parents were not destined to be realised, however; for
bereavement and sorrow cut them short. Of their two sons,
one died as a lad, and the other on the eve of a brilliant
marriage. This loss set Syncletiki thinking, and for a while
she retreated within her own soul. She concluded that the
gleams of this world – marriage, sumptuous clothes,
glittering jewels, etc., were but shadows of a far brighter
gleam beyond. And as she pondered and meditated, she
resolved to relinquish them and to dedicate her life to God.
Since her parents were already bereaved, however, and she
could not bear to hurt their already broken hearts, she
decided to stay with them as long as they lived. Nonetheless,
she disclosed to them her intentions; and though they tried to
dissuade her, and urged her to marry that they might find
solace in her offspring, she courteously affirmed that she had
already pledged herself to the service of Christ. Finding her
unshakeable, they consented to her wish. Consequently, she
followed a strict rule of life under the paternal roof. Her
fasts and her vigils were continuous, but far from spoiling her
beauty, by some special grace they enhanced it by an
indefineable sweetness, which made her face so radiant that it
seemed to reflect an inward light.
Syncletiki spent several years in this way. At the
death of her parents she sold her inheritance and distributed
it among the poor. Then she left her opulent home and went
to live in a deserted area near the family sepulchre by the
gate of the city. There, her contemplation, her
renouncement, and her devotion grew more intense.
Gradually the aroma of her saintliness pervaded the whole
city of Alexandria, attracting many a young lady to go and
visit her. All were charmed by her magnetism and
spirituality, and some resolved to stay with her and live
under her guidance. And so she began to have her own
disciples whom she taught with patience and humility. The
elle
(Elle)
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