Makrina the younger

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Makrina the Younger, fresco in the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Kiev

Makrina the Younger (* 330 327 , † 379 ) was a consecrated virgin and the older sister of Basil the Great , Gregory of Nyssa and Peter of Sebaste . She was just as eminent a spiritual figure as her brothers, whose life path she greatly influenced. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic , Orthodox , Anglican and Armenian Churches , in the sense of Article 21 of the Confessio Augustana also by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America . Her Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Memorial Day is July 19 , the Armenian July 18, and the Protestant June 14 .

Her parents, Basilius the Elder , Emmelia and her grandmother are also saints. Makrina was the eldest of ten children of a respected and wealthy family in Cappadocia . She received the name of her grandmother father hand Macrina the Elder , a disciple of Gregory the Miracle Worker during the Christian persecution under Diocletian the martyrdom suffered. Due to a dream of her mother, she was also named Thekla after the holy Thekla .

Makrina was brought up carefully, the mother using the Psalms and the Book of Wisdom instead of the otherwise not always morally impeccable poems . According to Gregory of Nyssa's dialogue on the soul and resurrection, Makrina's upbringing must also have included philosophy and science. As a beautiful girl from a respected and wealthy family, she had numerous suitors. When she was fourteen, her father engaged her to a young rhetorician from other relatives. After the early death of her fiancé, Makrina decided to remain loyal to her fiancé and to be a support to her mother, not only in the household, but also in managing the extensive family estates after the early death of her father. She moved with her mother to a family estate at Iris in Pontus and gradually persuaded her mother to lead an ascetic life with her.

Makrina had a great influence on her younger siblings and was an authority on them: the father died shortly after the birth of the youngest son Peter . Makrina took over the upbringing of her youngest brother and, according to Gregor, was his father, mother, educator and teacher. Gregor himself addressed her as a teacher and spoke with the greatest respect of her wisdom and knowledge. When he visited her as a now famous bishop and told her about his difficulties in the Arian quarrel , the older sister told him not to be so ungrateful. His much more talented and educated father was only known in Pontus, but cities and nations were now talking about him - he should recognize that this was thanks to the prayers of his parents, he himself had little or no talent for such a success.

When Basil returned from his training, obviously proud of his knowledge and skills, Makrina confronted him vigorously and, instead of pursuing his career as a rhetorician, also converted him to asceticism.

After her mother's death, Makrina became the leader of a community of consecrated virgins in Pontus, where her brother visited her after the death of Basil and found her on her deathbed. Her life is described by her brother Gregor von Nyssa in the life of Makrina and in dialogue about the soul and the resurrection , where he presents her as his spiritual teacher.

literature

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Individual evidence

  1. ^ Gregor von Nyssa , biography of his sister Makrina (Vita Macrinae), introduction, 2ff
  2. ↑ Kirsch, Johann Peter, St. Macrina the Younger , in: The Catholic Encyclopedia , Vol. 9. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. Jul. 19, 2013 < http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09508c. htm >
  3. ↑ Adolf ragamuffins:  Macrina the Younger. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 5, Bautz, Herzberg 1993, ISBN 3-88309-043-3 , Sp. 542-544.  ( Article / beginning of article in Internet archive )
  4. ↑ Jos. Stiglmayr SJ, introduction to the text: "The life of Makrinas.". In: The holy bishop Gregory of Nyssa writings from the Greek transl. (Library of the Church Fathers, 1st row, Volume 56) Kempten; Munich: J. Kösel: F. Pustet, 1927
personal data
SURNAME Makrina the younger
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Holy virgin
DATE OF BIRTH 327 or 330
DATE OF DEATH 379