ON SAINT MEMNON THE WONDER-WORKER,
HEGUMEN OF THE MONKS AMONG THE GREEKS.
CommentaryMemnon the Wonder-worker, Hegumen of the monks among the Greeks (Saint)
By G. H.
The memory of Saint Memnon the Wonder-worker is celebrated among the Greeks on this April 28, of whom in the Menology of the Emperor Basil Porphyrogenitus is read: Encomium from the Menology of Emperor Basil "Memnon, our holy Father, called Thaumaturgus or Wonder-worker, hearing the words of the holy Gospel, 'Whoever does not leave father or mother or brothers or sisters or houses or fields, cannot be my disciple,' at once denied his soul, and leaving all followed Christ; and so exercised himself in every kind of virtue that he became a most worthy home and purest sanctuary of the Holy Spirit. Mark 10:29 For when he had subjected the flesh delighting in the spirit to himself through humility and temperance; and had obtained dominion over all the affections and desires of mind and body; he was chosen Prior and moderator of the monks; leading an almost angelic life on earth, he was enriched by God with the gift of miracles. For he healed diseases altogether incurable; and he who had purified his soul with a river of tears, by prayers drew forth flowing waters from a parched and dry place, and illustrious with very many other miracles, died in peace." Thus far the Menology of Basil the Emperor. We append another encomium from the printed and manuscript Menaia themselves, which is of this kind.
[2] "Our holy Father Memnon, having bidden farewell to the world for God's sake, carried on a just and most excellent life splendidly in obedience and submission, And the Menaia and afterwards was made superior of the other monks. When he shone in the exercises of meekness, humility, and charity, he also performed miracles, being called Thaumaturgus. For when a swarm of locusts attacked and was devouring the fields of the monastery, Saint Memnon, going out, with prayers attacked the locusts as with fire and drowned them all in the river. Another time, from a dry and parched place, he drew forth a fountain likewise by prayer, which to this day gushes to his praise and memory. Moreover, when sailors were in a grave storm of the sea and invoked this Saint, he appeared, and with them directed the rudder of the ship, and rowed with them eagerly; and with one word he led the ship safely to the harbor within a short space. Thus illustrious with miracles for many years, he brought health to those imploring his aid; and so, his life having been holy completed, with sheaves of virtues and viaticum he passed to the Lord." So the Menaia, which are also reported in Maximus, Bishop of Cythera, and a little more concisely in the MS. Synaxarium of the Clermont College of Paris of the Society of Jesus, And a MS. Synaxarium in which he is said from his infancy to have consecrated himself to God as a purest lodging of the Holy Spirit. The same Saint Memnon Thaumaturgus on the next following day Molanus inscribed in his Supplement to Usuard. Otherwise, we regret that it is not indicated in which monastic palaestra he presided, nor the time in which he flourished.