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- St Macrina, sister of St Basil the Great and St Gregory of Nyssa (380)
- She was sought as a bride by many because of her exceptional beauty
and wisdom as well as her noble birth. She was betrothed at a young age,
and when her betrothed died, she refused to consider any more suitors,
saying that since her betrothed was alive in Christ, it was not right
for her to turn to another. Instead she turned to a life of virginity,
ascetic struggle and prayer. She greatly influenced her younger
brothers, turning them from worldly things to monastic life. She
established a monastery and, with her mother Emilia, became a nun. She
reposed in peace in 379.
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Her brother St Gregory of Nyssa held her in special honor. He was
present at her death and gave a moving oration at her funeral. He
describes how, in her last moments, she prayed thus to God: 'Thou, O
Lord, givest rest to our bodies in the sleep of death for a little time,
then Thou wilt waken them again with the Last Trumpet. Forgive me, and
grant that, when my soul is parted from my body, it may be presented
before Thee stainless and without sin, and that it may be as incense
before Thee.' Then she made the sign of the Cross on her brow, eyes,
face and heart, and died. St Gregory's work on the resurrection of the
dead (available in English as On the Soul and Resurrection)
is cast in the form of a dialogue between himself and his sister
Macrina in which he is the earnest but ignorant student and she the wise
and patient teacher. So do the Saints honor the Saints.
source: http://www.abbamoses.com
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Category: Today's saint |
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