, feeling sorry for not having asked the woman's name.
Next year the elder went to the desert again looking for that holy ascetic woman. In fact he saw her. But she was dead with her hands crossed and with her head facing the East. The abba read the burial prayer for her and started thinking what to do next. The he saw some letters printed on the ground close to her body. He went close and read; "Abba Zosimas, bury the body of humble Mary in the place you found it and pray to God for me. I was perfected in the month Farmouthi, i.e. April, in the night in which I received the Holy Communion". The elder wondered who had written this message since the Holy mother had confessed she was illiterate. From this message he learned about her name. Her name was Mary. But now he started thinking how he would dig her grave since there was no tools. He found a piece of wood and started digging. It was a tough job. When he rose, he saw a lion licking the dead' s woman feet. The elder was afraid, but seeing it was quiet he said; "Oh, horrible beast, since God send you here to help me, dig the land to bury the body of the saint, because I am old and have no tools. So you gig the grave".
The lion, as if it had logical senses, actually dug the grave the right measurments. When the job was finished the lion bowed its head to the elder and left in peace. Abba Zosimas burried Mary' s body and excitedly returned to his monastery. He fell asleep, too, after a century of earthly life. Our Church honors Saint Mary' s memory on April' s 1st , but her memory is also exhibited as a good example we should imitate for the true repentance on the Fifth Sunday of Lent.
At that time Alexandria was one of the richest and most corrupted cities. So there were many excuses for moral deviation, mainly from people without good spiritual and moral behaviour. Within this environment Mary was prone to sin. She was misled and corrupted since the age of 12. She lived possessed by her passion of lust and under the rule of the demon of fornication. After 17 years full of successive falls to carnal sins, she reached the extreme downfall. She had become famous in the society of Alexandria. The depraved people would talk about her and many sacrificed everything for her favour. Victim and perpetrator in the service of sin, Mary herself was captured in the Devil's nets until she reached the age of 30. Her natural beauty became an inevitable trap for her. What force could take her away from that trap and redeem her from her attraction to sin?
One day at the port she saw a ship, ready to sail to Jerusalem, carrying worshippers. Inside her she strongly desired to travel with them and so she rushed into the ship. It was in the morning of 14th September, the day on which our Church celebrated the Exaltation of the Cross, when Mary arrived in Jerusalem. Thousands of people were entering the temple which Saint Helen had built, in which the Cross was found, to worship it. Mary was among them and wanted to pass the temple gate, but an invisible force prevented her from doing so. This happened repeatedly until she realized that it was her sins which prevented her, that she was unworthy of entering to worship the Cross. This feeling brought tears to her eyes. Then she saw, at the top of the entrance of the temple, an icon of Panagia. Having felt how sinful she was, she prayed to Christ's Mother to intercede to her Son to forgive her sins. Mary shed tears when she excitedly passed the gate of the temple and reached the Lord's Cross. She venerated and contrite with grief she promised that she would change her way of life.
When she came out of the temple, she started thinking where to go and what to do. She then heard a voice telling her; "Having crossed the Jordan River, you will find much rest". In fact she went to the Jordan River, found a spiritual father, confessed her sins, and after crossing the river she went to desert. She lived there for 47 years with strict fast, prayers and tears. She who used to live in Alexandria in luxury. She, who had at her disposal whatever food and drink she wanted, she who wore silk clothes and precious jewels, she who used to have all comforts and all the pleasures of the flesh, she was the one who left behind all these. For 47 years she lived eating the weeds of the desert. She satisfied her thirst drinking the water of Jordan River. She used to sleep on the hard soil of the desert, using as covers the stars of the heaven. She was befriended by the wild animals. But God dispensed things for her to meet a man, the only human being she needed. He was Abba Zosimas from the monastery of the Precious Cross which was near the Jordan River.
The monks, in order to make their ascetic life harder, during Great Lent, used to go to the desert from Clean Monday to Palm Sunday. The elder Zosimas went to the desert with other monks to beg God to show him an elder of the desert for his spiritual benefit. During his prayers he saw something which had the shape of a human being and taking it to be demonic plot he made the sign of the Cross. He finally realized that it was a human being with a black naked body, with its white hair falling on its shoulders. Zosimas believed he had found what he was looking for and hurried to meet what he thought was a hermit. But he went away quickly and Zosimas begged him with tears to stop in order to be blessed. The hermit stopped and apologized to the elder; "Forgive me Abba Zosimas. If you want me to stay and come to bless me, throw to me your cassock to cover myself because I am a naked woman". When Abba Zosimas heard how she called him, by his name, he realized that the woman had a second sight gift. He gave her his cassock and asked her to bless him, while she was asking him to bless her since he was a priest. The elder, seeing how great her second sight gift was, begged her to bless him and knelt with his face down to earth. The saint was praying and the elder saw her standing about one foot above the earth. At that moment he fell at her knees and asked her to tell him about her life and her ascetic straggles. The saint obeyed him. She told him about her life, as we all know it. The way she had lived, how she had withstood the heat of the day, the hard cold of the night, how she had straggled with the memories of her previous life, how she had fought with the temptations, with God's help, and how she had defeated Satan. Later Mary bid the abba farewell and advised him not to pass the Jordan River at the next Lent of Easter because he would not be able to do so. She only asked him to come and give her the Holy Communion on Holy Thursday.
Abba Zosimas returned to the monastery without telling anyone what had happened, as the hermit woman had desired. Next year, after Clean Monday, the abba was not able to go to the desert; he was ill, and remembered what the hermit woman had told him; that he wouldn't be able to go out. On holy Thursday the elder took the Holy Communion, as he had been told, some figs, dates and soaked seeds of lentils and went to the Jordan River, feeling anxious because he saw there was no way to cross the river and it had began to get dark. Just then he saw the Holy Mother across the river doing the sign of the cross while she was walking on the water, as if there was no water at all. They were very excited to meet each other, the abba for what he had seen and Mary because she would receive Christ's Blood and Body for the absolution of her sins and eternal life. After receiving the Holy Communion, she thanked God and the elder. She also asked him to go again next year to the same place they had first met and told him; "You are going to see me, as God wills". Then the elder begged her to taste at least the food he had brought for her. She took only three seeds of lentils doing the sign of the cross, crossed the Jordan River walking on the waves and vanished in the desert. Then abba Zosimas returned to the monastery, feeling sorry for not having asked the woman's name.
Next year the elder went to the desert again looking for that holy ascetic woman. In fact he saw her. But she was dead with her hands crossed and with her head facing the East. The abba read the burial prayer for her and started thinking what to do next. The he saw some letters printed on the ground close to her body. He went close and read; "Abba Zosimas, bury the body of humble Mary in the place you found it and pray to God for me. I was perfected in the month Farmouthi, i.e. April, in the night in which I received the Holy Communion". The elder wondered who had written this message since the Holy mother had confessed she was illiterate. From this message he learned about her name. Her name was Mary. But now he started thinking how he would dig her grave since there was no tools. He found a piece of wood and started digging. It was a tough job. When he rose, he saw a lion licking the dead' s woman feet. The elder was afraid, but seeing it was quiet he said; "Oh, horrible beast, since God send you here to help me, dig the land to bury the body of the saint, because I am old and have no tools. So you gig the grave".
The lion, as if it had logical senses, actually dug the grave the right measurments. When the job was finished the lion bowed its head to the elder and left in peace. Abba Zosimas burried Mary' s body and excitedly returned to his monastery. He fell asleep, too, after a century of earthly life. Our Church honors Saint Mary' s memory on April' s 1st , but her memory is also exhibited as a good example we should imitate for the true repentance on the Fifth Sunday of Lent.
***
All
human beings may fall, we are all sinful. We cannot fool ourselves; "If
we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not
in us". (A' John a' 8). That is why repentance has a great value,
because it takes away sin which breaks our relation with God and
offsets its consequences. No matter how many our sins are, no matter
how heavy they may be, repentance has the power to attract God' s grace
and wash sin away. The great danger for our salvation is our lack of
repentance; the lack of feeling our sinfulness. This lack is a denial
of God' s grace. The Fathers of our Church assure us that we won' t be
punished for our sins, but for not repenting; "we won't be punished for
our sins, but because we do not repent"(Holy Father Theognostos).
Naturally repentance is not a passing incident but a constant state.
That is how Christ taught repentance and that is how our Church
experiences it. There is David' s example from the Old Testament who
sinned once and was crying all his life to receive repentance; "I am a
worm out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and
drench my couch with tears"(Ps. 6,7).
The
sinner woman of the Gospel, who met Christ as Luke points out; "began
to wet his feet with tears"(7,38), which means that those tears she
shed were the beginning of many others she would shed for the rest of
her life. Besides Evangelist' s Mark' s witness about Peter, which
says; "And when he thought about it he wept"(Marc 14,72), Saint Clemes
narrates about Apostle Peter that every night when the cocks were
crowing he would get out of his bed and cry bitterly remembering his
sin. Summarizing let us add; "the blood of Jesus ... purifies us from all
sin"(A' John a' 7). This is the most consoling message, when we confess
our sins, with contrite and humble spirit, before our confessor,
through whom, according to Lord's witness, we receive absolution. "If
you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven..." (John 20, 22). And
since then as holy Chrysostome says; "what the priests have worked down
in earth is certified by God in heaven". What is important is to make
good use of God' s benefits as long as we live. As long as we are on
earth there is such possibility for us. Now is the time of grace as
holy Chrysostome says; "As long as we are here, no matter how many our
sins are, they may be washed away...".
SAINT MARY OF
EGYPT
Orthodox Kypseli Publication
Orthodox Kypseli Publication
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