Macarius of Egypt
4th Century, Egypt
Century and Location
Eastern Christian, Oriental Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox
Christian Tradition
Commemorated, Roman Catholic Saint, Ascetic, Eastern Orthodox Saint, Mystic
Noted Characteristics
Books by this author
All works by this author
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 50
In Allegory, Holy Spirit, Homily, Miracles, Mysticism, Virtue
We might write at greater length concerning these things to your sincerity of disposition, but we have given you thus briefly a starting point, that like men of understanding you may go to work upon it and search out the power of the words and become yet more understanding in the Lord, and increase your singleness of heart in His grace and in the power of the truth, so that holding fast your own salvation with all certainty, and being delivered from all interference of wickedness and craft of the adversary, you may have the privilege to be found unfallen and uncondemned in the day of judgment of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 49
In Faith, Homily, Mysticism, Virtue
When such good things are set before us, and such promises have been promised, and such has been the good pleasure of the Lord towards us, let us not neglect, O my children, nor delay to press to the life eternal, and to give up ourselves entirely to pleasing the Lord.
4 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 48
The Lord in the gospel, wishing to bring His own disciples to a perfect faith, said, He that is faithful in little, is faithful also in much; and he that is unfaithful in little, is unfaithful also in much. What is the little? and what is the much? The little are the promises of this world, which He has undertaken to supply to those who believe Him, such as food, raiment, and the other things which are for the refreshment or health of the body, and so on; enjoining that we should not be anxious at all concerning these, but with confidence in Him to trust that the Lord is always a provider for those who take refuge in Him.
5 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 47
In Allegory, Exodus, Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Pentateuch, Regeneration
The glory of Moses which he had upon his countenance was a figure of the true glory. For as in that case the Jews were not able to look steadfastly upon the face of Moses, so now Christians receive that glory of light in their souls, and the darkness, not bearing the radiance of the light, is blinded and banished. They were made known to be the people of God by circumcision: here, God’s peculiar people receive the sign of circumcision inwardly in their heart. The heavenly knife cuts away the unwanted portion of the mind, which is the impure uncircumcision of sin. With them was a baptism sanctifying the flesh; with us, a baptism of Holy Ghost and fire, for this is what John preached; He shall baptize you with Holy Ghost and fire.
10 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 46
In Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Spiritual Gifts, Virtue
Consider the unspeakable mysteries of the soul from which the Lord takes away the darkness that lies over her, and reveals her, and is revealed to her; how He expands and extends the thoughts of her mind to the breadths and lengths and depths and heights of all creation, visible and invisible. A great and divine work and wonderful indeed is the soul. In fashioning her, God made her such as to put no evil in her nature, but made her after the image of the virtues of the Spirit. He put in her the laws of virtues, discernment, knowledge, prudence, faith, charity, and the other virtues, according to the image of the Spirit.
5 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 45
In Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Virtue
He fashioned two worlds—one above, for the ministering spirits, and appointed that they should have their social life there; the other below for men, under this atmosphere. He created also heaven and earth, sun and moon, waters, trees that bear fruit, all manner of races of animals. But in none of them does God find rest. All the creation is governed by Him; and yet He did not fix His throne in them, or establish communion with them, but was well pleased with man alone, entering into communion with him, and resting in him. Seest thou the kinship of God with man, and of man with God? Therefore the sagacious and prudent soul, after going the round of all created things, found no rest for herself, except in the Lord; and the Lord was well pleased in nothing except in man alone.
6 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 44
In Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Regeneration, Temptation, Virtue
In the visible world, no one can pass and get across the sea of himself, without having the light and buoyant ship, built of wood, which alone is able to walk over the waters—for if a man treads upon the sea, he is drowned and perishes. In the same way no soul can of itself cross and pass over and get beyond the bitter sea of sin, and the dangerous deep of the wicked powers of the darkness of the passions, unless he shall receive the buoyant, heavenly, winged Spirit of Christ, which walks over all wickedness and passes on, whereby he shall be enabled to arrive by a straight, right course at the heavenly haven of rest, at the city of the kingdom.
7 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 43
In Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Regeneration, Temptation, Virtue
As in the natural order, when a war is in preparation, the wise men and the great personages do not go to it, but fear death and stay away; and raw recruits, and the poor, and the ignorant are put forward; and it so falls out that they get a victory over the enemies, and pursue them out of their borders, and receive from the king rewards of victory and crowns, and come to promotions and dignities, and those great ones are found to be behind them; so is it in the spiritual order. The ignorant begin by hearing the word, and do the work thereof with the love of the truth in their thoughts, and receive from God the grace of the Spirit; while the wise, and those who seek the word in subtle fashion, these fly from the war, and make no advancement, and are found behind those who fought and conquered.
7 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 42
In Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Temptation, Virtue
From within, creeping and advancing in the soul, is the spirit of wickedness, calculating, inciting, which is the veil of darkness, the old man, which those who flee to God must put off, and put on the heavenly, new man, which is Christ. Nothing outside can hurt a man, only the spirit of darkness dwelling in the heart, alive and active; so that every one in his thoughts ought to possess the conflict, that Christ may shine upon his heart. To whom be glory for ever. Amen.
2 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 41
In Grace, Homily, Humility, Mysticism, Prayer, Temptation, Virtue
He who is rich in the grace of God ought to be very humble and contrite of heart, and to consider himself as poor and having nothing. None of it is his own. Another gave it him, and takes it away when He pleases. He who humbles himself thus before God and men is able to keep the grace that was given to him, as the Lord says, He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
2 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 40
In Grace, Homily, Mysticism, Prayer, Temptation, Virtue
If you pray, and give your thoughts to the love of Christ, see how you supplied the fuel, and your thoughts become fire, and are plunged in longing after God; and even if the Spirit withdraws a little, as though It were outside you, still It is within you, and Its signs are seen outside you.
5 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 39
In Homily, Mysticism, Scripture
God, the King, has sent to men the holy scriptures as His letters, declaring by them that they should pray to God and believing should ask and receive a heavenly gift of the substance of His Godhead; for it is written, That we should be made partakers of the divine nature.
< 1 read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 38
In Discernment, Holy Spirit, Homily, Humility, Mysticism
Many who appear to be righteous are taken for Christians. It is a task for skilled men and experts to try whether such men have really the stamp and image of the King, lest perchance they should be counterfeits of the works of skilled men, and skilled men wonder at them and criticise them. But people who are not skilled cannot test deceitful workers, for they too wear the shape of monks and Christians. For the false apostles also suffered for Christ, and they also preached the kingdom of heaven. That is why the apostle says In perils more abundant, in afflictions above measure, in prisons more abundant, wishing to show that he had suffered more than they.
3 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 37
In Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Regeneration, Spiritual Gifts
For this cause the whole company of holy prophets, apostles, martyrs, kept the word in their hearts, caring for nothing else, but despising earthly things, and abiding in the commandment of the Holy Ghost, and preferring before all things the Spirit’s love of God and the Spirit’s good, not in word only or in mere knowledge, but in word and deed as well, by actual practice.
8 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 36
In Homily, Mysticism, Resurrection, Spiritual Gifts
The scripture says, He that speaketh in a tongue speaketh by the Spirit of God, He is a spiritual man, speaking to God. But he that prophesieth, edifieth the church. The latter had the greater abundance of grace. The one edifies himself only; the other his neighbour also.
< 1 read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 35
In the typical sabbath, although they rested in bodily fashion, their souls were in bondage to wickednesses and sins. This, the true sabbath, is true rest, the soul being idle and cleansed from the suggestions of Satan.
2 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 34
In Homily, Mysticism, Resurrection
As it is impossible to comprehend the greatness of the sky, or the positions of the stars, or their courses; so is it impossible to speak or to recount the wealth of Christians, which is infinite and incomprehensible.
3 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 33
In Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Prayer
If you believe that these things are true, as indeed they are, take heed to yourself, whether your soul has found the light to guide it, and the true meat and drink, which is the Lord. If you have not, seek night and day, that you may receive. When you see the sun, seek the true Sun, for you are blind. When you behold the light, look into your soul, whether you have found the true Light, the good Light. All the things which meet the senses are a shadow of the true realities of the soul.
3 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 32
In Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Spiritual Gifts, Virtue
The languages of this world differ. Every nation has a language of its own. But Christians learn one new language, and are all instructed under one wisdom of God, not a wisdom of this world, nor of this passing age. And as Christians walk in this creation, they come upon new and heavenly sights, and upon glories and mysteries, taking occasion by what meets their senses.
7 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 31
In Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Virtue
Everyone, if he will, shall prove himself, whence he is nourished, and where he lives, and what condition he is in, so that having thus perceived, and gained an accurate estimate, he may give himself perfectly to the movement towards that which is good. Well, in praying, take heed to yourself at prayer, observing your thoughts and your motions, where they come from, whether from God or from the adversary, and who it is that supplies your heart with nourishment, the Lord, or the world-rulers of this age.
4 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 30
In Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Regeneration
He therefore that seeks to believe and come to the Lord, should entreat that he may receive here on earth the Divine Spirit; for that Spirit is the life of the soul, and for this cause the Lord came, that He might give life to the soul here on earth, even His Spirit. For He says, While ye have the light, believe in the light; the night cometh, when ye can no longer work. Therefore if any man has not sought, while here, and received life for his soul, even the divine light of the Spirit, when he departs out of the body, he is separated forthwith in the regions of darkness on the left hand, not entering into the kingdom of heaven, having his end in hell with the devil and his angels.
7 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 29
In Faith, Free Will, Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Mysticism, Spiritual Gifts
For he who does not receive at once, is the more kindled through God’s delay and patience, and the more desirous of the good things of heaven, and every day adds to his longing and diligence, his running and striving, and every disposition of virtue, his hunger and thirst after that which is good, not slacking for the sinful suggestions which are present in the soul, or turning aside to despise or forget or despair; nor again under pretence of patience will he give himself over to slackness, using this argument, that “Some day or other I shall receive the grace of God,” and from this enticed by sin into carelessness.
6 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 28
In Faith, Free Will, Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, John the Baptist, Mysticism, Temptation
Truly among them that are born of women there is none greater than John the Baptist. He is the fulfilment of all the prophets. All the prophets prophesied of the Lord, showing His coming afar off: John prophesied of the Saviour and showed Him before all eyes, crying aloud and saying, Behold the Lamb of God! What a sweet and beautiful voice of him who shews then and there Him whom he heralded! Greater than John is none of them that are born of women. But he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
5 min read
Fifty Spiritual Homilies. Homily 27
In Faith, Free Will, Grace, Holy Spirit, Homily, Image of God, Mysticism, Regeneration, Righteousness, Temptation
Know, O man, thy nobility and thy dignity, how honourable thou art, the brother of Christ, the friend of the King, the bride of the heavenly Bridegroom. He who has learned to know the dignity of his own soul, is in a position to know the power and the mysteries of the Godhead, and thereby to be the more humbled; since by the power of God a man beholds the greatness of his own fall. But as He passed through passion and cross before He was glorified and sat down on the Father’s right hand, so thou also must suffer with Him, be crucified with Him, and so ascend and sit with Him, and be joined with the body of Christ, and reign for ever with Him in that world—if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.
15 min read