Tonight it was my turn to bring a sweet treat to Bible Study, so I took Gethsemani fudge and fruitcake - which was quite well received (especially the bourbon fudge). In honor of the Monks at the Abbey of Gethsemani who made these confections, our Saint today will be the patron of Candy Makers - who was himself a monk.
St. Macarius of Alexandria (also known as Macarius the Younger) was born about the year 300 in Alexandria, Egypt. He was a successful merchant of fruits, candies and pastries until his conversion to Christianity around the age of 35. Inspired by stories of St. Anthony of the desert and other holy men, Macarius gave up his candy concession and moved to the desert to live near Anthony in a simple monks cell. The desert monks of Egypt were known for their severe austerity, extreme sanctity and penitential practices. Macarius also followed these practices, living on vegetables, bread and water - adding a little olive oil in celebration for holy days. He once spent 20 days and 20 nights without sleep, burnt by the sun in the day, frozen by bitter desert cold cold at night. “My mind dried up because of lack of sleep, and I had a kind of delirium,” the hermit admitted. “So I gave in to nature and returned to my cell.”
Marcarius never gave up his austere lifestyle, but a century later Sts. Benedict and Scholastica drafted a rule of life for monks and nuns that rejected the extremes practiced by the desert hermits. I think many of the Monks at Getsemani are happy that they follow Benedict's rule rather than that of Marcarius. He died of natural causes around 401. His feast day is January 2. He is the Patron Saint of confectioners, cooks and candy makers.
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