Today the Saintly Sixteen continues as Moses the Black faces Raymond Nonnatus and legends abound! These two fascinating souls have much to teach us about non-violence, passing judgment, and idle gossip. Yet only one will make it to the next round.
To make it this far, both saints vanquished Johns as Raymond routed John of Nepomuk while Moses took it to John Wycliffe. Is this tidbit a harbinger of saintly things to come? Probably not.
Yesterday, Mechtild of Magdeburg secured her place in the Elate Eight 52% to 48% by holding off a late charge by Odo of Cluny.
In case you missed yesterday's episode of Monday Madness, in which Tim and Scott offer a rare glimpse behind the SEC's purple curtain, you can watch it here.
And finally, Episcopal News Service scored a journalistic coup by gaining an exclusive interview with both members of the SEC. Read the Q & A under the title Lent Madness Duo Shines Competitive Spotlight On Saints' Inspiring Stories. And thanks to you all for being a part of the ever-unfolding Madness this year!
Moses the Black
To paraphrase an ancient biographer, to the degree that Moses was a wayward soul, so great also his virtue. Moses is remembered as a thief and a murderer, a marauder and a womanizer. The ancient hagiographer Laurence remarked that Moses was “unrivaled for cruelty.” Another described him as “vulgar and worthless.”
“Spurred by some crisis,” Palladius tells us, Moses traveled to the monastery in Skete and was received by the monks there. Moses gave himself entirely to ascetic practices, training his body to be a pure temple. At night Moses especially struggled with temptation. First he tried to avoid sleeping. When this was ineffective, Moses began using the night to go fetch water for the other monks. He would walk as far as two miles to fill his jug to bring water back to the brothers. Serving the community in this way he found strength to resist temptation. It was not without cost, however. He had already denied his body excessive food and was traveling many miles each night. One evening he collapsed at the well, weary from the physical toll (ancient sources recount how he collapsed after a fierce struggle with the devil). His brothers found him and brought him back to the monastery. It took over a year for him to recover.
With such discipline, Moses grew to the point where he no longer struggled with temptation. Palladius gives us the memorable line that “we are more afraid of flies than he of demons.” Previously Moses was a formidable specimen who would take what he wanted with brute force. Now he was a model of hospitality, kindness, and nonviolence.
One story tells of how the monks at Skete were ordered to observe a fast for a week. That same week some brothers from Egypt came to visit Moses. Moses prepared for them a small cooked meal. The neighbors saw the smoke rising as Moses cooked and complained to the clerics. The following weekend, the clerics called Moses to stand in front of the community and pronounced, “O Father Moses, you have broken the command of men but observed that of God.”
One of Moses’ highest values was to avoid judging others. We have already seen how he refused to pass judgment on a brother by carrying a leaking basket to the meeting. Moses is remembered as saying, “If we are able to see our own faults, we will not see the faults of our neighbors. For it is folly for someone what has their own dead to leave it and to go and weep over their neighbor’s dead. To die to one’s neighbor is this, to bear one’s own faults and to be unconcerned about every person, that this one is good and that one is bad.”
Moses died with six other monks peacefully protecting the monastery from invaders. His pleas for conversion went unheeded. When he died a witness reported seeing a crown from heaven descend upon him. His body is honored at the Virgin Mary's Coptic Orthodox Monastery of El-Baramous in Egypt.
Raymond Nonnatus
As was recounted in Round One, Raymond Nonnatus was so named because of the traumatic circumstances surrounding his birth. According to legend, his father, a local count, used a sword to perform a rudimentary caesarean section on his mother, who had already died thus rendering him “not-born.”
Raymond spent his earthly ministry among an order of monks who took a special vow to ransom enslaved people. While in Tunis, trading himself for some 28 slaves, Raymond ran afoul of the city authorities, who took a serious dislike to his preaching. They bored a hot poker through his lips and padlocked his mouth shut. For this reason, Raymond is invoked not only by mothers in labor, but also by priests trying to preserve the seal of the confessional, and those wishing to stop harmful gossip.
There is also a legend that Raymond had been made a cardinal when he died, and so was on his way to Rome for the ceremony. For this reason, he is often depicted in a cardinal’s outfit, in red and white robes, complete with his mouth locked shut. While selecting a cardinal who cannot speak does seem like an excellent pick, it also seems like this tradition conflates Raymond with someone else. Poor Raymond died without ever being a cardinal.
Along with being the patron saint of a popular English costume drama, devotion to Raymond Nonnatus is especially widespread in Latin America. Because of Spanish colonization, massive festivals to the saint are found all over the Spanish-speaking world, with their own unique contributions. In Costa Rica, the festival includes a three-hour long parade of oxen and cowboys -- presumably to commemorate the blind ox that carried the saint’s body, and his early life as a farmhand. The high point of the festival is when 30 other statues of San Ramon are processed in from around the country to have a saintly family reunion.
Raymond’s padlock has also given rise to another ritual, which has taken off at the cathedral in Mexico City. If you want to stop a particularly slanderous rumor about yourself, you go to an altar of Raymond Nonnatus, place a padlock upon it, and place the key to the padlock in the saint’s piggy bank, so the mouth of the slanderer is forever in the saint’s control. Then seat yourself in full view of the congregation, so everyone can gaze upon your spotless conscience, and feel properly chastened! Writing a plea to the saint and placing it on the padlock is also popular.
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Raymond Nonnatus: By Follower Of Eugenio Cajes - [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6197397
147 comments on “Moses the Black vs. Raymond Nonnatus”
I Love Call the Midwife! I read the books, and the TV show has quite a bit of truth to it. That show makes me proud to be an Episcopalian. I think St. Raymond deserves so much credit for what he did, and has left a lasting impression. I think it would be awesome if he wont Golden Halo! And we could write the Call the Midwife show to tell them. And have an awards ceremony instead of those dull introductory remarks Talk about culture affecting religion! What a testimony Raymond's Golden Halo could be to thousands of PBS watchers!
Two honorable men! Moses the Black and Raymond Nonnatus
Moses for Me today!
Moses the Black.
A man who can turn around his life, but finding all things possible to resist temptations is a virtue some should follow. He did not depend on his own strength but resisted all evil.
Raymond Nonnatus.
Being a mother of caesarean section child, I feel the pain of his parents, one dying for his to live the other killing that he may have life!
Moses is so inspirational. From a taker, he turned himself into a giving, humble man.
My name is Zoey and I am 6. I like Raymond because my Grampie and my Dadas names are Raymond.
Mamas side note - we've been voting but haven't commented! Wouldn't miss a day of it for the world! Happy voting everyone!
Good to hear from you again!
Hi Zoey! I voted for Raymond, too.
Thank you!
From Mama - thank you so much for inviting her so warmly in to the discussions! Hope you all have a great day and evening!
I voted for Moses because he changed his whole life around and I did a project on him.
MOSES FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes!
First time I've seen Lent Madness at 50-50! Moses the Black is the greatest conversion story since Saul/Paul - have to give him your vote!!
Yes!
Wowza, only a 27 vote difference at the moment!
I'm on Team Moses today, but I'm really missing the thoughtful input our friend Oliver.
I would rather not have voted for either. So much whatever. But after all I chose Nonnatus for his bravery for ransoming slaves. Still the rest of his story seems hocus pocus by others. Moses overcoming his temptations, well, self discipline but really where was God's grace. Too much do-it-yourself here.
I think God's grace was amply shown in the total transformation of Moses's life. You can't go from being a vicious murderer to a gentle, loving Abba without God's grace.
Only 20 votes behind. Come on, Raymond!
Moses, because "Moses supposes his toeses are roses."
I agree! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQLnrBxVw3M More Lent tap dancing. Moses' transformation from a man of violence to a man of peace was amazing, and I like that the write-up shows how difficult it was.
I believe most men would try a number of things to save their baby. I also believe angel's are with lil' newborn babes. My stomach turns thinking of poor Raymond and the padlock. This is something to think about next time we gossip in any form, especially harmful. I applaud Raymond giving himself up to save others too.
BUT.... I'm going with Moses. He was such a horrible animal. It's astonishing how such an evil person could transform into love. Now that's a Crazy Christian and that's turned right side up!!
MOSES!! You have my vote, Saint!! ❤
19 votes ahead, go Moses! Still love him for the leaking basket story.
On this day the US Congress voted to allow Internet Service Providers (not just websites, the pipes that get you there) full access, sale, and distribution of personal data (down to keystrokes), I have to vote and pray (and probably weep) with Raymond.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/03/28/the-house-just-voted-to-wipe-out-the-fccs-landmark-internet-privacy-protections/?utm_term=.90b9cab54e8a
This isn't my first experience of censorship by the Anglican church community this year. I apologize if this is too political. It was my genuine reason for voting as I did. Please prayerfully consider the responsible handling of information.
Only a one vote difference between the two! Go, Moses!
Abba Moses used to say, "The man who flees from the world is like ripe grapes; but he who dwells among the attractions of the children of men is like sour grapes."
Abba Poemen said, "A brother asked Abba Moses, ‘How is a man supposed to keep himself from his neighbor?’ The elder said to him, ‘Unless a man keeps in his heart that he has been three years in the grave, he will not be strong enough to keep this saying."
Once, the Fathers of Scete were gathered together. But because some people wanted to see Abba Moses, they treated him rudely saying, "Why does this Ethiopian come and go in our midst?" But Moses, hearing this, held his peace. When the congregation was dismissed, they said to him, "Abba Moses, were you not upset?" And he said to them, "Although I was upset, I did not utter a word."
A certain brother committed an offence in Scete, the camp of the monks, and when a congregation was assembled on this matter, they sent after Abba Moses, but he refused to come; then they sent the priest of the church to him, saying, "Come, for all the people are expecting you," and he rose up and came. He took a basket with a hole in it and filled it with sand, and carried it upon his shoulders, and those who went out to meet him said unto him, "What does this mean, O father?" And he said to them, "The sands are my sins which are running down behind me and I cannot see them, and, even, have come to this day to judge shortcomings which are not mine." And when they heard this they set free that brother and said nothing further to him.
Holy Moly Madness Makers: it's 11:34pm and the margin of difference is 3-points? Somebody set up outside the arc and put it through the hoop for Raymond!
Lord have mercy this is a nail-biter...when do the polls close?
I voted for both of these saints in the first round.
It was a difficult choice, but I went with Moses the Ethiopian because of his radical transformation from violence to non-violence.
As a fan of "Call the Midwife", can I suggest that we have another saint with a TV link next year, St. Fred of the Neighbourhood?
Me too!
I don't see anyone beating Sara the wife of Abraham in the end...how can you go against that? Wife of the father of the faith?
Mother of the faith?
And by the way, there's only one vote separating the two at present.
What time zone counts as midnight?
I demand a recount. There must be some hanging chads.
Is the Supreme Council prepared for this?
Do we need to nominate a third member?
Moses is down 13 votes!
Someone call Hawaii!
It is interesting that Moses the Black has dropped by about 50 votes since midnight EST. Are there less Orthodox in the west? I doubt it.
Is there a predominance of post-Benedictine monastaries in the western United States?
Where did those 50 votes for Raymond Nunnatus come from?
Hmmm...
Here's a late California vote for Moses!
Someone is packing the ballot box? 350 votes in the last hour or so?
It's American Samoa!
Somebody call those people!