Macrina was the elder sister of Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa and led a community of consecrated women in Cappadocia. Through prayer and learning she was a spiritual teacher who deeply shaped her brothers' journey of faith.
Life
Saint Macrina was born around 327 into a devout family in Cappadocia, in Asia Minor. She was the elder sister of Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory of Nyssa, and she is called Macrina the Younger to distinguish her from her grandmother of the same name.
When her fiancé died young, she chose not to marry and consecrated herself to God. Together with her mother she turned the family estate at Annesi in Pontus into a monastic community of prayer and work, and she had a great influence on the faith and learning of her brothers. She died in 379, and her brother Gregory wrote about her life and the conversation they shared at her deathbed.
Spirituality
Saint Macrina's spirituality is a religious life that began within the family and a love that made her a spiritual mother. Setting aside differences of rank, she prayed and worked alongside the household servants, and she led her brilliant brother Basil, in danger of pride, toward humility and self-offering.
Reflection
Saint Macrina was an older sister who helped her brothers become saints. What good influence could I have today on the faith of my siblings or family? Let us pray for one of them today.