The Nun Melania
Commemorated on December 31
The Nun Melania,
the first of a series of Roman girls who "yearned from their youthful
years for Christ, thirsting for bodily chastity and stung by Divine love",
– was born into a Christian family. Her parents, people of property and
wealth, looked on their daughter as an heiress and continuant of their line. At
fourteen years of age Melania was given, against her will, in marriage to the
illustrious youth Apinian. From the very beginning of their married life, Saint
Melania besought her spouse to live with her in chastity or else release her
from the marriage, chaste in both body and soul. Apinian answered: "When
through the will of the Lord we come to have two children as heirs to the
property, then together we shall renounce the world". Soon Melania gave
birth to a daughter, whom the young parents dedicated to God. Continuing to
live together in marriage, Melania in secret wore an hairshirt and spent her
nights at prayer. The second time Melania gave birth, it was premature and with
severe complications. A boy was born, they baptised him, and at once he expired
to the Lord. Seeing the suffering of his spouse, Blessed Apinian besought the
Lord to preserve Saint Melania alive, and he gave a vow to spend the rest of
their life together in chastity. Recovering, Saint Melania did away once for
all with her silken-like clothing. Soon also their daughter died. Amongst
themselves, the parents of the Saints were against the desire of the young
couple to devote themselves to God. It was only when the father of Saint
Melania became deathly sick, that he asked forgiveness of them and gave his
permission for them to follow their chosen path, meanwhile asking them to pray
for him. The saints then quit the city of Rome, and a new life began for them,
completely dedicated to the service of God. Apinian at this time was 24 years
of age, and Melania – age 20. They began to visit the sick, to take in
wanderers, and generously to help the indigent. They made the rounds of the
prisons, places of those exiled and mine-convicts and the destitute, held
there in debtor's prison. Having sold off estates in Italy and Spain, they
generously rendered help to elders and monasteries by purchasing for the
monasteries – lands in Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt, Phoenicia and Palestine. By
their assist was built many a church and sick-house. Churches of both West and
East benefited from them. When in forsaking their native land, they set sail
for Africa, a strong storm broke loose as they sailed. The sailors said, that
this was from the wrath of God, but Blessed Melania said, that they had been
given over in the ship to His unfathomable will. The waves carried the ship to
an island, on which stood a city, besieged by barbarians. The besiegers
demanded a ransom payment from the inhabitants, elsewise they threatened to lay
waste the city. The saints supplied the necessary money, and thus saved the
city and its people from destruction. Arriving then in Africa, they rendered
help to all the needy there, and with the blessing of the local bishops they
made offerings to churches and monasteries. During this while Saint Melania
continued to humble her flesh by strict fasting, and she fortified her soul by
constant reading of the Word of God, making copies of the sacred books and
distributing them to those that lacked them. She herself sewed an hairshirt,
and having donned it continued to wear it.
In Africa the saints
spent 7 years and then, freed of all their wealth, on the command of Christ,
they set off to Jerusalem. Along the way, at Alexandria, they were welcomed by
the bishop, Saint Cyril, and they met in church with the holy elder Nestorios,
who was possessed of the gift of prophecy and healing. The elder turned to
them, comforting and calling them to courage and patience in expectation of the
Glory of Heaven. At Jerusalem the saints distributed to the destitute their
remaining gold and then spent their days in poverty and prayer. After a short
visit to Egypt, where the saints visited many of the desert fathers, Saint
Melania secluded herself into a solitary cell on the Mount of Olives, and only
occasionally saw Saint Apinian. Gradually around her cell there arose a
monastery, where gathered eventually nine women. Saint Melania, out of
humility, would not consent to be hegumeness, and as before lived and prayed in
solitude. In her instructions Saint Melania urged the sisters to be vigilant
and to pray, to disdain their own opinions and cultivate first of all love for
God and for one another, to keep the holy Orthodox faith and purity both of
soul and of body. In particular she exhorted them to be obedient to the will of
God. Calling to mind the words of the Apostle Paul, she counselled them to keep
the fasts "not with wailing nor from compunction: but in virtuous
disposition bestown with love for God". By her efforts in the monastery
was built an oratory and altar, where they buried relics of saints: of the
Prophet of God Zachariah, of the holy FirstMartyr Stephen, and of the Forty
Martyrs of Sebasteia. At about this time Saint Apinian expired to the Lord.
Saint Melania buried his relics and there spent another four years in fasting
and unceasing prayer.
Saint Melania wanted
to build a men's monastery on the Mount of the Ascension of the Lord. The Lord
blessed her intent, by sending a benefactor who provided the means for the
monastery. Joyfully accepting it, Saint Melania finished the great work in a single
year. In this monastery, saintly men began to lift up unceasing prayer in the
church of the Ascension of Christ. Having finished her tasks, the saint left
Jerusalem for Constantinople, to go to her pagan uncle in hope of saving his
soul. Along the way she prayed at the relics of Saint Lawrence, at the place of
his martyrdom, and received auspicious signs. Arriving in Constantinople, the
saint found her uncle suffering in sickness, and she conversed with him. Under
her influence the sick man gave up paganism and died a Christian. During this
period many inhabitants of the capital were worked up over the heretical
teaching of Nestorius. Saint Melania accepted anyone who turned to her for
proper explanation. Many miracles were worked through the prayer of the saint.
Returning then to her own monastery, the saint sensed the nearness of death,
and declared this to the presbyter and the sisters. They listened to her final
instructions in deep sorrow and with tears. Having asked their prayers and
commanding them to preserve themselves in purity, and having communed the Holy
Mysteries with joy and psalmody, Saint Melania calmly and in peace gave up her
soul to the Lord. This occurred in the year 439.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.