The Monk Macarius the Great of Egypt lived from approximately 300 AD till 390 AD. He is known as an example of an ascetic life of wilderness monasticism, showing with his life the value of humility, silence and lifelong prayer and acting as a role model in conquering fears and trusting God. He left behind a legacy of writings that had a great influence on Christian doctrine. Together with the Sainted Anthony the Great, he is regarded as one of the founders of monasticism.
To St. Macarius, the ultimate goal of a man's life is to achieve a union of the soul with God. Advising a disciple on the pursuit of this goal he said: "If slander is like praise for you, poverty like riches, insufficiency like abundance, then you shall not perish."
The spiritual life of Saint Macarius is reflected inhis theological works, of which the Fifty Spiritual Homilies and seven Ascetic Treatises are the best known. He also authored several prayers that are still used in the liturgical life of the Church. He spent 60 years in the wilderness and founded multiple monasteries. One of the best known surviving monasteries established by him is St. Macarius Monastery in Egypt.
