Abba Macarius

Saint Macarius of Egypt
An icon of Saint Macarius of Egypt
Born	c. 300 Shabsheer (Shanshour), Al Minufiyah Governorate, Egypt
Died	391 Scetes, Egypt
Venerated in	Orthodox Church Oriental Orthodox Churches Roman Catholic Church
Major shrine	Monastery of Saint Macarius the Great, Scetes, Egypt
Feast	15 January (West, Roman Catholic) 19 January (Eastern Orthodox) 27 Paremhat (= 4 April) (Oriental Orthodox)

Macarius of Egypt (Greek: Ὅσιος Μακάριος ο Ἀιγύπτιος, Osios Makarios o Egyptios; Coptic: Ⲙⲁⲕⲁⲣⲓⲟⲥ; Arabic: القديس مقاريوس‎‎, Maqaroos al Qadis, 300-391) was an Egyptian Christian monk and hermit. He is also known as Macarius the Elder, Macarius the Great and The Lamp of the Desert.

Macarius was born in Upper Egypt. A late tradition places his birthplace in the village of Shabsheer (Shanshour), in Al Minufiyah Governorate, Egypt around 300 A.D. At some point before his pursuit of asceticism, Macarius made his living smuggling saltpeter in the vicinity of Nitria, a vocation which taught him how to survive in and travel across the wastes in that area.

St. Macarius is known for his wisdom. His friends and close kin used to call him Paidarion Geron (Greek: Παιδάριον Γερών,which when compounded as Paidiogeron led to Coptic: Ⲡⲓⲇⲁⲣ Ⲓⲟⲩⲅⲉⲣⲟⲛ, Pidar Yougiron) which meant the “old young man”, i.e. “the young man with the elders’ wisdom.”

At the wish of his parents Macarius entered into marriage, but was soon widowed. Shortly after, his parents departed as well. Macarius subsequently distributed all his money among the poor and needy. He found a teacher in an experienced Elder, who lived in the desert not far from the village. The Elder accepted the youth, guided him in the spiritual science of watchfulness, fasting and prayer, and taught him the handicraft of weaving baskets. Seeing his virtues, the people of his village brought him to the bishop of Ashmoun who ordained him priest.