A hermit famous for his virtues in the desert between Egypt and Palestine, Moses became Bishop of the Saracens at the request of Queen Mavia. He refused ordination by an Arian bishop and dedicated his life to converting his people and maintaining peace with Rome.
Guided reading
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SAINT MOSES, BISHOP OF THE SARACENS (389).
Political Context and Asceticism
After the war between Rome and Queen Mavia, the latter demanded that the hermit Moses, famous for his rigorous asceticism in the desert, become the bishop of her people.
After the death of Obedien, a Christian Saracen leader, Rome waged war against Mavia, his wife, a virtuous princess who had done everything to spread Christianity among her people. The Romans were defeated and forced to sue for peace; the queen consented on the condition that they would give her the hermit Moses as bish Moïse Desert hermit who became bishop of the Saracens in the 4th century. op of her nation. This holy man was a Saracen by birth and lived in a nearby desert, between Egypt and Palestine, w here h Égypte The place where the legendary meeting between Dismas and the Holy Family takes place. is mira cles and Palestine Region where the saint obtained a miraculous rain. virtues had made him very famous. He had embraced the solitary life almost from childhood, and from then on he gave up the use of bread and lived only on dates and water; he slept little and spent his Lent with twenty dates and a pint of water, and often he reached Easter without having touched them.
The refusal of Arian ordination
Taken to Alexandria, Moses refuses to be ordained by the Arian bishop Lucius and succeeds in being consecrated by exiled orthodox bishops.
The Romans were very happy to have peace at this price. Moses was therefore taken to Alexandria, where an Arian bishop named Lucius was Luce Arian bishop of Alexandria who attempted to ordain Moses. governing. He refused with rare energy to receive ordination at his hand, and reproached him for his crimes with a holy freedom. They were compelled, for fear of rekindling the war, to take Moses to the bishops whom Lucius had exiled, to be consecrated by their hands.
Episcopate and pacification
Moses converted many Saracens through his miracles and maintained peace between his nation and the Roman Empire until his death.
Having become a bish Moïse Desert hermit who became bishop of the Saracens in the 4th century. op, Moses took care of t Sarrasins Muslim invaders against whom Cizy fought. he Saracens; he found few Christians among them, but converted a great number through his instructions and miracles. He always preserved the purity of the faith and kept his nation at peace with the Romans. It is not known how long he lived nor where his episcopal see was located.
Annexes & related entities
Structured data for exploration: events, miracles, quotes, places, attributes, patronages, and important entities cited in the text.
Key Events
- Solitary life in the desert between Egypt and Palestine from childhood
- Demanded by Queen Mavia as a condition for peace with Rome
- Refusal to be ordained by the Arian bishop Lucius in Alexandria
- Consecration by exiled bishops
- Conversion and pacification of the Saracen nation
Miracles
- Unspecified miracles in the desert
- Miracles during his instructions to convert the Saracens