Macedonius of Syria
Encyclopedia
Macedonius the Hermit
, sometimes known as Macedonius Kritophagus lived at the turn of the fourth to fifth century in Syria
. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church
, with a feast day of January 24.
Macedonius began his ascetic life as a pilgrim
wandering from city to city in Syria
, Phoenicia
, and Cilicia
living entirely on barley moistened with water (hence Kritophagus, 'barley-eater'). Eventually he settled in the wilderness, far from human contact, taking shelter in a pit. He considered food a form of medicine that could be taken to stave off death because it is not lawful to "shorten one's life to shun labors and conflicts."
Macedonius became well known to people far and wide for his holiness and gifts of healing and exorcism
. Gradually multitudes of people came to seek his direction and intercession
. Only at a very advanced age did he agree to live in a cell provided for him. He died circa 420 at seventy years of age.
Hermit
A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...
, sometimes known as Macedonius Kritophagus lived at the turn of the fourth to fifth century in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. He is venerated as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
, with a feast day of January 24.
Macedonius began his ascetic life as a pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
wandering from city to city in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, Phoenicia
Phoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
, and Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
living entirely on barley moistened with water (hence Kritophagus, 'barley-eater'). Eventually he settled in the wilderness, far from human contact, taking shelter in a pit. He considered food a form of medicine that could be taken to stave off death because it is not lawful to "shorten one's life to shun labors and conflicts."
Macedonius became well known to people far and wide for his holiness and gifts of healing and exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
. Gradually multitudes of people came to seek his direction and intercession
Intercession
Intercession is the act of interceding between two parties. In both Christian and Islamic religious usage, it is a prayer to God on behalf of others....
. Only at a very advanced age did he agree to live in a cell provided for him. He died circa 420 at seventy years of age.