Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-09-26
LIVES OF sELF-DENIAL.
Early. Monks Had Some Queer Ways of
Showing Their Devotion


Earay Monk. Had some Queer Ways of
Showing Their Devotion
st. jerome gives several instances of
the seventies of life to which monks
submitted of their own free choice. For
80 years one lived exclusively on small
daily portion of barley bread and
muddy water. Another lived in a hole
in the ground, and never ate more than
five figs for his daily repast- A third
never washed his clothes, never changed
his tunic, until it fell into pieces, cut his
hair only on Easter Sunday, and starved
himself until his eyes brew dim, and hiz
skin became like pumice stone.
ST. Marcarius of Alexandria slept for
six months in a marsh with his naked
body exposed to the stings of venomous
flies. He always carried 60 pounds of
iroE around him, but in this penance
was far surpassed by his disciple, ST.
Eusebius, who habitually wore $50
pounds of iron and lived for three years
in the bottom of dry well. ST. Sab
mus refused all other nutriment than
corn which had been rendered rotten
by sleeping for month in water. ST.
Bessarian chose a thorn bush for
temporary residence, and remained
there for 40 days and nights, and for 40
y
but, when overcome by fatigue, merely
rested against a wall.
Another holy hermit, known as John,
stood for three whole years in prayer,
leaning upon rock, and his only
nourishment during that period was
the sacrament, which was brought to
him on Sundays. Many of these early
saints lived among the tombs, or In the
dens of wild beasts in the desert Some
scorned all clothes, and crawled about,
covered only by their long matted hair.
A sect in Mesopotamia and Syria never
lived under a roof, but spent their whole
time on the mountain side, wearing no
clothes, and eating nothing but grass
and leaves.
The saint who surpassed all others in
the eXtravagancies of his penances was
Simeon Stylites. He bound n rope
around him until it became imbedded
in the flesh, and sometimes slept in a
dry we'll said to be inhabited by demons.
He built three pillars, the last being 60
feet high and less than two cubits in cir
cumference, and on them he remained
for so years in all weathers and through
every change of climate, necessarily
and rapidly bending his body in prayer
almost to the level of his feet. A spec
tator attempted to count his movements,
but gave up the task in despair when
the number amounted to 1924. His
reputation spread far and wide and
pilgrims focked from every quarter,
until, by the general voice of mankind,
he was declared the highest model of all
Christian and sanity virtues, and very
many emulated his example. When at
last he died a crowd of prelates followed
his body, and a brilliant star shone mi
raculously over his grave.
One natural but most rcpulsive con-
sequence of these religious austerities
is frequently ignored by the sentiment
alists who find much to admire in the
self-discipline of the early saints.
Every djscredit was thrown on the do
mestic virtues, and the basest ingrati-
tude and most intense hardness of
heart were displayed toward those who
were bound to the ascetics by the
closest of earthly ties. To break the
heart of a loving mother, to persuade 4
fond wife that it was her highest duty
to separate from him forever, to aban-
don his children as beggars to the
mercy of the world, was regarded by
the true hermit as the most sacred of al.
religious offerings.
His only business was to work out his
own salvation, and to this prime end
every other consideration must be sac-
rificed- In total disregard of ali
natural affection, ST. Simeon Sty1ites
again stands in the front rank. He be-
gan his holy but useless career by run
ming away from home, and thus break
ing the heart of his father, who died of
grief ut his flight. His mother lived on,
but heard nothing of her son until z.
years had elapsed, and his austerities
had made him famous. She fastened
to visit him, but no woman was adj
mitted to the monastery where he then
resided, and he refused to allow her to
see his face.-London Standard.
Reueath Hia Df1nftv.