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The
Hermit Fathers "In
the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, one God, Amen..." "So
He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed" (Luke 5:16) Our
great teacher and Lord Jesus Christ, taught us to always be on our guard, and
through His blessed example, showed us the beauty of the life of prayer and
praise in the quietness and peace of the wilderness. Also, John the Baptist
lived in the wilderness until the time in which he was to preach God's word to
Israel. Abba
Paula the Hermit lived in the Eastern Wilderness for eighty years before meeting
Abba Anthony, and thus our church gives him the title The First Hermit. Abba
Anthony, after returning to his monastery, declared to his disciples, "I
consider myself nothing, for I have seen someone who is much greater than
L." The
Hermit Fathers desired greatly to be with our Lord Jesus Christ, and for this
reason, they left everything belonging to the world; putting to death all
worldly desires and possessions. They lived in continuous prayer, day and night,
until their minds and thoughts became one and united in Christ. Even the bitter
grass of the wilderness which they fed on, became as sweet honey in their mouth. Paul
the Apostle spoke of these Hermit Fathers, "of
whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens
and caves of the earth..." (Hebrews
11:38) Every
soul that desires to grow in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ is anxious to
know about the Hermit Fathers who constantly taste and live in godly love. The
Hermit Fathers This
book is divided into four sections, containing stories of which history has
recorded of our Hermit Fathers. There are still many more stories, not mentioned
in this book, and which no book could be big enough to contain. May
these stories of our blessed Desert Fathers be as a sweet smelling aroma,
glorifying our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? We ask for the intercessions of our
Holy Mother St. Mary, the Hermit Fathers, and all the saints, together with the
prayers of His Holiness Pope Shenouda III. To
our Lord be glory and honour forever more, amen. Fr.
Samaan El Souriany. Introduction
to the Hermit Fathers +
Hermit Fathers have reached the highest level of spirituality and monasticism.
They have died to worldly desires and possessions, with the intention of living
completely for the Lord who is they’re every fulfillment and blessing and
meaning in life. The Apostle Paul spoke of them saying: "They
wandered around in sheepskin and goatskin, being destitute, afflicted,
tormented. Of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and
mountains, in dens and caves" (Hebrews
11:37,38). Such was the life of Elijah the prophet, John the Baptist, Abba Paula
the First Hermit, and many that followed. No generation has been and will be
without their blessings and prayers. +
Hermits are monks who have progressed in their life of solitude. They
live in the inner wilderness, in places no one knows, and for many tens of years
without seeing the face of a fellow human. In
the life of Abba Bebnoda the Hermit, we read how he walked in the wilderness for
four days and nights, without having anything to drink or eat, until at last he
became hungry. He fed on wild grass, and then continued walking for more than
fourteen days; finally meeting Abba Noufer the Hermit, Abba Timothy the Hermit,
and several other Hermit Fathers. His journey in the wilderness continued for
about a month, during which time it was estimated he had walked for fifteen
hours a day at five kilometers an hour, thus he walked for hundreds of
kilometers within the inner wilderness for the sake of being with the Lord, and
meeting the other hermits. If
anyone were to search in the wilderness for them, they would neither find them,
nor find their way back. Many
of our Hermit Fathers have spent many years in the wilderness without seeing the
face of a fellow human. Such was the life of Abba Paula the First Hermit who
dwelt in the wilderness for eighty years before meeting Abba Anthony. Abba Bamon
the Hermit lived in solitude for sixty-nine years without seeing a fellow human;
Abba Simon the Stylite, sixty years; and Abba Karas, seventy-five years. Introduction
to the Hermit Fathers +
Not all hermits have the same pattern of life, however, as some only
lives a short time in asceticism. Such was the example of Abba Ghaleon the
Hermit who lived in the Kalamon monastery for many years before desiring
solitude, and Abba Misael the Hermit who lived in complete asceticism within his
cell in the Kalamon monastery. Other examples include Abba Bejimi who resided in
the monastery with saintly old monks for eighteen years, yet he humbled himself
to the extent that he never lifted his eyes to look into the face of a fellow
monk, but kept his head bowed in reverence. +
Not all hermits start their spiritual life in a monastery. For example,
Abba Paula the First Hermit started his spiritual life in the wilderness. St.
Mary the Egyptian lived the life of a recluse after her repentance in the
wilderness without having joined a convent. During
their life and even at the moment of their departure from this world, God never
leaves them, but sends someone to bury their bodies and record their blessed
life stories. Our Lord sent Abba Anthony to Abba Paula, to write his story and
bury his pure body; He also sent Abba Bemwa to Abba Karas, and Abba Bebnoda to
Abba Marcos El Termaki. +
These Hermit Fathers are humans like us who eat, drink and have feelings.
Their minds and thoughts, however, are always wandering in spirituality,
yearning to be one with our Lord Jesus Christ. At times they may even become
absent from the physical world, and be lifted up in spirit toward heaven, just
as St. Paul the Apostle mentions "how
he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which is not
lawful for a man to utter" (2
Cor 12:4). But such revelation is only experienced after relentless struggle in
the life of purity and virtue. The
story of Abba Ghaleon tells how he struggled in the life of continuous prayers,
being fervent inspirit and exhausting himself in the life of asceticism. He
denied all bodily pleasures and comfort, eating only once a week even though he
served in the monastery's dining room. He longed for the life of silence and
solitude, which he found in his cell. There he would find pleasure in reading
and meditating on God's word. Thus he lived for many years, until he became old
and physically weak, yet his spirit remained strong and eager. He
was a hermit who
acquired the spiritual treasures of wisdom and holiness, which the life of
solitude with our Lord produces. In
the story of Abba Misael the Hermit, his spiritual father Abba Isaac records: "I
knocked on his door and after opening he warmly welcomed me. I found his body
had become like dry wood, unlike when he first entered the monastery. His hands
and feet had become slender like the stem of a palm, and nothing of his body
seemed to be left except for his bright eyes with which he kindly stared at
me." +
Because their minds are uplifted to the Lord Jesus thus feeling spiritual
satisfaction, they forget to feed their bodies for many days. David the Psalmist
sings, "Thus
I will bless you while I live; I will lift up my hands in your name. My soul
shall be satisfied as if with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise you
with joyful lips" (Ps
63:4,5). Abba Yohanna Saba (El Sheik El Rohani) says that, "whoever
transforms their mind to the heavenly kingdom will never be imprisoned by
anything belonging to the world, for as nothing resembles God, there is nothing
imaginable like talking to God...” The
Hermit Fathers do the will of God joyfully with a heart full of love. The Lord
lightens their burdens and tribulations, and enables time to pass as quickly as
a minute in an hour. Abba
Isaac records an experience of one of the fathers who lived his life in a
spiritual trance. This father tells us: "I
used to stay up praying from the evening to the morning, and then rest a while.
Then I would awake to complete my morning duties like someone who is not of this
world. Nothing earthly approaches my heart or mind. I spend my morning abiding
in the wonder of God 's love and mercy. One morning I felt hungry and wanted to
eat, after having not eaten for four days, and when I got up to pray before
eating, I stood in my cell and the sun was high. I only started the first psalm
of my prayer and thus meditated on it until the following day. The sun shone
brightly on my face and the cloth I was wearing on my body became warm, and I
was not even aware of my existence. When the sun burned my faceand my mind
recollected, I looked up and found it was the morning of a new day. So I thanked
God for His many graces which He grants to those who love Him and call upon
Him." +
From the time the Hermit Fathers begin their life of asceticism, they
face many hardships and satanic wars. Yet together with St. Paul the Apostle,
they 1'consider
the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the glory
that shall be revealed in us" (Romans
8:18). Introduction
to the Hermit Fathers When
the Lord Jesus Christ sees their patience, perseverance and their abiding in His
love, He grants them His mercy and sends His angels to attend and minister to
them. The
Lord gives them spiritual wings, so that they may walk and not tire; He makes
the bitter grass of the wilderness taste as honey in their mouth and extracts
the sweetest water from rocks for them to drink. They lift their hands in prayer
and the Lord listens to them. For their sake, the Lord relieves the world of
many wars and famines. They talk to God and listen to His voice. Their mind
abides constantly in Christ... wandering in heavenly thoughts... tasting the
sweetness of godly love. Such
is the life of these hermits who wander in uninhabited mountains, in hunger and
in thirst, in cold, hail and heat, and as St. Paul said, "in
need, in torment and in pain" (Hebrews
11:38). +
But Your Holy name my Lord Jesus Christ, is their victory in times of
trials and tribulations. +
Your Holy name my Lord Jesus Christ saves them in all their afflictions. +
You are the food of life, Which satisfies their bodies and souls. +
You are the spring of life, sweeter than honey in their mouth. +
When they talk about you, their hearts rejoice and their bodies glow. +
When they utter your name, their minds are enlightened and their hearts
are uplifted to the heights of heaven. (Reference
to the above are taken from the Annual Epsalmodia and Tuesday's Epsalia) The
Hermit Fathers Question:
Are the Hermit Fathers infallible? Answer:
No man is infallible as long as he is living on earth, only God is infallible.
The life stories of the hermits tell us about the falling of some of the Hermit
Fathers. Abba Moussa the Hermit lived in asceticism for thirty years during
which time even the wild beasts became friendly with him. Yet the time came when
he was deceived by the devil more than once. Abba Moussa repented and the Lord
sent to him Abba Samuel the Confessor, to whom he confessed to and received the
sacrament of Holy Communion before passing away. Likewise Abba Timothy the
Hermit sinned at the beginning of his ascetic life and wept and cried for his
sins until an ulcer formed in his liver. The Lord heard his prayer of repentance
and sent an angel to heal him, and thus he spent the rest of his life in
holiness. Question:
Are the Hermit Fathers just spirits who fly from place to place and enter
churches when they are closed without anyone seeing them? Answer:
The Hermit Fathers are humans just like us who eat, drink and sleep, but
they live in complete discipline and self denial of all bodily pleasures and
comfort. For example Abba Paula the First Hermit used to eat half a loaf of
bread each day, delivered by a raven. Abba Noufer the Hermit lived near a palm
tree and used to feed from its dates, and Abba Bejimi and Abba Moussa used to
eat the grass of the wilderness. All these hermits would drink from the fresh
springs of mountains and rocks, which God produced for them. These Hermit
Fathers had bodies like ours that would fall sick and feel pain. As we just
mentioned, Abba Timothy suffered from an ulcer in his liver, which the Lord
permitted an angel to heal. At the end of Abba Noufer's life, he was struck with
a terrible fever and his body turned red. Therefore, we cannot say hermits are
spirits. Question:
Do hermits wear clothes, because in time their clothes would wear out? Answer:
We read in the life of Abba Macarious the Great, that he saw two naked hermits
wandering in the inner wilderness, just east of Libya. But this is not usual.
Abba Paula the Hermit clothed himself in weaved palm; Abba Noufer covered his
nakedness with his long hair. One day the devil approached Abba Bejimi and
persuaded him to live naked as a sign of poverty, but he wisely answered, "It
is not good for me to live naked, for God provided Adam and Eve with covering
for their bodies, and angels with wings to cover their feet." Introduction
to the Hermit Fathers From
these examples we see that either God keeps their clothes from wearing out, or
provides hair and animal skin/weaved palms to cover their bodies. That who
remains naked, God protects them from being seen by other humans.
For example, we read in the story of St. Mary the Egyptian that she hid
behind a rock when Abba Zocima approached her in the wilderness to take her
blessings, and she therefore asked him to throw his garment to cover her nakedness. Question:
Are there a limited number of hermits, and as one die, they are replaced? Answer:
There is no proof to suggest that there are a limited number of hermits, as
their number is unknown due to being scattered throughout the wilderness.
Besides, numbering hermits indicates a community life rather than a life of solitude. Question:
What is the difference between a solitaire and a hermit? Answer:
A solitaire has a known cave where people may come and visit for the sake
of taking their blessings. But no one knows the place of a hermit - either how
to reach him, or how to return. Living in the inner wilderness, in uninhabited
places, a hermit may wander for several years without seeing the face
of a fellow human. Referring
to the life and progression to hermitage, Abba Isaac said:
"Usually a hermit begins as a monk living in a monastic community,
progressing to the life of solitude (within his cell). He stays alone and keeps
silent all week, only coming out of his cell on Sundays to attend the Holy Mass
and meet with his fellow brothers. Then he leaves the monastic community, taking
shelter as a solitaire in a cave, and lastly leaves the cave to be a lover of
solitude, venturing into the inner wilderness." The
Hermit Fathers in the Coptic Church The
following churches bear the names of our holy Hermit Fathers: +
Monastery of Abba Paula in the Eastern Wilderness - The church of Abba
Paula the First Hermit. +
Monastery of Abba Antonious in the Eastern Wilderness - The church of
Abba Antonious and Abba Paula +
Monastery of Abba Macarius in the Wilderness of Sheheet - The church of
The Hermit Fathers, containing the icons of Abba Samuel the Confessor, Aabba
Youannis the Protopriest of Sheheet and friend of Abba Samuel, Abba Noufer, Abba
Abram, Abba Gawargi, Abba Apollo, Abba Abib, Abba Misael and Abba Bejimi. +
Monastery of Abba Samuel the Confessor in Mount Kalamon - The church of
the Hermit Fathers; To
the northwest of the monastery is a church bearing the name of Abba Misael the
Hermit. Pope Youannis, the 94th Patriarch of Alexandria consecrated this church,
on the 28th of December 1516 AD. The blessed body of Abba Bisada was placed in
this church on 14 February 1977. The monastery of Abba Samuel the Confessor is
one of the Fayoum monasteries. Pope
Khael, the 46th Patriarch of Alexandria (743-767 AD), recorded that in his time
there were 35 Fayoum monasteries under the care of Bishop Abram of Fayoum.
Without doubt, the desert of Fayoum, including Mount Kalamon must have been home
for many Holy ascetics during the fourth century. +
Monastery of
Abba Balamoun the Hermit, Kusr El Sayaid (Castle of the Hunter),
Najaa Hamadi - The church of Abba Balamoun +
Monastery of
St. Mary (Akhmeem) - The church of Abba Antonious and Abba Paula The
Hermit Fathers in the Coptic Church +
Monastery of Abba Thomas the Hermit (Hajar El Sawamaa, Akhmeem) +
Monastery of the Martyrs (Akhmeem) - The church of Abba Discorus the
priest, and Skapius the deacon; the two hermits and martyrs of Althmeem +
Monastery of Abba Hermina the Hermit in Kaw (Assuit) +
Monastery of Abba Hedra the Hermit (Mount Aswan, west of the Nile) +
There are many churches in Upper Egypt, and Old Cairo that have altars consecrated
in the names of our Hermit Fathers. Masses
celebrated in honour of the Hermit Fathers When
we read the life stories of the Hermit Fathers, we learn that they Celebrate
the Holy mass at night, especially in monasteries and old churches. Many
of our church fathers and those who are pure in heart have seen these Hermit
Fathers celebrating the liturgy. +
When we read the life story of Abba Balamoun the Hermit, an elder from El
Kasr, Najaa Hamadi (where the Monastery of Abba Balamoun is situated), tells us
that when he was a young boy, he went to one of the churches in Abba Balamoun's
Monastery with his mother and slept the night there. His uncle was serving as a
priest in the church at that time. At dawn, he sat beside his mother on the
staircase, waiting for his uncle, the priest, to awake in order to begin the
morning mass, when suddenly he saw a censer filled with incense moving around
the church, but could not see anyone holding it. Quickly he told his mother, who
took him outside to quiet him down. When the priest awoke and went into the
sanctuary to begin the mass, he realised that a mass had already taken place, so
in accordance with the church rites that no mass can be celebrated on the same
altar within nine hours, he advised the congregation that mass would be
celebrated on another altar. This young boy is now serving in the Monastery. Some
servants who frequently spend nights in monasteries mention that they Hear
soft voices singing and praying the Holy Mass. Many others have also recorded
similar incidents, thus assuring us that Hermit Fathers do celebrate masses. +
An archaeologist has validated the following: "There are Bedouins
who move around the desert of Gabal El Nakos (Mountain of Cymbals) in the Valley
of El Araba, which extends from Altoor town to the Monastery of Abba Antonious,
the Founder of Monasticism and Father of all Monks. These Bedouins have
mentioned that throughout the year they hear sounds resembling church
bells." Mr. Derwish El Farr, a geologist and the Manager of the
Egyptian Museum of Geology states that, "the music of the sand is not
imagination, but is actually heard in the Valley of El Araba, as soft singing
which gradually increases to become disturbing and even sometimes frightening to
the listener, as there is no known source. This singing occurs on Friday and
Sunday of each week." Professor Ralph Bagnold, a distinguished British
scientist, who spent many years studying the Egyptian deserts, also confirms
this. +
Because they celebrate masses, we thus understand that some of these
Hermit Fathers must be priests, confession fathers, and spiritual guardians.
They partake in the service of the sacraments, such as the offering of the
Holy Eucharist, which are the Blessed Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. +
Preceding the Holy Mass, the church praises some of the Hermit Fathers,
such as in the 'tasbeha' (songs of praise): "Intercede on our behalf my
two masters Abba Antonious and Abba Paula, who love their children, may He
forgive us our sins... Intercede on our behalf Abba Noufer, Abba Karas and our
father Paphnautios... Abba Apollo and Abba Abib and our father Abba Bejimi...
all the cross bearers who perfected their faith in the wilderness..." (In
the 'tasbeha' we ask
for the intercessions of all the saints). +
In the annual 'Epsalmodia', is a 'doxology' for Abba Paula the First
Hermit, as well as a 'doxology' for Abba Antonious and Abba Paula together. This
is often sung during the consecration of a monk, or when dressing them the
'eskeem' (a belt of crosses and/or the habit of monasticism). +
In the annual 'Epsal', is a 'doxology' which can be sung for any of the
cross bearers: "...the righteous who perfected their faith, the
afflicted and tormented, Of
whom the world does not deserve. They wander in the wilderness in caves and
dens; they are ambassadors for Christ because of their faith and patience. So
let us hasten along the path of their struggle towards their perfecter Jesus
Christ... Intercede on our behalf all the cross bearers who perfected their
faith in the wilderness, may the Lord forgive us our sins... +
In the 'Epsaliat', are two hymns which are sung for Abba Paula the First
Hermit. +
In the 'Defnar' or 'Memar', are the life stories and prayers for the
saint of each day, and it is said before the conclusion of 'tasbeha'. Midnight
Absolution After
praying the midnight psalms, the priest then asks for the intercessions of all
the Hermit Fathers, and all those who pleased the Lord:
"...and the martyrs, the saints, the hermits, the ascetics and all those
who pleased the Lord by their good deeds from the beginning to the end of all
ages, for to You is worship, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit... Amen." The
Holy Liturgy In
the church 'Synixarium' are lives of some of the Hermit Fathers, which are read
after the Acts of the Apostles, according to their feast day. The
Commemoration in the Holy Mass:
"...our righteous father Abba Anthony the Great, the upright Abba Paula,
the three saints Macari and all their children the cross bearers. Our
fatherAbbaNoufer and ourfatherAbba Karas, and ourfatherAbba Paphnautios and our
father Abba John the Hermit, and our father Abba Bejimi... and ourfatherAbba
Misael the Hermit... and the whole host of Your saints; through their prayers
and supplications, have mercy upon us all and save us for the sake of Your Holy
Name, that is called upon us." The
Fraction for Great Lent: "...By practising praying and fasting, the
righteous and the cross bearers escaped to the mountains, wilderness and caves,
because of their tremendous love for our Lord Jesus Christ!" The
Concluding Blessing: "...through the pleadings and intercessions of. The
apostles and martyrs and the righteous and all the cross bearers, the ascetics
and confessors and hermits..." Those
who wrote the life stories of the Hermit Fathers We
shall briefly mention the names of those who have written the life stories of
some of the Hermit Fathers: +
Abba Paula
the First Hermit - feast day: 2 Amshir (9 February) Writer:
Abba Athanasious the Apostle +
Abba Noufer
the Hermit - feast day: 16 Baouna (23 June) Writer:
Abba Paphnautios (Bebnoda) +
Abba Karas
the Hermit - feast day: 8 Abib (15 July) Writer:
Abba Bemwakis of Sheheet +
Abba Misael
the Hermit feast day: 13 Kiakh (22 December) Writer: Abba Isaac, the Abbot of
the El Kalamon Monastery +
Abba Ghaleon
the Hermit - feast day: 13 Kiakh (22 December) Writer:
Abba Isaac, the Abbot of the El Kalamon Monastery +
Abba Timothy the Hermit - feast day: 23 Kiakh (1 January) Writer: Abba
Paphnautios (Bebnoda) +
Abba Bejimi
the Hermit - feast day: 11 Kiakh (20 December) Writer:
Abba Shenouda the Archimandrite Those
who wrote the life stories of the Hermit Fathers +
Abba Thomas
the Hermit of Mount Shenshif - feast day: 27
Bashans (4 June) Writer:
Abba Wissa, Abba Shenouda's disciple +
Abba Hedra
the Hermit - feast day: 12 Kiakh (21 December) Writer: Abba Bemon, his spiritual
father +
Abba Balamoun
the Hermit - feast day: 25 Abib (1 August) Writer:
Abba Bakhomius, his disciple +
Abba Lutson
the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer:
Abba Isezoros the Hermit, his spiritual father +
Abba Marcos El Termaki the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer: Abba
Serapion of Sheheet +
Abba Zakaria the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer: Abba Jacob the
Bishop +
Abba Kyriakos the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer: Abba Isezoros (the
deacon) +
Abba Moussa the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer:
Abba Samuel (the priest) +
Abba Youhanna
the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer:
Abba Apollos +
Abba Isaac the Hermit of Mount Esna feast day: unknown Writer: Abba
Bacanteous +
Abba Elias
the Hermit of Mount Samhood - feast day: 13 Kiakh (22
December) Writer:
unknown +
Abba Hermina
the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer:
Abba Abahor el Abarhati (el Kassar) +
St Mary the Egyptian - feast day: 6 Baramouda (14 April) Writer: Abba
Zocima +
Abba Simon the Stylite - feast day: unknown Writer: Abba Bemwa, Priest of
Sheheet +
Abba Bamoun the Stylite - feast day: unknown Writer: Abba Bemwa, Priest
of Sheheet +
Abba Discorus and Skapius his brother of Mount Akhmeem -feast day: 1 Tuba
(9 January) Writer:
unknown +
Abba Alian the Hermit of the Eastern Mountain - feast day: unknown Writer:
Abba Khristozolos the Hermit +
Abba
Stephanos the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer:
unknown +
St Annasimon
the Hermit and Queen - feast day: unknown Writer: unknown +
Abba Daniel
the Protopriest of Sheheet - feast day: unknown Writer:
unknown +
Abba Yousab the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer: unknown +
Abba Silasi the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer:
unknown +
Abba Ezekial
the Hermit - feast day: unknown Writer: unknown +
Abba Mar Olag el Sabaji the Hermit - feast day: 10 Abib (17 July) Abba
Mar Okeen, his disciple Many
stories of the Hermit Fathers have also been written by Abba Isaac, the Abbot
of the Kalamon Monastery, Abba Macanus the Writer, Abba Boctor the Writer,
Abba Macanus the Great, Abba Paphnautios and several others. +
Abba Bladius
who wrote the life stories of our fathers the monks, tells us about
Dioklees the Hermit who dwelt on Mount Ansana: "He was an expert in many
languages and in the science of philosophy. When he was twenty-eight years old,
he heard God's call and so left everything to be alone with Christ. He lived in
a cave for thirty-five years. He believed that, 'once the mind is not consumed
with spiritual contemplation’s, it becomes easy to fall victim to bodily
desires.' Dortheous the priest lived in a nearby cave and served the hermits who
lived in the surrounding region... he also lived during the time of St. Milania
the Younger." +
This is just
a small number of the numerous Hermit Fathers who have blessed
our church throughout the ages. We have numerous martyrs, confessors,
hermits, archimandrites, ascetics and cross bearers, however, history has not
been fortunate enough to record all the life stories of our Hermit Fathers...
those who lived in the faith of God... And
now, for the Glory of His name, we shall begin recalling the hfe stories of some
of the Hermit Fathers, whose stories have not been printed before... Abba
Kyriakos the Hermit During
the times of Pope Benjamin of Alexandria, there lived a righteous man in a
village called "Queens Village". This village was later named Tida and
was renowned for the sweetness of its natural water. The
Lord enlightened this man's eyes; leading him in the way of solitude. So he
arose and went to Pope Benjamin seeking his blessings and advice on the life of
solitude with the Lord Jesus Christ. His Holiness prayed on him and directed
him to a small cell
made of stone beside the sea-shore. Because of its positioning,
the cell overlooked the sea and the surrounding countries. The Lord
guided and guarded this saint in his life of solitude and isolation, and many
people went to visit him in his cell for the purpose of taking his blessings. In
the year prior to the enthronement of the patriarch, an army sent by King
Herakel invaded and possessed Syria, and later invaded and assigned a governor
in Egypt. The king ordered the patriarch to leave the Orthodox faith or else he
would be killed. Accordingly, the patriarch went into hiding. Likewise the
Christians were told to deny their faith, or else they too would die.
Some, out of fear, obeyed while others obeyed verbally, but not by heart. Great
sorrow overshadowed all Christians during this time. The
governor was aware of an ascetic living in an isolated cell beside the seaside,
so he ordered his soldiers to find him and bring him back by force. Because
of the saint's perfect love and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, he knew by
the Spirit of what was taking place, and after finding him, the soldiers ordered
that he believe in the heresy of King Marcoban voiced at the council of
Chalcedon. The saint prayed to the Lord to deliver him and protect him from the
hands of the heretics and so the Lord listened to his prayer and caused the
soldiers to fall into a deep sleep and become as drunkards. The saint was then
hidden from their
eyes and so when they awoke and returned to the governor,
they reported the ascetic
was nowhere to be found. After
this incident, the saint arose and ventured into the wilderness to live in and
share a cave with wild
beasts, which
rested in it during
the heat of the day,
and took
shelter in the cold
of the night. Though wild, they never attacked the saint, but rather, loved him
and were friendly to
him. Having
not eaten for many days, his body became
so weak that he could not stand
to pray, so he asked
the Lord
to provide him with bodily
food so that he may
have the strength to stand up in reverence and pray. While he was praying for
this, a wild cow approached him, screaming as if from pain. The saint noticed it
laden with milk, so he took from his cave a shell into which he emptied the
milk, and immediately the cow was relieved of its pain. The saint gave thanks to
God for His tender mercies, and then drank from the cow's milk. This cow
returned to the saint every three days, and the saint fed on its sweet milk for
ten years without feeling the need for eating or drinking anything else. The
evil one observed all that was happening and how the saint was growing in
spirituality and in the fear of God daily, and he became enraged with envy. For
this reason, the devil appeared to him in the form of a frightening beast hoping
to distract him from his prayers, but when the saint called upon the Lord and
crossed himself, the evil one vanished. Again the devil appeared to him as a
vicious beast, wanting to attack him. But the Lord who gives His children power
over the enemy, enabled him to overcome through the power of the Holy Cross. These
incidents kept happening for a long time, and so the saint thought to himself,
"I must have sinned in the sight of the Lord in this place, and so He must
want me to leave this cave and go to another, and I, His faithful servant must
do His will." So he got up and moved to a nearby cave, where again the
enemy appeared to him as a hermit dwelling in the cave. The saint was so happy
when he saw the old hermit, but was surprised when he neither spoke to him nor
approached him. The saint thought the hermit to be very holy and spiritual from
his many years in asceticism, and therefore did not want to disturb his peace by
speaking. The
saint spent the night thinking about him, and as he fell asleep he saw someone
in a vision warning him about the old hermit, "for he is the devil who
wants to take you away from your Lord. He may have power to fight your body, but
he has no power over your soul." The vision then disappeared and the saint
woke up suddenly and frightened. He looked around for the hermit in the dark of
the night, but could not find any trace of him. Assured that he was the enemy
and that he will continue to attack, the saint armoured himself for battle and
said, "I will not leave this cave!" As
he thought about what had just happened, he heard at the cave's entrance the
sounds of galloping horses, and words he could not comprehend. So he went out to
look and saw a great number of soldiers all mounted on horses, dressed in black
with their faces covered. They were not looking towards him, so he assumed these
soldiers must have lost their way and are undoubtedly looking for their enemies.
When one of the soldiers saw him standing at the cave's entrance, he approached
the saint: "Man, are you living in this cave?" The saint answered,
"Yes". He said, "Tell us then which way our enemies have gone so
that we may follow them and destroy them." The
saint replied, "I have never seen anyone in this wilderness for as long as
I have lived here." The soldier turned to him and questioned, "What
then do you feed on?" To which the humble saint responded, "The grass
of the wilderness is my food." In a fit of anger, the soldier condemned him
saying, "You're lying to me, you know where our enemy has gone!"
Having said this, he dismounted his horse, took the saint and tied his hands and
feet to a tree, which stood in the wilderness, and whipped him bitterly. As he
continued beating him, the other soldiers approached him asking, "Why are
you punishing this weak man? He has no money and no food to give us." One
of the other soldiers came down from his horse and said to the saint, "I
will save you from this pain and from this evil soldier, if you tell me where
our enemy has gone." Again the saint replied, "I do not know where
your enemy has gone." So this soldier, in turn whipped the saint with great
hostility. When they lost hope in him, one of the soldiers took the bound saint
and threw him on the back of his horse and rode to the top of a mountain.
"Here we will throw you from the highest mountain top so that you may die
the worst death, and your body be shredded and eaten by wild beasts!" But
when they noticed the saint not responsive, they threw him on the ground and
departed. After gaining consciousness, he wanted to return to his cave, but he
could not find his way. He
then realised that the soldiers were devils whose intention was to fight with
humans and lead them into temptation. When he prayed to the Lord and made the
sign of the Holy Cross-on his face, a path suddenly opened up in front of him,
leading him down the mountain to his cave. As
he reached the bottom of the valley, the devil came to him again dressed in
black and mounted on a red horse. The saint thought he must be the king's Messenger
travelling to a far country, and so he wanted to hide from this soldier. But
when the evil one approached him he asked, "Why do you try to run from me?
l am going to the land of Morocco with a letter from the king and I ask you to
show me the quickest way to get there. I will give you food and clothing for
directing me." The saint answered, "I am not familiar with direction,
for I have lived in the wilderness for many years and have always longed for
solitude so that I may lead a repentant life and not die in my sin." So the
devil dismantled, took a rope and tied his hands and feet and beat him bitterly.
The saint said to him, "You are asking me for something I know nothing
about." The devil then threw the saint, bound on the back of his horse with
the intention of taking him back into the world and proclaiming, "I found
this man in the wilderness, searching for something that should never be
(repentance), and looking for precious minerals (gold, which is Jesus
Christ)." The
devil's idea was to take the saint out of the wilderness so that he would not
think of repentance. But as the soldier was about to leave, the Lord enlightened
the saint's eyes, and so he realised it was the devil again; the hater and
tempter of the godly. The saint immediately made the sign of the cross, and the
devil was swallowed up into the earth with his horse. After
praying throughout the night, the saint finally fell asleep. However, the devil
never left him alone. He came to him as a solid wall, tumbling down on top of
the sleeping saint. The saint woke up instantly and frightened, but couldn't
find anyone or anything because it was so dark. He got up and began feeling the
earth and the walls of the cave, when suddenly the devil grabbed his right ankle
and aggressively dragged him and threw him about the cave's ground. Distressed
over this vicious attack, the saint screamed... but no one answered. After great
struggle with this evil presence, the saint crossed himself and at once the
devil left him. One
night after he finished praying, he heard a man calling him by the name Pope
Benjamin gave him: "Kyriakos, beloved of God, get up and follow me!"
The saint thought to himself, "That's strange, I have never heard a voice
like this before." So he arose and went to see where this voice was coming
from. At the entrance of his cave, he saw a man resembling an angel with two
wings. The saint said to him, "You disturbed me and worried me from my
sleep; I do not want to follow you, perhaps you are the devil who tempts and
destroys humans; depart from me!" and at the sign of the cross, he found
him no more. Another
time when he went into his cave at night to pray, he knelt on the ground and
stumbled on a great, black, cold body which felt bigger and more fearful than a
dragon. It clung to the saint's neck, and he tried to lift up his head to
scream, but could not. In his encounter with this beast, the saint realised that
it was an evil presence, and so pleaded with the Lord to save him from it. God
at once answered his plea by sending His angel to save the saint and cast out
the beast. In
all his trials, God was testing this saint's faith and patience, and when He
knew the purity of his heart and his faithful and devoted love towards Him, He
strengthened him and saved him from the evil one. Look
my friends to what extent this pure saint suffered from satanic wars, and
consider his patience, love and faith in ChristJesus in overcoming the enemy. Our
father Abba Benjamin the Patriarch said, "I have often wondered about this
recluse and what God has done with him. I prayed that God might reveal to me
whether he was alive or not." On
the Sunday following the resurrection, I, Pope Benjamin, was praying in St.
Mark's Cathedral church in Alexandria, when I noticed a monk dressed in worn out
clothes, entering and standing in one of the church's corners. Immediately I
told one of my disciples, "Go quickly and stand near that weak man!" I
also ordered another disciple to go with him, "Don't remove your eyes from
him for a moment, or else you won't find him!" When
the Pope finished the mass, he asked his two disciples to take the monk to his
cell. On arrival the Pope greeted the saint, but did not recognize him. When
food was brought to him, he pretended to eat, but didn't. The Pope noticed this
and when they were alone, he asked him, "Saintly father, where did you come
from and where are you going?" The saint did not have the heart to hide
anything from the patriarch, so he answered, "I am your son who dwelt in
the cell in Tida and Efragon, and you are aware of all that had happened to me
during that time. I have since been living in the wilderness." The Pope
lowered his eyes to the ground and cried, "Bless me Father Kyriakos, for I
glorify the Lord who allowed me to see you again, and thanks be to God who heard
my prayer, and did not turn me away from Him, for I have asked of Him to reveal
to me whether you are alive. Please bless me!" I
asked the saint to tell me all that had happened to him,
and so he revealed
all. I
asked Isezoros the writer to record the story of this saint, as it was told.
Abba Kyriakos
stayed with me for three days before returning to his place in the Wilderness. He
told me God revealed to him that after four months, he will die in his cave, so
I made note of his hour of deliverance to Paradise, and as the day approached, I
directed Simon the bishop of Rasheed, and Tidor the bishop of Atreeb and Khael
the bishop of Dimyatta to go to the place instructed to them. I sent with them a
guide to lead the way, and gave them food, drink and horses for transportation.
Isezoros the writer and deacon also accompanied them on the journey to attend
the saint's departure and bury his pure body. Along
the way the devil appeared to them as a wild beast charging forward to attack
them. From fright, they lost their sense of direction, but the saint saw them
from afar frightened and lost in the wilderness and so he came forth and
comforted them. When the saint took them into his cave, they told him all that
had happened along the way. The saint explained to them that this beast was the
devil; the one from whom he had many trials... The
saint knew by the spirit that these fathers were sent to bury his body after
departure, so they remained with him for two days. On the third day, this pure,
beautiful saint passed over into the Paradise of his fathers the saints. The
bishops buried him with great reverence, and in a manner instructed to them by
the Patriarch. Isezoros
the writer, who wrote the life story of Abba Kyriakos, as I Pope Benjamin told
it, added to it what he saw and experienced during the time of the saint's
departure, and the wonders which were revealed when his spirit departed his
precious body. Glory
be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit now and forever, Amen. Abba
John the Hermit Abba
Alos said: There
was once a father called John, who dwelt in the wilderness. He was a great,
spiritual elder and surpassed many in his asceticism and virtues. No one could
ever search for him in the wilderness, as he constantly moved from one place to
another. In the beginning of his solitary life, he spent three years in
continuous prayers and only slept a little while standing. One of the priests
used to bring for the saint the Holy Communion every Sunday. One
day the devil came to him as a priest and brought along with him a woman.
Immediately the saint knew it was evil and said, "You full of deceit and
the enemy of the godly, you have no power over me, nor over the faithful, for
the Lord crushes you and your power under our feet!" After pausing, the
devil answered him; "Soon I will have power over you and conquer you!"
The saint rebuked him in the name of Jesus, and he immediately vanished. It
happened at one time that the saint's legs became very dry, swollen and oozed
pus and water. The angel of the Lord appeared and said to him, "Do not
fear, the gift of the Holy Spirit, which enables you to partake of the Spiritual
Food, will be sufficient for you." And after healing him, the angel advised
him, "Leave this place and go into the inner wilderness." So at once
the saint went forth and fed on the shrubs of the wilderness, but every Sunday
he would return to his old cave to partake of the Holy Communion. Once
there was a paralytic who had heard of the spirituality of this saint, and
earnestly desired to see him, so that through his prayers he may be healed.
Because of the greatness of this man's faith, the saint knew of his situation,
and without having seen him, the man's legs were immediately strengthened
through the grace of God and the prayers of Abba John. Likewise another man that
was paralysed was also healed through the prayers of the saint. We thank God and
praise His Holy Name, and ask for the prayers and blessings of His saints. May
the blessings of Abba John the hermit be with us Amen. Abba
Stephanos the Hermit, in the wilderness of El Fayoum. Listen
my friends and I will tell you what I witnessed with
my own eyes and
heard with my own ears... One
day, I was wandering in the wilderness and meditating on its valleys, mountains,
and many wild beasts which becomes tame to humans. So I gave thanks to the
Lord... As
I ventured through the wilderness, I noticed many different trees and springs.
Under one of the trees I found a skull which had turned white from the extreme
heat and cold of the wilderness climate. I glorified the Lord and wondered who
this skull belonged to and what life that person lead. I wished it had a tongue
so that it could reveal to me what it is now experiencing. I
looked towards the east and prayed to God, asking him to reveal to me its
secret. Before I had finished my prayers I heard a voice calling, "Father
Stephanos, listen to me and remember my words for it will be a warning to you
and your brothers. Warn them about the fearful judgement day; woe to those who
don't pray and are not vigilant, for in the great day of the resurrection of
bodies, no brother will defend his brother, nor father his son, but faithful
work and mercy will bring one closer to God. Prayer lightens up brightly like a
lantern, so beware and do not tarry. Tell my words to all in the hope that they
will learn and so avoid coming to the place where I am; in torment and
unquenchable fire and restless worms... My
story is that I was a greedy merchant and even though I had a lot of money and
treasures, I envied everybody and never gave money to the poor. I had no mercy
on anyone and never prayed. Nothing I did pleased or glorified the Lord. I had
good sons who loved all people and carried out many acts of love and mercy. They
advised me to do well, but I refused to listen and thus did not give them access
to my money. But despite the fact that I had great possessions, I was never
satisfied with what I had... One
day I traveled to a distant country, for the purpose of trading. I took camels
and servants, and was prepared to spend time during my journey in an oasis. I
hired a guide for direction and took lots of money and goods for trade. After
one day of travelling through the wilderness, the guide lost his sense of
direction, and so for three days we roamed about the wilderness, not knowing
where we were going. Woe to him whom God is not his leader! The morning heat was
scorching, so the camels died the servants escaped and I was left alone. The
love of worldly possessions and luxuries prevented me from seeking shelter in a
cave, so I stayed for three more days eating from the food remaining, until
there was nothing left. I felt as if I was about to die, and I was very
disturbed at how quickly life was disappearing considering I had done no good
deeds to save me, and I had no power to raise myself up out of my present
misery. The
next day, my eyes became heavy, so that I could no longer see, and on the third
day my eyes opened, and I saw a very frightening angel, holding a sword of fire
and from his mouth he breathed fire. He ordered my soul to leave my body, and
after grabbing it, he gave it to the devil. So they stabbed my soul with a fork
and brought me to this place of torment where I was thrown and left alone... I
saw in the bottomless pit an old man whom I knew in the world and his deeds were
just as bad as mine... he too was being tormented were. I asked him for what
reason he was cast here, and he said "My terrible deeds..." Suddenly I
heard great thunder, which no one on earth could bear hearing, and there he was
the angel in charge of torment. He grabbed me and cast me into Hades, where I
remain until this hour." I Stephanotis asked him, "Can you see those
in Paradise?" He answered, "No one can see them, for between us and
them is an immeasurable distance. Woe to me and that hour when neither money nor
possessions nor children saved me... So
take heed to my words Father Stephanotis, never delay to do well or pray, and
alert all people to my words. I
was always disobedient to my parents, and a lover of worldly desires. I never
lived according to the commandments, and never had faith in Jesus Christ, Even
though I knew all along that the Lord who came into this world was incarnated of
the Virgin Mary, and was resented by His own. I knew that through faith, the
Holy Baptism and the sacrament of Holy Communion one could be saved, but because
of my pride, I refused to abide in them. Never neglect these gifts!" He
repeated these words three times and said, "I have been ordered to speak
these words to you!" Then he ceased to speak. I,
Stephanos, took the skull into the cave, dug a hole and buried it. I then went
to my brethren and told them all the things which took place. Together we prayed
and asked the Lord our God to make us worthy to live in obedience, according to
His will; to live in the hope of eternal life with our Saviour Jesus Christ,
which has been promised to us after the resurrection of the dead. To
Him is everlasting glory, amen. Slash,
a saintly father from El Balkaa, was sitting in a cave near the monastery of
Faraa, not far from the 'Holy House of God' (Bate El Mokadas - Jerusalem). All
the brethren were gathered around him as he told the story of his close friend
the hermit, who lived, in the cave of El Kalamon: I
used to visit him on all festive occasions to receive his blessings and give him
food. During
the feast of the Jewish Passover, I took with me some bread, and went out as
usual seeking the saint's cave. To my astonishment, however, I could not find
it. I was very sad, and kept wandering downheartedly in valleys and hills until
the scorching sun made me very thirsty. I pleaded with the Lord not to prevent
me from seeing His saint... Suddenly,
I noticed human footsteps in the sand. I rejoiced and recognized them to be
either the footsteps of a young boy or a woman. So I followed the footsteps
until I saw weaved straw covering what seemed to be a cave. I moved it aside,
giving way to the small entrance of a cave. I did not want to enter without
permission, so I called out, "Bless me, my father the saint!" No one
replied, so I quietly entered. I saw a monk sitting in silence, so I
approached... And
we spoke a little. I perceived him to be a eunuch because of his small frame and
delicate features. He asked me to pray, but I declined, asking him for his
prayers and blessings. He replied, "You are a priest and therefore you must
pray, father!" I tried to hide this fact, but he said "...and you are
not allowed to lie!" After praying, we sat down together, and I thought to
myself, this person is either a eunuch or a woman. The hermit quickly responded,
"Why are you thinking so much about me?" I was amazed at his insight,
and so fell down before him. He raised me up saying, "You must promise me
that you will not reveal my identity and my story to anyone until my hour of
departure has come, please, for the sake of the Spirit that dwells in you, you
must not tell anyone... Father, I am a virgin. I was the daughter of an
aristocrat from Constantinople. My father insisted that I marry his friend, also
an aristocrat from Constantinople. I never agreed to this, nor did I reveal to
my father my intentions. Many times I would sit alone and pray to my God to help
me depart from this passing world. |
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