Subj : =?UTF-8?Q?July_19th_=E2=80=93_St=2E_Arsenius_the_Great=2C_Hermit?= To : All From : rich Date : Sun Jul 18 2021 10:25:51 From: rich July 19th =E2=80=93 St. Arsenius the Great, Hermit =C2 (also known as Arsenius the Roman or Arsenius the Deacon) Born probably in Rome c. 354; d. near Memphis, Egypt, c. 450. Legend has it that, c. 383, Pope Saint Damasus recommended the erudite Arsenius to Emperor Theodosius the Great, who summoned the Roman deacon of senatorial rank to Constantinople and appointed him tutor of his sons, Arcadius and Honorius. He was rewarded with money and servants, honor and possessions. Supposedly after a decade of luxury and influence, he kept hearing the voice of God telling him that only by abandoning it all could he be saved. Nevertheless, modern hagiographers doubt that Arsenius was a deacon or had served as a tutor in Constantinople. It is verified that about 395 he abandoned the court and joined the monks in Alexandria, Egypt. On the death of Theodosius (c. 400), saddened and sickened by his pupils' weakness of character and quarrels--for which he felt some responsibility as their former teacher, he became a desert monk in the Wadi Natrun (Skete). There he was tutored in the eremitical customs by Saint John the Dwarf. Initially suspicious of his dedication, Saint John tested Arsenius's humility by throwing his bread upon the floor. When Arsenius ate it, undismayed, Saint John became convinced of his devotion. He lived in the greatest austerity, refusing the legacy left him by a relative who was a senator, preferring the solitary life to a life of luxury. He said, "I died before he did" and tore the will in two. Forced to leave Skete about 434 because of the barbarian raids, he spent the next 10 years on the rock (Petra) of Tro=C3=AB in Memphis and some time on the island of Canopus near Alexandria, before dying at Tro=C3=AB. He became known for his sanctity, and he shunned the company of others. His disciples included Alexander, Zoilus, and Daniel. He felt learning was unimportant and could even be a hindrance in a relationship with God. To an educated Roman who expressed puzzlement at the high degree of contemplation achieved by uneducated Egyptians, he responded, "We make no progress because we dwell in the exterior learning which puffs up the mind; but these illiterate Egyptians have a true sense of their own weakness, blindness, and insufficiency." The simple maxims for which he was known and the doings recorded of him are characteristic of the desert fathers, marked by strict self-discipline and shrewdness about human nature. He constantly repeated: "=E2=80=9CI have always something to repent of after having talke= d, but have never been sorry for having been silent.=E2=80=9D " Arsenius feare= d damnation because of his former self-centered ways. He had learned in a hard school, and expected others to do the same, and he seems to have been more than usually averse to the company of his fellow men. But he was not wanting in compassion, and sometimes modified his brusqueness. Ancient writers emphasize that Arsenius had the 'gift of tears' to a surprising degree--his handkerchief (sudarium) was always handy--and his self-depreciation sometimes seemed excessive. He continually shed tears for his feebleness and the shortcomings of others, especially Honorius--so many tears that he was said to have worn away his eyelashes. He felt a lifelong guilt for the weakness of Arcadius and Honorius. He died at Tro=C3=AB and left a fellow monk all his earthly possessions: a skin coat, palm leaves woven into sandals, and a goat-skin shirt. The life of Arsenius was written by Saint Theodore the Studite, but this was too long after to be very reliable. Forty-four written maxims and moral anecdotes are attributed to Saint Arsenius (Attwater, Benedictines, Bentley, Delaney, Encyclopedia, White) Saint Quote: "I know a great deal of Greek and Latin learning. I have still to learn even the alphabet of how to be a saint." =C2 --Saint Arsenius Bible Quote: I am coming again, and I will take you to Myself; that where I am, there you also may be.=C2 (John 14:3) <><><><> May We Confess Your Name to the End By St Cyprian of Carthage (200-258) Bishop and Martyr Good God, may we confess Your Name to the end. May we emerge unmarked and glorious from the traps and darkness of this world. As You have bound us together by charity and peace and as together we have persevered under persecution, so may we also rejoice together in Your heavenly kingdom. Amen --- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2 * Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4) .