Saint Moses the Black
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III spoke about Saint Moses the Black, one of the well-known saints of the Coptic Orthodox Church, whose fame spread beyond Egypt — to the extent that there are monasteries and churches bearing his name in Sudan, Canada, and the United States.
His Holiness explained that Saint Moses the Black is the Saint of Repentance, the intercessor for all repentant sinners. He was once a great sinner — a violent robber, murderer, adulterer, and pagan who did not know God. Yet divine grace worked deeply within him, transforming him from an evil man into a monk, then a great saint and martyr.
The Pope emphasized that the life of Saint Moses shows that God accepts sinners no matter how great their sins may be, and that divine grace can change a person — not only from sinner to penitent, but from sinner to saint. The same grace that worked in Saint Moses also worked in other repentant saints such as Saint Augustine, Saint Pelagia, and Saint Mary of Egypt.
He further explained that grace acts when a person surrenders his will to God and truly desires to change. Saint Moses also demonstrated the importance of having a spiritual father and confessor, for Saint Isidore the Priest was the main reason for his transformation and supported him throughout his spiritual struggle.
Then His Holiness spoke about the strength of Saint Moses in several aspects:
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He was strong physically, even before his repentance, feared by many because of his boldness. After becoming a monk, he used that same strength to serve the elder monks, carrying water for them from far distances.
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He was strong in his repentance and his struggle against evil thoughts and demons — so much so that he went to his spiritual father eleven times in a single night because of the intensity of his inner warfare.
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He was strong in his confession and humility, confessing his sins publicly before the assembly of monks.
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He was strong in his deep humility, remaining silent and meek even when Pope Theophilus treated him harshly to test him; Saint Moses rebuked himself instead, saying that he was nothing but “a deformed dog.”
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Upon his ordination as a priest, he uttered his famous saying as he put on the white vestments:
“May the whiteness be inside as well.”
The Pope concluded by affirming that the life of Saint Moses the Black teaches us that what matters is not how a person begins, but how his life ends — for the grace of God can transform even the hardest heart, turning the sinner into a great saint and a shining example of repentance, struggle, and humility.
