Lessons from the Saints of Africa

St. Simon of Cyrene

If you've ever walked the Way of the Cross, you probably met St. Simon of Cyrene at station number five. The Gospels of Mark (15:21-22), Matthew (27:32), and Luke (23:26) tell us this bystander was "compelled" by Roman soldiers to help Jesus carry the cross. Some historians believe Simon, who hailed from Cyrene, located in Libya, Northern Africa, was the very first African follower of Christ, and what a journey that must have been!

St. Simon of Cyrene compels us to remember to help Jesus carry his heaviest burden: souls. So if you find a fellow pilgrim with shoulders rounded by the weight of the world, go ahead and take the load off them, knowing that as often as you do so to the least of these, your brothers (and sisters), you also do so to Christ.

St. Moses the Black

St. Moses the Ethiopian, a 4th-century Coptic Christian also known as St. Moses the Black, was once a bad man. He stole from his employer, committed villainous crimes, and killed people for no good reason. Not much is said of his conversion, but he led a stellar life once he'd traded his hell-raising for humility. Once Moses was called to an assembly of church fathers to judge another man. He arrived burdened by a basket on his back, with a hole in the bottom trailing sand. When they asked what it was, he said, "What I hold is my multitude of sins. I keep them behind me and they spill out, yet I come to judge my brother for a small fault?" Ashamed, the fathers forgave the offender.

If you're tempted to brood over past sins, remember they're behind you now. And should you have occasion to judge another, you may want to watch your back.

St. Anthony of Egypt

St. Anthony of Egypt is often called the father of monasticism, not because he was the first monk, but because he practically defined what is expected for the solitary life. One account of his life says after the deaths of his wealthy parents, at the age of 20, Anthony heard the Gospel: "If you would be perfect, go sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven." (Matthew 19:21) He took Jesus at his word. Anthony made his way to the desert near Thebes where most of the time he was tormented by the devil. But some of the time he had visions of Christ. Learned men sought this illiterate hermit, clamoring for his wisdom. Through the Holy Spirit he dispensed advice still relevant to us postmodern believers. Once a man asked him what was needed to please God. The advice St. Anthony gave is worth tucking in your Bibles for future reference:

"Wherever you go, keep God in mind; whatever you do, follow the example of holy Scripture; wherever you are, stay there and do not move away in a hurry. If you keep these guidelines, you will be saved."

St. Isidora the Simple

Crazy Isidora spent her days cooking in a monastery in Tabenna, an area in upper Egypt, in the 4th century A.D. The other sisters often derided her, heaping abuse upon her poor, fool head. She was filthy and unkempt, and feasted on the scraps they left on the table. Yet this humble servant of all treasured their maltreatment, praying for those who spitefully used her. Once a well-known ascetic named Pitirim thought too highly of his works, until an angel appeared urging him to go to a women's monastery in Tabenna. There he would find a woman full of the grace of God. Pitirim obeyed, and when he arrived he lined the sisters up, searching for the pillar of perfection among them. The woman he sought was not present.

"Is there anyone else?" he asked.
They fetched Isidora at once, and Pitirim bowed at her feet.
The sisters cried out, "But she's mad!"
But the ascetic rebuked them. "It's you who are mad! I wish I had a drop of the spiritual treasures coming to her."

If you need a reminder that God protects babies and fools, look to St. Isidora and give honor to your crazies. After all, if God is for them, how can you be against them?

St. Monica

If wise women know prayer changes things, St. Monica was one sagacious soul sister. Born in what is now Algeria, Monica was a good girl, who occasionally took sips of the wine she fetched for her parents. Those sips soon became gulps—a habit she corrected. How ironic that when she married, her husband would also enjoy imbibing. It was his drunken rages and cheating that drove Monica to her knees. With quiet persistence she entreated God to change him, until his heart and habits were brand new.

The grape doesn't fall far from the vine. Monica's son, Augustine, found life too intoxicating to bother with the things of God. Again the praying mama bombarded heaven with prayer and tears. Many years later Jesus turned her young sinner into a saint.

If you've cried buckets but are determined to pray without ceasing, you may find your water turned to wine and your thirsty loved ones taking a long drink of salvation.

St. Augustine of Hippo

St. Augustine, the once prodigal son of St. Monica, was the quintessential party boy. He played fast and loose, loved the ladies, and fathered a son out of wedlock. Augustine was smart, although pride dulled his razor-sharp mind to reject what he'd been raised to believe. The prayers of his mother prevailed, however, along with the preaching of St. Ambrose. He realized the truth of Christianity, but was too busy sinning to do anything about it. That is, until compunction seized him.

One day, full of sorrow for his sins, Augustine sat in a garden. He heard a child singing, "Take up and read!" So he picked up the book beside him, The Letters of St. Paul, and read the first passage he saw. The apostle's words told him to put away all impurity and to live in imitation of Jesus. Thus Augustine's life began anew.

Look to Augustine's example if your sins are infamous, and your mother is wringing her praying hands. If you steal away with your sorrows and listen to the child within, you just may find yourself yearning for the Father arms of God. Go ahead and embrace him.

St. Mary of Egypt

If you think St. Augustine was bad, this Egyptian hottie left home at the age of 12 to hit the streets. For 17 years Mary enjoyed her wild life as a lady of the night, until she bartered her body on a ship sailing to Jerusalem. Pilgrims had gone to venerate the True Cross. But when Mary tried to go inside the church, she was barred from entering by a force greater than her willfulness. She realized her lifestyle stood in the way of her worship. She wept bitterly, repented, and with only three small loaves of bread, headed for the desert.

The hot mama spent the next 47 years repenting, letting God's Spirit and the desert burn off her passions. A priest named Zossima stumbled upon her, and knew he'd met his match. She called him out, dazzled him with supernatural insight, and asked him to return in a year to give her Communion. One year later, on his way to meet her, he saw her sashaying across the waters of the Jordan on foot. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Mary had her fill.

If you need to cool your jets and feel hungry for the bread of life, you may find this desert mother, like John the Baptist, crying to you from your wilderness. Repent and be changed, then go forth walking on water.

St. Benedict the Moor

St. Benedict the Moor was born in Sicily in 1526. The son of African slave parents, he was freed at an early age. When he was in his early 20s, and a band of Franciscan hermits came upon him being insulted because of his race, he impressed them by bearing the derision with patience and dignity. They invited Benedict to join them, and eventually asked him to be their leader; the humble man resisted. He later joined a Franciscan friary, working in the kitchen, and was chosen to be their superior, too. This time Benedict agreed and helped the brothers adopt a stricter interpretation of the Rule of St. Francis. Known for his power to read minds, Benedict lived a life of austerity, which earned him the nickname the "holy Moor." The name was a fitting tribute to the poor saint whose life he so closely imitated.

If you find that in your pursuit of the American dream you've lost your ability to patiently bear burdens your ancestors shouldered for centuries, think of St. Benedict the Moor, then take a refresher course on the Beatitudes. It was Jesus who said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit." He ought to know.

St. Martin De Porres

Martin de Porres was the first black American saint. Born in Lima, Peru, in 1579, he was the illegitimate son of a Spanish nobleman, and a young, free former slave. At the tender age of 11 he took a servant's job in a Dominican priory. He worked with such devotion the brothers called "the saint of the broom." Later Martin worked in the infirmary, giving tender care to the sick. His spectacular cures garnered him fame and recognition, and his deep devotion moved his superiors to drop the stipulation that no black person could receive the holy habit or profess vows in their order. He became the first black man vested in the full habit and took solemn vows as a Dominican brother.

Whenever you feel a little too high-minded, fooling yourself into thinking honest work is beneath you, let St. Martin de Porres remind you to "despise not small beginnings." You may find that doing the little things with devotion may be the very way you change the world.

St. Josephine Bakhita

Josephine Bakhita was born in the Sudan in 1869. At the age of seven she was kidnapped, sold into slavery, and given the name Bakhita. Its meaning, fortunate, proved to be prophetic later in her life. For many years she endured the cruel indignities of slavery, but in 1885 she was taken to Italy and temporarily given to a family to care for their children. There she was treated with love and respect. Bakhita accompanied them to catechism and felt drawn to the One she had experienced in her heart since she was a child. She came to know who He was a few months later, was baptized, and took the confirmation name Josephine.

When it was time for her to return to her former master, Josephine refused to go. The courts intervened and declared her free: fortunate indeed! Three years later Josephine professed vows at the Institute of St. Magdalene of Canossa. There she cooked, sewed, embroidered, and welcomed visitors. She was well loved, especially by children. Her words to them are suitable for us today: "Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!"

Honoring the Past

The Akan people of Ghana have an alphabet made up of symbols. One of them, Sankofa resonates deeply with African Americans. Sometimes its shape is reminiscent of a heart, but more often it's depicted as a bird standing feet forward, looking backward. Sankofa's meaning is "go back and fetch it." It reminds us to stop, look back at where we came from, to learn from and honor our past.

Looking back at the lives of the Saints of Africa, we can see that they are the heritage of every Christian, regardless of race. They shine like radiant lights that, along with our Bibles, illuminate our path, teaching us not just why but how to walk in the Spirit. As you return to this gallery, enjoy these heavenly helpers. Revel in the unique splashes of color they lend to the great cloud of witnesses. (Hebrews 12:1)