Fr. Kyrillos and the Man who Repented

Fr. Kyrillos El-Makary

St. Macarius the Great

One of the monks of the monastery (St. Macarius Monastery) never went out to the world except for a few times for medical purposes. On one of these visits to the doctor for treatment, the monk saw that the man was around his age and they looked at each other and found out that he was his colleague during his time in college. The monk in a friendly way invited the man to the monastery and this was during the beginning of Lent. The man accepted the invite and went to the monastery on one of the days of the fast and the following happened:

The man arrived at the monastery at 10 in the morning and sat at the guest place. The church bell rang for liturgy that was from 11 till 1. The man did not care and did not go to the church, and after a bit Fr. Kyrillos El-Makary arrived and met with this man.

He asked him: “Why didn’t you come to liturgy and receive communion?”
The man laughed greatly, indicating sorrow.
And told Fr. Kyrillos, “Me take communion?!”
Fr. Kyrillos asked him, “Why not take communion?”

The man told him that for more than 25 years he did not receive communion or fast and that he is now, of course, not fasting for Lent. Fr. Kyrillos told him, “Go quickly and receive communion and I am the one who is telling you to go receive communion” The man in turn told him that he already had breakfast of milk, cheese and eggs before he came to the monastery and that he had just smoked cigarettes as well…!! But Fr. Kyrillos insisted that he go to the church to receive communion and gave him the absolution.

The man was moved and  embarrassed, and was confused over Fr. Kyrillos’ insistence that he receive communion. Indeed, he went to the church and partook of the Holy Mysteries…after spending all his life away from communion.

When the time for visiting was over, the Father responsible for the visitors told them that the visiting time is over. He noticed a man sitting beside the relics of St. Macarius the Great, weeping and this was around 6 in the afternoon. The Father then told Fr. Kyrillos of the man’s situation and asked him what should they do. When Fr. Kyrillos heard of this, he told the Father to leave him and not to bother him.

After a short while, the man left the monastery at 7 pm and then left the whole world, and departed into the heavens at 3 am on that same day after he partook of the Holy Mysteries and in repenting before the relics of the three saints (St. Macarius the Great, St. Macarius of Alexandria and St. Macarius the Bishop) and under the blessing of Fr. Kyrillos and his loving and big heart, the lover of sinners and the one who goes after those who have gone astray.

The relics of St. Macarius the Great, St. Macarius of Alexandria and St. Macarius the Bishop

At St. Samuel Monastery Part 2 - Life of Fr. Mettaos El-Suryani

Fr. Matta El-Meskeen (Matthew the Poor)

There was a big reaction to Hegumen Matta El-Meskeen’s leaving the monastery. His sons through Confession gathered, about ten of the Fathers that used to have him as their confessor. They decided to leave and to go after their spiritual father to stay with him at the place where he was staying!!

And this actually happened on Friday 20/7/1956, ten Fathers of Der El-Suryan left the monastery and among them was our beloved Hegumen Fr. Mettaos El-Suryani. They were headed towards the Church of St. Mina in Zahra, Old Cairo where Hegumen Matta El-Meskeen was staying (he was their spiritual father).

It is right to say that Hegumen Mina El-Baramosy the Hermit (Pope Kyrillos VI) received them with the best welcome, was hospitable and tried to calm them down and to alleviate their sorrows. They stayed there for several days.

History also mentiones that Bp. Theophilus tried hard at the time to reconcile them and bring them back to the monastery once again and promised to meet any possible wishes of their own. Even H.G. Bp. Sawiris, Metropolitan of Menya at the time tried to mediate between them and Bp. Theophilus but unfortunately to no avail.

The Fathers the monks insisted on their position not to return to the monastery once again, and they settled on the decision to go to St. Samuel the Confessor Monastery in Mount Qalamoun. Hegumen Matta El-Meskeen and the group of the Fathers the monks, boarded the train that was headed to Maghagha, then to the El-Zora village, and from there to St. Samuel the Confessor Monastery where they settled.

At around this time, Hegumen Matta El-Meskeen and the ten monks with him began working on the monastery that suffered from severe poverty and lack of possible living conditions. The Fathers built several cells, planted some vegetation and stayed at the monastery for around approximately three years. During this time, Fr. Mettaos led the prayers of the vespers (sunset service), services of vespers, midnight prayers, celebrated the divine liturgies and was an example of the ideal ascetic monk.

At this period, he lived with the Fathers of St. Samuel the Confessor Monastery like the late saintly monk Fr. Andrawes El-Samoueli and the late monk Hegumen Salib El-Samoueli the Great. Our beloved Father [Fr. Mettaos] told us how this period was one of the strongest spiritual times in his life, the life of calmness, quietness and total seclusion and isolation from the world. He used to say that he saw his departure from Der El-Suryan to St. Samuel Monastery a dark moment in his monastic life! He meant to speak about his lack of steadfastness in staying in the monastery in which he became a monk in!!

Fr. Andrawes El-Samoueli in the centre.