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01 - Life of Saint Macrina by 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: Recurriina'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 life,
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  Speaker 1: to make such a work his care. So the generous
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  Speaker 1: youth would go on fishing expeditions, and since he was
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  Speaker 1: expert in every form of sport, he provided food to
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  Speaker 1: his grateful clients by this means, and at the same time,
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  Speaker 1: by such exercises he was teeming his own manhood. Besides this,
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  Speaker 1: he also gladly obeyed his mother's wishes whenever she issued
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  Speaker 1: a command. And so in these two ways he guided
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  Speaker 1: his life, subduing his youthful nature by toils and caring
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  Speaker 1: assiduously for his mother, and thus keeping the divine commands
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  Speaker 1: he traveling home to God. In this manner he completed
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  Speaker 1: the fifth year of his life as a philosopher, by
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  Speaker 1: which he made his mother happy, both by the way
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  Speaker 1: in which he adorned his own life by countenance and
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  Speaker 1: by the devotion of all his powers to do the
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  Speaker 1: will of her that bore him. The tragic death of Navcratius.
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  Speaker 1: Then there fell on the mother, a grievous and tragic
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  Speaker 1: affliction contrived, I think by the adversary, which brought trouble
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  Speaker 1: and mourning upon all the family, For he was snatched
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  Speaker 1: suddenly away from life. No previous sickness had prepared them
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  Speaker 1: for the blow. Nor did any of the usual and
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  Speaker 1: well known mischances bring death upon the young man. Having
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  Speaker 1: started out on one of the expeditions by which he
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  Speaker 1: provided necessaries for the old men under his care, he
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  Speaker 1: was brought back home dead, together with Chrysaphius, who shared
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  Speaker 1: his life. His mother was far away, three days distant
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  Speaker 1: from the scene of the tragedy. Some one 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.