St Macarius the Great (St Macarius of Egypt)

Macarius was born around 300 AD at the village of Shanshur Menufya city (50 miles to the north of Cairo, Egypt). Macarius was known among his relatives and friends for his wisdom. They used to call him “old young man”, or “the young man with the elders’ wisdom."

At the wish of his parents Macarius got married, but was soon widowed. Shortly after, his parents departed to heaven also. 

Macarius sold his properties and distributed all his money among the poor and needy. 

The Cherubim appeared to him on a vision, encouraged him, and told him that God would grant him the desert and its monks to be his faithful disciples, if he initiated his monastic life.

It has been said that Macarius was guided by the Cherubim throughout his life this is why he is represented in some icons with the Cherubim and he held the title of (friend of Cherubim).

He found an experienced Elder, who lived in the desert not far from the village. This Elder accepted Macarius among his disciples, guided him in the spiritual science of watchfulness, fasting and prayer, and taught him the handicraft of weaving baskets.

Later on, a pregnant woman accused Macarius of defiling her. Macarius did not defend himself, and accepted the accusation in silence. However, when the woman's delivery drew near, her labor became exceedingly difficult. She did not manage to give birth until she confessed Macarius's innocence. A multitude of people then came asking for his forgiveness, but he fled to the Nitrian Desert (Desert of Shereet) to escape all 

As a hermit, Macarius spent seven years living on desert herbs. He was fasting a lot not eating except for a loaf of bread daily.

While at the desert, Macarius visited St Anthony the Great in the Eastern desert (Red Sea Mountains) and learned from him the laws and rules of monasticism. 

When Macarius returned to the Scetis Desert ( Sheheet Desert AKA Natron Valley) at the age of forty, he became a priest.

The fame of Macarius’s sanctity attracted many followers. The community, which took up its residence in the desert, was of the semi-eremitical type. The monks were not bound by any fixed rule; their cells were close together, and they met for Divine worship only on Saturdays or Sundays. He presided over and guided this monastic community for the rest of his life.

St Macarius established and supervised many monasteries all over the Egyptian western desert and he was the father and abbot of them all, so that the western desert was known as “ The Wilderness of Macarius”

The ruins of numerous monasteries in this region support the local tradition that the cloisters of Macarius were equal in number to the days of the year.

Above all, Macarius was known as “the glowing lantern of monasticism and/or the wilderness”

For a brief period of time, Macarius was banished to an island in the Nile by the Emperor Valens, along with Saint Macarius of Alexandria, during a dispute over the doctrine of the Nicene Creed. 

During their time on the island, the daughter of a pagan priest had become ill. The people of the island believed that she was possessed by an evil spirit. Both saints prayed over the daughter, which in turn had saved her. The pagan people of the island were so impressed and grateful that they stopped their worship of the pagan gods and built a church. When word of this got back to the Emperor Valens and Bishop Lucius of Alexandria, they quickly allowed both men to return home. 

At their return on 13 Paremhat, they were met by a multitude of monks of the Nitrian Desert, numbered fifty thousand, among whom were Saint Pishoy and Saint John the Short.

At the age of 91 and after completing his spiritual endeavors, St Macarius departed to heaven in the year 391. 

After his departure, the natives of his village of Shabsheer stole his body and built a great church for him in their village. Pope Michael V of Alexandria brought the relics of Saint Macarius back to the Sheheet Desert (Natron Valley) on 19 Mesori. Today, the body of Saint Macarius is found at his monastery, the Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great in Natron Valley, Egypt (65 miles to the north of Cairo). 

Macarius is a saint in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches.

In the Methodist Churches, Macarius is regarded highly for writing on the topic of entire sanctificatio

The Coptic Orthodox Church commemorates St Macarius on:

(08 Tobe) Consecration of St Macarius Church

(27 Paremhotep) His Departure

(19 Mesore) Return of his body to his monastery.

May the blessings of his prayers be with us all. Amen