Saint Macarius the Spiritbearer: Coptic Texts Relating to Saint Macarius the Great (Popular Patristics Series)
Overview
These three texts—The Sayings of Saint Macarius, The Virtues of Saint Macarius, and The Life of Saint Macarius of Scetis—provide insight into one of the most venerated saints of the Coptic Church and into the life in the Egyptian monastic communities of the fourth century. Macarius the Great (also referred to as Macarius of Egypt or Macarius the Egyptian) presided over a loosely knit scattering of ascetic monastic communities in the fourth century Egyptian desert. He enjoyed great respect during his lifetime and his fame was further spread after appearing in Palladius’ Lausiac History. This volume presents three ancient texts and provides valuable insight into the world of Coptic spirituality and early Egyptian asceticism. This work is a companion volume to Four Desert Fathers, also published by SVS Press, which features the lives of Macarius the Spiritbearer, Macarius of Alexandria, Pambo and Evagrius. The two volumes together, introducing the thought and practice of these desert dwellers through their Sayings, Virtues and Lives, offer the best access to their world.
Top Highlights
“Abba Macarius said, ‘If you rebuke someone and do it with anger, you have allowed a passion to control you. You have not saved anyone and have destroyed yourself.’” (Page 64)
“the things of the flesh like strangers, then you will not die but will live. Follow your conscience with your fellows” (Page 122)
“when he had increased in virtue and had come to personify it, giving thanks with great patience” (Page 84)
“Abba Macarius the Great said, ‘Concentrate on this name of our Lord Jesus Christ with a contrite heart, the words welling up from your lips and drawing you to them. And do not depict him with an image in your mind but concentrate on calling to him: ‘Our Lord Jesus, have mercy on me.’99 Do these things in peace and you will see the peace of his divinity within you; he will run off the darkness of the passions that dwell within you and he will purify the inner person [2 Cor 4:16; Eph 3:16] just as Adam was pure in paradise. This is the blessed name that John the Evangelist pronounced: ‘Light of the world and unending sweetness, the food of life and the true food’ ’ [Jn 6:48; 6:55; 8:12].” (Page 117)
“Abba Macarius said, ‘I visited an old man who had taken to his bed with an illness, but the old man preferred to say the saving and blessed name of our Lord Jesus Christ. While I asked him about his health he joyfully said to me, ‘While I was persevering in partaking of the sweet food of life of the holy name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I was seized with the sweetness of sleep. I saw in a vision Christ the King like a Nazirite [Num 6:2; Jdg 13:5; Mt 2:23]107 and he said to me three times, ‘See, see that it is I and no one besides me’ [Is 45:18, 21–22]. Afterwards, I ‹burned›108 with great joy for what is high and forgot the pain.’ ’” (Page 120)
- Title: Saint Macarius the Spiritbearer: Coptic Texts Relating to Saint Macarius the Great
- Authors: Tim Vivian, Macarius the Great
- Series: Popular Patristics Series
- Publisher: St Vladimir’s Seminary Press
- Print Publication Date: 2004
- Logos Release Date: 2018
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- Subject: Macarius, the Egyptian, Saint, 4th cent. › Quotations
- ISBNs: 0881412570, 9780881412574
- Resource ID: LLS:SNTMCRSCPTCTXTS
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-03-25T20:54:14Z