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Life of Saint Macrina - Gregory of Nyssa · Life of Saint Macrina

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  Speaker 1: Part one of the Life of Saint Macrina. This is
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  Speaker 1: a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain.
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  Speaker 1: For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org.
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  Speaker 1: The Life of Saint Macrina by Saint Gregory of Nissa,
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  Speaker 1: translated by W. K. Luther Clark, b d. To the
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  Speaker 1: Monk Olympius introduction. The form of this volume, if one
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  Speaker 1: may judge from its heading, is apparently epistolary, but its
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  Speaker 1: bulk exceeds that of a letter, extending as it does
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  Speaker 1: to the length of a book. My apology must be
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  Speaker 1: that the subject on which you bade me write is
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  Speaker 1: greater than can be compressed within the limits of a letter.
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  Speaker 1: I am sure you do not forget our meeting when
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  Speaker 1: on my way to Jerusalem in pursuance of a vow
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  Speaker 1: in order to see the relics of the Lord's sojourning
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  Speaker 1: in the flesh on the actual spots, I ran across
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  Speaker 1: you in the city of Antioch, And you must remember
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  Speaker 1: all the different talks we enjoyed, for it was not
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  Speaker 1: likely that our meeting would be a silent one when
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  Speaker 1: your wit provided so many subjects for conversation as often
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  Speaker 1: happens at such times. The talk flowed on until we
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  Speaker 1: came to discuss the life of some famous person. In
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  Speaker 1: this case, it was a woman who provided us with
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  Speaker 1: our subject, if indeed she should be styled woman, for
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  Speaker 1: I do not know whether it is fitting to designate
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  Speaker 1: her by her sex, who so surpassed her sex. Our
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  Speaker 1: account of her was not based on the narrative of others.
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  Speaker 1: But our talk was an accurate description of what we
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  Speaker 1: had learned by personal experience. Nor did it need to
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  Speaker 1: be authenticated by strangers. Nor even was the virgin referred
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  Speaker 1: to unknown to our family circle to make it necessary
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  Speaker 1: to learn the wonders of her life through others. But
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  Speaker 1: she came from the same parents as ourselves, being so
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  Speaker 1: to speak, an offering a first fruits, since she was
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  Speaker 1: the earliest born of my mother's womb. As then you
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  Speaker 1: have decided that the story of her noble career is
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  Speaker 1: worth telling to prevent such a life being unknown to
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  Speaker 1: our time, the record of a woman who raised herself
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  Speaker 1: by philosophy to the greatest height of human virtue, passing
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  Speaker 1: into the shades of useless oblivion. I thought it well
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  Speaker 1: to obey you, and in a few words, as best
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  Speaker 1: I can to tell her story in unstudied and simple style.
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  Speaker 1: Macrina's parents the virgin's name was Macrina. She was so
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  Speaker 1: called by her parents after a famous Macrina some time
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  Speaker 1: before in the family, our father's mother, who had confessed
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  Speaker 1: Christ like a good athlete in the time of the persecutions.
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  Speaker 1: This indeed was her name to the outside world, the
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  Speaker 1: one used by her friends. But another name had been
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  Speaker 1: given her privately as a result of a vision before
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  Speaker 1: she was born into the world. For indeed, her mother
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  Speaker 1: was so virtuous that she was guided on all occasions
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  Speaker 1: by the divine will. In particular, she loved the pure
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  Speaker 1: and unstained mode of life so much that she was
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  Speaker 1: unwilling to be married. But since she had lost both
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  Speaker 1: her parents and was in the very flower of her
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  Speaker 1: youthful beauty and the fame of her good looks, was
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  Speaker 1: attracting many suitors, and there was danger that if she
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  Speaker 1: were not made to someone willingly, she might suffer some
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  Speaker 1: unwished for violent fate. Seeing that some men, inflamed by
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  Speaker 1: her beauty were ready to abduct her on this account,
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  Speaker 1: she chose for her husband a man who was known
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  Speaker 1: and approved for the gravity of his conduct. And so
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  Speaker 1: gained a protector of her life, the birth of Macrina.
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  Speaker 1: At her first confinement, she became the mother of Macrina.
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  Speaker 1: When the due time came for her pass to be
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  Speaker 1: ended by delivery, she fell asleep and seemed to be
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  Speaker 1: carrying in her hands that which was still in her womb,
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  Speaker 1: and someone in form and raiment were splendid than a
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  Speaker 1: human being appeared and addressed the child she was carrying
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  Speaker 1: by the name of Thekla, that Thekla I mean who
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  Speaker 1: is so famous among the virgins. After doing this and
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  Speaker 1: testifying to it three times, he departed from her sight
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  Speaker 1: and gave her easy delivery, so that at that moment
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  Speaker 1: she awoke from sleep and saw her dream realized. Now
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  Speaker 1: this name was used only in secret, but it seems
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  Speaker 1: to me that the apparition spoke not so much to
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  Speaker 1: guide the mother to a right choice of name as
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  Speaker 1: to forecast the life of the young child, and to
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  Speaker 1: indicate by the name that she would follow her namesake's
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  Speaker 1: mode of life. Magrina's childhood well, the child was reared,
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  Speaker 1: although she had her own nurse, yet as a rule,
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  Speaker 1: her mother did the nursing with her own hands. After
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  Speaker 1: passing the stage of infancy, she showed herself apt in
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  Speaker 1: acquiring childish accomplishments, and her natural powers were shown in
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  Speaker 1: every study to which her parents judgment directed her. The
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  Speaker 1: education of the child was her mother's task. She did not, however,
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  Speaker 1: employ the usual worldly method of education, which makes a
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  Speaker 1: practice of using poetry as a means of training the
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  Speaker 1: early years of the child, for she considered it disgraceful
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  Speaker 1: and quite unsuitable that a tender and plastic nature should
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  Speaker 1: be taught either those tragic passions of womanhood which afforded
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  Speaker 1: poets their suggestions and plots, or the indecencies of comedy,
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  Speaker 1: to be, so to speak, denied with unseemly tales of
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  Speaker 1: the Harem. But such parts of inspired scripture, as you
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  Speaker 1: would think were incomprehensible to young children, were the subject
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  Speaker 1: of the girl's studies, in particular the Wisdom of Solomon,
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  Speaker 1: and those parts of it, especially which have an ethical bearing.
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  Speaker 1: Nor was she ignorant of any part of the Psalter,
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  Speaker 1: but it stated time she recited every part of it
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  Speaker 1: when she rose from bed or engaged in household duties,
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  Speaker 1: or rested, or partook of food, or retired from table,
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  Speaker 1: when she went to bed or arose in the night
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  Speaker 1: for prayer. The psalter was her constant companion, like a
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  Speaker 1: good bellow traveler that never deserted her her betrothal, filling
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  Speaker 1: her time with these and the like occupations, and detaining
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  Speaker 1: besides a considerable proficiency in wool work. The growing girl
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  Speaker 1: reached her twelfth year, the age when the bloom of
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  Speaker 1: adolescence begins to appear. In which connection it is noteworthy
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  Speaker 1: that the girl's beauty could not be concealed, in spite
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  Speaker 1: of efforts to hide it, nor in all the countryside,
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  Speaker 1: So it seems, was there anything so marvelous as her
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  Speaker 1: beauty in comparison with that of others. So fair was
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  Speaker 1: she that even painters hands could not do justice to
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  Speaker 1: her comeliness. The art that contrives all things and desays
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  Speaker 1: the greatest tasks, so as even to model in imitation
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  Speaker 1: the figures of the heavenly bodies could not accurately reproduce
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  Speaker 1: the loveliness of her form. In consequence, a great swarm
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  Speaker 1: of suitor seeking her in marriage crowded round her parents.
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  Speaker 1: But her father, a shrewd man with reputation for forming
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  Speaker 1: right decisions, picked out from the rest a young man
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  Speaker 1: related to the family who was just leaving school of
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  Speaker 1: good birth and remarkable steadiness, and decided to betrothe his
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  Speaker 1: daughter to him as soon as she was old enough. Meantime,
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  Speaker 1: he aroused great hopes, and he offered to his future
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  Speaker 1: father in law his fame in public speaking, as it
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  Speaker 1: were one of the groom's gifts, for he displayed the
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  Speaker 1: power of its eloquence in forensic contests on behalf of
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  Speaker 1: the wronged death of the young man. But envy cut
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  Speaker 1: off these bright hopes by snatching away the poor lad
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  Speaker 1: from life. Now, Makrina was not ignorant of her father's schemes,
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  Speaker 1: but when the plan formed for her was shattered by
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  Speaker 1: the young man's death, she said her father's intention was
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  Speaker 1: equivalent to a marriage, and resolved to remain single henceforward,
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  Speaker 1: just as if the intention had become accomplished fact. And
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  Speaker 1: indeed her determination was more steadfast than could have been
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  Speaker 1: expected from her age, for when her parents brought proposals
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  Speaker 1: of marriage to her, as often happened owing to the
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  Speaker 1: number of suitors that came attracted by the fame of
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  Speaker 1: her beauty, she would say that it was absurd and
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  Speaker 1: unlawful not to be faithful to the marriage that had
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  Speaker 1: been arranged for her by her father, but to be
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  Speaker 1: compelled to consider another, since in the nature of things
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  Speaker 1: there was but one marriage, as there is one birth
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  Speaker 1: and one death. She persisted that the man who had
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  Speaker 1: been linked to her by her parents arrangement was not dead,
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  Speaker 1: but that she considered him, who lived to God thanks
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  Speaker 1: to the hope of the resurrection, to be absent, only
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  Speaker 1: not dead. It was wrong not to keep faith with
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  Speaker 1: the bridegroom who was away. Macrina resolves never to leave
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  Speaker 1: her mother with such words, repelling those who tried to
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  Speaker 1: talk her over. She settled on one safeguard of her
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  Speaker 1: good resolution, and it resolved not to be separated from
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  Speaker 1: her mother, even for a moment of time, so that
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  Speaker 1: her mother would often say that she had carried the
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  Speaker 1: rest of her children in her womb for a definite time,
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  Speaker 1: but that Macrina she bore always since any sense she
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  Speaker 1: ever carried her about. But the daughter's companionship was not
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  Speaker 1: a burden to her mother, nor profitless, for the attentions
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  Speaker 1: received from her daughter were worth those of many maid servants,
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  Speaker 1: and the benefits were mutual, for the mother looked after
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  Speaker 1: the girl's soul and the girl looked after her mother's
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  Speaker 1: body and in all respects fulfilled the required services, even
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  Speaker 1: going so far as to prepare meals for her mother
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  Speaker 1: with her own hands, not that she made this her
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  Speaker 1: chief business, but after she had anointed her hands by
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  Speaker 1: the performance of religious duties, for she deemed that zeal
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  Speaker 1: for this was consistent with the principles of her life.
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  Speaker 1: In the time that was left, she prepared food for
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  Speaker 1: her mother by her own toil. And not only this,
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  Speaker 1: but she helped her mother to bear her burden of responsibilities,
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  Speaker 1: for she had four sons and five daughters, and paid
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  Speaker 1: taxes to three different governors since her property was scattered
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  Speaker 1: in as many districts. In consequence, her mother was distracted
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  Speaker 1: with various anxieties, for her father had by this time
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  Speaker 1: departed this life. In all these matters, she shared her
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  Speaker 1: mother's toils, dividing her cares with her and lightening her
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  Speaker 1: heavy load of sorrows. At one and the same time,
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  Speaker 1: thanks to her mother's guardianship, she was keeping her own
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  Speaker 1: life blameless, so that her mother's eye both directed and
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  Speaker 1: witnessed all she did. And also by her own life,
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  Speaker 1: she instructed her mother greatly, leading her to the same mark,
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  Speaker 1: that of philosophy, I mean, and gradually drawing her on
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  Speaker 1: to the immaterial and more perfect life. Basil returns from
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  Speaker 1: the university when the mother had arranged excellent marriages for
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  Speaker 1: the other sisters, such as was best in each case.
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  Speaker 1: Recutina's brother, the Great Basil, returned after his long period
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  Speaker 1: of education. Already a practiced rhetorician. He was puffed up
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  Speaker 1: beyond measure with the pride of oratory, and looked down
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  Speaker 1: on the local dignitaries, excelling in his own estimation all
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  Speaker 1: the men of leading and position. Nevertheless, Macrina took him
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  Speaker 1: in hand, and with such speed did she draw him
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  Speaker 1: also toward the mark of philosophy, that he forsook the
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  Speaker 1: glories of this world and despised fame gained by speaking,
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  Speaker 1: and deserted it for this busy life, for one toils
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  Speaker 1: with one's hands. His renunciation of property was complete, lest
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  Speaker 1: anything should impede the life of virtue. But indeed, his
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  Speaker 1: life and the subsequent acts by which he became renowned
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  Speaker 1: throughout the world and put into the shade. All those
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  Speaker 1: who have won renown for their virtue would need a
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  Speaker 1: long description and much time. But I must divert my
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  Speaker 1: tale to its appointed task. Now that all the distractions
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  Speaker 1: of the material life had been removed, Macrina persuaded her
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  Speaker 1: mother to give up her ordinary life and all showy
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  Speaker 1: style of living and the services of domestics to which
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  Speaker 1: he had been accustomed before, and bring her point of
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  Speaker 1: view down to that of the masses, and to share
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  Speaker 1: the life of the maids, treating all her slave girls
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  Speaker 1: and menials as if they were sisters and belonged to
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  Speaker 1: the same rank as herself. But at this point I
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  Speaker 1: should like to insert a short parenthesis and my narrative,
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  Speaker 1: and not to pass over unrelated such a matter as
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  Speaker 1: the following, in which the lofty character of the maiden
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  Speaker 1: is displayed. The story of Novcratius, the second of the
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  Speaker 1: four brothers. Novcratius by name, who came next after the
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  Speaker 1: Great Basil, excelled the rest in natural endowments and physical beauty,
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  Speaker 1: in strength, speed, and ability to turn his hand to anything.
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  Speaker 1: When he had reached his twenty first year and had
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  Speaker 1: given such demonstration of his studies by speaking in public
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  Speaker 1: that the whole audience in the theater was thrilled, he
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  Speaker 1: was led by divine providence to despise all that was
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  Speaker 1: already in his grasp, and drawn by an irresistible impulse,
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  Speaker 1: he went off to a life of solitude and poverty.
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  Speaker 1: He took nothing with him but himself, save that one
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  Speaker 1: of the servants named Kutsaphius, followed him because of the
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  Speaker 1: affection he had towards his master and the intention he
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  Speaker 1: had formed to lead the same life. So he lived
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  Speaker 1: by himself, having found a solitary spot on the banks
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  Speaker 1: of the Iris, a river flowing through the midst of Pontus.
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  Speaker 1: It rises actually in Armenia, passes through our parts, and
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  Speaker 1: discharges its dream into the Black Sea. By it the
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  Speaker 1: young man found he placed with a luxuriant growth of
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  Speaker 1: trees and a hill nestling under the mass of the
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  Speaker 1: overhanging mountain. There he lived far e moved from the
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  Speaker 1: noises of the city and the distractions that surround the
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  Speaker 1: lives both of the soldier and the pleader in the
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  Speaker 1: law courts. Having thus freed himself from the din of
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  Speaker 1: cares that impedes man's higher life. With his own hands,
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  Speaker 1: he looked after some old people who were living in
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  Speaker 1: poverty and feebleness, considering it appropriate to his mode of
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  Speaker 1: life to make such a work his care, so the
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  Speaker 1: generous youth would go on fishing expeditions, and since he
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  Speaker 1: was expert in every form of sport, he provided food
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  Speaker 1: to his grateful clients by this means, and at the
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  Speaker 1: same time, by such exercises he was teeming his own manhood.
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  Speaker 1: Besides this, he also gladly obeyed his mother's wishes whenever
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  Speaker 1: she issued a command. And so in these two ways
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  Speaker 1: he guided his life, subduing his youthful nature by toils
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  Speaker 1: and caring assiduously for his mother, and thus keeping the
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  Speaker 1: divine commands he traveling home to God. In this manner
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  Speaker 1: he completed the fifth year of his life as a philosopher,
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  Speaker 1: by which he made his mother happy, both by the
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  Speaker 1: way in which he adorned his own life by countenance
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  Speaker 1: and by the devotion of all his powers to do
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  Speaker 1: the will of her that bore him. The tragic death
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  Speaker 1: of Navcratius. Then there fell on the mother, a grievous
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  Speaker 1: and tragic affliction contrived, I think by the adversary, which
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  Speaker 1: brought trouble and mourning upon all the family, for he
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  Speaker 1: was snatched suddenly away from life. No previous sickness had
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  Speaker 1: prepared them for the blow, nor did any of the
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  Speaker 1: usual and well known mischances bring death upon the young man.
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  Speaker 1: Having started out on one of the expeditions by which
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  Speaker 1: he provided necessaries for the old men under his care,
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  Speaker 1: he was brought back home dead, together with Chrysaphius, who
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  Speaker 1: shared his life. His mother was far away, three days
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  Speaker 1: distant from the scene of the tragedy. Someone came to
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  Speaker 1: her telling the bad news. Perfect though she was in
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  Speaker 1: every department of virtue, yet nature dominated her as it
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  Speaker 1: does others, for she collapsed and in a moment lost
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  Speaker 1: both breath and speech, since her reason failed her under
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  Speaker 1: the disaster, and she was thrown to the ground by
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  Speaker 1: the assault of the evil tidings, like some noble athlete
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  Speaker 1: hit by an unexpected blow. End of Part one Part
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  Speaker 1: two of the Life of Saint Macrina by Saint Gregory
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  Speaker 1: of Nissa, translated by W. K. Lowther Clark b D.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Macrina, the
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  Speaker 1: one support of her mother and now the virtue of
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  Speaker 1: the great Makrina, was displayed. Facing the disaster and irrational spirit.
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  Speaker 1: She both preserved herself from collapse and becoming the prop
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  Speaker 1: of her mother's weakness. Raised her up from the abyss
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  Speaker 1: of grief, and by her own steadfastness and imperturbability, taught
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  Speaker 1: her mother's soul to be brave. In consequence, her mother
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  Speaker 1: was not overwhelmed by the affliction, nor did she behave
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  Speaker 1: in any ignoble and womanish way so as to cry
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  Speaker 1: out at the calamity, or tear her dress, or lament
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  Speaker 1: over the trouble, or strike up funeral chance with mournful melodies.
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  Speaker 1: On the contrary, she resisted the impulses of nature and
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  Speaker 1: quieted herself, both by such reflections as occurred to her
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  Speaker 1: spontaneously and those that were applied by her daughter to
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  Speaker 1: cure the ill. For then, was the nobility of Macrina's
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  Speaker 1: soul most of all conspicuous, since natural affection was making
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  Speaker 1: her suffer as well well, for it was a brother,
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  Speaker 1: and a favorite brother, who had been snatched away by
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  Speaker 1: such a manner of death. Nevertheless, conquering nature, she so
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  Speaker 1: sustained her mother by her arguments that she too rose
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  Speaker 1: superior to her sorrow. Besides which, the moral elevation always
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  Speaker 1: maintained by Macrina's life gave her mother the opportunity of
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  Speaker 1: rejoicing over the blessing she enjoyed, rather than grieving over
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  Speaker 1: those that were missing. Mother and daughter make further progress
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  Speaker 1: in the ascetic life. When the cares of bringing up
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  Speaker 1: a family and the anxieties of their education and settling
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  Speaker 1: in life had come to an end, and the property,
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  Speaker 1: a frequent cause of worldliness, had been for the most
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  Speaker 1: part divided among the children. Then, as I said above,
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  Speaker 1: the life of the virgin became her mother's guide and
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  Speaker 1: led her on to this philosophy and spiritual manner of life,
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  Speaker 1: and weaning her from all accustomed luxuries, Macrina drew her
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  Speaker 1: on to adopt her own standard of humility. She induced
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  Speaker 1: her to live on a footing of equality with the
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  Speaker 1: staff of maids, so as to share with them in
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  Speaker 1: the same food, the same kind of bed, and in
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  Speaker 1: all the necessaries of life, without any regard to differences
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  Speaker 1: of rank. Such was the manner of their life, so
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  Speaker 1: great the height of their philosophy, and so wholly their
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  Speaker 1: conduct day and night, as to make verbal description inadequate
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  Speaker 1: for justice. Souls freed from the body by death or
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  Speaker 1: saved from the cares of this life, so was their life,
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  Speaker 1: far removed from all earthly follies, and ordered with the
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  Speaker 1: view of imitating the angelic life, for no anger or jealousy,
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  Speaker 1: no hatred or pride was observed in their midst nor
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  Speaker 1: anything else of this nature. Since they had cast away
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  Speaker 1: all all vain desires for honor and glory, all vanity, arrogance,
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  Speaker 1: and the like contenance was their luxury and obscurity, their glory. Poverty,
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  Speaker 1: and the casting away of all material superfluities like dust
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  Speaker 1: from their bodies was their wealth. In fact, of all
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  Speaker 1: the things after which men eagerly pursue in this life,
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  Speaker 1: there were none with which they could not easily dispense.
• 21:28
  Speaker 1: Nothing was left but the care of divine things and
• 21:31
  Speaker 1: the unceasing rant of prayer and endless hymnity, co extensive
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: with time itself, practiced by night and day, so that
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: to them this meant work, and work so called was rust.
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: What human words can make you realize such a life
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: as this, a life on the border line between human
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: and spiritual nature. For that nature should be free from
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: human weaknesses, is more than can be expected from mankind.
• 22:00
  Speaker 1: But these women fell short of the angelic and immaterial
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: nature only in so far as they appeared in bodily
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: form and were contained within a human frame. And were
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: dependent upon the organs of sense. Perhaps some might even
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: dare to say that the difference was not to their disadvantage,
• 22:21
  Speaker 1: since living in the body, and yet after the likeness
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: of the immaterial beings, they were not bowed down by
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: the weight of the body, but their life was exalted
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: to the skies, and they walked on high in company
• 22:34
  Speaker 1: with the powers of heaven. The period covered by this
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: mode of life was no short one, and with the
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: lapse of time, their successes increased as their philosophy continually
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: grew peerer with the discovery of new blessings. Peter, the
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: youngest brother. Macrina, was helped most of all in achieving
• 22:57
  Speaker 1: this great aim of her life by her own brother Peter.
• 23:02
  Speaker 1: With him the mother's pang ceased, for he was the
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: latest born of the family at one and the same
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: time he received the names of son and orphan, for
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: as he entered this life, his father passed away from it.
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: But the eldest of the family, the subject of our story,
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: took him soon after birth from the nurse's breast and
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: reared him herself and educated him on a lofty system
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: of training, practicing him from infancy and holy studies, so
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: as not to give his sole leisure to turn to
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: vain things. Thus having become all things to the lad father, teacher, tutor, mother,
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: giver of all good advice, she produced such results that
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: before the age of boyhood had passed, when he was
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: yet a stripling in the first bloom of tender youth,
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: he aspired to the high mark of philosophy, and thanks
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: to his natural endowments, he was clever in every art
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: that involves hand work, so that without any guidance, he
• 24:03
  Speaker 1: achieved a completely accurate knowledge of everything that ordinary people
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: learned by time and trouble. Scorning to occupy his time
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: with worldly studies, and having in nature a sufficient instructor
• 24:16
  Speaker 1: in all good knowledge, and always looking to his sister
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: as the model of all good, he advanced to such
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: a height of virtue that in his subsequent life he
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: seemed in no wit inferior to the great Basal. But
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: at this time he was all in all to his
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: sister and mother, co operating with them in the pursuit
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: of the angelic life. Once, when a severe famine had occurred,
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: and crowds from all quarters were frequenting the retreat where
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: they lived, drawn by the fame of their benevolence. Peter's
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: kindness supplied such an abundance of food that the desert
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: seemed a city by reason of the number of visitors.
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: Death of the mother. It was it about this time
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: that the mother died, honored by all, and went to God,
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: yielding up her life in the arms of her two children.
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: It is worth while to give the words of blessing
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: which she used over her children, mentioning each of the
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: absent ones and loving remembrance, so that no single one
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: was deprived of the blessing, and commending especially to God
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: and her prayers those who were present with her, For
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: as these too sat by her on each side of
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: the bed, she touched them with her hands and uttered
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: these prayers to God with her dying words. To THEE, O, Lord,
• 25:42
  Speaker 1: I give the fruit of my womb as both first
• 25:44
  Speaker 1: fruits and tents. For this, my eldest, is the first fruits,
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: and this my last born, is the tenth. Each is
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: sanctified to THEE by the law, and they are votive
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: offerings to THEE. Therefore, let r I sanctification descend on
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: this my first and this my tenth. As she spoke,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: she indicated by gestures her daughter and son. Then, having
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: ceased to bless she ceased to live, having first bidden
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: her children lay her body in their father's grave. But they,
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: having fulfilled the command clave to philosophy, was still loftier resolve,
• 26:25
  Speaker 1: even striving against their own life, and eclipsing their previous
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: record by their subsequent successes. Basil dies after a noble career. Meanwhile,
• 26:39
  Speaker 1: Basil the famous Saint, had been elected Bishop of the
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: Great Church of Casarea. He advanced Peter to the sacred
• 26:47
  Speaker 1: order of the priesthood, consecrating him in person with mystic ceremonial,
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: And in this way a further advance in the direction
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: of dignity and sanctity was made in their life, now
• 26:59
  Speaker 1: that philosophy was enriched by the priesthood. Eight years after this,
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: the world renowned Basil departed from men to live with God,
• 27:09
  Speaker 1: to the common grief of his native land and the
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: whole world. Now, when Macrina heard the news of the
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: calamity in her distant retreat, she was distressed, indeed in soul,
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: at so great a loss. For how could she not
• 27:24
  Speaker 1: be distressed at a calamity which was felt even by
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: the enemies of the truth But just as they say
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: that the testing of gold takes place in several furnaces,
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: so that if any impurity escapes the first furnace, it
• 27:40
  Speaker 1: may be separated in the second, and again in the
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: last one all admixture of dross may be purged away. Consequently,
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: it is the most accurate testing of pure gold, if
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: having gone through every furnace, it shows no refuse. So
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: it happened also in her case, and her noble character
• 28:01
  Speaker 1: had been tested by these different accessions of trouble. In
• 28:05
  Speaker 1: every respect, the metal of her soul was proved to
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: be unadulterated and undefiled. The first test was the loss
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: of the one brother, the second departing from her mother.
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: The third was when the common glory of the family,
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: great Basil, was removed from human life. So she remained
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: like an invincible athlete in no wise. Broken from the
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: assault of troubles, Gregory resolves to visit his sister. It
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: was the ninth month or a little longer after this disaster,
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: and a synod of bishops was gathered at Antioch, in
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: which we also took part. And when we broke up
• 28:48
  Speaker 1: each to go home before the year was over, then
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: I Gregory felt the desire to visit Macrina for a
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: long time had elapsed, during which visits were prevented by
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: the distract of the troubles which I underwent, being constantly
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: driven out from my own country by the leaders of heresy.
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: And when I came to reckon the intervening time during
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: which the troubles had prevented as meeting face to face,
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: no less than eight years, or very nearly that period
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: seemed to have elapsed. Now, when I had accomplished most
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: of the journey and was one day's journey distant, a
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: vision appeared to me in a dream and filled me
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: with anxious anticipations of the future. I seemed to be
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: carrying Martyr's relics in my hands. A light came from them,
• 29:39
  Speaker 1: such as comes from a clear mirror when it is
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: put facing the sun, so that my eyes were blinded
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: by the brilliance of the rays. The same vision recurred
• 29:49
  Speaker 1: three times that night. I could not clearly understand the
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: riddle of the dream, but I saw trouble for my soul,
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: and I watched carefully so as to judge the vision
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: by events. When I approached the retreat in which Macrina
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: led her angelic and heavenly life. First of all, I
• 30:08
  Speaker 1: asked one of the servants about my brother, whether he
• 30:11
  Speaker 1: were at home. He told us that he had gone
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: out four days ago now, and I understood, which indeed
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: was the case, that he had gone to meet us
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: by another way. Then I asked after the great lady.
• 30:26
  Speaker 1: He said she was very ill, And I was the
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: more eager to hurry on and complete the remainder of
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: the journey, for a certain anxiety and promonitory fear of
• 30:35
  Speaker 1: what was coming stole in and disquieted me. Gregory comes
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: to the monastery and finds Macrina on her deathbed. But
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: when I came to the actual place, rumor had already
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: announced my arrival to the brotherhood. Then the whole company
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: of the men came streaming out to meet us from
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: their apartments, for it was their accustomed to honor friends
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: by meeting them. But the band of virgins on the
• 31:05
  Speaker 1: women's side modestly waited in the church for us to arrive.
• 31:09
  Speaker 1: But when the prayers and the blessing were over, and
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: the women, after reverently inclining their head for the blessing,
• 31:16
  Speaker 1: retired to their own apartments, none of them were left
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: with us. I guessed the explanation that the abbess was
• 31:24
  Speaker 1: not with them. A man led me to the house
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: in which was my great sister and opened the door.
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: Then I entered that holy dwelling. I found her already
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: terribly afflicted with weakness. She was lying not on a
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: bed or couch, but on the floor. A sack had
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: been spread on a board, and another board propped up
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: her head, so contrived as to act as a pillow,
• 31:50
  Speaker 1: supporting the sinews of the neck and slanting fashion and
• 31:54
  Speaker 1: holding up the neck comfortably. Now, when she saw me
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: near the door, she raised herself on her elbow, but
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: could not come to meet me, her strength being already
• 32:04
  Speaker 1: drained by fever. But by putting her hands on the
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: floor and leaning over from the palett as far as
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: she could, she showed the respect due to my rank.
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: I ran to her and embraced her prostrate form, and
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: raising her again, restored her to her usual position. Then
• 32:22
  Speaker 1: she lifted her hand to God and said this favor
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: also thou hast granted me o God, and hast not
• 32:30
  Speaker 1: deprived me of my desire, because thou hast stirred up
• 32:33
  Speaker 1: thy servant to visit thy handmaid lest she should vex
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: my soul. She stilled her groans and made great efforts
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: to hide, if possible, the difficulty of her breathing, And
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: in every way she tried to be cheerful, both taking
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: the lead herself in friendly talk and giving us an
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: opportunity by asking questions. When in the course of conversation
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: mention was made of the great Basil, my soul was
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: saddened and my face fell dejectedly. But so far was
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: she from sharing in my affliction that treating the mention
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: of the Saint as an occasion for yet lofty or philosophy,
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: she discussed various subjects, inquiring into human affairs and revealing
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: in her conversation the divine purpose concealed in disasters. Besides this,
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: she discussed the future life, as if inspired by the
• 33:29
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit, so that it almost seemed as if my
• 33:32
  Speaker 1: soul were lifted by the help of her words away
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: from mortal nature, emplaced within the heavenly sanctuary. And just
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: as we learn in the story of Job, that the
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: Saint was tormented in every part of his body with
• 33:47
  Speaker 1: discharges owing to the corruption of his wounds, yet did
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: not allow the pain to affect his reasoning power, but
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: in spite of the pains in the body, did not
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: relax his activities nor interrupt the lofty sentiments of his discourse.
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: Similarly did I see in the case of this great woman,
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: fever was drawing up her straint and driving her on
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: to death. Yet she refreshed her body as it were
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: withdw and thus kept her mind unimpeded in the contemplation
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: of heavenly things, in no way injured by her terrible weakness.
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: And if my narrative were not extending to an unconscionable length,
• 34:28
  Speaker 1: I would tell everything in order. How she was uplifted
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: as she discoursed to us on the nature of the soul,
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: and explained the reason of life in the flesh, and
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: why man was made, and how he was mortal, in
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: the origin of death, and the nature of the journey
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: from death to life again, in all of which she
• 34:48
  Speaker 1: told her tale clearly and consecutively, as if inspired by
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: the power of the Holy Spirit, and the even flow
• 34:56
  Speaker 1: of her language. Was lucky fountain whose waters dreams down uninterruptedly.
• 35:03
  Speaker 1: She sends Gregory away to rest himself. When our conversation
• 35:09
  Speaker 1: was finished, she said, it is time, brother, for you
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: to rest your body a while, since it is wearied
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: with the great toil of your journey. And though I
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: found it a great and genuine rest to see her
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: and hear her noble words, yet since she wanted it
• 35:26
  Speaker 1: so much that I might, in every particular seem to
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: obey my mistress, I found a pretty arbor prepared for
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: me in one of the neighboring gardens, and rested under
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: the shade of the trailing vines. But it was impossible
• 35:40
  Speaker 1: to have any feelings of enjoyment when my soul within
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: me was constrained by gloomy anticipations, for the secret of
• 35:48
  Speaker 1: the vision of my dream seemed to be now revealed
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: to me by what I had seen. For the image
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: I had seen was indeed true, the relics of a
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: holy martyr, which had been dead in sin, but now
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: were resplendent with the indwelling power of the spirit. I
• 36:07
  Speaker 1: explained this to one of those who had heard me
• 36:10
  Speaker 1: tell the dream before. We were, as one might guess,
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: any dejected state, expecting sad tidings. When Macrina, somehow or other,
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: divining our condition of mind, sent to us a messenger
• 36:24
  Speaker 1: with more cheerful news and bade us be of good
• 36:27
  Speaker 1: cheer and have better hope for her, for she was
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: feeling a change for the better. Now this was said
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: not to deceive, but the message was actually true, though
• 36:38
  Speaker 1: we did not know it at the time. For in
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: very truth, just as a runner who has passed its
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: adversary and already draw near to the end of the stadium,
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: as he approaches the judge's seat and sees the crown
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: of victory, rejoice as inwardly as if he had already
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: attained his object, and announces his victory to his sympathizers
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: among the spectators. In such a frame of mind, did
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: she too tell us to cherish better hopes for her,
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: for she was already looking to the prize of her
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: heavenly calling, and all but uttering the Apostle's words. Henceforward
• 37:18
  Speaker 1: is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: the righteous Judge shall give me. For I have fought
• 37:25
  Speaker 1: the good fight, I have finished the course, I have
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: kept the faith. Accordingly, feeling happy at the good news,
• 37:34
  Speaker 1: we began to enjoy the sights that lay before us,
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: for they were very varied, and the arrangements gave much pleasure.
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: Since the Great lady was careful even of these trifles
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: and of Part two Part three of the Life of
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: Saint Machrina by Saint Gregory of Nissa, trans by W. K.
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: Lowther Clark b d. This LibriVox recording is in the
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: public domain. Gregory returns to Macrina, who recalls the events
• 38:12
  Speaker 1: of her childhood. But when we saw her again, for
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: she did not allow us to spend time by ourselves
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: in idleness, she began to recall her past life, beginning
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: with childhood, and describing it all in order, as in
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: a history. She recounted as much as she could remember
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: of the life of our parents in the events that
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: took place both before and after my birth. But her
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: aim throughout was gratitude towards God, for she described our
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: parents life not so much from the point of view
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: of the reputation they enjoyed in the eyes of contemporaries,
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: on account of their ridges. As an example of the
• 38:53
  Speaker 1: divine blessing, my father's parents had their goods confiscated for
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: confessing Christ. Our maternal grandfather was slain by the Imperial Wrath,
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: and all his possessions were transferred to other masters. Nevertheless,
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: their life abounded so in faith that no one was
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: named above them in those times, and moreover, after their
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: substance had been divided into nine parts according to the
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: number of the children, the share of each was so
• 39:25
  Speaker 1: increased by God's blessing that the income of each of
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: the children exceeded the prosperity of the parents. But when
• 39:33
  Speaker 1: it came to Macrina herself, she kept nothing of the
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: things assigned to her in the equal division between brothers
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: and sisters. But all her share was given into the
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: priest's hands according to the divine command. Moreover, her life
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: became such by God's help that her hands never ceased
• 39:52
  Speaker 1: to work according to the commandment. Never did she even
• 39:56
  Speaker 1: look for help to any human being, nor did human
• 39:59
  Speaker 1: share give her the opportunity of a comfortable existence. Never
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: were petitioners turned away. Yet never did she appeal for help.
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: But God secretly blessed the little seeds of her good
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: works till they grew into a mighty fruit. As I
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: told my own trouble in all that I had been through,
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: first my exile at the hands of the Emperor of
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: veillance on account of the faith, and then the confusion
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: in the church that summoned me to conflicts and trials,
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: my great sister said, will you not cease to be
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: insensible to the divine blessings? Will you not remedy the
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: ingratitude of your soul? Will you not compare your position
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: with that of your parents? And yet, as regards worldly things,
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: we make our boast of being well born and thinking
• 40:53
  Speaker 1: become of a noble family. Our father was greatly esteemed
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: as a young man for his learning. In fact, his
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: fame was established throughout the law courts of the province. Subsequently,
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: though he excelled all others in rhetoric, his reputation did
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: not extend beyond Pontus. But he was satisfied with fame
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: in his own land. But you, she said, are renowned
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: in cities and peoples and nations. Churches summon you is
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: an ally and director. And do you not see the
• 41:26
  Speaker 1: grace of God in it all? Do you fail to
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: recognize the cause of such great blessings? That it is
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: your parents prayers that are lifting you up on high,
• 41:37
  Speaker 1: you that have little or no equipment within yourself for
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: such success. Thus she spoke, and I longed for the
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: length of the day to be further extended, that she
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: might never cease delighting our ears with sweetness. But the
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: voice of the choir was summoning us to the evening's
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: service and sending me to church. The Great One retired
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: once more to God in prayer, and thus she spent
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: the night the events of the next day Macrinu's last hours.
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: But when the day came, it was clear to me
• 42:13
  Speaker 1: from what I saw, that the coming day was the
• 42:16
  Speaker 1: utmost limit of her life in the flesh, since the
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: fever had consumed all her innate strength. But she, considering
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: the weakness of our minds, was contriving how to divert
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: us from our sorrowful anticipations, and once more, with those
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: beautiful words of hers, poured out what was left of
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: her suffering soul. Was short and difficult breathing. Many, indeed,
• 42:41
  Speaker 1: and varied were the emotions of my heart at what
• 42:44
  Speaker 1: I saw, for Nature herself was afflicting me and making
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: me sad, as was only to be expected, since I
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: could no longer hope ever to hear such a voice again,
• 42:56
  Speaker 1: nor as yet was I reconcile to the thought of
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: losing the common glory of our family. But my mind,
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: as it were, inspired by the spectacle, supposed that she
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: would actually rise superior to the common lot. For that
• 43:12
  Speaker 1: she did not, even in her last breath, find anything
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: strange in the hope of the resurrection, nor even shrink
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: at the departure from this life, but with lofty mind,
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: continued to discuss up to her last breath the convictions
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: she had formed from the beginning about this life. All
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: this seemed to me more than human. Rather, did it
• 43:34
  Speaker 1: seem as if some angel had taken human form, with
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: a sort of incarnation, to whom it was nothing strange
• 43:41
  Speaker 1: that the mind should remain undisturbed, since he had no
• 43:45
  Speaker 1: kinship or likeness with this life of the flesh, and
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: so the flesh did not draw the mind to think
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: on its afflictions. Therefore, I think she revealed to the
• 43:55
  Speaker 1: bystanders that divine and pure love of the invisible, which
• 44:01
  Speaker 1: she kept hidden and nourished in the secret places of
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: the soul. And she published abroad the secret disposition of
• 44:08
  Speaker 1: her heart, her hurrying towards him whom she desired, that
• 44:13
  Speaker 1: she might speedily be with him, loosed from the chains
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: of the body. For in very truth her course was
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: directed towards virtue, and nothing else could divert her attention.
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: Macrina's dying prayer. Most of the day had now passed,
• 44:33
  Speaker 1: and the sun was declining towards the west. Her eagerness
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: did not diminish, But as she approached her end, as
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: if she discerned the beauty of the bride grew more clearly,
• 44:44
  Speaker 1: she hastened towards the beloved with the greater eagerness. Such
• 44:49
  Speaker 1: thoughts as these did. She utter no longer to us
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: who were present, but to Him in person, on whom
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: she gazed fixedly. Her couch had been turned towards the east,
• 45:00
  Speaker 1: and ceasing to converse with us, she spoke henceforward to
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: God in prayer, making supplication with her hands, and whispering
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: with a low voice, so that we could just hear
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: what was said. Such was the prayer. We need not
• 45:16
  Speaker 1: doubt that it reached God, and that she too was
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: hearing his voice. Thou, o Lord, hast freed us from
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: the fear of death. Thou hast made the end of
• 45:28
  Speaker 1: this life the beginning to us of true life. Thou
• 45:32
  Speaker 1: for a season restest our bodies in sleep, and awakest
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: them again at the last trump. Thou givest our earth,
• 45:40
  Speaker 1: which thou hast fashioned with thy hands to the earth
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: to keep in safety. One day thou wilt take again
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: what thou hast given, transfiguring with immortality and grace our
• 45:52
  Speaker 1: mortal and unsightly remains. Thou hast saved us from the
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: curse and from sin, having become both for our sakes.
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: Thou hast broken the heads of the dragon, who had
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: seized us with his jaws in the yawning gulf of disobedience.
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: Thou hast shown us the way of resurrection, having broken
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: the gates of hell and brought to naught him who
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: had the power of death, the devil. Thou hast given
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: a sign to those that fear thee in the symbol
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Cross, to destroy the adversary and save
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: our life. O God Eternal, to whom I have been
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: attached from my mother's womb, whom my soul has loved
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: with all its strength, to whom I have dedicated both
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: my flesh and my soul from my youth up until now,
• 46:46
  Speaker 1: Do thou give me an angel of light to conduct
• 46:50
  Speaker 1: me to the place of refreshment, where is the water
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: of rest in the bosom of the Holy Fathers. Thou
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: didst break the flaming sword and didst restore to paradise
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: the man that was crucified with THEE, and implored thy mercies,
• 47:07
  Speaker 1: remember me too in thy kingdom, because I too was
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: crucified with THEE, having kneeled my flesh to the cross.
• 47:16
  Speaker 1: For fear of THEE and of thy judgments have I
• 47:19
  Speaker 1: been afraid. Let not the terrible chasm separate me from
• 47:24
  Speaker 1: thy elect nor let the slanderer stand against me in
• 47:28
  Speaker 1: the way, Nor let my sin be found before thy eyes.
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: If in anything I have sinned, in word or deed
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: or thought, let astray by the weakness of our nature.
• 47:41
  Speaker 1: O Thou, who hast power on earth to forgive sins,
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: forgive me that I may be refreshed and may be
• 47:49
  Speaker 1: found before THEE. When I put off my body without
• 47:53
  Speaker 1: defilement on my soul. But may my soul be received
• 47:58
  Speaker 1: into thy hands, spotless and undefiled, as an offering before THEE.
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: As she said these words, she sealed her eyes in
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: mouth and heart with the cross, and gradually her tongue
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: dried up with the fever. She could articulate her words
• 48:16
  Speaker 1: no longer, and her voice died away, and only by
• 48:20
  Speaker 1: the trembling of her lips and the motion of her hands,
• 48:23
  Speaker 1: did we recognize that she was praying. Meanwhile, evening had
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: come and a lamp was brought in. All at once,
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: she opened the orb of her eyes and looked towards
• 48:35
  Speaker 1: the light, clearly wanting to repeat the thanksgiving sung at
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: the lighting of the lamps. But her voice failed, and
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: she fulfilled her intention in the heart and by moving
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: her hands, while her lips stirred in sympathy with her
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: inward desire. But when she had finished the thanksgiving and
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: her hand brought to her face to make the sign
• 48:57
  Speaker 1: had signified the end of the prayer, she drew a great,
• 49:01
  Speaker 1: deep breath, enclosed her life and her prayer together. Gregory
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: performs the last offices, And now that she was breathless
• 49:13
  Speaker 1: and still remembering the command that she had given at
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: our first meeting, telling me she wished her hands laid
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: on her eyes and the accustomed offices done for the
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: body by me, I brought her hands, all numb with
• 49:28
  Speaker 1: the disease, on to her holy face, only that I
• 49:32
  Speaker 1: might not seem to neglect her bidding, for her eyes
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: needed none to compose them, being covered gracefully by the lids,
• 49:41
  Speaker 1: just as happens in natural sleep. The lips were suitably closed,
• 49:46
  Speaker 1: and the hands laid reverently on the breast, and the
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: whole body had automatically fallen into the right position, and,
• 49:54
  Speaker 1: in knowing needed the help of the layers. Out the
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: sisters lament for the Abbess. Now my mind was becoming
• 50:04
  Speaker 1: unnerved in two ways, from the sight that met my
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: gaze and the sad wailing of the virgins that sounded
• 50:10
  Speaker 1: in my ears. So far they had remained quiet and
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: suppressed their grief, restraining their impulse to mourn for fear
• 50:19
  Speaker 1: of her, as if they dreaded her rebuke, even when
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: her voice was silent, Lest in any way a sound
• 50:25
  Speaker 1: should break forth from them contrary to her command, and
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: their mistress be grieved in consequence. But wen they could
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: no longer subdue their anguish in silence and grief, like
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: some inward fire was smoldering in their hearts. All at
• 50:41
  Speaker 1: once a bitter and irrepressible cry broke out, so that
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: my reason no longer remained calm. But a flood of emotion,
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: like a watercourse in spade, swept it away. And so,
• 50:54
  Speaker 1: neglecting my duties, I gave myself up to lamentation. Indeed,
• 50:59
  Speaker 1: The cause for the maiden's weeping seemed to me just
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: and reasonable, for they were not bewailing the loss of
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: human companionship and guidance, nor any other such thing as
• 51:11
  Speaker 1: men grieve over when disaster comes. But it seemed as
• 51:15
  Speaker 1: if they had been torn away from their hope in
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: God and the salvation of their souls. And so they
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: cried and bewailed in this manner. The light of our
• 51:26
  Speaker 1: eyes has gone out, the light that guided our souls
• 51:30
  Speaker 1: has been taken away. The safety of our life is destroyed,
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: the seal of immortality is removed, the bond of restraint
• 51:40
  Speaker 1: has been taken away. The support of the weak has
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: been broken, the healing of the sick removed. In thy presence,
• 51:49
  Speaker 1: the night became to us as day, illumined with pure life.
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: But now even our day will be turned to gloom.
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: Saddest of all in their grief were those who called
• 52:02
  Speaker 1: on her as mother and nurse. These were they whom
• 52:05
  Speaker 1: she picked up, exposed by the roadside in the time
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: of famine. She had nursed and reared them, and led
• 52:12
  Speaker 1: them to the peer and stainless life. But when as
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: it were, from sleep, I recovered my thoughts, I looked
• 52:19
  Speaker 1: towards that holy face, and it seemed as if it
• 52:22
  Speaker 1: rebuked me for the confusion of the noisy mourners. So
• 52:26
  Speaker 1: I called to the sisters with a loud voice, look
• 52:31
  Speaker 1: at her and remember her commands by which she trained
• 52:34
  Speaker 1: you to be orderly and decent in everything. One occasion
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: for tears did this divine soul ordain for us, recommending
• 52:43
  Speaker 1: us to weep at the time of prayer, which now
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: we may do by turning the lamentations into psalmody. In
• 52:51
  Speaker 1: the same strain, Vestiana comes to help Gregory. I had
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: to shout in order to be heard of above the
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: noise of the mourners. Then I besought them to go
• 53:03
  Speaker 1: away for a while to the neighboring house, but asked
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: that some of those whose services she used to welcome
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: when she was alive should stay behind. Among these was
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: a lady of gentle birth who had been famous in
• 53:18
  Speaker 1: youth for wealth, good family, physical beauty, and every other distinction.
• 53:23
  Speaker 1: She had married a man of high rank and lived
• 53:25
  Speaker 1: with him a short time. Then, with her body still young,
• 53:30
  Speaker 1: she was released from marriage and chose the Great Macrina
• 53:33
  Speaker 1: as protection and guardian of her widowhood, and spent her
• 53:37
  Speaker 1: time mostly with the virgins, learning from them the life
• 53:41
  Speaker 1: of virtue. The lady's name was Vestiana, and her father
• 53:46
  Speaker 1: was one of those who composed the Council of Senators.
• 53:50
  Speaker 1: To her, I said that there could be no objection
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: now at any rate, to putting finer clothing on the body,
• 53:56
  Speaker 1: and adorning that pure and stainless form with fair linen
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: in clothes. But she said, one ought to learn what
• 54:03
  Speaker 1: the Saint had thought proper in these matters, for it
• 54:07
  Speaker 1: was not right that anything at all should be done
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: by us contrary to what she would have wished, But
• 54:13
  Speaker 1: just what was dear and pleasing to God would be
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: her desire. Also now there was a lady called Lampathia,
• 54:22
  Speaker 1: leader of the band of sisters, a deaconess in rank.
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: She declared that she knew Macrina's wishes in the matter
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: of burial exactly when I asked her about them, for
• 54:33
  Speaker 1: she happened to be present at our deliberations. She said,
• 54:37
  Speaker 1: with tears, the Saint resolved that a pure life should
• 54:41
  Speaker 1: be her adornment, that this should deck her body in
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: life and her grave in death. But so far as
• 54:48
  Speaker 1: clothes to adorn the body go, she procured none. When
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: she was alive, Nor did she store them for the
• 54:55
  Speaker 1: present purpose, so that not, even if we wanted, will
• 54:59
  Speaker 1: there be any thing more than what we have here?
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: Since no preparation is made for this need? Is it
• 55:06
  Speaker 1: not possible, said I, to find in the store cupboard
• 55:10
  Speaker 1: anything to make a fitting funeral store cupboard? Indeed, said she,
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: you have in front of you all her treasure. There
• 55:19
  Speaker 1: is the cloak, there is the head covering, there the
• 55:22
  Speaker 1: well worn shoes on the feet. This is all her wealth.
• 55:27
  Speaker 1: These are her riches. There is nothing stored away in
• 55:30
  Speaker 1: secret places beyond what you see, or put away safely
• 55:34
  Speaker 1: in boxes or bedroom. She knew of one storehouse alone
• 55:38
  Speaker 1: for her wealth, the treasure in heaven. There she had
• 55:43
  Speaker 1: stored her all. Nothing was left on earth. Suppose said I,
• 55:49
  Speaker 1: I were to bring some of the things I have
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: got ready for the funeral, Should I be doing anything
• 55:54
  Speaker 1: of which she would not have approved? I do not think,
• 55:59
  Speaker 1: said she, that this would be against her wish, For
• 56:02
  Speaker 1: had she been living, she would have accepted such honor
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: from you on two grounds, your priesthood, which she always
• 56:09
  Speaker 1: prized so dear, and your relationship, For she would not
• 56:14
  Speaker 1: have repudiated what came to her from her brother. This
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: was why she gave commands that your hands were to
• 56:21
  Speaker 1: prepare her body for burial. End of Part three, Part
• 56:32
  Speaker 1: four of the Life of Saint Macrina by Saint Gregory
• 56:34
  Speaker 1: of Nissa, translated by W. K. Laud Clark b. D.
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. They find
• 56:45
  Speaker 1: on the body marks of Macrina's sanctity. When we had
• 56:49
  Speaker 1: decided on this and it was necessary for that sacred
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: body to be robed in linen, we divided the work
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: and applied ourselves to our different tasks. I ordered one
• 57:00
  Speaker 1: of my men to bring the robe. But Vestiana above
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: mentioned was decking that holy head with her own hands.
• 57:07
  Speaker 1: When she put her hand on the neck. See, she said,
• 57:11
  Speaker 1: looking at me, what sort of an ornament has hung
• 57:14
  Speaker 1: on the Saint's neck? As she spoke, she loosened the
• 57:19
  Speaker 1: fastener behind, then stretched out her hand and showed us
• 57:22
  Speaker 1: the representation of a cross of iron and a ring
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: of the same material, both of which were fastened by
• 57:29
  Speaker 1: a slender thread and rested continually on the heart. Let
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: us share the treasure, I said, you have the phylactery
• 57:38
  Speaker 1: of the cross. I will be content with inheriting the
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: ring for the Cross had been traced on the seal
• 57:45
  Speaker 1: of this too. Looking at it, the lady said to
• 57:48
  Speaker 1: me again, you have made no mistake in choosing this treasure,
• 57:53
  Speaker 1: for the ring is hollow in the loop, and in
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: it has been hid in a particle of the Cross
• 57:58
  Speaker 1: of life. And so the mark on the seal above
• 58:02
  Speaker 1: shows what is hidden below. But when it was time
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: that the pure body should be wrapped in its robes,
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: the command of the great departed One made it necessary
• 58:12
  Speaker 1: for me to undertake the ministry. But the sister, who
• 58:15
  Speaker 1: shared with me that great inheritance, was present and joined
• 58:19
  Speaker 1: in the work. Do not let the great wonders accomplished
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: by the scene pass unnoticed. She remarked, laying bare part
• 58:28
  Speaker 1: of the breast, What do you mean, I said, Do
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: you see, she said, this small faint mark below the neck.
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: It was like a scar made by a small needle.
• 58:40
  Speaker 1: As she spoke, she brought the lamp near to the
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: place she was showing me. What is there? Surprising? I said,
• 58:48
  Speaker 1: if the body has been branded with some faint mark
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: in this place, this, she replied, has been left on
• 58:55
  Speaker 1: the body as a token of God's powerful help. For
• 58:59
  Speaker 1: there grew once in this place a cruel disease, and
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: there was a danger either that the tumor should require
• 59:05
  Speaker 1: an operation, or that the complaint should become quite incurable
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: if it should spread to the neighborhood of the heart.
• 59:13
  Speaker 1: Her mother implored her often and begged her to receive
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: the attention of a doctor, since the medical art, she said,
• 59:21
  Speaker 1: was sent from God for the saving of men. But
• 59:25
  Speaker 1: she judged it worse than the pain to uncover any
• 59:28
  Speaker 1: part of the body to a stranger's eyes. So when
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: evening came, after waiting on her mother as usual with
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: her own hands, she went inside the sanctuary and besought
• 59:38
  Speaker 1: the God of healing. All night long, a stream of
• 59:42
  Speaker 1: tears fell from her eyes on to the ground, and
• 59:45
  Speaker 1: she used the mud made by the tears as a
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: remedy for her ailment. Then, when her mother felt despondent
• 59:53
  Speaker 1: and again urged her to allow the doctor to come,
• 59:56
  Speaker 1: she said it would suffice for the cure of her
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: disease if her mother would make the holy seal on
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: the place with her own hand. But when the mother
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: put her hand within her bosom to make the sign
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 1: of the Cross on the part, the sign worked, and
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: the tumor disappeared, But this said, she is the tiny
• 1:00:16
  Speaker 1: trace of it. It appeared then in place of the
• 1:00:19
  Speaker 1: frightful sore, and remained till the end, that it might be,
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: as I imagine, a memorial of the divine visitation, an
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: occasion and reminder of perpetual thanksgiving to God. When her
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 1: work came to an end, and the body had been
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: decked with the best we had on the spot, the
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: deaconess spoke again, maintaining that it was not fitting that
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 1: she should be seen by the eyes of the virgins
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: robed like a bride. But I have, she said, laid
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 1: by one of your mother's dark colored robes, which I
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 1: think would do well laid over her. That this holy
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: beauty be not decked out with the unnecessary splendor of clothing.
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: Her counsel prevailed, and the robe was laid upon the body,
• 1:01:06
  Speaker 1: But she was resplendent even in the dark robe, divine
• 1:01:09
  Speaker 1: power having added, as I think, this final grace to
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 1: the body, so that, as in the vision of my dream,
• 1:01:17
  Speaker 1: rays actually seemed to shine forth from her beauty the
• 1:01:22
  Speaker 1: all night vigil. A crowd of visitors arrives. But while
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 1: we were thus employed, and the virgin's voices singing psalms
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: mingled with the lamentations were filling the place. Somehow, the
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: news had quickly spread throughout the whole neighborhood, and all
• 1:01:39
  Speaker 1: the people that lived near were streaming towards the place,
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: so that the entrance hall could no longer hold the concourse.
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: When the all night vigil for her, accompanied by hymn singing,
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: as in the case of Martyr's festivals, was finished and
• 1:01:56
  Speaker 1: the dawn came, the multitude of men and women that
• 1:01:59
  Speaker 1: had flocked in from all the neighboring country were interrupting
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 1: the psalms with wailings. But I, sick at heart, though
• 1:02:07
  Speaker 1: I was owing to the calamity, was yet contriving so
• 1:02:11
  Speaker 1: far as was possible with what we had, that no
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: suitable accompaniment of such a funeral should be omitted. Gregory
• 1:02:20
  Speaker 1: makes the funeral arrangements. I divided the visitors according to sex,
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: and put the crowds of women with the band of virgins,
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 1: while the men folk I put in the ranks of
• 1:02:32
  Speaker 1: the monks. I arranged that the psalms should be sung
• 1:02:36
  Speaker 1: by both sexes in rhythmical and harmonious fashion, as in
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: chorus singing, so that all the voices should blend suitably.
• 1:02:45
  Speaker 1: But since the day was progressing and the entire space
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: of the retreat was getting crowded with the multitude of arrivals,
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: the bishop of that district, Araxios by name, who would
• 1:02:57
  Speaker 1: come with the entire complement of his priests, ordered the
• 1:03:01
  Speaker 1: funeral procession to start slowly, for there was a long
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: way to go, and the crowd seemed likely to impede
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: brisk movement. At the same time as he gave this order,
• 1:03:12
  Speaker 1: he summoned to him all present who shared with him
• 1:03:14
  Speaker 1: in the priesthood, that the body might be borne by them.
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: When this had been settled and his directions were being
• 1:03:22
  Speaker 1: carried out, I got under the bed and called Aroxios
• 1:03:26
  Speaker 1: to the other side. Two other distinguished priests took the
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: hinder part of the bed. Then I went forward slowly
• 1:03:34
  Speaker 1: as was to be expected, our progress being but gradual,
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 1: for the people thronged round the bed, and all were
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: insatiable to see that holy sight, so that it was
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: not easy for us to complete our journey. On either side,
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: we were flanked by a considerable number of deacons and servants,
• 1:03:53
  Speaker 1: escorting the bier in order, all holding wax tapers. The
• 1:03:59
  Speaker 1: whole thing resembled a mystic procession, and from beginning to
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 1: end the voices blended and singing psalms that, for example,
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 1: that comes in the Hymn of the Three Children. Seven
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: or eight stades intervened between the retreat and the abode
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 1: of the Holy Martyrs, in which also the bodies of
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: our parents were laid. With difficulty did we accomplish the
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: journey in the best part of a day, For the
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: crowds that came with us and those that were constantly
• 1:04:29
  Speaker 1: joining us, did not allow our progress to be what
• 1:04:32
  Speaker 1: we wished. Arrival at the church the burial service. But
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 1: when we got inside the church, we laid down the
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 1: bed and turned first to prayer. But our prayer was
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 1: the signal for the people's lamentations to start again. For
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: when the voice of Psalmity was still, and the virgins
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: gazed on that holy face, and the grave of our
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: parents was already being open, in which it had been
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 1: decided that Macrina should be laid, a woman cried out
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 1: impulsively that after this hour we should see that divine
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 1: face no more. Then the rest of the virgins cried
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: out the same, and a disorderly confusion disturbed the orderly
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 1: and solemn chanting of psalms, all being upset at the
• 1:05:20
  Speaker 1: wailing of the virgins. With difficulty, did we succeed in
• 1:05:25
  Speaker 1: procuring silence? By our gesture and the presenter taking the lead,
• 1:05:29
  Speaker 1: and intoning the accustomed prayers of the church. The people
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: composed themselves at last to prayer. The family graves opened.
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 1: When the prayer had come to its due close fear
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 1: entered my mind of transgressing the divine command which forbids
• 1:05:48
  Speaker 1: us to uncover the shame of father or mother? And
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 1: how said I shall I escape such condemnation if I
• 1:05:56
  Speaker 1: gazed at the common shame of human nature made man
• 1:05:59
  Speaker 1: of fest and the bodies of my parents, since they
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: are all decayed and dissolved, as must be expected, and
• 1:06:07
  Speaker 1: turned into foul and repulsive shapelessness. As I thought of
• 1:06:12
  Speaker 1: these things, and the anger of Noah against his son
• 1:06:15
  Speaker 1: was striking fear into me, the story of Noah advised
• 1:06:19
  Speaker 1: me what was to be done. Before the lid of
• 1:06:23
  Speaker 1: the grave was lifted sufficiently to reveal the bodies to
• 1:06:26
  Speaker 1: our gaze, they were covered by a pure linen cloth
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 1: stretched across from each end. And now that the bodies
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: were hidden under the cloth. We myself, that is, and
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: the aforementioned bishop of the district took up that holy
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: body from the bed and laid it down by the
• 1:06:45
  Speaker 1: side of the mother, thus fulfilling the common prayer of both,
• 1:06:50
  Speaker 1: for both were with one voice asking God for this
• 1:06:53
  Speaker 1: boon all their lives long, that their body should be
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 1: mingled with one another after death, and that their comradeship
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 1: in life should not, even in death be broken. The
• 1:07:06
  Speaker 1: funeral over, Gregory returns home. But when we had completed
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: all the accustomed funeral rites, and it became necessary to
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: return home, I first threw myself on the grave and
• 1:07:20
  Speaker 1: embraced the dust, And then I started on my way back,
• 1:07:25
  Speaker 1: downcast and tearfall, pondering over the greatness of my loss.
• 1:07:31
  Speaker 1: On my way, I met a distinguished soldier who had
• 1:07:35
  Speaker 1: a military command in a little city of Pontus named Sevestopoles,
• 1:07:41
  Speaker 1: and dwelt there with his subordinates. He met me in
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 1: friendly fashion when I reached the town, and was greatly
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: disturbed to hear of the calamity, for he was linked
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 1: to us by ties both of relationship and friendship. He
• 1:07:55
  Speaker 1: told me a story of a marvelous episode in her life,
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: which I shall incorporated into my history, and then closed
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 1: my tail. When we had seized our tears and had
• 1:08:06
  Speaker 1: entered into conversation, he said, to me, learn what manner
• 1:08:11
  Speaker 1: of goodness has been taken away from human life. With
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 1: this prelude, he began his narrative, The Soldier's Story. My
• 1:08:23
  Speaker 1: wife and I once had an earnest desire to pay
• 1:08:26
  Speaker 1: a visit to the school of Virtue, for so I
• 1:08:29
  Speaker 1: think the place ought to be called in which that
• 1:08:32
  Speaker 1: blessed soul had her abode. Now there lived with us
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 1: also our little daughter, who had been left with an
• 1:08:39
  Speaker 1: affliction of the eye after an infectious illness, and her
• 1:08:43
  Speaker 1: appearance was hideous and pitiable, the membrane round the eye
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: being enlarged and whitish from the complaint. But when we
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 1: came inside that divine abode, my wife and I separated
• 1:08:55
  Speaker 1: in our visit to those seekers after philosophy. According to
• 1:08:59
  Speaker 1: our sex, I went to the men's department presided over
• 1:09:03
  Speaker 1: by Peter, your brother, while my wife went to the
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 1: women's side and conversed with the saint. And when a
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: suitable interval had elapsed, we considered it time to depart
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: from the retreat, and already our preparations were being made
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: for this, But kind protests were raised from both sides. Equally,
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 1: your brother was urging me to stay and partake of
• 1:09:25
  Speaker 1: the philosopher's table, and the blessed Lady would not let
• 1:09:29
  Speaker 1: my wife go, But holding our little girl in her bosom,
• 1:09:33
  Speaker 1: said she would not give her up before she had
• 1:09:36
  Speaker 1: prepared a meal for them, and had entertained them with
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: the riches of philosophy, and kissing the child as was natural,
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 1: and putting her lips to her eyes. She saw the
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: complaint of the pupil, and said, if you grant me
• 1:09:51
  Speaker 1: this favor and share our meal, I will give you
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: in return a reward not unworthy of such an honor.
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 1: What is that? Said the child's mother. I have a drug,
• 1:10:03
  Speaker 1: said the great Lady, which is powerful to cure eye complaints.
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: And then news was brought me from the women's apartments,
• 1:10:11
  Speaker 1: telling me of this promise. And we gladly remained, thinking
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 1: little of the pressing necessity of starting on our journey.
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 1: But when the feast came to an end, and we
• 1:10:23
  Speaker 1: had said the prayer, great Peter waiting on us with
• 1:10:26
  Speaker 1: his own hands, and cheering us, And when Holy Macrina
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: had dismissed my wife with all courtesy, then at last
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: we went home together with glad and cheerful hearts, telling
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: one another as we journeyed what had befallen us. I
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: described to her what had happened in the men's room,
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: both what I had heard and seen. She told every
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: detail as in a history, and thought nothing ought to
• 1:10:51
  Speaker 1: be left out, even the smallest points. She told everything
• 1:10:55
  Speaker 1: in order keeping the sequence of the narrative. When she
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 1: came to the point at which the promise was made
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 1: to cure the child's eyes, she broke off her tail.
• 1:11:06
  Speaker 1: Oh what have we done? She cried? How could we
• 1:11:10
  Speaker 1: have neglected the promise, the save cure that the lady
• 1:11:14
  Speaker 1: said she would give. I was vexed at the carelessness,
• 1:11:18
  Speaker 1: and bade someone run back quickly to fetch it. Just
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 1: as this was being done, the child, who was in
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 1: her nurse's arms, looked at her mother, and the mother
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 1: looked at the child's eyes. Stop, she said, Being vexed
• 1:11:34
  Speaker 1: at the carelessness, she cried aloud with joy and fright,
• 1:11:38
  Speaker 1: for see, nothing of what was promised us is lacking.
• 1:11:42
  Speaker 1: She has indeed given her the true drug which cures disease.
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 1: It is the healing that comes from prayer. She has
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: both given it, and it has already proved efficacious. And
• 1:11:54
  Speaker 1: nothing is left of the affliction of the eye. It
• 1:11:57
  Speaker 1: is all purged away by that divine drug. And as
• 1:12:01
  Speaker 1: she said this, she took up the child and laid
• 1:12:04
  Speaker 1: her in my arms. And I understood the marvels of
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: the gospel that hitherto had been incredible to me, and said,
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: what is there surprising in the blind recovering their sight
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: but the hand of God? When now his handmaiden, accomplishing
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 1: those cures by faith in him, has worked a thing
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 1: not much inferior to those miracles. Such was his story.
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 1: It was interrupted by sobs and tears choked his utterance.
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 1: So much for the soldier and his tale conclusion, I
• 1:12:39
  Speaker 1: do not think it advisable to add to my narrative
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: all the similar things that we heard from those who
• 1:12:45
  Speaker 1: lived with her and knew her life accurately. For most
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: men judge what is credible in the way of a
• 1:12:52
  Speaker 1: tale by the measure of their own experience. But what
• 1:12:55
  Speaker 1: exceeds the capacity of the hearer men receive with insults
• 1:13:00
  Speaker 1: than suspicion of falsehood as remote from truth. Consequently, I
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 1: omit that extraordinary agricultural operation in the famine. Tine held
• 1:13:11
  Speaker 1: that the corn for relief of need, though constantly distributed,
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: suffered no perceptible diminution, remaining always in both the same
• 1:13:21
  Speaker 1: as it was before distributed to the needs of the suppliants.
• 1:13:25
  Speaker 1: And after this there are happening still more surprising of
• 1:13:29
  Speaker 1: which I might tell. Healings of diseases and casting out
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 1: of demons, and true predictions of the future. All are
• 1:13:38
  Speaker 1: believed to be true, even though apparently incredible, by those
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: who have investigated them accurately. But by the carnally minded
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: they are judged outside the possible those I mean, who
• 1:13:52
  Speaker 1: do not know that according to the proportion of faith,
• 1:13:55
  Speaker 1: so is given the distribution of spiritual gifts little too
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 1: of little faith much to those who have plenty of
• 1:14:03
  Speaker 1: sea room in their religion. And so lest the unbeliever
• 1:14:09
  Speaker 1: should be injured by being led to disbelieve the gifts
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 1: of God, I have abstained from a consecutive narrative of
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 1: these sublime wonders, thinking it sufficient to conclude my life
• 1:14:21
  Speaker 1: of Macrina with what has been already said. End of
• 1:14:26
  Speaker 1: Part four end of The Life of Saint Macrina by
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 1: Saint Gregory of Nissa, translated by W. K. Lowther Clark
• 1:14:36
  Speaker 1: b d.