Moses Murin of Ethiopia: robber, drunkard, saint
Reverend Moses Murin is an Ethiopian Christian saint. He was born in 330 and died in 405. He was an Ethiopian and had black skin, hence his nickname “Murin”, that is, “black”.
His memory is celebrated in the Orthodox Church on August 28 (according to the Julian calendar), and in the Catholic Church on August 28. In his youth he had a gloomy character, was a drunkard and a robber, but he repented and became a monk, and then a hierodeacon.
Reverend Moses Murin.
Icon. Saint Moses Murin, an Ethiopian by birth, was a robber and drunkard. By the grace of God, he repented and became an ascetic. Photo: nevsky.by
People usually pray to the monk for healing from heavy drinking. He is especially loved in America, and not only by black Christians, who consider him their heavenly patron. Researchers of the work of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky point out the similarity of the image of Ilya Murin in his early story “The Mistress” with the image of Saint Moses Murin.
Storm of the caravan routes
Very soon, Moses Murin took a leading position among the robbers and became their chieftain. The reason for this was his natural strength of character and inflexibility in achieving his goals, which set him apart from the crowd. Under the leadership of Moses, the gang committed many daring robberies, and most of the trading cities in the Nile Delta were marked with traces of their bloody crimes.
The rumor about his “exploits” spread throughout the country, and the merchants, getting ready for the journey, prayed to God to protect their caravan routes from the ruthless robbers and their black chieftain. Sometimes this helped, but more often they disappeared forever in the sultry haze of the deserts, and only the hot wind blew away the bloody bodies abandoned by the road with sand.
When the Monk Moses was attacked by robbers, he tied them up and took them to the abbot
When Moses led a hermit's life, he was attacked by 4 thieves. They were in his former gang. The saint did not lose his enormous physical strength. He tied them all up, lifted them onto his shoulders and brought them to the monastery to the abbot.
Here he said: “I am not allowed to do harm to anyone. What do you order about these people? The abbot and the elders ordered him to let them go. Having learned that they had been captured by their former chieftain, the robbers decided, following his example, to give up their sinful life. The robbers repented and became zealous monks. Other members of the gang did the same.
Reverend Moses Murin and the robbers.
Icon. When Saint Moses Murin captured the robbers who attacked him, he repented and became monks themselves. Photo: nevsky.by
Despite his ascetic deeds, Saint Moses Murin was overcome by passions and, first of all, prodigal. The monk had to turn to Abba Isidore for advice. The elder advised him not to get fed up.
Returning to his cell, Moses indulged in extremely severe asceticism: he ate only about 340 grams of dry bread a day, exhausted his body with labor, and prayed 50 times a day. But the exhaustion of the body was in vain: it continued to flare up, especially in sleep.
340 gram
Saint Moses Murin ate crackers a day to overcome carnal passions
Moses had to turn again to Abba Isidore. Then he taught him all-night vigils. From that time on, Moses added vigil throughout the night to fasting: for six years, every night he stood in the middle of his cell in prayer, without closing his eyes.
In order to finally suppress sinful thoughts within himself, Moses Murin began to go around the cells of elderly hermits who no longer had the strength to bring water, and filled their jugs from a well, which was located several kilometers away. In addition, Abba Isidore encouraged his disciple, showing him in a vision that the power of Angels exceeds the power of demons, and he needs a long struggle with passions in order to be completely cleansed of his previous sins.
The Monk Moses of Mursk brings water to the elderly monks.
Drawing by Elena Popovskaya. When the saint once bent down to the well to draw water, the demon attacked him with a club and hit him in the back. As a result, the elder lay relaxed for a whole year. Photo: foma.ru
One day, Moses Murin, as usual, went to the well for water. Leaning over him, he felt a strong blow from a club to the lower back. So the demon took revenge on him for his spiritual exploits. In the morning, one of the brothers found Moses lying down and Abba Isidore, together with the brethren, carried him to his cell.
Here he lay relaxed for a whole year. Having been cured, Moses wanted to continue the fight against temptation, but Abba Isidore blessed the student and told him that his fornication had already left him. The elder told him to take communion of the Holy Mysteries and go in peace to his cell. From then on, the Monk Moses received from the Lord power over demons.
At the mercy of demonic temptations
But before rewarding His chosen ones with crowns of glory, the Lord often allows the evil one to subject them to temptations, further tempering the strong and weeding out the weak in spirit. Moses was destined to endure such trials. The enemy of the human race sent to him one of his most insidious servants - the prodigal demon. This wicked man began to confuse the monk’s pure and immaculate thoughts with sinful dreams and kindle his flesh with the hellish fire of lust.
He darkened even those rare hours of sleep that the monk had, sending him instead of pious visions images full of abomination and voluptuousness. The holy saints and faces of angels that once filled his night dreams gave way to lustful and unbridled virgins, inviting the monk with their shameless gestures. To top off his troubles, his sinful flesh completely refused to listen to the voice of reason and clearly indulged the evil demon.
Abba Moses avoided worldly glory and honors
Abba Moses became famous for his spiritual exploits and virtuous life. The ruler of the country (presumably Ethiopia) found out about this and decided to visit his monastery to see him. Having learned about this intention, the monk decided to hide from the ruler in a swamp, in the reeds.
When he went out onto the road to fulfill his intention, the ruler’s servants met him and asked him where they could find Abba Moses. To this the elder replied: “You shouldn’t go to this lying, unworthy monk.”
Video: September 10. Reverend Moses Murin. At the 5th minute, the author talks about how the saint decided to retire to the reeds out of modesty when the ruler of the country decided to visit him.
The ruler's servants were amazed at this answer and went to the temple to tell this to the clergy. The clergy began to question the servants about who exactly had blasphemed the venerable old man, and from the description they found out that it was Moses himself.
They explained to the ruler and his servants that Abba Moses did not want to show himself to strangers and accept honors from them, so he said so about himself. Having received many benefits (mental), the ruler left, glorifying God.
Saint Moses Murin shied away from praising him.
At the same time, the monk joyfully received brothers and wanderers for spiritual conversations. One day during Lent, he prepared some boiled meat for the wanderers. The clerics saw this and wanted to expose him in the temple.
Abba Isidore responded to this: “I acted wrongly in a divine way, but rightly in a human way.” The fact is that the wanderers crossed the desert and were exhausted from hunger, and Moses fed them.
Instructions from a wise old man
And the pure soul of the monk would have been lost, plunged into the stinking abyss of sin, but the Lord admonished him to go for advice to a distant monastery, where one of the great pillars of the early Christian church, Presbyter Isidore, labored in the feat of the strictest asceticism. Having listened to everything that Moses Murin, embarrassed, told him, the wise elder calmed him down, explaining that all new monks who have recently entered the monastic path go through similar suffering.
Demons overcome them, sending their ungodly visions, thereby hoping to persuade them to sin. But they are powerless against those who oppose them with prayer and fasting. Therefore, without falling into despondency, one should return to the cell and continue serving God as far as possible, replacing carnal food with spiritual food.
Before the Monk Moses Murin became a deacon, he passed the test
Saint Moses Murin spent many years in monastic endeavors, and one day the bishop decided to make him a clergyman. At the same time, Moses was already a monk with robes, so he became a hierodeacon.
On this occasion, the bishop dressed him in white clothes and said: “Abba Moses is now all white.” The saint answered this: “Master, what makes one clean—the external or the internal?” Out of humility, the monk considered himself internally unworthy to accept the rank of deacon and refused to do so.
Venerable Moses Murin, icon.
The icon depicts the saint in the white robes in which the bishop dressed him before he was ordained bishop. Photo: www.miloserdie.ru
The bishop himself remembered the terrible sins of the former robber and decided to check him. He commanded the boys who served at the altar to tempt Moses.
They began shouting offensive words in his face, pointing out his skin color and saying: “Get out of here, and don’t let your foot set foot on the threshold of God’s altar.” The bishop looked at this without revealing his presence.
Before becoming a priest, the Monk Moses Murin was subjected to reproach.
After the huge Moses cried and knelt in front of the children, saying: “You don’t even know how right you are. “I am a damned sinner, and not only am I not worthy to serve at the altar, but even to cross the threshold of the holy church,” the bishop ordained him as a priest.
So the monk became a hieromonk, proving his repentance and humility.
Spiritual insight
For a long time the Lord allowed this lawlessness to happen, but one day He opened Moses’ spiritual eyes, and he saw with horror all the darkness into which he had been plunged by his criminal life. In the blink of an eye, streams of the blood he had shed appeared before him, and his ears were filled with groans and curses of innocent victims. The great sinner fell into the abyss of despair, and only by the grace of God found the strength in himself for further life, firmly deciding to devote the rest of it to repentance and atonement for his sins.
As already mentioned, Moses Murin had extraordinary fortitude and inflexibility, but in his former life these good qualities served low purposes and were turned into evil. Now, overshadowed by the Grace of God, yesterday’s sinner applied them to revive his defiled and desecrated soul.
The Murins composed an akathist to Moses when he was killed by robbers who attacked the monastery
In the rank of hieromonk, the Monk Moses labored for 15 years. During this time, he gathered 75 students around him. Coincidentally, when he turned 75 years old, he warned the brethren that the monastery was preparing for an attack by barbarian Maziks (Berber tribe).
Hearing that they were in danger of death, the monks decided to flee, to which he blessed them. He said to himself: “I have been waiting for this day for so many years, so that the word of our Lord Jesus Christ will be fulfilled: “All who take the sword will perish by the sword” (Matthew 26:52).”
Ruins of Kellia.
In the 6th century, Christian monasteries and monastic communities were plundered by pagan Berber tribes. One of their gangs attacked the monastery where Saint Moses Murin lived, and also killed him and 7 other monks. Photo: upload.wikimedia.org
Then 7 brothers decided to stay with the monk. The robbers broke into the Skete and plundered it. At the same time, they killed Abba Moses and seven of his disciples. One of the monks hid behind bags with ropes and saw how seven crowns came down from the sky and landed on their bodies.
This happened around the year 400. In our time, the relics of the Monk Moses Murin rest in Egypt in the monastery of the Nitrian desert. They are revered by pilgrims and believers living in this area.
7 monks
died along with the monk at the hands of robbers, they all became saints
An akathist was composed to Saint Moses Murin, here is an excerpt from it:
Troparion, tone 1
Desert dweller, and in the body an Angel and a miracle worker appeared, O Our God-bearing Father Moses: by fasting, vigil, and prayer, I received heavenly gifts, healing the sick and the souls of those who come to you by faith. Glory to Him who gave you strength, glory to Him who crowned you, glory to Him who works healing through you.
Kontakion, tone 4
Having killed the murine mules and spat on the faces of the demons, you mentally shone like the sun is bright, guiding our souls with the light of your life and teaching.
Troparion, tone 8
In you, Father, it is known that you were saved in the image: accept the Cross that you followed Christ, and you taught in action to despise the flesh, for it passes away; In the same way, O Reverend Moses, your spirit will rejoice with the angels.
New weapon in the fight against the evil one
Not daring to disturb the peace of Elder Isidore again, St. Moses Murin turned for help to the abbot of the monastery in which he labored all this time. After listening to him, the wise shepherd remembered his youth and his own struggle with the flesh. He recommended that the sufferer, every time an unclean spirit approaches him, torment his nature with backbreaking work, be it in broad daylight or under the cover of night.
From that time on, Moses Murin began to walk around the cells of the brethren every night and, having collected the water-carrying vessels placed near the doors, went with them to the source, which was located at a considerable distance. It was hard work. All night long Moses, bent under the weight of his burden, carried water, while saying prayer.
Prayer to Moses Murin helps against drunkenness
Usually they pray to a saint about what he himself has succeeded in in the field of spiritual exploits. The life of the saint says that he overcame the sins of drunkenness and fornication. That is why he helps those people who are elephants to them.
The souls of people who have committed serious crimes are also healed through the prayers of this Righteous One. In addition, the image is also prayed to for the sin of drug addiction and constant disputes with neighbors.
Reverend Moses Murin.
Brooklyn icon. The saint is especially revered in Brooklyn, where he is considered the patron saint of the black population. Photo: www.nsad.ru
On icons the saint is usually depicted as a man with a dark face and righteous gaze. He holds a scroll in his hands as a symbol of wisdom and preaching. He is dressed in priestly robes like a hieromonk.
He is usually depicted in full growth. There are images of both the young Moses and the old man. The old man is usually depicted with a gray head and beard.
The prayer to Moses Murin against drunkenness is as follows:
“Oh, the great power of repentance! Oh, the immeasurable depth of God's mercy! You, Reverend Moses, were formerly a robber, but then you were horrified by your sins, grieved over them, and in repentance came to the monastery, and there, in great lamentation for your former iniquities and in difficult deeds, you spent your days until your death, and was awarded the grace of Christ's forgiveness. and the gift of miracles. Oh, reverend, you have achieved wonderful virtues from grave sins! Help also the servant of God (names) who pray to you, who are drawn into destruction by indulging in the immeasurable consumption of wine, which is harmful to the soul and body.
Bow your merciful gaze upon them and do not despise them, but listen to them as they come running to you. Pray, holy Moses, the Lord Christ, so that He, the Merciful, does not reject them, and may the devil not rejoice at their destruction, but may the Lord have mercy on these powerless and unfortunate (names), who were possessed by the destructive passion of drunkenness, for we are all God’s creatures and redeemed by the Most Pure One The blood of His Son.
Hear, Reverend Moses, their prayer, drive away the devil from them, grant them the power to overcome their passion, help them, stretch out your hand, lead them to the path of good, free them from the slavery of passions and deliver them from drinking wine, so that they, renewed, sobriety and a bright mind, they loved abstinence and piety, and eternally glorified the All-Good God, who always saves His creatures. Amen".
By leaving a comment, you accept the user agreement
“We take a step, and the Lord rushes with all his might”
Liturgy in one of the Ethiopian churches.
Photo from thepinsta.com In our community we especially feel the support of several saints: our patron Saint. right John of Kronstadt, Mary of Egypt, patron saint of sobriety St. Boniface, etc. Moses Murin. Because it is these saints who show us, damned sinners, how close the Lord is, and how ready He is to embrace the soul of the repentant. And we feel from their example that a person takes one step towards the Lord, and the Lord rushes with all his might, embraces him, clothes him with His grace and gives him the ring of inheritance.
For modern Christians living in Moscow or New York, what does this life say? The most important thing that it literally shouts about is that the gates to salvation are open to each of the sinners. And you don’t have to be embarrassed, you don’t have to succumb to demonic persuasion to first sin, and then “that’s it, there’s no forgiveness for you, let’s get into a noose and leave this world, anyway, neither Christ nor people will forgive you.” But the life of Moses tells us exactly the opposite! No matter what terrible and insane sins a person has committed, the Lord covers them all with His love, if only the person sincerely repents. The entire life of the Monk Moses, in my opinion, is simply a cry of repentance to heaven.
Everyone has their own path, everyone has their own business. We can save ourselves through small deeds. He took his grandmother across the road, said a few kind words to the homeless man, prayed for him, directed him in the right direction, bought him a bun instead of giving him rubles for a bottle - he had already done a good deed. You just can’t stop, you can’t think that you’ve achieved something.
