St. Melania the Elder

She's the elder because she was first, not because she was old

Melania the Elder was a Desert Mother and founded two monasteries on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. She came from a wealthy family in what is now Spain and was married off at 14. She moved with her husband and family to Rome, but all but one of her sons and her husband died by the time Melania was twenty-two.

It was because of these tragic circumstances that Melania became a Christian. She found light and hope in Christianity when nothing else would suffice. This is what Jesus offers all of us. Melania then followed around some monks and supported them financially, finally building a monastery for them on the Mount of Olives.

St. Augustine of Hippo wrote well of Melania and she was regarded as very holy. Her daughter-in-law eventually followed her into the way of asceticism and is known as Melania the Younger.

The Christian life is attractive not because we get everything we want here and now but because it gives hope to the later of the situations of the world, especially the most bleak. Melania saw this and chased it every day of her life. May we do the same.

St. Melania the Elder, pray for us!

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