Introduction
St Mary of Egypt was a hermit of the Holy Land who made such an impression on England that Abbot Elfric (?955-?1022) left us a lengthy sermon on her extraordinary life. Her story remained a favourite long after the Norman Conquest, and the following account comes from a Martyrology customarily read out in Syon Abbey (long vanished, a victim of the Reformation) and printed in 1526.
APRIL 1st.* At Palestine, the feast of saint Mary of Egypt — so called because she was born in Egypt and from thence came unto the city of Alexandria. There from the age of twelve years unto twenty-nine, she lived all in filthy lechery, a common woman.* Then came she unto Jerusalem to see the holy cross,* but Christ would not suffer her to come in to the temple;* then she looked by, and saw an image of our blessed lady, before which she knelt with deep contrition and plenteous tears; weeping, besought her of help and succour, and then she entered in to the temple and honoured the holy cross with great reverence and deep devotion, meekly beseeching forgiveness and mercy.
* The Feast of St Mary of Egypt is kept on April 1st, the day of her death, though in churches of the Eastern tradition another commemoration of her is made on the Fifth Sunday of Lent each year. St Sophronius (560-638), Patriarch of Jerusalem from 634, says that Mary told her story to an elderly St Zosimus, who lived sometime between 460 and 560. Mary died on Thursday in Holy Week, so Easter that year fell on Sunday April 4th, which (calculated according to the Julian calendar and the Alexandrian paschalion) happened in the years 527, 538 and 549, during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-565).
* Naturally, this brief account intended for edification in a mixed community of monks and nuns does not dwell salaciously on Mary’s life prior to her conversion. St Sophronius explains that she was a sex addict so compulsive and so thoroughly predatory that she had become a danger to herself and everyone around her. “I was like a fire of public debauch” she said. “And it was not for the sake of gain — here I speak the pure truth. Often when they wished to pay me, I refused the money. I acted in this way so as to make as many men as possible to try to obtain me, doing free of charge what gave me pleasure.”
* This was for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, on September 14th. For the background, see St Helen Finds the True Cross. The church was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Mary boarded a ship of pilgrims bound for Jerusalem because of the sheer number of men in a confined place — “hunting for youths” as she called it — many of whom she aggressively seduced on the voyage. It was only after landing in Jerusalem that the whim came over her to see the cross inside the church.
* “It was as if there was a detachment of soldiers standing there” Mary told Zosimus “to oppose my entrance.” She gave up after three or four attempts.
Précis
In the days of Henry VIII, the community at Syon Abbey would hear every April 1st about Mary of Egypt, who sexually preyed on young men. One day, she tried to see the True Cross in Jerusalem, but found herself invisibly barred from the church until, catching sight of an icon of Mary, she broke down and prayed for help. (60 / 60 words)
In the days of Henry VIII, the community at Syon Abbey would hear every April 1st about Mary of Egypt, who sexually preyed on young men. One day, she tried to see the True Cross in Jerusalem, but found herself invisibly barred from the church until, catching sight of an icon of Mary, she broke down and prayed for help.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: although, because, despite, if, just, ought, since, unless.
Word Games
Sevens Based on this passage
Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.
Variations: 1.expand your answer to exactly fourteen words. 2.expand your answer further, to exactly twenty-one words. 3.include one of the following words in your answer: if, but, despite, because, (al)though, unless.
Jigsaws Based on this passage
Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.
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