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

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Speaker 1: Part three of the Life of Saint Macrina by Saint
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Speaker 1: Gregory of Nissa, translated by W. K. Lowther Clark b d.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Gregory returns
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Speaker 1: to Macrina, who recalls the events of her childhood. But
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Speaker 1: when we saw her again, for she did not allow
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Speaker 1: us to spend time by ourselves in idleness, she began
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Speaker 1: to recall her past life, beginning with childhood, and describing
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Speaker 1: it all in order as in a history. She recounted
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Speaker 1: as much as she could remember of the life of
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Speaker 1: our parents in the events that took place both before
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Speaker 1: and after my birth. But her aim throughout was gratitude
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Speaker 1: towards God. For she described our parents life not so
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Speaker 1: much from the point of view of the reputation they
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Speaker 1: enjoyed in the eyes of contemporaries, on account of their ridges.
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Speaker 1: As an example of the divine blessing, my father's parents
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Speaker 1: had their goods confiscated for confessing Christ. Our maternal grandfather
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Speaker 1: was slain by the Imperial Wrath, and all his possessions
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Speaker 1: were transferred to other masters. Nevertheless, their life abounded so
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Speaker 1: in faith that no one was named above them in
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Speaker 1: those times, and moreover after their substance had been divided
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Speaker 1: into nine parts according to the number of the children,
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Speaker 1: the share of each was so increased by God's blessing
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Speaker 1: that the income of each of the children exceeded the
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Speaker 1: prosperity of the parents. But when it came to Macrina herself,
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Speaker 1: she kept nothing of the things assigned to her in
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Speaker 1: the equal division between brothers and sisters. But all her
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Speaker 1: share was given into the priest's hands according to the
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Speaker 1: divine command. Moreover, her life became such by God's help
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Speaker 1: that her hands never ceased to work. According to the command.
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Speaker 1: Never did she even look for help to any human being,
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Speaker 1: nor did human charity give her the opportunity of a
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Speaker 1: comfortable existence. Never were petitioners turned away. Yet never did
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Speaker 1: she appeal for help. But God secretly blessed the little
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Speaker 1: seeds of her good works till they grew into a
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Speaker 1: mighty fruit. As I told my own trouble in all
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Speaker 1: that I had been through, first my exile at the
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Speaker 1: hands of the Emperor of veillance on account of the faith,
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Speaker 1: and then the confusion in the church that summoned me
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Speaker 1: to conflicts and trials. My great sisters said, will you
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Speaker 1: not cease to be insensible to the divine blessings. Will
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Speaker 1: you not remedy the ingratitude of your soul? Will you
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Speaker 1: not compare your position with that of your parents? And yet,
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Speaker 1: as regards worldly things, we make our boast of being
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Speaker 1: well born and thinking become of a noble fan. Our
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Speaker 1: father was greatly esteemed as a young man for his learning.
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Speaker 1: In fact, his fame was established throughout the law courts
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Speaker 1: of the province. Subsequently, though he excelled all others in rhetoric,
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Speaker 1: his reputation did not extend beyond Pontus. But he was
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Speaker 1: satisfied with fame in his own land. But you, she said,
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Speaker 1: are renowned in cities and peoples and nations. Churches summon
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Speaker 1: you is an ally and director. And do you not
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Speaker 1: see the grace of God in it all? Do you
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Speaker 1: fail to recognize the cause of such great blessings? That
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Speaker 1: it is your parents prayers that are lifting you up
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Speaker 1: on high, you that have little or no equipment within
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Speaker 1: yourself for such success. Thus she spoke, and I longed
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Speaker 1: for the length of the day to be further extended,
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Speaker 1: that she might never cease delighting our ears with sweetness.
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Speaker 1: But the voice of the choir was remon us to
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Speaker 1: the evening's service, and sending me to church. The Great
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Speaker 1: One retired once more to God in prayer. And thus
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Speaker 1: she spent the night the events of the next day
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Speaker 1: Macrinu's last hours. But when the day came, it was
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Speaker 1: clear to me from what I saw, that the coming
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Speaker 1: day was the utmost limit of her life in the flesh,
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Speaker 1: since the fever had consumed all her innate strength. But she,
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Speaker 1: considering the weakness of our minds, was contriving how to
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Speaker 1: divert us from our sorrowful anticipations, and once more, with
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Speaker 1: those beautiful words of hers, poured out what was left
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Speaker 1: of her suffering soul. Was short and difficult breathing. Many, indeed,
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Speaker 1: and varied were the emotions of my heart at what
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Speaker 1: I saw, For Nature herself was afflicting me and making
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Speaker 1: me sad, as was only to be expected, since I
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Speaker 1: could no longer hope ever to hear a voice again,
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Speaker 1: Nor as yet was I reconcile to the thought of
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Speaker 1: losing the common glory of our family. But my mind,
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Speaker 1: as it were inspired by the spectacle, supposed that she
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Speaker 1: would actually rise superior to the common lot. For that
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Speaker 1: she did not even in her last breath find anything
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Speaker 1: strange in the hope of the resurrection, nor even shrink
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Speaker 1: at the departure from this life. But with lofty mind,
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Speaker 1: continued to discuss up to her last breath the convictions
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Speaker 1: she had formed from the beginning about this life. All
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Speaker 1: this seemed to me more than human. Rather, did it
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Speaker 1: seem as if some angel had taken human form, with
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Speaker 1: a sort of incarnation, to whom it was nothing strange
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Speaker 1: that the mind should remain undisturbed, since he had no
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Speaker 1: kinship or likeness with this life of the flesh, and
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Speaker 1: so the flesh did not draw the mind to think
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Speaker 1: on its afflictions. Therefore, I think she revealed to the
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Speaker 1: bystanders that divine and pure love of the invisible bridegroom,
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Speaker 1: which she kept hidden and nourished in the secret places
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Speaker 1: of the soul. And she published abroad the secret disposition
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Speaker 1: of her heart, her hurrying towards him whom she desired,
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Speaker 1: that she might speedily be with him, loosed from the
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Speaker 1: chains of the body. For in very truth her course
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Speaker 1: was directed towards virtue, and nothing else could divert her attention.
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Speaker 1: Macrina's dying prayer most of the day had now passed,
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Speaker 1: and the sun was declining towards the west. Her eagerness
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Speaker 1: did not diminish. But as she approached her end, as
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Speaker 1: if she discerned the beauty of the bride grew more clearly.
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Speaker 1: She hastened towards the beloved with the greater eagerness. Such
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Speaker 1: thoughts as these did. She utter no longer to us
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Speaker 1: who were present, but to Him in person, on whom
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Speaker 1: she gazed fixedly. Her couch had been turned towards the east,
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Speaker 1: and ceasing to converse with us, she spoke henceforward to
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Speaker 1: God in prayer, making supplication with her hands and whispering
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Speaker 1: with a low voice, so that we could just hear
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Speaker 1: what was said. Such was the prayer, we need not
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Speaker 1: doubt that it reached God, and that she too was
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Speaker 1: hearing his voice. Thou, o Lord, hast freed us from
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Speaker 1: the fear of death. Thou hast made the end of
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Speaker 1: this life the beginning to us of true life. Thou
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Speaker 1: for a season restest our bodies in sleep, and awakest
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Speaker 1: them again at the last trump, Thou givest our earth,
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Speaker 1: which thou hast fashioned with thy hands, to the earth
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Speaker 1: to keep in safety. One day, thou wilt take again
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Speaker 1: what thou hast given, transfiguring with immortality and grace our
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Speaker 1: mortal and unsightly remains. Thou hast saved us from the
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Speaker 1: curse and from sin, having become both for our sakes.
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Speaker 1: Thou hast broken the heads of the dragon, who had
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Speaker 1: seized us with his jaws in the yawning gulf of disobedience.
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Speaker 1: Thou hast shown us the way of resurrection, having broken
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Speaker 1: the gates of hell and brought to naught him who
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Speaker 1: had the power of death, the devil. Thou hast given
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Speaker 1: a sign to those that fear thee in the symbol
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Speaker 1: of the Holy Cross, to destroy the adversary and save
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Speaker 1: our life. O God Eternal, to whom I have been
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Speaker 1: attached from my mother's womb, whom my soul has loved
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Speaker 1: with all its strength, to whom I have dedicated both
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Speaker 1: my flesh and my soul from my youth up until now,
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Speaker 1: Do thou give me an angel of light to conduct
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Speaker 1: me to the place of refreshment, where is the water
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Speaker 1: of rest in the bosom of the Holy Fathers. Thou
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Speaker 1: didst break the flaming sword, and didst restore to paradise
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Speaker 1: the man that was crucified with THEE, and implored thy mercies,
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Speaker 1: remember me too in thy kingdom, because I too was
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Speaker 1: crucified with THEE, having kneeled my flesh to the cross.
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Speaker 1: For fear of THEE and of thy judgments have I
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Speaker 1: been afraid. Let not the terrible chasm separate me from
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Speaker 1: thy elect nor let the slanderer stand against me in
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Speaker 1: the way, Nor let my sin be found before thy eyes.
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Speaker 1: If in anything I have sinned, in word or deed
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Speaker 1: or thought, let astray by the weakness of our nature.
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Speaker 1: O Thou, who hast power on earth to forgive sins,
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Speaker 1: forgive me that I may be refreshed and may be
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Speaker 1: found before THEE. When I put off my body without
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Speaker 1: defilement on my soul. But may my soul be received
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Speaker 1: into thy hands, spotless and undefiled, as an offering before THEE.
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Speaker 1: As she said these words, she sealed her eyes in
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Speaker 1: mouth and heart with the cross, and gradually her tongue
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Speaker 1: dried up with the fever. She could articulate her words
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Speaker 1: no longer, and her voice died away. And only by
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Speaker 1: the trembling of her lips and the motion of her
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Speaker 1: hands did we recognize that she was praying. Meanwhile, evening
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Speaker 1: had come and a lamp was brought in all at once.
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Speaker 1: She opened the orb of her eyes and looked towards
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Speaker 1: the light, clearly wanting to repeat the thanksgiving sung at
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Speaker 1: the lighting of the lamps. But her voice failed, and
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Speaker 1: she fulfilled her intention in the heart and by moving
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Speaker 1: her hands, while her lips stirred in sympathy with her
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Speaker 1: inward desire. But when she had finished the thanksgiving and
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Speaker 1: her hand brought to her face to make the sign
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Speaker 1: had signified the end of the prayer, she drew a great,
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Speaker 1: deep breath and closed her life and her prayer together.
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Speaker 1: Gregory performs the last offices, And now that she was
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Speaker 1: breathless and still remembering the command that she had given
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Speaker 1: at our first meeting, telling me she wished her hands
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Speaker 1: laid on her eyes, and the accustomed offices done for
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Speaker 1: the body by me, I brought her hands, all numb
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Speaker 1: with the disease, on to her holy face, only that
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Speaker 1: I might not seem to neglect her bidding. For her
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Speaker 1: eyes needed none to compose, them, being covered gracefully by
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Speaker 1: the lids, just as happens in natural sleep. The lips
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Speaker 1: were suitably closed, and the hands laid reverently on the breast,
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Speaker 1: and the whole body had automatically fallen into the right position,
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Speaker 1: and in no way needed the help of the layers.
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Speaker 1: Out the sisters lament for their abbess. Now my mind
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Speaker 1: was becoming unnerved in two ways, from the sight that
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Speaker 1: met my gaze and the sad wailing of the virgins
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Speaker 1: that sounded in my ears. So far they had remained
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Speaker 1: quiet and suppressed their grief, restraining their impulse to mourn
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Speaker 1: for fear of her, as if they dreaded her rebuke,
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Speaker 1: even when her voice was silent. Lest in any way
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Speaker 1: a sound should break forth from them contrary to her command,
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Speaker 1: and their mistress be grieved in consequence. But Wendy could
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Speaker 1: no longer subdue their anguish in silence and grief. Like
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Speaker 1: some inward fire was smoldering in their hearts. All at
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Speaker 1: once a bitter and irrepressible cry broke out, so that
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Speaker 1: my reason no longer remained calm. But a flood of emotion,
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Speaker 1: like a watercourse in spade, swept it away. And so,
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Speaker 1: neglecting my duties, I gave myself up to lamentation. Indeed,
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Speaker 1: the cause for the maiden's weeping seemed to me just
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Speaker 1: and reasonable, for they were not bewailing the loss of
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Speaker 1: human companionship and guidance, nor any other such thing as
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Speaker 1: men grieve over when disaster comes. But it seemed as
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Speaker 1: if they had been torn away from their hope in
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Speaker 1: God and the salvation of their souls. And so they
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Speaker 1: cried and bewailed in this manner. The light of our
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Speaker 1: eyes has gone out, the light that guided our souls
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Speaker 1: has been taken away. The safety of our life is destroyed,
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Speaker 1: the seal of immortality is removed, the bond of restraint
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Speaker 1: has been taken away. The support of the weak has
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Speaker 1: been broken, the healing of the sick removed. In thy presence,
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Speaker 1: the night became to us as day, illumined with pure life.
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Speaker 1: But now even our day will be turned to gloom.
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Speaker 1: Saddest of all in their grief were those who called
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Speaker 1: on her as mother and nurse. These were they whom
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Speaker 1: she picked up, exposed by the roadside in the time
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Speaker 1: of famine. She had nursed and reared them, and led
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Speaker 1: them to the pure and stainless life. But when as
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Speaker 1: it were, from sleep, I recovered my thoughts, I looked
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Speaker 1: towards that holy face, and it seemed as if it
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Speaker 1: rebuked me for the confusion of the noisy mourners. So
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Speaker 1: I called to the sisters with a loud voice, look
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Speaker 1: at her and remember her commands by which she trained
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Speaker 1: you to be orderly and decent in everything. One occasion
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Speaker 1: for tears did this divine soul ordain for us, recommending
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Speaker 1: us to weep at the time of prayer, which now
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Speaker 1: we may do by turning the lamentations into psalmody. In
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Speaker 1: the same strain, Vestiana comes to help Gregory. I had
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Speaker 1: to shout in order to be heard above the noise
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Speaker 1: of the mourners. Then I besought them to go away
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Speaker 1: for a while to the neighboring house, but asked that
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Speaker 1: some of those whose services she used to welcome when
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Speaker 1: she was alive, should stay behind. Among these was a
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Speaker 1: lady of gentle birth who had been famous in youth
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Speaker 1: for wealth, good family, physical beauty, and every other distinction.
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Speaker 1: She had married a man of high rank and lived
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Speaker 1: with him a short time. Then, with her body still young,
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Speaker 1: she was released from marriage and chose the Great Macrina
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Speaker 1: as protection and guardian of her widowhood, and spent her
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Speaker 1: time mostly with the virgins, learning from them the life
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Speaker 1: of virtue. The lady's name was Vestiana, and her father
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Speaker 1: was one of those who composed the Council of Senators.
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Speaker 1: To her, I said that there could be no objection
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Speaker 1: now at any rate, to putting finer clothing on the body,
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Speaker 1: and adorning that pure and stainless form with fair linen clothes.
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Speaker 1: But she said, one ought to learn what the Saint
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Speaker 1: had thought proper in these matters, for it was not
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Speaker 1: right that anything at all should be done by us
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Speaker 1: contrary to what she would have wished, But just what
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Speaker 1: was dear and pleasing to God would be her desire.
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Speaker 1: Also now there was a lady called Lampathia, leader of
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Speaker 1: the band of Sisters, a deaconess in rank. She declared
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Speaker 1: that she knew Macrina's wishes in the matter of burial
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Speaker 1: exactly when I asked her about them, for she happened
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Speaker 1: to be present at our deliberations. She said, with tears,
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Speaker 1: the Saint resolved that a pure life should be her adornment,
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Speaker 1: that this should deck her body in life and her
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Speaker 1: grave in death. But so far as clothes to adorn
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Speaker 1: the body go, she procured none when she was alive,
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Speaker 1: nor did she store them for the present purpose, so
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Speaker 1: that not even if we want it, will there be
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Speaker 1: anything more than what we have here. Since no preparation
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Speaker 1: is made for this need? Is it not possible, said I,
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Speaker 1: to find in the store cupboard anything to make a
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Speaker 1: fitting funeral store cupboard? Indeed, said she, you have in
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Speaker 1: front of you all her treasure. There is the cloak,
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Speaker 1: there is the head covering, there the well worn shoes
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Speaker 1: on the feet. This is all her wealth. These are
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Speaker 1: her riches. There is nothing stored away in secret places
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Speaker 1: beyond what you see, or put away safely in boxes
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Speaker 1: or bedroom. She knew of one storehouse alone for her wealth,
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Speaker 1: the treasure in heaven. There she had stored her all.
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Speaker 1: Nothing was left on earth. Suppose said I, I were
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Speaker 1: to bring some of the things I have got ready
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Speaker 1: for the funeral, Should I be doing anything of which
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Speaker 1: she would not have approved? I do not think, said she,
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Speaker 1: that this would be against her wish, For had she
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Speaker 1: been living, she would have accepted such honor from you
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Speaker 1: on two grounds, your priesthood, which she always prized so dear,
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Speaker 1: and your relationship. For she would not have repudiated what
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Speaker 1: came to her from her brother. This was why she
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Speaker 1: gave commands that your hands were to prepare her body
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Speaker 1: for burial, And of Part three