EVERY SAINT WAS ONCE A SINNER
AND EVERY SINNER CAN BE A SAINT

THE STORY OF SAINT MOSES THE STRONG, PATRON SAINT OF NON-VIOLENCE

Title by Saint Augustine

Story by Peter Vuono

     In the 3rd and 4th centuries the indigenous people of the many countries of North Africa were called the Berbers. Berbers can be loosely translated to mean "Barbarian" but in truth, many Berbers were great kings, warriors and even Christian saints. St. Augustine was one of these.
    In Egypt lived a servant to a nobleman called "Moses". Moses was a large man of great physical capabilities. He found it an easy sideline to rob and plunder anyone. Once he was accused of murder and was dismissed by his  master and decided to form a gang of notorious thugs terrorizing  any one they could find all along the Nile Valley.
   In addition to size and strength(for he would later be called Moses the Strong) Moses had a temper. Just because he was thwarted in robbing a man by a guard dog, he went back the same night and stole the man's flock of sheep. He later hid with a group of monks offering him refuge but not knowing who they were dealing with.
   Moses was so in awe of the monks that he  repented, changed his ways and asked to join them. He would later be ordained a priest and become a spiritual leader. He didn't, however completely abandon his old style. Being bigger and stronger than most he used his gift when it was needed. One day a band of 3 villainous Berbers tried to rob him. He overpowered the three bare handed to a point that their resistance was futile. He hauled them back to the monastery to repent in person in front of his comrades, whereupon he freed them.
  Because of his background and character, Moses refused to judge. He was asked to attend a trial which would judge a comrade for a breaching of the monastic code. He refused to go. When called again, Moses entered the chamber with a large pail filled with sand on his enormous shoulder. It had a hole in it and was leaking sand rapidly. When asked about it, Moses replied," How can you ask me to judge a man when sins pour from my body each time I walk?". The man was acquitted.
  In the year 405 on July 1st, the monks were alerted that a band of marauding Berbers decided the monastery was the perfect place to pillage. Being a leader, Moses sent everyone away and decided to use no weapons as he had so often in his plundering days. He said that dying was a befitting death for a former robber.
  Later, 7 loyal followers came back and fought bare handed with him. All 8 were martyred. Because of his heroism, Moses the Strong, was canonized  a saint by the Catholic Church and dubbed 'The Patron Saint of Non-violence". An amazing transformation for someone who would now be called a hoodlum, thug, gangbanger or terrorist. His remains are in the Paromeos Monastery in Scetes Egypt. Saint Moses clearly proved that what his fellow Berber, St Augustine said, that, " Every saint was once a sinner and that every sinner can be a saint".