July 2: [Moses the Black, Monastic and Martyr, c. 400]

The Collect of the Day

Moses the Black

Almighty God, whose blessed Son guides our footsteps in the way of peace: Deliver us from the paths of hatred and violence, that we, following the example of your servant Moses, may serve you with singleness of heart and attain to the tranquility of the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Moses the Black

Almighty God, whose blessed Son dost guide our footsteps into the way of peace: Deliver us from the paths of hatred and violence, that we, following the example of thy servant Moses, may serve thee with singleness of heart and attain to the tranquility of the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

2 Chronicles 28:8–15
Psalm 86:1–13
Luke 23:39–43

Moses of Ethiopia, commonly called Moses the Black in early Christian literature, was a 4th century monk who lived in one of several isolated desert monasteries near Scete in Lower Egypt. He was described as being tall, strong, “black of body,” and in his early life, the hot-blooded leader of a marauding robber band. While fleeing from the authorities, he took shelter with a group of monks. He was so impressed with their faithfulness and kindness that he chose to be baptized and to remain with them.

He led an ascetic life, lived in a simple cell, and ate only ten ounces of dry bread each day. Once, when the monks gathered to judge a member who had sinned, Moses arrived carrying a leaky basket filled with sand on his back. He explained that what he was holding behind him represented his own many sins, now hidden from his own view. “And now I have come to judge my brother for a small fault,” he remarked. The other monks then each personally forgave their erring brother and returned to their cells.

It is to Moses that one of the most famous pieces of advice from desert monasticism is attributed: “Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.”

When Moses was an old man, he was warned that an armed band of raiders was approaching and that the monks needed to flee. “Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword” (Matthew 26:52), the former robber-murderer calmly replied. “I have been waiting for this day to come for a long time.” He and six other brothers waited patiently, and were all slain.

Lessons and Psalm

First Lesson

Psalm

¹Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me, *for I am poor and in misery.

²Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful; *save your servant who puts his trust in you.

³Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God; *I call upon you all the day long.

⁴Gladden the soul of your servant, *for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

⁵For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, *and great is your love toward all who call upon you.

⁶Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, *and attend to the voice of my supplications.

⁷In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, *for you will answer me.

⁸Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord, *nor anything like your works.

⁹All the nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord, *and glorify your Name.

¹⁰For you are great; you do wondrous things; *and you alone are God.

¹¹Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; *knit my heart to you that I may fear your Name.

¹²I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, *and glorify your Name for evermore.

¹³For great is your love toward me; *you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit.

Gospel

⁸The people of Israel took captive two hundred thousand of their kin, women, sons, and daughters; they also took much booty from them and brought the booty to Samaria. ⁹But a prophet of the Lord was there, whose name was Oded; he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria, and said to them, “Because the Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah, he gave them into your hand, but you have killed them in a rage that has reached up to heaven. ¹⁰Now you intend to subjugate the people of Judah and Jerusalem, male and female, as your slaves. But what have you except sins against the Lord your God? ¹¹Now hear me, and send back the captives whom you have taken from your kindred, for the fierce wrath of the Lord is upon you.” ¹²Moreover, certain chiefs of the Ephraimites, Azariah son of Johanan, Berechiah son of Meshillemoth, Jehizkiah son of Shallum, and Amasa son of Hadlai, stood up against those who were coming from the war, ¹³and said to them, “You shall not bring the captives in here, for you propose to bring on us guilt against the Lord in addition to our present sins and guilt. For our guilt is already great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel.” ¹⁴So the warriors left the captives and the booty before the officials and all the assembly. ¹⁵Then those who were mentioned by name got up and took the captives, and with the booty they clothed all that were naked among them; they clothed them, gave them sandals, provided them with food and drink, and anointed them; and carrying all the feeble among them on donkeys, they brought them to their kindred at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.