St. Mary of Qidun

St. Mary of Qidun

Mort Mariam was the niece of Mor Abraham of Qidun and she lived as an ascetic with her uncle in a cave-cell outside the city. In the History of Abraham of Qidun we read about how Mariam left the ascetic life for the life of a harlot but returned after two years through her uncle's intervention and his acts of sacrifice. The life story of Mariam is one of the most famous testimonies of repentance among Syriac saints. In some Syriac Orthodox liturgical manuscripts, a "soogitho" or dialogue poem of St. Mary can be found for the Second Sunday of Great Lent and the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent in the midnight (lilyo) office.Summary: Late in life Mor Abraham took charge of the daughter of his recently deceased brother, a girl of 7 years by the name of Mary. Abraham chooses to raise her as a hermit and teach her the essentials of a hermit’s life. She is allotted a cave-cell of her own, in front of Abraham’s cell, separated from his cell by a door. Mary followed Abraham’s example in all respects, but by the time she came of age, her outward beauty attracted the attention of a young man pretending to be a hermit. This imposter seduces Mary to commit sin. After having committed her sin, she leaves her cell out of shame, unbeknownst to her uncle.In a long monologue (see the Sogitho of Mary) she bewails her fate and argues that, now that she failed so utterly, she could never expect to find forgiveness and grace anymore, neither from her uncle nor from God. Panic and affliction started to rule her and her heart weakened, and she left her cell. In utter despair, Mary enters a brothel to become a prostitute. Only two days after Mary left him, Abraham came to realize through a dream that his niece is no longer with him. In a nightmare he saw a serpent devouring a dove, and on awakening, Abraham acts on this premonition and calls out to Mary, only to find out that she is no longer in her cell. He then asks the help of an acquaintance to go and find out her whereabouts.After two years her secret place of dwelling is discovered. Abraham in the guise of a soldier, leaves his cell to go and bring Mary back. He enters the brothel and behaves as a regular brothel customer, drinking wine and eating meat and asking for the most beautiful girl on offer, so as not to betray his identity to his niece, who he is afraid might try to flee from him out of shame. It is this act of breaking his strict rules of abstinence, which marks the ultimate sacrifice. In exchange for the spiritual salvation of a lost soul, he gives away in the spur of the moment an entire life time of strictest austerity and self-chastisement. In the seclusion of a private chamber within the brothel, Abraham makes his identity known to his niece, who bursts into tears believing that there still is hope for her to be saved from a life of sin. Mor Abraham prays with her and reminds her that "God accepts every repentant even if he has many great sins." Finally, she returns with her uncle to the hermitage, where Abraham is wise enough to allot the inner cell to her this time, where he himself used to live. Both lead henceforward a life in strictest austerity.Life of St. Mary of Qidun and her Sugitho: https://bit.ly/LifeMaryQidun