St Moses the Ethoipian
Commemorated August 28.
Moses was an Ethiopian by birth and by profession, at first, a robber and
leader of a band of robbers and, after that, a penitent and great ascetic. As
the slave of a master, Moses escaped and joined the robbers. Because of his
great physical strength and arrogance, the robbers chose him as their leader.
Suddenly, Moses was overcome with pangs of conscience and repentance for the
misdeeds, which he had committed. He left the group, entered a monastery and
gave himself completely in obedience to his spiritual father and to the monastic
rule. He benefited much from the teachings of Saints Macarius, Arsenius and
Isidore.
Later, he withdrew to solitude in a cell where he dedicated himself
completely to physical labor, prayer, vigils and godly-thoughts. Tormented by
the demon of fornication, Moses confessed to Isidore, his spiritual father, and
from him, received counsel to fast even more and never to eat to full
satisfaction. When even this did not help he, at the counsel of the elder, began
to keep vigil at night and to pray standing; after that, he began the practice
of bringing water to the elderly monks from a distant well all night long. After
six years of terrible struggles, St. Isidore finally miraculously healed him of
fornicating thoughts, fantasies and dreams brought about on him by demons.
Moses was ordained a priest in old age. He founded his own monastery and had
seventy-five disciples and lived in this life for seventy-five years. He foresaw
his death and, one day, he told his disciples to flee for the barbarians were
going to attack the monastery.
When the disciples also urged him to flee with
them, Moses said that he must die by violence for, at one time, he himself
committed violence and, according to the words: "For all they that take the
sword shall perish with the sword" (St. Matthew 26:52). He remained there
with six brethren and the barbarians came and slew them. One of the brethren,
hidden in the vicinity, beheld and saw seven shining wreaths as they descended
upon the seven martyrs.
via Prologue from Ochrid
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