Why is St Moses the Ethiopian also called St Moses the Black?
How can someone who was a leader of a large gang of thieves and murderers repent, and lead a godly life? Can they ever be truly forgiven, can they ever leave this evil life behind them?
Is conversion from a life of sin instantaneous, or does it evolve over many years of compunction and prayer?
Does someone who has countless friends find salvation easier than a curmudgeon with few friends? How can you tell if someone is truly saved?
LIFE OF ST MOSES THE BLACK
This is my favorite story of the life of St Moses the Black:
“One monk was moved to question the difference between the monks who received visitors and the one who did not,” comparing “the austere nobleman, Arsenius, to the reformed robber, Moses. When Arsenius received him, he sat down again to pray in silence until the brother felt uncomfortable and left. In contrast, Moses came out to greet him with open arms, and they talked all day with joy.”
“That night, the monk had a vision; he saw Arsenius in a boat with the Holy Spirit, sailing quietly along the river of life. He saw Moses in a similar boat with an angel, and they were eating honey cakes. Thus, he knew that both ways were acceptable to God.”[1]
Various ancient sources record the life and sayings of Moses the Black. “Among the great Desert Fathers of Egypt, there was St Moses the Black,” who was likely a Nubian from the Upper Egypt/Northern Sudan region.” “Among the Copts, he is often called the Strong, because of his physical abilities. His criminal background leads others to refer to him as the Robber. It is agreed that Moses had a very dark complexion. (In Ancient Greek, Ethiopian meant burnt-faced.)”
“Moses was enslaved. It is said that he was so unruly that his owner freed him out in the desert, although Moses liked to boast that he had freed himself.” To survive, he joined a band of robbers. Impressing them with his strength and imposing demeanor, he took charge as the leader of this gang” of about seventy men.
Moses built a fearsome reputation for murder, pillage, and theft. But “for all his grievous faults: murder, theft, fornication, idolatry, Moses was still in search of the true God. He prayed to the sun in the sky to reveal if it was that God. One day, he heard a voice: ‘If you want to know the true God, go to the valley of Sketis.’” In the local language, “Shehit,” means “the scale of the hearts.”
“After this, Moses happened upon a particular monastery in the Egyptian desert,” located in the valley of Sketis. “Seeking plunder within the thick walls or perhaps a change of life, he entered and was greeted by the abbot, Isidore, and other brethren. Instead of fear, the monastics showed him compassion. This was only possible because they pursued a holy life with no concern for material goods.”
“Seeing the contrast between his life and theirs, Moses repented of his sinfulness and refused to leave the monastery until they counted him as a brother. Abba Macarius the Great was his instructor and confessor. As he made his initial confession, there was a vision of a tablet listing all of Moses’s sins. As each sin was confessed, an angel erased it until the slate was completely clean. Abba Isidore and the other monks acknowledged his change of heart, and after four years of testing by Abba Macarius, Moses was made a monk.”
“Moses was accustomed to having his way through intimidation and violence. He had to learn patience as the pathway to becoming a worthy monastic. Abbot Isidore had Moses keep a prayer vigil with him one night until they watched the sunrise over the desert. ‘Only over time does one grow to become a true contemplative,’ taught the elder.”
“Once the leader of bandits, Abba Moses embraced monastic humility. He built his cell at a distance from the others in a place called Patara. This spot was further away from any water sources, yet he harnessed his God-given strength to haul water for older and ailing monks, as well as for his own needs.”
“Moses had formerly pursued his fleshly desires at will. As a monastic, he strove not only for physical purity but for mental purity as well. One night, the assault of lustful images in his mind seemed so uncontrollable that he fled to Abbot Isidore for help. The elder pointed to the left and asked him what he saw. ‘The lustful demons that torment me,’ he replied. Then Isidore pointed to the right and asked what he saw. ‘A great number of angels and heavenly beings set out against the demons,’ said Moses. ‘Always remember,’ the abbot taught: ‘That God provides more allies than Satan can muster enemies.’”
“A band of four or five robbers encountered a cell in Patara and broke in. The black monk praying inside overpowered them, tied them up and carried them to the monastery. He stopped by some of the brothers who were at prayer. ‘It wouldn’t be right for me to kill them. What should I do with them?’ The robbers realized that this giant of a monk was the very Moses who had once led them in their crimes. The bound men repented of their sins and sought to be led by Moses in a new way of life.”
“Not just these, but other men eventually heard of this infamous criminal-turned-holy man. In time, some five hundred monks requested that he be ordained as a priest and leader of a monastic community. The Patriarch Theophilus of Alexandria tested the candidate for ordination, knowing that he had once been haughty and proud. Satisfied that he had the humility needed to be a shepherd of souls, he ordained him to the holy priesthood, presenting Moses to the congregation in his white liturgical robes. He declared to Moses that he was now radiant inside and out.”
“On another occasion, a guest cursed the dark-skinned man that was brought before him, not realizing it was Moses. Yet, the priest-monk said nothing. After the irate visitor left, the brothers asked him, ‘Didn’t you get angry?’ ‘Yes, I was angry,’ he replied. ‘But I refused to respond in rage.’”
“Despite his foreign ethnicity, Moses was greatly sought after in that age of the Egyptian Desert Fathers. Once, a group of guests came to visit when he had run low on water. He spoke with them for a few minutes, excused himself, and prayed to God for rain, and returned to the cell. After doing this several times, dark clouds came and delivered a downpour, filling his water pots. They glorified God for answering his prayers.”
“One of the elder brothers became ill and desired to stay in a nearby village until he regained his strength. He didn’t want his needs to distract brethren from their prayers. Moses forbade him to go, warning that lust might overtake him. The elder didn’t believe he was vulnerable to such a fall and left for town anyway. As the monk was recovering, he sinned with the maiden who was taking care of him. After a few years, he returned to visit the monastery carrying their son. Moses said to the brothers, ‘Look, the fruit of disobedience.’”
“Despite the fame of his conversion and wisdom, Abba Moses did nothing for the sake of personal gain. An imperial official went to the monastery looking for him with a generous array of gifts. The brothers sent him off to the monk’s cell. Informed by his spiritual sense of the visitor’s approach, Moses met him on the road with a warning. ‘Don’t go near Moses!,’ he said, ‘He speaks foolishly and causes trouble.’ Returning to the monastery, the official told the brothers about the encounter. ‘What did the stranger look like?’ asked one of them. ‘He was tall, black-skinned, with white hair,’ the visitor answered. The brothers were relieved by his words and responded, ‘That was Moses!’ The official went home edified by the monastic practice of humility.”
“Despite being advanced in years, Moses understood the ancient teaching: All who take up the sword will perish by the sword (Mt 26:52). Bandits, much like himself in years past, were raiding and murdering in the area. Rather than take up arms, Abba Moses and seven disciples remained in the monastery to meet them, while the other brothers hurried into the desert. One of the seven hid while Moses and the rest stood to greet the marauders. The former slave and bandit, turned priest-monk, and those with him were decapitated. The monk in hiding saw a light shine from heaven with seven crowns descending from the sky.”[2]
The Sayings of the Desert Fathers recall: “Once the order was given: Fast this week. But some brothers came from Egypt to visit Abba Moses, so he cooked something for them.” Some of his brothers commented on this, but on Saturday, the ministers said in front of everyone: “O Abba Moses, you did not keep the commandment of men, but it was so that you might keep the commandment of God.”[3]
“Abba Moses said, “The man who flees and lives in solitude is like a bunch of grapes ripened by the sun, but he who remains amongst men is like an unripe grape.”[4]
SEVEN INSTRUCTIONS OF ST MOSES THE BLACK TO ABBA POEMEN
These are the seven instructions of St Moses the Black to Abba Poemen: “He who puts them into practice will escape all punishment and will live in peace, whether he dwells in the desert or in the midst of brethren.”
- “The monk must die to his neighbor and never judge him at all, in any way whatever.
- The monk must die to everything before leaving the body, in order not to harm anyone.
- If the monk does not think in his heart that he is a sinner, God will not hear him.
The brother asked: ‘What does that mean, to think in his heart that he is a sinner?’
Then the old man said, ‘When someone is occupied with his own faults, he does not see those of his neighbor. - If a man’s deeds are not in harmony with his prayer, he labors in vain.
The brother asked: ‘What is the harmony between practice and prayer?’
The old man said, ‘We should no longer do those things against which we pray. For when a man gives up his own will, then God is reconciled with him and accepts his prayers.’
The brother asked: ‘In all the affliction which the monk gives himself, what helps him?’
The old man said: ‘It is written, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’ (Ps 46) - The old man was asked: ‘What is the good of the fasts and watchings which a man imposes on himself?’
He replied: ‘They make the soul humble. For it is written: Consider my affliction and my trouble, and forgive all my sins. (Ps 25) So if the soul gives itself all this hardship, God will have mercy on it.’This reminds me of an incident that an Orthodox Priest once shared with me. Once a new parishioner volunteered to provide food for coffee hour. As she was new, she did not know that sausages were forbidden, as they violated the Lenten fast from meat.The priest felt bad for her, she did not know any better. But he didn’t want to make a show of chastising the critical parishioners either. Instead, he instead simply took a plate and piled on a generous helping of sausage, complimenting her publicly for her efforts. - The old man was asked: ‘What should a man do in all the temptations and evil thoughts that come upon him?’
The old man said to him: ‘He should weep and implore the goodness of God to come to his aid, and he will obtain peace if he prays with discernment. For it is written: With the Lord on my side, I do not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Ps 118) - “The old man said: ‘If we are on the watch to see our own faults, we shall not see those of our neighbor. It is folly for a man who has a dead person in his house to leave him there and go to weep over his neighbor’s dead. To die to one’s neighbor is this: To bear your own faults and not to pay attention to anyone else wondering whether they are good or bad.Do no harm to anyone, do not think anything bad in your heart about anyone, do not scorn the man who does evil, do not put confidence in him who does wrong to his neighbor, do not rejoice with him who injures his neighbor.”“Do not rail against anyone, but rather say: God knows each one. Do not agree with him who slanders, do not rejoice at his slander and do not hate him who slanders his neighbor. That is what it means not to judge. Do not have hostile feelings towards anyone and do not let dislike dominate your heart; do not hate him who hates his neighbor.Encourage yourself with this thought: Affliction lasts but a short time, while peace lasts forever, by the grace of God the Word. Amen.”[5]
St Moses the Black was one of the memorable Egyptian Desert Church Fathers. We will also reflect on the history and sayings of the desert church fathers, and how they influenced Western Benedictine monasticism.
DISCUSSING THE SOURCES
Our main source is the Fellowship of St Moses the Black website, and our footnote repeats their list of sources. Ultimately, these sources drew from the Sayings of the Desert Fathers. The ancient manuscripts included two versions, one was an alphabetic listing of the sayings by the Church Father, while the other sorted the maxims by eighteen spiritual topics. Both of the modern collections we consulted were translated by Benedicta Ward, and each has its own preface and foreword.
In the future, we plan to reflect on the life and ministry of Father Moses Berry, who was one of the founders of the Fellowship of St Moses the Black. Each October, they have an annual conference on racial reconciliation that you can participate in remotely.[6]
The OCA website states: “Father Moses grew up in Missouri but traveled and lived across the country in his youth. After a trying experience with the law, he strengthened his faith in God, joining a national non-denominational Christian community where he would eventually become a minister.”
When visiting an Orthodox Church, Father Moses was struck by the icons depicting St Moses the Black, who even had curly hair like his! He was surprised to learn that this was not pandering, but was part of the ancient history of Christian monasticism, as St Moses the Black is a frequently quoted Church Father. “Father Moses would later be baptized and ordained a priest in the Orthodox Church, becoming a spiritual father to hundreds.”[7] There are many YouTube interviews with Father Moses Berry.[8] We also found additional icons on the Orthodox Mystagogy website, which has additional stories on St Moses the Black.[9]
Let us close with a Prayer to St. Moses
Thou didst forsake temporal riches, earthly fame, and fleshly pleasure and didst freely choose a life of poverty and deprivation to become rich in spirit. Having tasted the momentary sweetness of sin, thou didst foresee the bitter end that awaits a life of self-indulgence.
Having stained thy hands with the blood of thy brother, thou didst foretaste the anguish of hell. From this pit, thou didst cry out to God Who raised thee up as a testimony of His almighty power.
In thy ascent to near the Living God, thou didst not spare thyself but willfully endured a life of hardship and struggle. By following the path of the Cross, thy soul was empowered by the might of the Holy Spirit, thy mind was illumined with the understanding of things divine, and thy heart was filled with the burning love of God for thy fellow man.
And though thou didst live in ancient times and in a distant land, today we find ourselves faced with the same struggle to overcome the evil that lies within us. In these perilous times, we call on thy prayers: help us! For our brothers and sisters are dying daily and our children are born hopeless in a world barren of Christian love.
Amidst these trials, we waver because our faith is weak and we know not how to endure suffering courageously. Pray that we be strengthened to live uprightly, walking in the light of the holy Gospel, ever seeking to do the will of God. And ere that dreadful day of judgment, pray to Christ our God that we may be received into the Heavenly Kingdom, there to praise Him together with His Unoriginate Father, and His most holy and life-creating Spirit, to whom belong all glory, honor and worship, now and ever and to the ages of ages. Amen.[10]
[1] The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Alphabetical, translated by Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1975), Foreword, p. xxv.
[2] https://mosestheblack.org/resources/life/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_the_Black
The first website lists these as additional sources:
Velimirovic, Saint Nikolai. The Prologue of Ohrid: Lives of Saints, Hymns, Reflections, and Homilies for Every Day of the Year. Translated and edited by Bishop Maxim et al. 3rd ed. Alhambra, CA: Sebastian Press, 2017.
Sanderson, Fr. Jerome. St. Moses the Ethiopian. Ash Grove, MO: CSB Publishing, 2002.
Hanna, William A., Ph.D. The Remembrance (Martyrdom) of “Anba Moussa Al-Assouad,” (St. Moses the Black). Saint Louis, MO, July 4, 2003.
Brianchaninov, Ignatius. The Arena: Guidelines for Spiritual and Monastic Life. Translated by Lazarus Moore. 2nd ed. Jordanville, NY: Holy Trinity Publications, 2012.
Huneycutt, Fr. Joseph. “Once I Was Black But Now I Am White.” Orthodoxy Podcast on Ancient Faith Radio. Wednesday, March 9, 2022. https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/orthodixie/once_i_was_black_but_now_i_am_white/
[3] The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Alphabetical, #5, pp. 139.
[4] The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Alphabetical, #7, pp. 140.
[5] The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, Alphabetical, pp. 141-143.
[6] https://mosestheblack.org/conferences/
[7] https://www.oca.org/in-memoriam/archpriest-moses-berry and https://www.oca.org/news/oca-news/interview-with-fr.-moses-berry-the-church-belongs-to-everyone
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIlOvZs8KLw
[9] https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/search?q=moses+the+black
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