About the life of the Venerable Macrina, sister of Basil the Great (to Olympius the monk)

See also: Message on the life of St. Macrina to St. Gregory of Nyssa This book-like work, in the form of the inscription, appears to be a letter; its vastness exceeds the limits of writing and turns it into a long written narrative. But we are justified by the subject about which you ordered us to write - more extensive than the measure of writing allows. Of course, you did not forget about the date when I, intending to visit Jerusalem as a vow to see in images monuments of the Lord’s presence in the flesh, met with you near the city of Antiochus and about all the conversations that we had at that time with each other: for it was impossible for our meeting to pass in silence, when your rationality presented many subjects for conversation. As often happens during meetings of this kind, the flow of speech led us to the memory of a certain famous life. The reason for our story was the wife, if one can call her a wife. For I don’t know whether it is proper to call one who has become above (her) nature by such a name, borrowed from her nature. And the reliability of our story was not based on rumors and other people's stories, but what was known from experience, it carefully conveyed our word, without referring to what was heard from others to testify to the truth; for the remembered girl was not alien to our family, so that it was necessary to learn from others her wonderful deeds: she came from our parents, like some kind of firstfruits, the first to grow from the mother’s womb. So, since you judged that the description of the life of pious people brings some benefit, so that such a life would not be unknown for subsequent times, and so that the life raised by wisdom to the highest degree of human virtue would not pass without benefit, being hidden in silence, it seems to me that I did well that I listened to you and, as much as I could, briefly, in simple and artless words, described her life. The girl's name was Macrina. The parents named the girl by this name, because there was a certain Macrina, famous in our family from ancient times, the mother of our father, who suffered during persecution for her confession of Christ. But this name was obvious, which was what her acquaintances called her; another thing was given to her, the hidden thing, with which, according to some vision, she was named before she came into the light through the illnesses of birth. For her mother was the same in virtue; in everything she was guided by the will of God; She especially loved a pure and immaculate lifestyle, so she entered into marriage against her will; but because she had lost both parents, she blossomed with bodily beauty, and hearing about her beauty prompted many to seek marriage with her; therefore, there was a danger that if she did not enter into marriage with someone voluntarily, she might endure something she did not want by force, since those captivated by her beauty were ready to kidnap her. Therefore, having chosen a husband for herself, known for the honesty of life and approved by everyone, in order to have in him the guardian of her life, she soon became her mother in the very first birth. But when the time came when the disease of womb-bearing was supposed to be resolved by birth, she, plunging into sleep, sees as if the fetus, still in the womb, is being held in her arms, and someone in a form and image more magnificent than human, appearing, calls the one carried in her arms by the name of Thekla - that same Thekla who is so famous among the virgins. Having said this and confirmed it up to three times, he disappeared from view and made the pain of birth easy so that she, waking up from sleep, immediately saw what had appeared to her in the dream. So, this was her secret name! But it seems to me that the one who appeared in the dream said this not only in order to indicate the name by which the newborn should be called, but in order to predict the life of the newborn and by the similarity of the name to show the similarity of morals. So, the child is brought up; and, although she had her own nurse, she was mostly raised in her mother’s own hands. Having passed the age of infancy, she showed herself to have a great ability to study children's sciences, and in what her parents thought should be studied, the girl showed brilliant success. The mother tried to teach her daughter, but not those worldly and generally accepted sciences, with which the first ages are mostly imbued with through reading poetry; She considered it shameful and completely indecent for a tender and easily digestible, impressionable nature to study either those tragic passions that, originating from women, gave the occasion and subject for poets to write, or shameless comic scenes, and in some way defile herself with shameless legends about women. But what from the Inspired Scripture seemed easier for the first age was the subject of teaching for the young woman, especially the wise sayings of Solomon, and of these, most of which relates to our moral life. But she was not ignorant of the writings of the Psalms either, going through a certain part of the psalmody at certain times; for whether she got out of bed, got to work and stopped it, started eating and left the table, went to bed and stood for prayer, she always had a psalm song, like some kind of good companion, never leaving her. In these and similar occupations, growing up and carefully exercising her hands in work, she reached the age of twelve, when the flower of youth especially begins to bloom. And what is worthy of surprise here is that no matter how hidden the beauty of the young woman was, she could not hide herself; in her entire country there seemed to be nothing so amazing that could compare with her beauty and goodness, so that even the hands of painters could not convey this beauty: but even art, whose depiction is all accessible and which boldly begins to depict the greatest objects, so that imitatively draws images of the very elements, could not accurately convey the happy beauty of her appearance. Therefore, a great many people who wanted to marry her approached her parents. Her father, being wise and experienced in recognizing good qualities, having eliminated others, chose one young man, noble by birth, known for good morals, and who had just left school, and decided to marry his daughter to him when she came of age. Meanwhile, this young man showed more and more good hopes for himself and, like a kind of betrothal gift, brought good glory to the father of the young woman, demonstrating the power of his eloquence in defending the offended in court: fate suddenly destroyed these wonderful hopes, snatching him from this life in a regrettable youth. The girl did not know her father's intentions; but when, by the death of the young man, what was destined for her was destroyed, then, recognizing the very decision of her father as marriage, as if what was destined had already been fulfilled, she decided to spend the rest of her life alone with herself. And her determination was stronger than her age; for when her parents often started talking about marriage with her, because many, according to rumors about her beauty, wanted to marry her, she said: that it is indecent and unlawful not to respect the marriage once determined by her father and to force herself to turn to another, when marriage by nature is one, just as there is one birth and one death; she claimed that the one united with her, by definition of her parents, did not die, but was alive with God, according to the hope of the resurrection, that, in her opinion, he was not dead, but only retired for a while: it would be reckless not to remain faithful to an absent groom. With such speeches, pushing away those who tried to convince her (to marry), she found the only means for protecting such a good intention of hers to never, not for one minute, move away from her mother; so her mother often told her that she carried other children in her womb for a certain time, but she always seemed to carry her in her womb at all times. However? the daughter's cohabitation was neither painful nor useless for the mother; for her daughter's services replaced many maids; and there was a kind of good exchange of mutual help between them, so that they met each other’s needs: for the mother served the soul of the maiden, and she served the body of the mother, fulfilling in all other respects the required official duties, so that she often prepared bread for the mother with her own hands. However, she did not prefer to deal with this matter; but after she dedicated her hands to serving the sacrament, considering this activity appropriate to her way of life, she prepared food for her mother from her labors from the leftovers. And not only this, but also all the worries that lay on the mother, she shared with her; for her mother had four more sons and five daughters; In addition, she paid taxes to three bosses; because her possessions were scattered in three regions. So, when the mother, for this reason, was distracted by various concerns (for the father had already left life), she was a collaborator with the mother in all this, sharing with her concerns and easing the severity of sorrows. Under the guidance of her mother, she maintained an immaculate life, constantly finding direction and approval in her mother’s gaze, and at the same time, by the example of her life, she presented her mother with a great guide to the same goal (I’m talking about wisdom), little by little attracting her to an immaterial and more perfect life. When the mother, with the decency due to each, arranged for the other sisters, the great Vasily, the brother of the above, returned from the schools of education, who had been studying science there for a long time. Finding him thinking extremely highly of eloquence, despising all virtues, and exalting himself in importance above eminent nobles, she with such speed attracted him to the same goal of philosophy that he put aside worldly vanity and, despising the glory of his education, turned to this active and hardworking life, preparing for himself an unhindered path to a virtuous life with complete non-covetousness. But his life and further works, for which he, having become known to the whole world, darkened with glory all those who shone with virtue, would require a long story and a lot of time. And let my word turn again to the intended goal. since she herself has already stopped all aspirations for a vain life, she convinces her mother, leaving her ordinary life, and the magnificent surroundings and service of slaves, which she had enjoyed until now, to become equal to many in humility and unite her life with the life of virgins, making equals and sisters to everyone whom she had in her service and slavery. But here I want to pause this story somewhat, so as not to leave untold one such incident, from which the high dignity of the girl is especially revealed. Of the four brothers, the second after Basil the Great was named Naucratius, who surpassed his brothers in fortunate natural gifts, physical beauty, strength, dexterity and ability for everything. Having reached the age of twenty-two and having publicly demonstrated the success of his studies, so that the entire assembly of listeners was surprised, he, by some divine providence, disdaining everything that he had in his hands, carried away by some great impulse of thought, retired to a solitary and non-acquisitive life, taking nothing with him except himself. One of the servants, named Chrysaphius, followed him, because he was attached to him and held the same intention regarding life. So, looking for some desert, he came to the Iris River. (The Iris River flows in the middle of the Pontic region, originating from Armenia itself and flowing through our places, it flows into the Euxine Pontus). Near this river, having found a place overgrown with a dense forest, and a hill hidden by a rocky mountain towering above it, this young man settled here, moving away from the noise of the city and from the affairs of the military and from oratorical studies in courts. Having thus freed himself from all the everyday worries that noisily agitate human life, he served with his own hands some of the elders who lived with him in poverty and illness, considering such occupation and care decent to the way of life he had adopted. For this reason, this valiant man went fishing. And since he was very skilled in all hunting activities, with this hunting he delivered food to those in need and at the same time with such labors he tamed the ardor of his youth. But even when she ordered something, he carried out his mother’s will willingly. In this way he perfected his life in both ways: through labor he tamed the heat of youth, and through obedience to his mother, fulfilling the commandments of God, he strove directly for God. He spent the fifth year philosophizing in this way and bringing consolation with his life to his mother, and by the fact that he adorned his life with chastity, and by the fact that he subordinated all his will to the mother who gave birth: when suddenly one heavy and deplorable grief, which happened, I think, at the slander of the enemy, struck the mother, and caused misfortune and lamentation to the whole family. The young man accidentally escapes from this life at a time when neither illness predisposed him to expect this grief, nor any other of the ordinary and known cases was the cause of the young man’s death: but having gone on a hunt, through which he delivered the necessary food to the elders, both himself and his accomplice in life, Chrysaphius, are brought home dead. The mother was far from the scene of the incident, three days away. Someone, however, went to her to inform her about such a misfortune; no matter how perfect she was in every virtue, nature, by its own right, took precedence over her; Having lost heart, she immediately became lifeless and voiceless, because her mind was suppressed by sadness, and she lay struck by the bad news, like some courageous fighter with an unexpected blow. Here the courage of the great Macrina was revealed; By opposing reflection to sadness, she preserved herself and, becoming a support for her mother’s weakness, again raised her from the depths of sadness, with her firmness and steadfastness leading her mother’s soul to courage. The mother finally ceases to be tormented by sadness and does not reveal unworthy female weakness - for example, to let out cries about her misfortune, or tear her clothes, or fall from grief, or pour out her sadness in plaintive lamentations: she endured grief in silence, with reasoning reflecting the pressure of natural feeling, reasoning, both her own and that offered to her by her daughter, as a cure against this evil. At this time, the girl’s sublime and excellent soul was especially revealed; because although in her nature took its toll, since her brother and the dearest of brothers was delighted with this kind of death, she, placing herself above nature, elevated her mother with her convictions and placed her above sadness, teaching her courage and patience by her example. However, her life, constantly rising in virtue, did not so much give her mother time for sadness about the lost treasure, but for joy about the one that was before her eyes. So, when the care of raising children and care for their education and organization was taken over from the mother, and most of the affairs of domestic material life passed into the hands of the children: then, as was said, this virgin with her life inclines the mother to this immaterial way of life, adorned with wisdom; and, having rejected her from everything ordinary, he brings her to the level of his humility, arranging for her to stand along with all the virgins, so that, having destroyed any difference in dignity in her life, everyone will have a common meal, and a bed, and everything related to life. And such was their order in life, such a height of wisdom and such a strict way of spending their time both day and night, that it surpasses any description. For just as souls, having been detached from their bodies by death, at the same time lay down the concerns of life, so their life was detached and removed from all worldly vanity and tuned to imitate the life of angels. There was no anger, envy, hatred, arrogance, or anything else like that between them. The desire for vain objects, such as honor, glory, exaltation and superiority over others, and all other similar things, was expelled from their society: the pleasure for them was abstinence, glory - to be in the unknown, wealth - poverty and detachment from all material wealth, as from some kind of dust of the earth. Of the affairs that they care about in this life, there was not a single one that they did not consider to be an extraneous matter for themselves: their only concern was divine affairs, unceasing prayer, constant psalmody, equally continuing every night and day, so that this matter was both business and rest for them. What human word can clearly represent such a way of life? Their life came into contact with both human nature and incorporeal nature: for by the fact that they renounced their nature from human passions, they became higher than man; and by the fact that they appeared in the body, were clothed in appearance and lived with the help of sensory organs, they became lower than the angelic and incorporeal nature. However, one can dare to say that this difference did not make them at all lower (the angels): because, living in the flesh, they, in the likeness of disembodied forces, were not aggravated by the burden of the body, but their life was mountainous and sublime, soaring grief along with the heavenly forces. And such a life continued for quite some time, and as time went on, its successes multiplied; because with the application of new deeds of virtue, wisdom constantly raises the soul to greater purity. The main collaborator in achieving this great goal was her half-brother, named Peter, who was responsible for the illnesses of our mother’s childbirth: he was the last branch of the mother’s womb and could be called both a son and an orphan; for at the very time he came into the world, his father left life. But the eldest among the brothers and sisters in question soon takes him from the nurse, after a short breastfeeding, upon birth, she herself brings him up and gives him the most exalted education, training him from infancy in sacred teaching, so as not to give the soul leisure for any vain inclinations. Being thus everything for the young man: a father, a teacher, an educator, a mother, an adviser in every good deed, she made him such that before he left childhood, even in his adolescence, at a tender blooming age, he ascended (in soul) to the high goal of wisdom, and by some happy fate of nature, he had the ability to study all kinds of arts performed with the hands, so that without any guidance, with all precision, he achieved the art of something that many had long and with difficulty learn. So, he, despising the pursuit of worldly sciences, but having in his nature a sufficient teacher of all good teaching, constantly looking at his sister and setting her up as an example of all goodness, reached such a height of virtue that in his subsequent life it seems that he was no less than Basil the Great in the excellence of virtue. At that time, he replaced everyone for his sister and mother, being their collaborator in this angelic life. Once, during a severe crop failure, when many, hearing about his charity, gathered from everywhere to the solitude where he lived, with his skillful measures he delivered so much food to the poor that the desert from the multitude of people who came seemed like a city. At this time, the mother, having reached a ripe old age, moved to God, ending her life in the arms of both her children. It is worth telling about the words of blessing that she spoke to her children. Remembering with love each of those absent, so that no one would be deprived of the blessing, she primarily entrusted to God through prayer those present with her. For when they were both sitting near her on both sides of the bed, she, touching each of them with her hands, uttered the following last words to God: “To you, Lord, I dedicate the firstfruits and the tithe of the fruit of the pangs of childbirth; my firstfruits is this firstborn daughter, and the tithe is my last son. Both are dedicated to you by law, and I offer them as a gift to you. So, let sanctification come to this firstfruits of mine, and to this tithe,” pointing with these significant words to his daughter and son. Having completed the blessing, she also ended her life, bequeathing to her children to bury her body in their father’s coffin. Having fulfilled the will, they rushed to a greater height of wisdom, constantly not being satisfied with their own lives and exceeding past feats of virtue with subsequent ones. At this time, the great among saints, Basil, was appointed primate of the great Church of Caesarea. He introduces his brother to the sacred clergy, with his mysterious sacred rites, ordaining him to the rank of presbyter. Here again their life goes to a greater and greater degree of piety and holiness; because philosophy was also added to the priesthood. After eight years after this, in the ninth year, the eminent Vasily throughout the universe moved from people to God, becoming a common subject of lament both for the fatherland and for the universe. Hearing from afar about this misfortune, Macrina grieved in her soul over such a great loss. Could she not have been struck by the grief that was shared by the very enemies of the truth? But as they say, the purification of gold is carried out in various smelting furnaces, so that if something (impure) passes through the first melting, it is separated in the second; finally, in the latter, every impure admixture to this substance will completely disappear - and the surest sign of excellent gold is when it, having passed through all the smelting furnaces, will not deposit any impurity: so something similar to this happened to her, so that after the temptation of her high mind with various blows of misfortune, the unalloyed purity and sublimity of her soul would be revealed on all sides. Such trials were: firstly, the death of one brother, then separation from his mother, and finally, the common adornment of our family - Basil the Great moved from this life. But she remained firm, like some invincible fighter, not falling under any blows of misfortune. Nine months after this loss, or a little more, a council of bishops met in the city of Antioch, at which we were present. But when everyone went home again, before the end of the year, I, Gregory, had a desire to visit my sister; for a lot of time passed during which the meeting was prevented by the difficult circumstances that I endured, driven from everywhere from my fatherland by waves of heresy - so that when I calculated the time during which these trials prevented our personal meeting, it turned out that quite a lot of time had passed - almost eight years. So, having completed most of the journey, when I was already one day's journey away, a certain vision that appeared to me in a dream aroused in me terrible expectations for the future. It seemed to me that I was carrying in my arms the relics of the martyrs, from which there was such a light as comes from a pure mirror when it is turned directly to the sun, so that my eyes shrank from such a brilliance of radiance. I had this vision three times on the same night. I could not clearly understand what this dream signified, but foreseeing in my soul some sorrow, I awaited the outcome (of events) in order to judge the meaning of this vision. When I was near the place of solitude where my sister lived, living the angelic and heavenly life, I first asked one of the servants about my brother, whether he was here. When he answered that he had already left for the fourth day from here: knowing that this meant that he had gone to us (towards us) along a different road; I finally asked about this great one. When he said that she was suffering from some illness, anxiety arose in me and I made the rest of the journey in haste: because the sad fear - the harbingers of the future, taking possession of me, outraged me. When I came to the place itself and the rumor of my arrival reached the brotherhood, then the entire meeting of men from the men's department came out to us: for they have the custom of honoring dear guests by welcoming them; and in the women's department a host of girls modestly awaited our arrival near the church. When the prayer and blessing ended and they, after bowing their heads for blessing, decently dispersed, retired to their homes and not a single one of them remained with us: it was easy to guess what it meant that there was no abbess among them. When someone led me to the house where the great one lived and opened the door, I went inside her sacred cell. She was already suffering from a severe illness and was lying not on any bed or bed, but on the ground - on a board covered with sackcloth; the other board again served as a support for the head and was designed in such a way that it replaced the headboard for it, being placed in an inclined position under the neck and comfortably supporting the back of the head. So, as soon as she saw me near the door, raised herself on her elbow (she could not approach me, because her strength had already weakened from the fever), resting her hands on the floor and, as far as possible, rising from her low bed, she showed me the honor of welcoming me. Then I went up to her and took her bowing face in my hands, raised her and laid her down the way she usually lay. She, raising her hands to God, said: “And you have given me this joy, O God, and have not deprived me of what I desired, but have sent your servant to visit your servant.” In order not to bring any despondency to my soul, she restrained her moans and did her best to hide the tightness of her breathing, but in everything she tried to assume a cheerful appearance, both starting pleasant conversations herself and giving us reasons for them through questions. When, in connection with the speech, I happened to remember Vasily the Great, my soul was indignant and my face was darkened with sadness; She was so far from condescending to our sorrow that she took the memory of the saint as a reason for the highest wisdom. Drawing attention to the nature of man and explaining in her words the Divine economy, hidden in misfortunes, and, as if inspired by the Holy Spirit, setting out what relates to the future life, she conducted a conversation in such words that my soul, delighted with her speeches and ascended, under the guidance of her words, into the heavenly sanctuaries, seemed to me to be almost outside of human nature. As in the story about Job, we hear that, melting away from rotten and purulent wounds all over his body, this man did not incline his thoughts towards the feeling of illness; but although there was illness in the body, it did not dull its initiative and did not interrupt speech directed towards lofty objects: so I saw something similar in that great one. For although the heat dried up all her strength and quickly led to death, she, as if cooling her body with some dew, kept her mind unhindered in the contemplation of lofty objects and unharmed by such a great illness. And if our essay had not stretched to an infinite length, I would have told everything in order, how sublime she was in her speech, philosophizing with us about the soul and expounding the reason for life in the flesh, and why man is, and how he is mortal, and where death comes from, and what is the transition from it again to life. She explained all this clearly and consistently, as if inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit, and her speech flowed with complete ease, like water from some source, rushing unhindered along a slope. At the end of the conversation, she tells me: “It’s time for you, brother, after the labors of a difficult journey, to calm your body a little.” And although it was a great and true relaxation for me to look at her and listen to her great words: but since it was pleasant and kind for her, so that I would be obedient to the teacher in everything, having found in one of the nearby gardens some pleasant prepared place of rest, under the shade of vine branches, I calmed down. But it was impossible to have cheerful feelings when the soul was obsessed with the anticipation of grief. It seemed that what I saw revealed to me the mystery of what I saw in the dream: for in truth, what I saw before me were the relics of the holy martyr, which were dead to sin, but shone with the grace of the Spirit dwelling in them. This is how I interpreted my dream to one of those who had heard about it before; when we, with a contrite spirit, were probably expecting a sad event, she, I don’t know how, guessing about our thoughts, sends us more joyful news, commanding us to be complacent and expect the best in her situation, because she feels that her illness is trending towards the better. And she did not say this to deceive us, but in pure truth, although at that time we did not understand this. For truly, like a fast walker, having overtaken the enemy, reaching almost the end of his run, approaching the reward and seeing the victorious crown, he rejoices in himself, as if he has already received what is set before him, and announces victory to the spectators more disposed towards him: in the same disposition, she let us know to hope for the best for her, for she had already seen an award of the highest rank, and had just not uttered these words about herself Apostle: “And the crown of righteousness will be kept for me, and the righteous Judge will reward it to me,” because “I have fought the good fight, and have died and kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7, 8). So, encouraged by this good news, we got up and went to eat the food offered to us; they were varied and everything was prepared with complete cordiality: so great care even extended to this. But when we again came into her sight (for she did not allow us to spend an hour of rest with ourselves), then, recalling everything that had happened to her in life, from adolescence, she told about everything in order, as if written, and about what she remembered about the life of our parents, and what happened before birth, and the life that followed. The purpose of such a story was to give thanks to God: for she imagined the very life of her parents to be glorious at that time and famous not so much for wealth as for the abundance of divine love for mankind, since her father’s parents were subjected to exile for confessing their faith in Christ; and the maternal grandfather, as a result of the royal anger, was deprived of property and everything that he had passed to other owners; however, despite this, for the sake of their faith, their worldly blessings increased so much that at that time there was no one more important than them. Again, although their estate was divided into nine parts - according to the number of children, each's inheritance share, by the blessing (of God), increased to the point that the fortune of each of the children exceeded the happy share of the parents; Of the inheritance, which belonged to her equally with her brothers, she left nothing for herself, but gave everything to the priest so that he could dispose of it according to the divine commandment. She herself, with the help of God, led such a life that she never stopped working with her hands, according to the commandment; She never turned to people for help and did not resort to anyone’s charity for a decent lifestyle, but she did not reject those who asked, nor did she look for those who gave: because God, in a secret way, grew small means from her labors, like some seeds, into many different fruits. When I told about my own sufferings that I experienced, first during the exile of me by King Valens for my faith, then when the unrest that occurred in the churches called us to exploits and labors, the great one said: “Do you not cease to be ignorant of the benefits of God? Can't you heal your soul from ingratitude? Can't you compare your situation with that of your parents? And in this world, we are especially proud of the fact that we came from a noble family, were born from noble parents. The father, he says, at that time was famous for his education, but his fame was limited only to local courts: then, although he was superior to others in the art of argumentation, the rumor about him did not extend beyond Pontus: but for him it was pleasant to be famous in his fatherland. You, he says, are known to cities, national assemblies, and entire regions; The churches send you and call you for help and correction. So, don’t you see the grace of God? Do you really not know the reason for such great blessings - that the prayers of your parents raise you to such a height - you are not at all or little prepared for this task at home? When she reasoned like this, I wanted to extend the day longer so that she would not cease to delight our ears: but the voice of those singing called us to perform the evening prayer of thanksgiving. Why, having sent me to church, the great one again turned to God in prayer. Thus the night passed. When the day came, it became clear to me, from what I saw, that the present day was for her the last limit of earthly life; because the fever had exhausted all the powers of her nature. She, seeing that we had lost heart, skillfully tried to distract us from the mournful expectation, again dispelling the sadness of our souls with these beautiful speeches, however, with heavy and interrupted breathing. At the sight of this spectacle, my spirit experienced very different states; nature naturally encouraged sadness, because she no longer expected to hear this voice again; but a little more, and the common glory of our race had to migrate from human life; and the soul, at the sight of this phenomenon, seemed to be inspired and come to the idea that it had truly gone beyond the limits of human nature. For, being at the last gasp, not to feel anything unusual during the expected migration and not at all afraid of separation from life, but with an exalted mind to philosophize about this life, maintaining to the end the same view of it as at the beginning - it seemed to me a matter characteristic not so much of a person as of some angel, who, according to divine vision, took on the human image, an angel who, since there is no affinity or connection with carnal life, the mind naturally remains in dispassion; because the flesh does not carry his mind to its passions. Therefore, it seemed to me that this divine and pure love for the invisible bridegroom, which she secretly nourished in the depths of her soul, now declares and clearly reveals to those present her heartfelt desire to hasten to the Beloved, so that, having renounced the bonds of the body, she can quickly unite with him; for truly her course was directed towards virtue, and none of the other pleasures of life attracted her gaze. Most of the day had already passed, and the sun was setting; but the joyful mood of spirit did not leave her; on the contrary, the closer she approached to the end, the more she contemplated the beauty of the Bridegroom, the more hastily she strove for her Beloved, turning her speech no longer to us, those present, but to the One on whom she intensely fixed her gaze, for her bed was facing the east. So, leaving the conversation with us, he spends the rest of the time talking with God in prayer, raising his hands and uttering words in a weak voice, so that we could barely hear them. But this prayer was such that there is no doubt that it was poured out to God and was heard by Him. “You, says, Lord, have destroyed the fear of death for us; You have made the end of this life for us the beginning of true life; You put our bodies to rest for a while in the sleep (of death) and again awaken them at the last trumpet. You, our mortal composition, created by your hands, entrust the earth as a pledge - and again you will seek what you gave, transforming our mortal and ugly into immortality and splendor. You delivered us from oath and sin, having become both for us. You have erased the head of the serpent, whose gaping gap has seized man into the jaws of disobedience. You opened the way to resurrection for us, crushing the gates of hell and trampling upon him who has the power of death - the devil. You have given a sign to those who fear You - the image of your holy cross for victory over the enemy and the safety of our lives. Eternal God, to whom I have been devoted from my mother’s womb, to whom my soul has loved with all its might, to whom I have dedicated my soul and body from my youth and even to this day! Place a bright angel to me, may he guide me to the place of coolness, where the water of rest is, to the bosom of the holy fathers. Who crushed the flaming sword and returned to paradise the man who was crucified with You and resorted to Your mercy, remember me in Your kingdom, because I too am crucified to You, having nailed my flesh with Your fear and fearing Your judgment. May this terrible abyss not separate me from Your chosen ones; May the envious not block my path, may my sins not appear before Your face, if I have stumbled in any way, due to the weakness of the flesh, sinned in word, or deed, or thought: He who has the power on earth to forgive sins, forgive me, so that I may find coolness and be found before You, having put off my flesh, which has no filth in the image of the soul, but that my spirit may be pure and pure. blameless, like incense before You, I was received into Your hands.” And saying this, at the same time she placed the sign of the cross on her eyes, lips and heart. A little after this, the tongue, dried up from the heat, could no longer utter words and the voice weakened; Just by the contraction and expansion of her lips and the movement of her hands, we understood that she was continuing her prayer. When, meanwhile, evening came and the lamp was brought in, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and turned to the light, showing that she was preparing to say the evening prayer of thanksgiving. But since her voice had already weakened, she fulfilled this intention with her heart and the movement of her hands, and her lips moved in accordance with her inner desire. When she made this prayer of gratitude, and when her hand, raised to her face to protect her with the sign of the cross, showed the end of the prayer, then letting out a strong and deep sigh along with the prayer, she ended her life. When she finally became lifeless and motionless, I, remembering the will that she made to me at the very first meeting, saying that she wanted my hands to cover her eyes, and that I would render the usual service to her body, I put my hand, weakened from sadness, to the holy face, just so as not to show that I was neglecting her will, because her eyes did not need to do this deed; they were beautifully hidden for centuries, as happens in a dream, the lips were decently closed, the hands were gracefully folded on the chest, and finally the entire arrangement of the body, which naturally lay gracefully, had no need for the hand of a manager. My soul was doubly tormented by sadness: from what I saw before my eyes, and from the lamentable cries of the virgins, which deafened my ears. Until now, they had been courageous, silent and, hiding grief in their souls, held back impulses to cry out of fear of her, as if afraid of receiving a reprimand from her for this, although her lips were already silent, so as not to sadden the teacher if any sound of voice escaped from them, contrary to her orders. Now grief could no longer be contained by silence; sadness, like some kind of internal fire that was burning their souls, suddenly resolved itself with such a bitter and uncontrollable cry that my reason could not stand in its firmness, and my grief, like some overflowing stream, suddenly burst out, and I, not paying attention to what was in my hands, completely indulged in sobbing. And it seemed to me that the reason for the crying of the virgins seemed fair and legitimate, for they were not mourning the deprivation of any ordinary carnal care for themselves, or something else like that, which people have difficulty enduring in misfortunes: but that they had lost, as it were, the very hope in God and the salvation of souls - this is what they cried out about, and what they mourned with their sobs, saying: “The lamp of our eyes has gone out; the light that guided our souls has been taken away; the support of our life was destroyed, the seal of incorruption was taken away; the chastity union is dissolved; the stronghold of the weak was broken; The healing of the weak has been taken from us! With you, with us, the night, illuminated by the purity of your life, was day; now the day will turn into darkness!” But those who called her their mother and nurse let out more severe sobs compared to the others; for there were also those whom, during famine, abandoned on the way, she took to her, fed and raised, and led to a pure and incorruptible life. After that, I, fixing my gaze on that holy head, and as if reproached by it for the disorder caused by the loud crying of those present, as if from some depth, called out to my soul and, exclaiming in a loud voice, said to the virgins: “Look at her and remember her rules, with which she taught you to observe order and decency in everything. This divine soul appointed us one time for tears, commanding us to do this during prayer: this can now be done by changing the tearful sobs into the corresponding psalmody.” I said this in a loud voice to drown out the cry of those crying. Then he ordered them to go to the nearest house for a while, leaving only some of them whose services she had used in her life. Among them was one of the noble women, who was famous in her youth for her wealth, origin, physical beauty and other virtues. She, having married a worthy man, lived with him for a short time, having freed herself from marriage while still young, and having chosen the great Macrina as the guardian and leader of her widowhood, she lived for a long time with the virgins, learning from them a virtuous life. This woman's name is Bethiana; her father was one of the members of the Supreme Council. I told her: now it will not be reprehensible to put lighter decorations on this body, to clothe this pure and immaculate flesh in bright clothes. But she replied that it was necessary to find out in advance what the saint approved in this case; for it is completely indecent for us to do anything against her wishes; but of course, everything that is pleasant and pleasing to God will also be pleasant to her. There was one leader of the choir of girls, who had the degree of deaconess, named Lampadia. She said that she correctly knew her order regarding the burial. When I asked her about this (because she was present at the meeting), she said with tears: “The decoration that the saint cared about was pure life; This was her attire during life and is her attire after death. As for bodily adornments, she neither used them during her life nor did she prepare them for real needs; therefore, even if we wanted to, we cannot do anything, because there is nothing prepared for this purpose.” “But isn’t it possible to find something in the storerooms,” I said, “that could serve to decorate her body when taken out?” “What storerooms,” she said, “are you talking about?” You have everything saved by her in your hands. Here are the clothes, here is the head covering, here are the worn sandals: this is her wealth, this is her property; besides what we see here, there is nothing in hidden places anywhere, nothing locked in any chests or storerooms; She knew only one place to store her wealth - the heavenly treasury: she put everything there, but left nothing on earth.” “What, I told her, if I bring something from what I have prepared for the funeral; will this really be unpleasant for her? “I don’t think it was against her wishes,” she said; for even during her life she did not reject such an honor from you, for two reasons: because of the priesthood she always honored and because of natural kinship; She did not consider what belonged to her brother to be a stranger to herself, and therefore she commanded you to remove her body with your own hands.” When this was approved and this sacred body was to be covered with clothes, we, dividing this activity among ourselves, came up with one thing and another. I ordered one of my men to bring clothes, and the mentioned Vetiana, removing the holy head with her hands, when she touched her neck with her hand, looking at me she said: “This is the decoration that hung on the saint’s neck,” and with these words, untying the knot from behind, she stretches out her hand and shows us an iron cross and some ring made of the same substance; both, suspended on a thin hairline, were always near her heart. “Let’s divide this acquisition among ourselves,” I said, you take yourself a saving cross, and for me this ring is enough as an inheritance, because the same cross is depicted on its seal.” Having looked carefully at the ring, this wife speaks to me again: “You were not mistaken in choosing the remaining estate, for the ring under the stone has a recess in which part of the life-giving tree is hidden, and thus the seal lying on top with its image indicates what lies under it.” When the time came to clothe the clean body with clothes, and this great will made it my duty to fulfill this service, then she who was present at this work and helped, the one who shared this great inheritance with us, said: “do not let the greatness of the wondrous deeds accomplished by the saint pass by without attention.” - What's happened? - I said. She, exposing some part of her chest, said: “You see this small and barely noticeable sign under the skin: it is like an injection made by a thin needle,” and at the same time she moved the lamp to the indicated place. “What, I said, is it surprising if there is an invisible mark left on this part of the body from some kind of injection?” “This,” she said, remained on the body in memory of God’s great help, for one day when a painful tumor appeared on this part of the body and there was a danger of cutting this tumor, otherwise this disease would have completely and completely turned into an unhealed disease if it had reached places close to the heart, then the mother, she says, for a long time asked and begged her to take advantage of the doctor’s help, since this art, she says, was given by God for the benefit of people. But she, considering the exposure of any part of the body in front of other people’s eyes more painful than the disease itself, at the end of the evening, when she has performed the usual service with her mother’s hands, having retired to the holy church, she falls all night with prayer to God the healer and mixes the water flowing from her eyes with earth, using this tearful mud instead of a medicine against her illness. When the mother grieved in spirit and again asked her to resort to a doctor, she said that the medicine against the disease would be enough for her if the mother protected the sick place with her hand with a holy sign. As soon as the mother put her hand into her bowels to protect this part with the sign of the cross, the disease, after making this sign, disappeared. But this small sign then appeared at the site of a terrible tumor, and remained until the end of my life, so that, as I think, it was a memorable sign of the divine visit, serving as a reason and incentive for constant thanksgiving to God.” When we finished our care, and decorated the body with whatever we could, this deaconess said: “It is not fitting for her, adorned in the likeness of a bride, to lie openly before the eyes of the maidens: but, she says, I have your mother’s dark-colored clothes; I think it’s good to cover the body with it from above, so that this sacred beauty does not shine with the decorations of clothing that are alien to it.” This opinion was accepted, and the veil was laid; but she shone even under the dark veil; since, as I think, divine power bestowed this grace on her body, so that, according to my vision in a dream, some bright rays seemed to emanate from her beauty. While we were doing this, and the psalmody of the virgins, combined with weeping, filled the place: I don’t know how, the rumor about this suddenly spread throughout the entire neighborhood, and all the nearby residents gathered in this place, so that the courtyard could not accommodate all those who had come running. The whole night, as on the feasts of the martyrs, was spent near her in psalmody; When morning came, many husbands and wives gathered from all over the surrounding area drowned out the psalmody with their cries. But no matter how upset I was in spirit by this misfortune, I nevertheless took as much care as I could to ensure that this burial was carried out as decently as possible. So, having arranged the assembled people by gender, and placing the women with the choir of virgins, and the men with the host of monks, from both of them I arranged one consonant and harmonious, as happens in a meeting of singers, choir for psalmody, which consisted of general decent singing by everyone. since the day gradually moved forward, and the whole desert place became crowded with the multitude of arrivals; then the Bishop in charge in those places, named Araxius (for he also arrived with all his sacred clergy), ordered the funeral bed to be carried slowly, since the distance that had to be covered was great and the people would hinder a more hasty movement; and at the same time invited all his priests to carry the body. When this was accepted with love, I, having raised the bed on one side, offered to support him with the other, the other rear edges of the bed were lifted onto themselves by two other venerable husbands in the clergy. Thus the funeral procession moved forward as it should; but we moved slowly, because many people crowded around the coffin; and since everyone seemed unable to get enough of this sacred spectacle, it was inconvenient for us to speed up the procession. On both sides the coffin was accompanied by a large number of deacons and ministers, who walked in order around the bier, all with lit wax candles. All this represented a kind of mysterious procession; because everyone, from the first to the last, unanimously performed psalmody, as in the hymn of the three youths. Since the distance from the desert to the church of the holy martyrs, where the bodies of her parents rested, was about seven or eight furlongs; then almost the entire day was spent in this procession: because the people who had gathered and were constantly arriving again did not allow us to complete the upcoming journey, as we thought. When we finally arrived at the church, we laid down the bed and first of all turned to prayer; but this prayer served as a reason for the people to cry. For after the cessation of the psalmody, when the virgins looked at her sacred face and the coffin of her parents was opened, where it was decided to lay her, when one of them cried out in confusion that after this hour we would no longer behold her divine face, and together with her the other virgins cried out in the same way: then the harmonious and sacred psalmody was followed by disordered confusion, because to the sobs of the virgins all added their cry. When we with difficulty persuaded them to remain silent, the deacon began to pray and loudly pronounced the usual church petitions, only then was the prayerful deanery of the people restored. After the prayer has been properly completed, some fear attacks me, (as if not to violate) the divine commandment, which prohibits revealing the shame of a father or mother (Lev. 18:7). “How, I say, can I escape this condemnation, having seen in the bodies of my parents the ugliness common to human nature, since they are likely to have disintegrated, destroyed, and changed into a disgusting and unpleasant ugliness?” But when I reasoned like this and Noah’s indignation towards his son instilled even more fear (Gen. 9:25); the same story of Noah gave me advice on what to do. So, before the bodies appeared to our eyes, they were covered with clean linen, which was placed under a raised lid on both sides. Thus, after the bodies were covered with linen, I and the aforementioned local bishop, taking this sacred body from the bed, laid it next to the mother, fulfilling the common desire of both; for both of them unanimously asked God throughout their lives that their bodies would be united with each other after death, and that the communication in life that existed between them in life would not be dissolved even after death. When everything customary for burial was completed, and we had to set off on the return journey, I, falling to the coffin and kissing the ashes, set off again with sorrow and tears, reflecting on how much good I had lost in life. On the way back, a certain man, well-known among the military, who had military command in a certain Pontic town, whose name is Sevastopol, who lived there along with his subordinates, kindly came out to meet me when I was near this town. Hearing about this misfortune and being amazed by it (for he was close to us, through ties of kinship and friendship), he told me the story of the miracle she performed, which, having only written down in this story, then I will finish my story. When we stopped crying and entered into a conversation: “Listen,” he said, turning to me, what and how great a good has transmigrated from this life.” Having said this, he thus begins his story. “We, that is, my wife and I, once had a strong desire to visit the school of virtue; for this is what he says, I think, should be the name of the place where that blessed soul lived. There was also a little daughter with us, who had an accident with her eye due to an infectious disease, so it was very unpleasant and pitiful to look at her; because a membrane has grown near the pupil itself and a thorn has formed from the disease. When we entered the interior of this divine dwelling, my wife and I, while visiting those practicing philosophy in this place, were separated according to gender; I was in the men’s department, where your brother Peter was the rector, and she, being in the women’s department, was with the saint. When enough time had passed in the meantime, we decided that it was time to head back from the desert. Finally, when we are ready to set off, a kind invitation is made to us from both sides. Your brother orders me to stay and share the meal of wisdom, but the blessed one does not let his wife go, but holding her daughter in her arms, she says that she will not give her up first until she offers them a meal and treats them with the wealth of wisdom. Then, when, kissing her daughter and touching her eyes with her lips, she saw a thorn on the pupil, she said: “If you show me this favor, share a meal with us, then I will give you a reward for this, not unworthy of such an honor.” When the mother of the child asked: “What kind of reward is this?” - says the great one: “I have a medicine that can heal this eye disease.” When, moreover, the news of this from the women's chambers reached me, and I learned about such a promise, we happily stayed, no longer caring about the urgent need to set off on the return journey. When the meal was over, and our desire was fulfilled, the great Peter himself treated me with his own hands and delighted me with his conversations, and Saint Macrina, with all decent cordiality, sent my wife away: we set off with joy and joy on our way back; On the way they told each other how they each spent their time. I told her what I saw and what I heard in the men’s department, and she, talking about everything separately, as if in history, considered it her duty not to miss anything, not even the smallest detail. When, telling everything in order, as if from a coherently written essay, she reached the time when a cure for the eye was promised, she suddenly interrupted the story. “What did we do? How did they ignore her promise and not take care of the medicine they promised us - eye ointment? When I was also indignant at such negligence and ordered one to run quickly for medicine, the child, who was at that time in the arms of the nurse, accidentally looks at his mother; the mother, also looking intently at her eyes, says: “Stop being annoyed by negligence,” saying this out of joy and surprise in a loud voice. “For behold, all that she promised us has been fulfilled; She gave us her true medicine, healing against diseases, which consists of healing with prayers, and it turned out to be effective, so that not the slightest sign of illness remained on the eye, which became bright from this divine healing.” Having said this, she hugged her daughter and handed her into my hands. Then, turning my thoughts to the miracles of the Gospel rejected by unbelief, I said: “What is surprising if the hand of God gave sight to the blind, when in our time his servant, performing these healings by faith in Him, did a work slightly less than these miracles?” While he was saying this, his voice was interrupted by sobs, and tears flowed from his eyes at this story. This is what the military commander told me. Other similar miracles, which we heard about from those who lived with her and truly knew her entire life, I do not consider it safe to add to this story; for many people determine the reliability of what they are told by the measure of their strength, and what exceeds the strength of the listener is not considered to be the truth and is insulted by suspicion of lies. Therefore, I omit this incredible phenomenon in agriculture during a crop failure - how the bread given to the poor did not suffer any noticeable decrease, but remained in the same quantity as it was before it was distributed for the needs of those asking. For this, I will omit other, even more extraordinary things, such as: healing of diseases, casting out demons and correct predictions of the future. For those who know this for sure, all this is an undoubted truth, although it seems incredible; for people more carnal it seems impossible; because they do not know that according to the measure of faith there is also a distribution of gifts: small ones to those of little faith; great - having in itself the great acceptability of faith. So, so that non-believers do not suffer harm by not believing in the gifts of God, for this reason I refuse to describe her even greater miracles in order, considering it sufficient to limit the story about her to what has been said.