St. Moses the Black (28 August): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

Today we remember St. Moses the Black, also known as St. Moses the Ethiopian, one of the most remarkable of the Desert Fathers. Before his conversion, Moses was a servant who was dismissed because of his immoral life and theft. He became a bandit, gathered a gang around himself, and terrorized the region. A man of enormous physical strength and violent temperament, Moses once crossed the Nile with a knife between his teeth while pursuing a shepherd he intended to kill. Yet somehow this feared criminal encountered the monks of the Egyptian desert—and everything began to change. Moses entered the monastery and embraced the monastic life, but conversion did not instantly remove his passions. He continued struggling with anger and violence. St. Isidore taught him a lesson that became the story of his spiritual life: “Light conquers darkness very slowly. The same thing happens in the soul.” Through hard labor, fraternal charity, severe mortification, and persevering prayer, Moses gradually conquered himself. His transformation became so profound that Theophilus, Archbishop of Alexandria, eventually ordained him a priest. When raiders approached his monastery late in his life, Moses refused violence and ordered the monks to flee, recalling that he who kills by the sword dies by the sword. He remained behind and received martyrdom at approximately 75 years of age. St. Moses reminds us that a terrible past does not prevent a holy future. St. Moses the Black, pray for us. 0:00 St. Moses the Black — Hermit 0:18 Moses the Ethiopian and the Desert Fathers 0:25 Dismissed for immorality and theft 0:34 Moses becomes a violent bandit 0:42 Leader of a feared gang 0:48 Crossing the Nile with a knife 0:57 The extraordinary strength of Moses 1:20 The mysterious conversion of St. Moses 1:29 Moses enters the monastery 1:37 Four bandits attack his cell 1:46 “The rule does not allow me to harm anyone” 1:54 The bandits repent and become monks 2:01 Moses struggles with his violent passions 2:10 “Light conquers darkness very slowly” 2:17 Prayer, mortification & mastery of self 2:24 Moses is ordained a priest 2:32 “God knows how black my soul still is” 2:40 Raiders approach the monastery 2:48 Moses refuses to fight 2:55 The martyrdom of St. Moses the Black https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/august/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 #StMosesTheBlack #SaintMosesTheBlack #MosesTheEthiopian #DesertFathers #CatholicSaints #ChristianSaints #CatholicMartyrs #Conversion #Repentance #Monasticism #CatholicHistory #LivesOfTheSaints #ButlersLivesOfTheSaints #SpiritualWarfare #Prayer #Mortification #SaintOfTheDay #August28