Venerable Macrina the Sister of St Basil the Great
++
Commemorated on July 19
Saint Macrina was the sister of the holy hierarchs Basil the Great and
Gregory of Nyssa, and was born in Cappadocia at the beginning of the
fourth century. Her mother, Emilia, saw an angel in a dream, naming
her unborn child Thekla, in honor of the holy Protomartyr Thekla. St
Emilia (January 1) fulfilled the will of God and named her daughter
Thekla. Another daughter was named Macrina, in honor of a grandmother,
who suffered during the time of persecution under the emperor Maximian
Galerius.
Besides Macrina, family there were nine other children. St Emila
herself guided the upbringing and education of her elder daughter. She
taught her reading and writing in the Scriptural books and Psalms of
David, selecting examples from the sacred books which spoke of a pious
and God-pleasing life. St Emilia taught her daughter to pray and to
attend church services. Macrina was also taught the proper knowledge
of domestic governance and various handicrafts. She was never left
idle and did not participate in childish games or amusements.
When Macrina grew up, her parents betrothed her to a certain pious
youth, but the bridegroom soon died. Many young men sought marriage
with her, but Macrina refused them all, having chosen the life of a
virgin and not wanting to be unfaithful to the memory of her dead
fiancé. St Macrina lived in the home of her parents, helping them
fulfill the household tasks as an overseer together with the servants,
and she helped with the upbringing of her younger brothers and
sisters. After the death of her father she became the chief support
for the family.
When all the children grew up and left the parental home, St Macrina
convinced her mother, St Emilia, to leave the world, to set their
slaves free, and to settle in a women's monastery. Several of their
servants followed their example. Having taken monastic vows, they
lived together as one family, they prayed together, they worked
together, they possessed everything in common, and in this manner of
life nothing distinguished one from another.
After the death of her mother, St Macrina guided the sisters of the
monastery. She enjoyed the deep respect of all who knew her.
Strictness towards herself and temperance in everything were
characteristic of the saint all her life. She slept on boards and had
no possessions. St Macrina was granted the gift of wonderworking.
There was an instance (told by the sisters of the monastery to St
Gregory of Nyssa after the death of St Macrina), when she healed a
girl of an eye-affliction. Through the prayers of the saint, there was
no shortage of wheat at her monastery in times of famine.
St Macrina died in the year 380, after a final prayer of thanks to the
Lord for having received His blessings over all the course of her
life. She was buried in the same grave with her parents.
Venerable Dius the Abbot of Antioch
Commemorated on July 19
Saint Dius was born in Antioch, Syria towards the end of the fourth
century into a pious Christian family. From his youth he was noted for
his temperance. He ate food in small quantities, but not every day,
and his flesh was humbled by vigil and unceasing prayer. For these
deeds the Lord granted St Dius dispassion and the gift of
wonderworking.
In a vision, the Lord ordered St Dius to go to Constantinople and
there to serve both Him and the people. St Dius settled beyond the
city in a solitary place, where people feared to live. St Dius bravely
contended with the evil spirits which tried to expel him from this
place. The Lord heard the prayer of His saint: his staff took root,
began to grow and with time was transformed into an immense oak, which
stood for a long time even after the death of St Dius.
The surrounding inhabitants began to come to the saint for advice and
guidance, and they sought healing from illnesses of body and soul. St
Dius doctored the infirm with prayer, and whatever was offered him he
distributed to the poor, the homeless and the sick.
Reports of St Dius reached even the emperor Theodosius the Younger. He
came to St Dius for a blessing together with Patriarch Atticus of
Constantinople (406-425). The emperor wanted a monastery to be built
on the place of St Dius' efforts, and he provided the means for its
construction. The Patriarch ordained the monk as a priest and made him
the igumen. Soon numerous monastic brethren gathered to St Dius. The
monastery was in need of a well, and they dug for a long time without
success. Through the prayers of the monk the Lord brought forth a
spring of pure water, which soon filled up the entire well. Once,
through his prayers, the monk raised up a drowned man. The Lord worked
many other miracles through His saint.
In extreme old age St Dius became grievously ill. He took his leave of
the brethren, received the Holy Mysteries, and lay upon his cot like
one dead. At the monastery His Holiness Patriarch Atticus (Comm. on
Cheesefare Saturday) came for the funeral service and also Patriarch
Alexander of Alexandria, who was then at Constantinople. The holy
Elder unexpectedly rose up from his death bed and said, "The Lord has
granted me fifteen more years of life." Great was the joy of the
brethren.
St Dius did live another fifteen years, helping all with guidance and
counsel, healing the sick, and being concerned for the poor and
homeless. Shortly before his death, a radiant man in priestly garb
appeared to him in the altar of the church and told him of his
impending death. Having given thanks to the Lord for this news, St
Dius quietly died and was buried in his monastery.