Thread by @DouayRheims1

19th JULY: ST MACRINA THE YOUNGER, VIRGIN

~thread~
1. After the death of her father, St Basil the Elder, St Macrina consecrated her virginity by vow to God, and, with her mother, founded two monasteries, one for men, the other for women near Ibora in Pontus.
#StMacrina #July19

2. Macrina drew up the rules for the nunnery and established in it the love and spirit of the most universal poverty, and disengagement from the world, mortification, humility, assiduous prayer, and singing of psalms.

After the death of St Emmelia, her mother, Macrina lived

3. with the nuns on what she earned by the labour of her hands.

Her brother Basil died in the beginning of the year 379, and she fell ill shortly after. St Gregory of Nyssa found her sick of a raging fever, lying on two boards, one served for her bed, one for her pillow.

4. She calmly expired, after having armed herself with the sign of the cross.

Such was the poverty of the house that nothing was found to cover her corpse when it was carried to the grave, but her old hood and coarse veil; but St Gregory threw over it his episcopal cloak.

5. St Gregory led up the funeral procession, which consisted of the clergy, the monks, and nuns, in two separate choirs. The whole company walked singing psalms, with torches in their hands.

The holy remains were conveyed to the church of the Forty Martyrs,

#StGregoryOfNyssa

6. a mile distant from the monastery.

St Macrina died in December, 379; but is commemorated by the Latins and Greeks on the 19th of July. This account is given us by St Gregory of Nyssa.
(Excerpts from Butler's "Lives of the Saints")