Venerable Macarius the Deacon

(19 January/1 February)

Our Holy Father Macarius was chosen by God from his youth. At a very early age, he displayed a remarkable maturity and preferred silence to children’s games. He practised great restraint. God’s Providence led him to the Cave Monastery in this manner: the blessed youth fell ill and his parents exhausted all medical means of healing him. With faith and hope on God, they vowed to offer the child like a pure sacrifice to the service of God and the Most Pure Virgin at the Cave Monastery, if he were healed. The merciful Lord heard the parents’ prayer and healed Macarius. Upon his recovery his parents fulfilled their vow and gave him over to the Monastery. The fathers were deeply impressed by his meekness and humility. They taught him to read and write and instructed him in soul-saving virtues. When he reached adulthood, St Macarius was found worthy of monastic tonsure and the diaconate. He served in God’s House with great fervour and zeal, and he constantly read sacred books. For all his faith and struggles, he was made worthy of the gift of wonderworking from God.