Homily of St Macarius of Egypt

[Andrew Kisliakov]

Dear all,

Among the homilies ascribed to St. Macarius of Egypt, there is apparently one which describes the state and progress of the soul after death.

Is there an online or, failing that, printed, source that contains an English (or Russian/Slavonic) translation of this homily?

I have found several sites containing 22 homilies but the one I am after doesn't seem to be among them.

Andrew

[Michael Stickles]

In the booklet "The Spiritual World" (http://www.fatheralexander.org/booklets/english/spiritual_world_e.htm) by Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky, I found this:



Based on these indications of Sacred Scripture, from antiquity the Holy Fathers of the Church have depicted the path of the soul after its separation from the body as a path through such spiritual expanses, where the dark powers seek to devour those who are weak spiritually, and where therefore one is in special need of being defended by the heavenly angels and supported by prayer on the part of the living members of the Church. Among the ancient Fathers the following speak of this- Sts. Ephraim the Syrian, Athanasius the Great, Macarius the Great, Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, and others.

The most detailed development of these ideas is made by St Cyril of Alexandria in his "Homily on the Departure of the Soul," which is usually printed in the Sequential Psalter (the Psalter with additions from the Divine services). A pictorial depiction of this path is presented in the life of St Basil the New (March 26), where the departed blessed Theodora, in a vision during sleep communicated to the disciple of Basil, tells what she has seen and experienced after the separation of her soul from the body and during the ascent of the soul into the heavenly mansions.


This may be the homily you're looking for, since I have seen it also attributed to St. Macarius of Alexandria. I couldn't find the Sequential Psalter (or, as I've also seen it called, the Great Psalter) online.

Among the homilies of St. Macarius, Homily 22 and Homily 43 are the two that I've seen referenced as addressing the soul after death. I've also seen references to a teaching St. Macarius received from an angel about the soul's journey after death, involving toll-houses and demons and such, but about the only place I've seen it is in the endnotes to online texts of the homily "Life After Death" (http://saintjohnwonderworker.org/LIFE%20AFTER%20DEATH.htm) by St. John of San Francisco. Finally, some of the passages I found attributed to St. Macarius seem to at least parallel "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" by St. John Climacus (which I didn't find online).