Macarius (300-391) lived in the desert with other like-minded hermits. Hence the name attributed to them: desert fathers. As a young monk, Macarius was falsely accused of assaulting a young woman. He was exonerated when the assailant confessed the crime, but the incident served to soften Macarius’ heart in judgment toward others. He was known for being hard on himself yet tenderhearted toward others. One story about him proves the point. Macarius was overseeing a desert monastery. Some brothers saw a woman sneak into the room of a fellow brother. They put their suspected brother on surveillance to validate their suspicions and brought the matter to Macarius, leader of the monastery. He responded, “Brothers, do not believe this story. This brother of ours would not do such a thing.” They confessed to the spying and urged their leader to intervene. When the brother in question heard Macarius was coming, he hid his lady friend in a large earthen jar. When Macarius entered, he looked around and sat down on the jar. He invited the brothers to enter and inspect the room, but they found no one. After they left, Macarius took the brother by the hand and said, “My brother, judge yourself before others judge you, because judgment belongs to God.” What a gracious way to “speak the truth with love” (Eph. 4.15).
Today’s evening prayer was written by Macarius: