Commemorated on August 28
Moses was an Ethiopian by birth. In the world, he was a thief and the leader of a band of thieves, and yet he became penitent and a great ascetic.
Moses was once a slave, who escaped and joined the thieves. Because of his great physical strength and daring, the robbers chose him as their leader. Then one day he was suddenly overcome with pangs of concise and repented for his misdeeds. He left the thieves, entered a monastery, and gave himself over completely to obeying his spiritual father and the monastic rule. He benefitted much from the teachings of Saint Macarius, Arsenius and Isidore.
Later, he withdrew to solitude in a cell, where he dedicated himself completely to physical labor, prayer, vigils, and contemplating God. Tormented by the demon of lust, Moses confessed to Saint Isidore, his spiritual father, who gave him counsel to increase his fasting, and even when eating to avoid satisfying his appetite. When this regimen did not help, he was counselled to keep all-night vigil and to pray standing. Then he also began the practice of bringing water to elderly monks from a distant well, all night long.
After six years of terrible struggles, St. Isidore miraculously healed him of lustful thoughts, fantasies and dreams perpetrated on him by the demon. Moses was ordained a priest in old age. He founded his own monastery, had seventy-five disciples and lived to the age of seventy-five.
He foresaw his death: one day he told his disciples to flee, for the barbarians were about to attack the monastery. When the disciples urged him to escape with them, Moses said that he had formerly been violent, and had to suffer violence himself, according to the words: For all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. (Matthew 26:52)
He remained at the monastery with six brethren and the barbarians slew them. One of the brethren, hiding nearby, saw seven shining wreaths descend from heaven upon the seven martyrs.
Troparion & Kontakion
Troparion β Tone 1
You abandoned the Egypt of the passions, O Father, / ascending the mount of the virtues with fervent faith, / taking the Cross of Christ upon your shoulders; / and being glorified in godly works, / you proved to be a model for monastics, O summit of the fathers. / Pray unceasingly with them that our souls may find mercy!
Kontakion β Tone 3
Your mind was filled with a holy inspiration from God, / turning you from the lust and pleasures of the flesh, / bringing you to the height of the city of God! / O Holy Father Moses, intercede with Christ God that He may grant us great mercy!