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On this day, St . Moses the Black, whose life story is remarkable, was martyred . This saint tookthe Kingdom of Heaven by force, exactly as our Lord Jesus Christ said: "The Kingdom of Heavensuffers violence, and the violent take it by force ." (Matthew 11:12) .In his early life, St . Moses was a slave to people who worshiped the sun . He was a mighty manwho loved to eat and drink excessively . He killed, robbed and committed all evil . No one couldstand up before him, or challenge him .402On many occasions, he lifted up his eyes to look to the sun and to talk to it saying, "O Sun!! ifyou are God, let me know it ." Then he said, "And you O God whom I do not know, let me knowyou ."One day, he heard someone saying to him, "The monks of Wadi El-Natroun know the real God .Go to them and they will tell you ." Instantly, he rose up, girded his sword and went to thewilderness of Shiheat . He met St . Esidorous (Isidore) the priest, who was frightened when he sawhim, because of his appearance . St . Moses comforted him by saying that he came to the monks sothat they might let him know the real God . St . Esidorous took him to St . Macarius the Great, whopreached to him, taught him the faith and baptized him . He accepted St . Moses as a monk andtaught him to live in the wilderness . St . Moses dashed in many worships, and fought a spiritualfight which was greater than that fought by many saints .However, the devil fought him intensively with his old habits of excessive eating, drinking, andfornication . He informed St . Esidorous about everything which came upon him in his fight withthe Enemy . He comforted him and taught him how to overcome the snares of the devil .It was told about him, that when the elders of the Monastery slept, he used to go round to theircells and take their water pots and fill them with water which he brought from a well at a fardistance from the monastery . After many years in spiritual struggle, the devil envied him, andstruck him with a sore on his foot which made him sick and bed-ridden . When he knew that thiswas from the devil, he increased in his asceticism and worship, until his body became as a burntwood . God looked to his patience, healed his illness, and removed all his pains . The blessing ofthe Lord came upon him .After a while, he became the Father and the spiritual guide of 500 brothers, who elected him to beordained a priest . When he came before the Patriarch to be ordained, the patriarch wanted to testhim by asking the elders, "Who brought this black here? Cast him out ." He obeyed, and left sayingto himself, "It is good what they have done to you, O black colored one ." The Patriarch, however,called him back and ordained him a priest, and said to him, "Moses, all of you now has becomewhite ."One day, he went with some elders to St . Macarius the Great, who said to them, "I see amongyou one to whom belong the crown of martyrdom ." St . Moses answered him, "Probably it is me,for it is written: 'For all they that take with the sword, shall perish with the sword .'" (Matt . 26:25)After they returned to the monastery, it did not take long until the Barbarians attacked themonastery . He told the brethren, "Whoever wants to escape, let him escape ." They asked him,"And you O father, why do you not also escape?" He replied that he had waited for this day forlong time . The Barbarians entered the monastery and killed him with seven other brothers . One ofthe brethren was hiding, and saw the angel of the Lord, with a crown in his hand standing by andwaiting for him . He went out from his hiding place to the Barbarians and he was also martyred .403Beloved Ones, contemplate in the power of repentance, and what it did . It transformed an infidelslave who was a murderer, adulterer and robber into a great Father, teacher, comforter, and priestwho wrote rules for the monks, and saint whose name is mentioned on the altar in our prayers .His Body is located now in the Monastery of El-Baramouse .May his prayers be with us and Glory be to God for ever . Amen .