Venerable Marcellus, Abbot of the Monastery of the Unsleeping (+485)
The Venerable Marcellus, abbot of the monastery of the Unsleeping, was born in the Syrian city of Apamea into a Christian family. His parents died early, but in spite of this he received a good education, first in Antioch and then in Ephesus. The blessed one distributed all the property he had inherited to the poor and began the ascetic life under the guidance of an experienced elder who laboured in Ephesus, and then set out for Byzantium, to the Venerable Alexander, abbot of the monastery of the Unsleeping. The hegumen tonsured the blessed one a monk. Marcellus’s devoted labours pleased the Lord, and He rewarded the saint with various spiritual gifts, among them the grace of clairvoyance. The time of Abba Alexander’s end was revealed to the venerable father beforehand, and it was also made known to him that he himself would become hegumen. The blessed one was still very young, considered himself unworthy to lead the brothers, and left the monastery for a time. He went round various monasteries and received spiritual counsel from the monks.
After the repose of Saint Alexander, Abba John was chosen hegumen. When he learned of this, Marcellus returned to the monastery, which greatly gladdened the whole brotherhood. The new superior made the holy father his closest assistant. When John died, Marcellus was appointed in his place against his will. The Lord’s chosen one governed the monastery for sixty years. People hastened to him from distant places to receive spiritual counsel. Those around the saint often clearly saw angels, who always accompanied and protected him. The Lord helped the Venerable Marcellus in building and ordering the monastery. With sums given by the faithful he built a large church, a hospital and a shelter for the infirm. The saint healed the sick by prayer, and once even raised a dead man to life. It is related that he worked many other miracles too. For example, one of the monks whom Marcellus had sent to Ancyra suddenly fell gravely ill. The dying man called in his mind on his teacher for help. The latter heard the monk’s lament in spirit, stood in prayer, and healed the sick man. The blessed one’s prayer calmed a raging sea. Once the Lord’s chosen one was told that a terrible fire was raging in Constantinople. He again cried to the Lord with tears, and the fire that had caught the city went out that very moment.
The blessed hegumen was also distinguished by wonderful compassion, and helped the poor unstintingly from the monastery’s stores. Once, at a time of terrible famine, the anxious cellarer told him that there was only enough wheat left for a few days. The saint calmed the monk, after which, as usual, the brothers were given their due portion every day and the hungry were fed too. At last, when the storerooms were completely empty, the cellarer went again to the blessed Marcellus; they went together to the granary and found that it had been filled to the brim again. From that day until the end of the famine bread did not run out in the monastery.
Saint Marcellus reposed in 485.
