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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. When
the time came and he wanted me to marry, I said to him, "Father, in the
first place I have promised God to go to His Holy House in Jerusalem and pray
there, please do not forbid me, lest I take punishment from God Himself."
He equipped me for my journey with horses, servants, maids and 3000 denani with
which to distribute amongst the holy churches and monasteries. I arrived at the
Lord's house in Jerusalem, and after praying, I left there a portion of my
money. During my trip I visited many Egyptian marketplaces, but my most
uplifting experience was visiting the caves of the saintly fathers. There were
three elders who lived in these caves; one of them I noticed was clothed in
sackcloth. I rejoiced exceedingly, for I was looking for a monk who would keep
my secret and clothe me in the holy 'eskeem' of monasticism (monastic habit). As
I thought about this elder in sackcloth, I said to myself, "He is the one
who abides in God's love and will..." When
our trip was coming to an end and all our gifts had been distributed, we
remained an extra four days in the holy city (Jerusalem) before preparing
ourselves for the journey back home. I then sat down and wrote two letters: One
to my father and the other to the guide who was with me on the trip. In them I
expressed my desire to give myself completely to the Lord, "...so do not
try to find me, as I will go to the place my God will lead me." After this,
I said to the guide, "I want to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
and in Golgotha before returning home." After
Golgotha, I said to my maid, "Stand here." I then quickly escaped from
the town through Jericho and went seeking for the elder in sackcloth. When he
saw me he was puzzled, and sol assured him, "I have left all that is in the
world and belonging to the world in order to be alone with my Lord, and I have
come to you so that you may dress me in the holy 'eskeem', as this is my
wish." I gave him all that remained with me - money, jewellery and clothes.
When he saw my many repentant tears and my earnest desire, he got up, shaved my
head, dressed me in the holy 'eskeem' and clothed me in a garment made of loofah
plant. The
next morning, I got up early to pray before leaving. When the elder realised
this, he said, "Where are you going?" I answered, "Wherever God
leads me, through your prayers, father." He prayed on me and gave me
spiritual books for nutrition. Then I left... I
rejoiced saying; "I have surrendered my soul to the Lord Jesus Christ in
this blessed wilderness, by the prayers of this saintly father." The
Lord has guided me to this place and ever since, I have been living in this
cave, rejoicing and giving thanks to the Lord. I was then eighteen years old
when I met the elder in sackcloth, and today is my twenty eighth year of
asceticism, and you are the first human I have seen within this time." Her
face was shining brightly like the rays of a sun and when she had finished what
she was.saying, I asked her to eat from the food I brought. She did not accept
and said, "If I eat from the food which you bring, who then was feeding me
all these years?" When I heard this, I sighed for my many sins, and I asked
her to bless my food, which she did in simplicity. I
asked her not to depart from her place until I come to take her blessings once
more. We prayed together and then I left, praising God. Amazingly, during my
journey back through the wilderness, I did not feel thirsty at all until I
returned to my cell. After
a few days, I returned once again to her cave, but did not find her... it was
not God's will. Glory
be to God. Abba
Khristozolos the Hermit My
dear friends there once lived in the mountains east of Egypt, near the Red Sea,
an ascetic who fed on the weeds of the wilderness and drank rainwater. He was
brought up in Christian love, in the Egyptian town of Aen Shams. Despite the
fact that he held a very good position, he left everything in the world to dwell
alone in the mountains with the Lord. This is his beautiful story... When
he was still living in the town of Am Shams, a woman who served the Arabs came
to him. She was very beautiful and had asked him to make her a pair of gold
earrings. She remained in the town until he had finished her earrings. As they
discussed the price, she approached him saying, "Oman, do you not know that
whenever a man sees me, he desires to have me?" She continued trying to
entice him, but the man cast his eyes towards the ground and replied, "I
have no doubt that you are the daughter of the chief of devils, for he is the
only one who could manipulate you this way... I do not want your money, nor do I
ever want you to return to this place again. Now leave, from now on you shall
never see my face again." At once, he thanked the Lord for His grace and
mercy, and immediately got up and returned home. Hebeganblaming
himself saying, "Woe to you my soul from the frightful day; are you going
to lead my body as well as my spirit to the eternal fire? Realise now, my soul
wisdom and goodwill and walk in the way of salvation. 0 my soul awake! Things in
life are either harmful or beneficial. Harm comes from disobedience, and benefit
comes from obeying the commandments of God. 0 my soul, do not tread upon the
paths of the ignorant and blind, and if you want to move to another place, let
it be a more honorable home than the one you have at present so that your
pleasure in the Lord may increase, for whoever sows thorns labours in vain, but
whoever sows palm trees eats from its fruits. O my soul, look at the saints who
left the world to live alone with the Lord in the wilderness, like Abba Anthony,
Abba Macanus, Abba Bakhomious, and many others... So run away from the world now
and you will be saved!" When
he had finished this meditation, he distributed all that he owned. His father
had died earlier and left his possessions to the mother. Most of these
possessions were given to the poor, and the rest was kept by his mother who
Brought him up in righteousness and the fear of God. He advised his
mother to continue in her faith and good works and said to her, "As God
wills, I desire to go the Eastern Mountain to live in peace and solitude with
the Lord Jesus Christ, for this world and all that is in it, is in vain and will
pass away!" He farewelled his mother and left immediately, venturing
towards the mountains, having taken with him enough food and water for three
days. when
God knew the purity of his heart, He enabled the saint to arrive at the place
chosen for him, in less than a full day's journey, but because of the simplicity
of the saint, he did not even realise God's intervention. From
where he was situated, he could see the sea and its terror, and after praying,
he spent the night there, as he was exhausted from walking. In his sleep he saw
someone saying to him, "You who loves the Lord, get up and look!" And
immediately he got up and saw three men dressed in white garments and leaning on
rods engraved with crosses which shone as bright as the sun. He quickly got up
to greet them and one of them approached him saying, "My dear son, where
did you come from, and what are you doing here?" He replied, "I have
come from the town of Aen Shams to dwell alone with the Lord in the mountains. I
am a stranger here, and therefore not familiar with directions." So they
asked him, "Would you like to accompany us and be one of us?"
Anxiously the man replied, "Yes, for the lost stranger must walk with he
who dwells in the house, if he is wise. I can see that you are the beloved and
obedient of God, walking in His way, and this has been revealed to me by these
beautiful, shining crosses on your rods." They said to him, "Walk
behind us and follow, but do not tarry!" He
followed them until the morning, when they reached a beautiful garden, which
seemed like paradise. They said to him, "Stretch out your hand and cut for
yourself a rod, and then stretch out your arm and take for yourself a cross to
put on your rod, for God has chosen you because of the purity and goodness of
your heart, for your strong faith and your willingness to obey Him."
immediately he cut for himself a rod and found many crosses of diamonds, from
which he took and placed on his rod. When he had done this, he lifted up his
head and found himself alone, so he wept. He did not know who they were or where
they were from, or where they had gone. He did not even get the chance to ask
them about themselves or seek their advice about his new life with the Lord, and
so he wept bitterly for many days. Eventually,
he realised that they will not be returning to him, so he got up and walked in
the beautiful garden. He found the grass sweet to taste, and the water delicious
to drink, so he thanked the Lord. At night he would seek shelter in a cave, and
the crosses on his rod would brighten up like beams of light leading him to his
cave. Whenever he leaned on the rod, the Lord would shorten the distance for him
to walk. He
lived for many years in the garden, feeding on its grass which tasted like honey
in his mouth, and drank from its sweet rainwaters. He protected his body from
the heat of the day and the cold of the night by making for himself a covering
from the bark of trees... When
the enemy saw the saint living in such a beautiful garden, and greatly cared for
by the Lord, he was enraged with envy, so he at once approached an evil group of
people who were his followers and would not disobey his orders. He appeared as a
man from the West and told them, "Dwellers of the wilderness, get up and
come with me for I will show you a hidden treasure which I cannot steal without
your help!" Anxiously they got up and followed him on horses, taking for
themselves food and water. The devil lead them to the saint's garden, and when
they saw it they rejoiced and exclaimed, "The treasure must be hidden in
this garden which is in the care of that young man!" The devil pointed
towards the saint, but when they tried to approach, the saint and the garden
were hidden from their sight. All that was revealed to them were high mountains,
but no clear path leading to the garden. It is evident therefore, that this
garden was only for those who were pure in heart, and those who pleased the Lord
by their deeds; and thus He rewarded them. These
evil men remained on the mountain for three days during which time all their
food and water had finished. They became distressed when they could see the
fresh springs and the fruitfulness of the garden, but could not reach it. The
enemy then approached the saint in a frightening figure and stood at a distance
saying, "You are not a worshipper, you are not merciful, you are not even
obedient to God, and you are not a friend to strangers, as the Commandment
says, for can't you see those men thirsty but have no water to drink? Get up at
once and serve them, so that you will achieve the blessing and reward from God
and forgiveness of your sins!" The saint thought these words to be from God
alerting him, so he arose and went to the men, taking from them a container and
filling it with the sweet water from his garden. But when they Followed him back
to the garden, something prevented them from entering and the garden was hidden
once more from their sight. The evil men then turned to one another and said,
"This man must be from God... let us get up and leave this place quickly,
before the wrath of God comes down on us... One of these men had a garment and
offered it to the saint because he saw him naked and only clothed in tree bark,
but when the saint refused to take anything from them, they left, and so the
enemy's plan was in vain... They
returned to the rest of their group and told them all the things they saw. They
spoke about a righteous man who lived in a beautiful garden, which no one could
enter or approach without the saint's permission. "We found him to be a
lover of God and he kindly gave us water to drink from his garden. We remained
in the mountains for three days, during which time we never tasted water so
sweet, as the water from the saint's garden!" But
the devil never rested... This time, he took another group of his followers,
disguised them to look like saints and lead them to the garden. When the saint
noticed that they never prayed, nor mentioned the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
nor looked towards the heaven, the Lord directed his thoughts in righteousness
and by doing the sign of the cross on them, they immediately fled. So the saint
praised and thanked the Lord. Abba
Khristozolos lived in solitude for many years in obedience to God and away from
all worldly desires. He willingly accepted his new life with Jesus Christ,
forgetting the world and all that belonged to it. As
the Lord revealed to him that the hour of his death was soon approaching, the
saint asked the Lord to send on the day of his departure, the three fathers whom
he met in the beginning of his life in the wilderness, so that they may pray on
him and bury his body. As he was thinking about the three elders who came to him
that night, leaning on rods with beautiful bright crosses, he suddenly heard a
voice calling him, "The Lord has answered your prayers and has sent us to
you so that you may tell us your life story and it shall be shared and told to
others too..." As the saint told his story, one of the elders memorised it
by heart, and when the hour had come for the saint's departure, the elder asked
his fellow wilderness dweller to write the story and send it to his home town of
Aen Shams. The
saint's birth name was Alian, his father's name was Youstos, and his mother's
name was Kalmana. His birth town was Aen Shams. This beautiful saint had
accomplished his Christian struggle on earth, and had passed away on Tuesday the
10th day of Abib, in the peace of God who preserves us all in His love. To
Him is all glory, honour and worship now and forever, Amen. A
Hermit in the Glass Monastery Abba
Boctor, the writer and abbot of the Descending Monastery, commonly known as the
Glass Monastery in the city of Alexandria said: Listen
my beloved brethren and believers of the Lord Jesus, I shall tell you what I saw
with my own eyes! At
the age of twelve, I greatly desired monasticism and so came to the monastery
where I lived with a saintly man who used to write spiritual books. He gave me
the best education and teachings and eventually I became a writer too. The Lord
enlightened my heart and eyes and I accepted his teaching with great love. Many
years after my teacher died, I became the abbot of the monastery, much against
my will as I loved to live the life of solitude. When
I became abbot, I found it very difficult to find time to write despite people
asking me to write many books. As a result they approached the Patriarch and
requested that he replace me as abbot so that I may dedicate more time to
writing. I loved to write the stories of saints, especially those I met. One
day while I was meditating upon the many wonders of the saints; their struggle
and their victory over the devil, I looked out of my cell window and I saw a
monk walking hastily towards the monastery. His clothes were very worn out and
when he approached the monastery, I viewed him closely. He seemed very tired and
leaned against the wall of the monastery to rest a while. I quickly said to one
of my disciples, "Go down to the monastery and bring that monk to me!" The
monk greeted me and together we sat down. I asked him about his story; where he
had come from and where he was going. He answered, "I have lived in the
wilderness of Saba for several years now and I want to receive the Holy
Communion and see my saintly fathers, before I die. In my sleep last night, I
had a vision of someone telling me, "Get up and hurry to the Descending'
Monastery (the Glass Monastery), for you shall see there, the saints whom nobody
knows about; see them, receive the Holy Communion and know that after ten days,
you will depart from this vanishing world to be with your Heavenly Father in His
home. The saintly fathers will pray on you and bury your body..." I got up
immediately, seeking this place though I did not know the way, but when I began
to walk, I heard the voices of people talking, and so I turned around to see
three men dressed in white carrying in their hands censors full of incense. They
were praying and giving praise to the Lord and they lifted up their heads
towards Heaven hourly one after the other. I was overwhelmed by the beautiful
sight and praised God. I approached and asked them to pray for me; so they
blessed me. I asked them where they were going and they answered, "We are
going to the Descending' Monastery." I
followed closely behind them, and within a short time, we arrived at this
monastery. We sat at the door for a moment to rest and I did not even notice
anyone opening the monastery door, but when the three elders entered and I
followed, they disappeared from my sight. I was very puzzled." Abba Boctor
then said to the monk, "I saw you coming forth out of the wilderness, but I
did not see anyone with you." When I Boctor turned towards the saint, I
could not look into his face as it resembled the face of an angel, so I
glorified God. I
then took the saintly father and went into the church as it was time for the
Holy Mass. He received the Holy Communion, and later we returned to my cell.
When I offered him food to eat, he said, "I have not seen food for many
years; my food is the grass of the wilderness and I drink rain water." He
then took out some grass and ate from it, "This is sufficient for me for a
week." He also gave some of it to me and late it. He stayed with me for
seven days, telling me the stories of the Hermit Fathers in the wilderness, of
those who eat from the grass of the wilderness. I asked, "My saintly
father, I ask you for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ to pray for me so that
He may lead me on the path of righteousness and humility so that I will never
have need for this earthly food." He smiled saying, "If you would like
to come with me, then come along." I
found it difficult to walk because I spent most of my life sitting down in order
to write holy books, and also because of the weakness of my faith. The hermit
father said, "Ask and you will be given, seek and you will find, knock
and it will be open to you, for whoever asks will take and whoever seeks will
find and whoever knocks it will be open for him " (Luke 11:9-10). He
then said, "I shall go now, but later I will return to you." In less
than three hours he returned and brought with him more of the wilderness grass.
I was touched by the purity of this saint's hands and heart and how he pleased
the Lord with his simple deeds. I
was thinking about what the hermit father had said earlier, about having only
ten days left before departing to the Eternal Home. Eight days had already
passed. On the ninth day he said to me, "I wish, my saintly brother, that
you bury my body when I die tomorrow and bury my bones with my fathers the
saints." I asked him, "Please tell me, where are the bones of those
saints?" He warmly smiled saying, "Boctor the writer, do you not yet
know? Get up and come with me." So I got up immediately and followed him.
He walked me to the outside of the monastery and I saw tombs I had never seen
before. I saw saintly fathers coming forward to greet him and pray on him. I
stood watching from a distance and heard one of them saying to him, "We are
waiting for you to come and be with us..." As
I heard their beautiful voices, I could not lift up my eyes to look at them or
ask anything of them. I then heard voices praising and singing triumphantly, "Holy
God, Holy God Lord of host, heaven and earth are full of Your glory and
honour!" I turned and lifted up my eyes but could not see them, I found
the saintly hermit father had passed away and was lying on the ground. Woe to me
from that hour! How can I bury his pure body? How can I make for him a tomb like
these other tombs belonging to the saintly fathers? I approached and kissed him
and there I saw beside him a grave already dug. I carried him carefully and
placed him within, then left wondering about the story of this saint and the
many blessings the Lord has bestowed upon him because of his patience, faith and
peace. I
went back to my cell and told my brethren the monks what I saw. They rejoiced
when I told them about the place of the saint's tombs. When I took my fellow
brethren to the tombs, so that they could take their blessings, I became
disorientated and could not remember nor find the saints' tombs and so I My eyes
were weak from ageing, sol ate from the grass the saint had given me and
immediately my sight became stronger and I was able once again to continue
writing holy books. I
wrote this story so that the believers might know the extent of God granting
grace to those who follow His commandments and do His will, without allowing
anything of this world to touch their heart, for this world with its deceit and
desires can cause some of the chosen to fall. Therefore take care my brethren to
please the Lord by being obedient to His will so that you may be found blameless
on the day of judgement and thus achieve the kingdom of heaven. Glory
be to the Father, to the Son and to the Holy Spirit one God forever, Amen. Abba
Zakaria the Hermit Abba
Jacob once said: When
I was still a monk in the monastery, before being ordained bishop, I wanted to
go to the town of Tarnot to visit one of my fellow brethren. I took a rod in my
hand to support me while walking, and around midday I felt thirsty so I stopped
for a while and drank from a nearby river. At the river I saw three barbarians
who had seized a man who was trying to cross over. They stripped the man of all
he had, took his horse and tied him up wanting to kill him by drowning him in
the river. I watched them from a distance so that they could not see me and when
they were about to kill him, I raised my voice and shouted loudly. They thought
I was one of the governor's soldiers manned with an army, and so being terrified
they jumped into the river. As it was the season for high tide, they all sank as
they clung together, until they were seen no more. After
this incident I sat alone and thought to myself, "Today I left my cave and
saw this disturbing scene. It was because of me that these men have drowned.
Perhaps later in their lives they may have repented but it is my fault for
preventing this." It only
occurred to me after this incident, that what Happened was a lesson from God to
show me the fate of a sinner. I
approached and untied the man telling him to take only his belongings and leave
immediately for he was saved from death. I did not know which possessions
belonged to him, but it was obvious that the love of the world had consumed his
heart because he wanted to take all that belonged to the three barbarians as
well. We were both heading towards Tarnot and although he was walking alongside
me I did not ask him where he was from or where he was going. On the way I spoke
to him about the devil's traps and enticements but he refused to listen. When
we reached Tarnot, he took out the sword which belonged to one of the
barbarians, and went into the market place to sell it. A man quickly approached
him and asked, "From where did you get this sword?" He replied,
"It belongs to me, I bought it and now I'd like to sell it." But the
man grabbed him and said, "I want the man from whom you bought this sword,
for it belongs to my brother who has now been missing for the past six days and
I do not know what has happened to him. You must have killed him and then taken
his sword!" He then took him to the governor telling him that; "This
man has killed my brother and has taken his sword!" Witnesses also
validated this after recognising the sword and seeing the robber could not
justify himself. The governor then ordered that the robber be beheaded by the
stolen sword. The news of this event spread throughout the town, however, I
Jacob, was still uncertain as to whether it was the same man or another. Taking
with me my fellow monk, we went out and saw this same man being bound hands and
feet a waiting to be beheaded. Quickly I went to the governor pleading,
"May God preserve your life for I have something I would like to tell
you... As he patiently listened to my words, I told him my eyewitness account
and story of this man, and the governor was greatly amazed. Accordingly he then
ordered that the man be released once all the stolen belongings are returned to
the barbarians' relatives. Thus
this man was saved in the first place from being slaughtered and drowned and
secondly from being beheaded by a sword he had stolen. After this final
incident, the young man approached me saying, "My father the monk, I would
like to repent to God and leave this world, in order to be your son." I
answered him, "My son, you cannot live the life of monasticism and solitude
for no one can live this life unless he is patient, denies all worldly Desires
and practises prayer and fasting. He loves all people and pleases God by his
good deeds. He does not keep company with the evil or exalts himself with the
proud..." After
teaching him the traditions and rites of monasticism he still insisted on a
solitary life, sol said, "Get up my son, and beware of laziness because it
leads to sin. " As the three of us (including my fellow brother the monk)
returned to the monastery, I wondered about this man, who he was and how old he
was? I left him behind with the monk from Tarnot, asking my fellow brother to
take care of him and teach him prayer and fasting. Our
new brother had the responsibility of keeping watch at night and guarding the
monastery door. He was a strong and healthy man and in his new life his deeds
were pleasing to God. Thus I dressed him with the holy 'eskeem' of monasticism,
and daily he diligently increased in virtues and prayer and fasting. One
night as he was praying, the enemy of goodness, the devil, came to him in the
appearance of his father (as his mother had already passed away). He approached
the saint saying, "My son, Zakaria, I have worked hard for your sake all my
life and I thought you would at least support me now in my old age. So what has
hardened your heart against me and why are you living alone? I am now an old man
and I have no one but you; I want to give you all the money and riches that I
have, lest someone else takes it." The devil was so deceiving that the
saint believed this message to be true. The
next morning, Zakaria came to me asking, "Father Jacob, I need to go to
Tarnot to see my father and be assured of his health; and I shall return after
three days. I would like to ask for your permission as I have not seen him for
the past three years and during my prayers, he appeared to me saying, "I
want you to come to me and take my money which I have left for you, lest someone
else takes it, for I am dying..." I
the weak Jacob, realised at once that this vision was from the devil, who had
become envious of his new life of worship. Therefore I advised him not to go to
Tarnot. That same night, the devil came to him again repeating what he had said
previously. Once again the saint asked for permission, but when I refused, he
thought I had selfish intentions and so he disobeyed me and left on When he
arrived at Tarnot, he greeted his father who asked him, "My son, why have
you left the monastery and your pure life of solitude?" The saint answered,
"It was you who drove me out of the monastery!" He told his father
about the two visions, to which his father replied, "My son, I have not
left this house for the past year; I do not know what you are talking about, for
I do not even know the monastery where you abide." The saint at once
realised that it was the devil who came to him and encouraged him to leave his
monastery. When
he returned to his cell, he locked the door and wept bitterly for allowing
himself to be enticed by Satan's deception. He wept for many days until his
heart was purified from all evil thoughts. On
Palm Sunday, he came to me after prayers and said, "Father Jacob I would
like to say goodbye, and I ask you to pray for me, for I would like to go to The
Holy House in Jerusalem to pray there and by the will of God, I shall return
quickly." I replied, "My son, there is no way you can make it, for
there are only five days left before Easter." But he refused to listen. After
Honouring his wish, I saw three men standing waiting for him so I held him and
asked, "Son, who are those men?" He answered, "They are monks
from the monastery of Saint Macanus the Great; we are going together because
they know the way." He did not take with him food or money in his belt, nor
shoes on his feet; but clothed himself in worn-out wool. I farewelled him and
watched as the four of them ventured off together. I did not know what will
happen during their journey nor what would become of him; undoubtedly the three
monks are saints but as for this brother, he had not yet reached their level of
spirituality. After
the glorious Easter, I the weak Jacob, went and entered his cell where I found
three gigantic dragons. When they tried to attack me, I quickly escaped. I heard
voice shouting, "Jacob!" three times. I thought these beasts were from
the devil, so I glorified God, blessed His Holy name and made the sign of the
cross on my face. The dragons came forth rolling on the ground, and I heard a
voice saying, "The monk who was living in this cell, used to bring us food
and drink, and now it is seven days since we have had anything to eat or drink
You are the abbot of this monastery, how is it therefore that you do not know
about us?" I said to them, "God willing, I will provide for you all
food and drink." After doing this, I then warned the brethren from
approaching Brother Zakaria's cell. On
the tenth day, the three monks from Abba Macanus' monastery returned. I quickly
went up to them but hesitated to ask about my son Zakaria, as he did not return
with them. They began telling me stories of the beautiful City of Jerusalem and
I wished so much to one-day go there. Within myself, I wondered how these
fathers walked to Jerusalem and back in such a short time! From the time my son
left me to venture with the three fathers from the monastery of Abba Macarius, I
had not heard from him or about him. Following
my ordination as priest, I the weak and unworthy Jacob, was ordained a bishop
and as I was standing in the church on the day of my ordination, I saw my
spiritual son and his three friends present. No one else could see them but
myself and I was astonished about this. After the celebrations, I ran out to
greet them, but sadly, I could no longer find them so I said to myself,
"Why did I do that? I must have driven them away!" When
I entered the sanctuary, they were standing before me and after the reading of
the Holy Gospel, they approached the Iconostasis and I heard them proclaiming,
"Lord have mercy!" three times. They received the Holy Cornmunion and
quickly left, while I stood entranced watching them. I told the priests who were
with me in the church, to hurry up and catch those monks, but regrettably they
could not find them. I wept bitterly because I did not have the chance to talk
to them. In
the evening I headed back to my cell in Oseam where I saw four men facing
eastward praying. I stood at a distance watching and wondering who they were, as
I noticed they were dressed in monastic habits. I took a lamp and went towards
them, and as the light shone on their faces, I recognized them to be the blessed
fathers and my spiritual son. I rejoiced exceedingly and quickly brought them
food to eat. After eating, they bid me farewell, and left glorifying the Lord
Jesus Christ, who alone is worthy of glory, honour, dominion and worship with
His gracious Father and the Holy Spirit giver of life, now and forever and ever.
Amen. Abba
Moussa the Hermit In
the vast wilderness of Sheheet, there lived an ascetic monk in the valley of
Habib. Living for the glory of Christ alone, he denied all worldly pleasures and
humbled himself to be clothed in weaved palm branches. He spent his time in
fervent prayer, patiently tolerating the heat of the day and the cold of the
night. Satisfied with only small portions of food, he ate only once every few
days, and he kept watch of the time by observing the moon. God
was pleased with his pure heart, and so leads him to a garden of olive and palm
trees. He would eat from whatever fell, according to his need, and happily drank
rainwater. Because of his gentleness, the beasts became his friends and loved
him. When it was time for his prayers, he would cross himself, and immediately
the beasts would leave him in peace. The
beasts felt that this man was a man of God and one year when there was an awful
drought, all the animals gathered together outside his cell and screamed as if
to beg the saint to pray for rain. Also, if any of the beasts were ill, they
would approach the saint, as if to ask for his blessings, and they would
immediately be healed... for thirty five years the saint lived in peace and
complete harmony with the beasts in the wilderness... but the enemy was not far
away. The
devil envied the saint's patience and his friendship with the beasts of the
wilderness, and so said to himself, "How could such a human overcome me,
me, the mighty and evil one of fire and light. I must make him obey me!"
Immediately he appeared as a very old monk, with long white hair, bareheaded
and dressed in sackcloth. Supporting himself by a rod in his hand, he walked
slowly, from one valley to the next, but never stopped to pray. Watching from
afar, the saint wondered about this old ascetic who should well be accustomed to
prayer and worship. As the saint approached him, the devil pretended that his
eyes were dimmed from old age and so did not look or speak with the saint one
word. They spent that night together and every time the saint uttered the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ, in his prayers, or did the sign of the Holy Cross-,
the old man would disappear. The saint thought that it was because of his
unworthiness that God kept hiding the old man from him and every time the saint
spoke to him, the old man would not reply. They remained as such for three
days... On
the fourth day he answered the saint, "What do you want from me my son the
saint, you who pleases God by your deeds; blessed are you for He has prepared a
place in His house for you since the beginning of the world!" When the
beasts saw this old man, they were all frightened and ran away, so the saint
wondered what was the purpose of this reaction. The old man asked the saint his
name, how long he had lived in the wilderness, what he ate, what he drank and
what he wore? He then said to the saint, "Son, you are chosen of God; so
now tell me about yourself so that I may too share my story with you." The
saint then began, "Father, I was born in Damshish, Alexandria and my name
is Moussa. When I was about thirteen years old, I ventured into the wilderness
of Sheheet, where I lived together with a monk in a small cell. He taught me
about the beautiful rites and traditions of monasticism. At the age of twenty, I
no longer had any regard for this materialistic world, but greatly longed for
eternal life. I knew that the path to eternity could only be reached through
prayer and fasting and abiding in the Lord and His commandments. So I left
everything pertaining to the world, to seek peace and solitude with Christ in
the wilderness. Yours is the first human face I have seen in many, many years,
but I wonder, are you a dweller from a foreign wilderness ? For three days I
have known you and have not yet seen you pray. Please teach me how to pray so
that I may learn from you and receive your blessings." The old man
responded, "Son, when I was a young man, I had countless wealth, indulged
in eating and drinking and hated the poor. I had a passion for adultery and on
such I spent all my money. I even stole, lied and envied viciously. I spent many
years of my life enjoying these worldly pleasures, until I realised my
frightening fate in hells' fire and torment. So I gathered together my
belongings and wealth and distributed it to the poor, in search for eternal
life. For the past forty years I have lived in Barka. I am sure that God has
forgiven me my sins, because when I felt the day of my death approach I asked
the Lord to send someone to pray on me and bury my body. I was not familiar with
praying or any of the Christian rites and sacraments, for my upbringing was not
Christian, but I felt that because I had distributed my possessions to the poor,
God was pleased with me, and thus had mercy on me. I dwell in Taouna, one of the
five cities in Barka near Alexandria. God had revealed to me your life story and
dwelling place, and so I have come seeking you. I have only forty days left
before I die, and the Lord has shown me the place where He wants me to be
buried. Get up my son and follow me!" Obediently, the saint followed
without realising it to be the deceit of the devil, the enemy of
Righteousness. As
they walked, they saw in the midst of the desert a majestic palace, as if
belonging to a king. As the old man approached it, the saint followed closely
behind. The palace was surrounded by beautiful gardens and its magnificence was
overwhelming. The elder said to the saint, "Come, my money is buried here,
so here too you must bury my body, so that you may acquire a large inheritance
for yourself. In time, another elder like myself will also bury your body next
to mine. After ten days I will pass away... beware of the devil for he despises
truth and righteousness!" As
the saint approached the palace door, he marvelled over its beauty and its
peculiar situation in the isolated desert. Turning, he saw a woman dressed in a
royal gown, and so frightened, he stepped back from her. But the old man said,
"Take care and listen closely my son, for I shall tell you my reason in
bringing you here and what is required of you. If you do not adhere to my words,
great sufferings will come upon you, and you shall no longer have the patience
and long suffering to bear the heat of the day and the cold of the desert
nights. This
majestic palace was built by my forefathers and it was the home I was brought up
in. As I have already related to you, in my youth I was merciless with my wealth
and was always hungry for more, until the day I decided to leave this
materialistic world to live the life of solitude in the wilderness. However,
before having taken this decision, my wife bore a child and said to me, 'she is
yours, take care of her.' She died shortly after. I have done my best to bring
up my daughter in the best possible way, but as you can see, my daughter is now
beautiful woman, and yet I cannot find her a husband more suitable than
yourself. Consider, and do not disappoint me, for when we look at the examples
of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we learn that marriage is a blessing
from God, and is not a sin!" But the saint declared, "Woe to you 0 my
soul, for how can you dare commit such a thing!" When the saint
saw that the old man's hour of death was approaching, he asked, "What do
you require of me in your hour of deliverance?" to which the devil replied,
"I give to you my palace and all that is therein, I also give you my
beloved daughter to be your wife." And having said this, the devil
pretended to die. Immediately the saint carried his body to the place instructed
and shown to him by the old man, and there buried him. Having
done this, the saint then tried to enter the palace, but suddenly he was caught
up in a violent whirlwind, which lifted him high and abruptly dropped him on the
ground. The saint landed on his back, as if dead... After
he regained consciousness, he did not find a trace of the palace, and found
himself in the midst of the wilderness, not far from his cave. He was extremely
angry, and roamed about restlessly looking for food, as he was hungry. He ate
from the grass of the wilderness, but its usual sweetness was replaced by
bitterness, so he spat it out and threw the grass away. The beasts, who had
loved him were now frightened of him. The coldness of the desert night was now
uncomfortable for him and he became lost and frightened in the desert. It then
occurred to him that this old man was the devil in disguise; the enemy of all
mankind... The
saint then said to himself, "Woe to you my soul, woe to you! I beg you dear
God to give me time to repent!" Because of his inability to no longer cope
with the hunger and thirst, and cold and heat of the wilderness, he got up with
the intention of venturing into the world... Again the devil came to him as an
old man riding a donkey. Approaching he asked, "Where are you going?"
to which the saint replied, "I am going to the city of Alexandria."
The old man was delighted at the prospect of deceiving this saint another time,
and so eagerly said, "I too am going to Alexandria, come with me and I
shall take you there upon my donkey!" The devil's intention was to take the
saint as far away from the wilderness as possible, so that he would not have the
chance to repent and weep for his sins; for the devil is aware of how merciful
God is to those who turn away from sin. The old man gave the saint water to
drink and food to eat, and quickly led this lover of God out of the wilderness. He
then took him to a place near Alexandria, called Hala, and told him that this
village has an abundance of exotic fruits and produce, including grape vines and
fig trees. He also told him that the people of this village were the most
hospitable in all the region. Having said this, the devil departed from the
saint. Venturing
towards the village, the saint noticed a well from which people were drinking.
As he stood watching them, the devil appeared to him, once again, but as a
beautiful woman clad in worn out cloth. Upon her bare shoulder she carried an
urn with which to fill up with water from the well. She came toward the saint
and asked, "Who are you, and where are you from?" The saint replied,
"I am a dweller of the wilderness and have come to this village to seek
something to eat and drink." The woman offered, "Come, rest in my
house this night, and I shall give you food, drink and comfort." After
the saint had filled himself with food and drink, the woman went in to change
her clothes, and later emerged in a seductive dress. She approached the saint
and said, "I can see on you the signs of repentance, for no doubt you are
an ascetic," to which he replied, "Yes, however, I have been deceived
by the devil who disguised himself as an old man, for the purpose of driving me
out of the wilderness." Intrigued, she questioned him further about this
incident, and the saint, having trusted her, revealed all. The
woman eventually brought up the subject of marriage, while telling him her life
story. She told him of how she was the king's daughter, and how after his death,
she inherited a great fortune. When the saint seemed convinced of her story, she
said to him, "One thing I lack, and that is a husband. The only hindrance
between us is that I am Jewish, and the daughter of a rabbi priest; therefore, I
cannot marry you before you deny your Christ, for in my religion there is no
Christ, nor do we know about Christ." Immediately the saint declared,
"I will not tolerate listening to you any further, for how can I deny my
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ?" To this she replied, "You will not be
the first one to deny Him!" But because of her enticements and deceptions,
the saint eventually fell into her trap. She then requested, "I want you to
shave your head, cut your nails, and take off your old clothes, for I shall
dress you in the clothes of a prince, but only after preparing for you a bath of
holy water which has been blessed by my priest..." Such
was the cunning trickery of the evil one over our saint! Later in the
evening, the woman said to him, "Get up and follow me, for I shall show you
where my treasure is hidden!" She led him into the midst of a vast,
frightening wilderness, full of wild beasts... The saint became very thirsty,
but looking around, he could not find anything to drink, so she said to him,
"Stay where you are; I will go up to the top of this mountain to look for
water, and then I will call you to come." He remained waiting for her at
the foot of the mountain, but when she had reached the top, she called out to
him in a loud voice,
"You, 0 weak and helpless saint who suffered and strived all these years in
the wilderness, come, for you have now embraced the devil, for behold, I am one
of his soldiers! You have denied your Christ for the worship of my father the
devil, who will overcome the human race, for he is the one preventing the Jews
from believing in Christ! Woe to you and joy for me! Now I have deceived you and
fulfilled my intention of keeping you away from your worship, so that you may
die a horrible death in this vast wilderness, for alas, there is no way
back!" Having exclaimed this, she vanished. He
looked around, seeking a path to follow, or water to drink, or shelter for his
body, but could find none... and so he became overwhelmed with fright and
anguish... and thought about the trials brought upon him by the evil one. After
returning to his senses, he was greatly sorrowful and cursed himself saying,
"Woe to you 0 my soul for you abandoned the path of righteousness and
eternal life, to tread upon the road leading to hell and destruction! Woe to
you, for you have fallen victim to the passing pleasures of the world in place
of eternal riches. Imagine how many riches you have lost! Woe to you my soul,
for you have denied the name of your Lord and Saviour! Have you forgotten that
He created you and blessed you with a mind, and gave you His Word, so that
through understanding you may know what is right and what is harmful? I have
disobeyed my God for the sake of satisfying my bodily desires! Woe to you 0 my
soul for neglecting God's kingdom in exchange for vain glories on earth!" He
cried bitterly, and like the righteous Job, exclaimed, "May the day
perish on which I was born, and the night on which it was said 'a male child is
conceived...' As for that night, may darkness seize it; may it not be included
among the days of the year, may it not come to the number of the months. 0, may
that night be barren! May no joyful shout come from it" (Job 3:3, 6-7). "why
did lever take notice of that old man and listen to him, for he caused me to
deviate from my path of righteousness? How did I ever consider following him?
Woe to you 0 my soul for finding pleasure in the appearance of the palace and
the woman who lived within! Woe to me, for I left the wilderness to be led
astray and deceived by the trickery of Satan's soldier! Woe to you 0 my soul,
woe to you!" He
lifted up his hands towards heaven and wept, then threw himself to the ground
and rolled in the dust. He prayed and cried grievously, "0 my Lord Jesus
Christ, have mercy upon me, my Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon me..!"
Then our great, loving and merciful God, looked down from the heights of heaven
and heard his pleadings and prayers, and saw the repentant tears of the saint,
confessing his sins and declaring his earnest desire to live the remainder of
his life in repentance. Our beloved Lord Jesus Christ willingly accepts everyone
who turns to Him through repentance. The
Lord then sent His angel to comfort the saint saying, "After three days,
you will depart this vanishing world to be united with your Heavenly Father and
the whole host of saints and angels, and I will send to you Abba Samuel, whose
deeds are well pleasing to the Lord, and he will pray on you and bury your
body." Having said this, the angel then departed from him. once
again be His child!" In joy of God's love, they embraced each other, then
blessed and prayed for one another. The saint then told the monk all that had
happened to him, and how the devil never left him... at the palace... in the
wilderness... at the well... And
the saint revealed all... Abba
Moussa then confessed to Abba Samuel the monk, "From the time I first dwelt
in the wilderness, during the leadership of Pope Benjamin of Alexandria, to
this present time, I have not had Holy Communion." At once, Abba Samuel, a
monk-priest, said to him, "Get up my son and follow me." After
having walked a short while, we came to a beautifully built church with doors
that were open wide. There was no one inside, so we entered and prayed. Abba
Samuel then turned to me and asked, "Do you know this place?" to which
I replied, "No my father, I have neither seen this church nor known about
it before." He looked at me with warm, gentle eyes and said, "This
church is usually reached only after a ten day walking journey through the
wilderness..." As he was saying these words, a group of saintly fathers
came into the church, lit all the church lanterns, and dressed themselves in the
beautiful, bright vestments for celebrating the Holy Mass. The priest offering the
Korban (Holy Bread), was Abba Samuel. Together we all shared in this glorious
occasion in partaking of our beloved Lord's Body and Blood. After
the Holy Mass, I quietly asked Abba Samuel, "Father, who are these
people?" To which he replied, "Each of these fathers live a solitary
life in the wilderness, but on this day each year, they gather here to celebrate
the Holy Mass and receive the Holy Communion. They meet here in this church
which was built by the righteous King Aghabious, who reigned over the five
cities of Alexandria. He was a strong believer and lover of our Lord and Saviour
Jesus Christ, and so all the people used to come regularly to this church to
pray. However, in time the sins of the people became great, and therefore the
Lord hid His blessed house from their sight and revealed it to the saintly
desert dwellers so that it could be their home and burial place. But it is
better that you not concern yourself with anyone or anything other than God
Himself." Abba
Moussa then asked me, "Father Samuel, please show me the place where the
saints' bones are buried." I led him to the revered place, opened the door
for him and watched him enter. He knelt down and rested his forehead on the body
of one of the saints in order to receive his blessings. After tarrying there
awhile, I called out to him, but there was no response. I approached him and
found that his soul had departed his pure body. I carefully covered him, took
his blessings, and walked out locking the door behind me. I
went back to my place and began writing his life story. I the weak Samuel, have
written and recorded this story in my own handwriting in Greek and have given it
to a fellow believer who was travelling through an oasis. I have requested that
he take this scroll and place it in St. Mark's Cathedral in Alexandria, for all
people to see how much this saint suffered from the trials and tribulations of
the devil, but how God was merciful and loving to him because of his fervent
prayers and repentance. In this blessed story, I have also mentioned the church
in which Abba Moussa had passed away, so that it may be remembered forever. Glory,
honour, blessing, praise and worship are due to the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit, now and forever more, amen. Mar
Olag El Sabaii, the Hermit Born
of righteous parents, he was brought up in a family with strong Orthodox
beliefs, and as the Lord says, "a tree is known by its fruits. "
The grace of God enlightened his mind and so he left this world with all its
vain glories and desires to live in a monastery with saintly fathers. He
remained there a few days before venturing into the wilderness seeking the cave
of a righteous solitaire called Isezoros. This saintly man abounded in spiritual
virtues and was filled with the love of God. The elder accepted the young saint
happily and found for him a cave beside his own. After
testing him, the saint found him to be obedient in all his doings, and felt that
he will be a chosen one of God. When Isezoros knew the purity of this young
man's heart, he clothed him in the 'eskeem' of monasticism, and strengthened him
in his spiritual life. As a result, the saint would fast with a smile; being
silent, obedient and humble in all things and towards his spiritual father
Isezoros. When the evil one saw the young saint increasing in virtues and the
grace of God daily, he was enraged with anger, and sought to make war with him,
but all in vain, for the love of God, and the prayers of his spiritual father,
enabled him to overcome all trials and emerge as a victorious knight. Within
a few years, he became so filled with the grace and spiritual strength of his
spiritual father Isezoros,just like Elisha the disciple of Elijah the prophet.
He would fast diligently without food for ten days, then feed on the grass of
the wilderness. He would spend the night in vigil with his hands outstretched
towards heaven, just like a cross, and when he would feel the need to rest he
would lean against the wall and sleep awhile. For
these reasons, Satan was afraid to approach the saint as he would sit in his
cave enjoying God's presence and heavenly visions. As for Father Isezoros, he
became very old, yet because of his spiritual struggles and hardships, God gave
him the strength to conquer Satan to the last moment of his life. He knew by the
Spirit that it was time for him to go to the place where, "eyes
have not seen, or
ears have heard, nor has entered into the heart of man, the things which God has
prepared for those who love Him" (1
Cor 2:9), and because of his great love for our Lord Jesus Christ, this saintly
father was indeed worthy of these heavenly graces. He
called his spiritual son Mar Olag to him and said, "My beloved son, I have
served the Lord all my life and have taken care of my temple, and with the help
of God, He has given me strength to conquer all evil powers. God will not reveal
to us His hidden secrets if we are not purified from our sins; as the Apostle
has said, "You are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you"
(1 Cor 3:16).
So be pure my son, both in body and heart, and be without deceit, and our Lord
will fill you with His infinite love and glorious light. Show humility in all
things and be prepared, for one day you will accompany a saint called Mar Okeen
who is the head of a group of saintly fathers, for the Spirit of God has called
him to spiritually shepherd this group of saintly fathers, and by their prayers
the worship of idols will be abolished from all the lands of the East, and all
people will fall down to worship the Lord our God. You too will have a great
inheritance, for God has chosen you." Having said this, he looked towards
heaven and released his soul. With joyful praise the angels carried it to the
Paradise of delight, where it rested with all the saints. Sweet smelling incense
surrounded Father Isezoros' body, indicating the departure of a blessed soul to
be united with the Heavenly King who glorifies His saints. God then began
to reveal His holy will, for, "a lamp cannot be hidden under a
basket." Mar Olag was of ill health, but this
was God's will. Not far from the saint lived many lions; one of which became a
close friend of the saint; even a disciple, serving the saint and never leaving
his side. When the lion saw that the saint was ill, he went roaming the
mountains until he found a shepherd shepherding his flock on the mountain side.
The lion lead him to the saint, and pointed to him as if to say, "See what
the saint needs." The shepherd was very frightened and fell down kissing
the saint's feet saying, "Have mercy on me and save me from this lion,
because it will obey whatever you order it to do!" So the saint answered,
"Do not be afraid, for God because of His mercy ordered the lion to bring
you here to me. Please, bring me some water." The saint drank two mouthfuls
and rested awhile, due to the severity of his pain. The shepherd then said to
the saint, "If my goats were nearby, I would have brought you some milk to
drink and cheese to eat." But the saint answered him, "I have many
goats", and the shepherd assumed he was talking about goats like his own.
The saint offered the shepherd some of the fruits of the wilderness to eat.
After they ate, they glorified God saying, "Blessed are you O God for
giving sweetness to these fruits for the sake of your saints!" The saint
then prayed for the shepherd and asked, "Would
you like to return to your
goats? Do not worry, they are safe, for I have sent seven lions to care for
them." The saint then ordered his lion, "Take this shepherd back to
his goats." The lion immediately carried him on his back and took him to
the place where the goats were being protected by the seven lions, just as the
saintly father had said. So he glorified God. The
shepherd at once went forth into the city to tell his townsfolk about all that
had happened, and anxiously they all sought the saint's cave to receive his
blessings and prayers. The pure saint knew by the Spirit that this is God's
will, and so he came out of his cave to greet each one and bless them. He gave
them figs as a blessing before they returned joyfully to their homes, praising
God. Seven
years had passed since the death of his spiritual father Abba Isezoros, who
prophesied that Mar Olag will one day be in the company of the saint Mar Okeen.
He thought many times on how he would reach the town of Keetis to meet the saint
Mar Okeen. One morning, he looked up and found the lion in his cave. It had
taken the Bible, placed it in a bag, hung it around its neck, then went out and
stood in front of the cave. The saint was astonished and felt that it was God's
intervention. The lion then entered once again, took hold of the saint's tunic
and pulled him out, so the saint was then assured that it was God's will. The
lion lead the saint to the town of Keetis, where he found Mar Okeen with a group
of fathers. When they saw Mar Olag they were very happy and ran to greet him.
Looking at his face, the fathers noticed it was full of light, like the face of
an angel, and the lion remained accompanying and serving the saint, so the
brethren called him 'Mar Olag of the lion'. The lion loved all the brethren and
harm never came to any of them. When
Mar Okeen and his disciples entered Antioch, they found three high priests
secretly offering incense to idols; for King Constantine had ordered the
destruction of all pagan temples and forbade the worship of idols. Mar Olag went
to meet the three priests and the lion stood in front of them so that the
priests could not escape. The saintly father then began preaching to them about
the word of God, and the glory of His infinite love. He prayed for them and
remained with them for six days, until the Lord had heard his prayers and
enlightened their eyes, hearts and understanding to the Truth. Immediately they
repented and implored to the saint saying, "We believe in your God and in
His SonJesus Christ, please pray for us so that God may forgive us our
sins." And so God willingly accepted their repentance. The
saint then took the three men to a nearby spring, made the sign of the cross
three times in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and then
baptised them. He said to them, "Get up my beloved, go to Egypt and ask for
the monastery of Abba Bakhomious, and there be consecrated as monks." They
obeyed him at once and ventured off in search of this hallowed place, where they
were to be ordained as monks and clothed in the holy 'eskeem' of monasticism.
These three new fathers lived for many years in solitude and spiritual
struggles, before departing to the place of eternal rest. The
casting out of evil spirits through the Prayers of the saint Mar Olag The
news of the saint went throughout all the land, and many would seek his cave in
order to ask for his prayers and blessings. +
Once they brought to him a man who had become mentally, physically and
spiritually ill from his many dealings with the devil. The saint knelt on the
ground before God and prayed fervently with tears, then anointed the man's
possessed body in the name of Jesus Christ. The man was immediately healed, and
left glorifying God. +
There was a woman from the town of Batana who was severely possessed by
the devil. When they brought her forward towards the entrance of the saint's
cave, the devil screamed, "I will not enter the cave of this man who
torments my kind!" Once again the saint anointed her with holy oil, and at
once the devil left her exclaiming "Woe to us from Mar Olag the Copt!" +
Another time, they brought to him a barbarian woman who was demon
possessed. They remained outside of the cave's entrance because the lion would
not let anyone enter. After three days the devil came out of her screaming,
"I cannot remain in a place where Olag of the lion is, for he destroys our
work!" +
A barbarian man had been blinded by the devil which possessed him, so he
went to the saint's cave and remained at its entrance for six days; during which
time the Lord had cast out the devil and restored his sight through the prayers
of the righteous saint Mar Olag. +
A young girl from Alexandria was brought to the saint, bound by two iron
chains due to the severity of the devil within her. After three days of being
with the saint, she was healed by the grace of God and by the prayers of Mar
Olag. +
There was a young girl from Halab whose body was covered in ulcers,
because of the devil which had possessed her. She and her parents suffered
greatly because no one could dare look at her. When they took her to the saint,
he took his cross, washed it in water then gave it to her parents saying,
"Anoint her body with the cross." After doing this, she was
immediately healed through his prayers. +
A man from Bethsaida lived all his life in adultery. He went to the saint
begging for his prayers so that he may be released from this sin. On the third
day, the saint allowed him into his cave, and this sinful desire was lifted from
him. +
There was a man from Antioch called Tara, whose hands and feet were so
dry that it was impossible for him to walk. After three days of being with the
saint, he was healed. +
There was a man called Simon who had a daughter whom he loved dearly.
Because she was so beautiful, the neighbours envied her and wanted their son to
marry her. When her father refused, the daughter was so infuriated that she
became possessed. The saint, by the Spirit, had already known her story, without
being told, and so he prayed for her throughout the night. In the morning she
was completely healed and so they knelt before the saint, kissed him and left
praising and glorifying God. The story of this wonderful miracle spread
throughout all the country. +
One day the saint was walking in the wilderness and stopped to rest
within the shade of a tree. The lion went off wandering in the mountains and
returned to the saint followed by a donkey carrying food and drink, and
accompanied by a shepherd. When the shepherd saw the saint, he knelt before him
and said, "Bless me master, for this donkey is mine, and I have felt that
the Lord used this lion to lead us to you so that we may give you something to
eat and drink. Please, I ask you to pray for me." The shepherd told him
about his goats which had leprosy and asked the saint for ablessing to give to
the goats. When the shepherd returned to his flock, he put the blessing which
the saint had given him, in the water which the goats drink from. After drinking
from the water, the goats were healed and they shed new fur. +
The saint went to the town of Balsi and met Mar Okeen and his brethren.
They rejoiced on his arrival, and together they ventured into the wilderness.
The lion was with them, and as it was roaming the mountains, it found a young
boy upon a donkey, carrying loaves of bread. The lion pulled the donkey by the
rope and lead it back to Mar Olag. On arrival, the saint found that the young
boy had died from fright of the lion. The saint cried and lifted up his hands
towards heaven and asked Jesus Christ to raise up the child. The Lord answered
his prayers and the soul of the young boy returned to him. As they talked to
each other, the father of the boy came seeking him and when he saw the boy, he
hugged him and cried, "Two days I have been seeking for you in this
wilderness!" The saint said to him, "Your son was found dead in the
wilderness, but we prayed to the Lord to raise him up, which in His infinite
love He did." The man asked for the blessings of each of the fathers, then
left with his son. When the townsfolk heard of this story, they all glorified
God, and all those with various diseases were cured, through the blessings of
the saint. +
A few days later, the saint and his disciples went down to the River
Euphrates, where they crossed over to the town of Nassiben. There they built a
church and caves for shelter. Some of them preferred to seek shelter in the
shadow of trees, and others on the mountain sides. Wherever they were, they
carried out the work of angels. Mar
Okeen then took them to the shores of the Tiber River, where they preached to
the people and performed many miracles, until the worship of idols ceased.
Accordingly, they returned to the wilderness with exceed mg joy. Mar
Olag was requested to go to the town south of Nassiben. The region was
surrounded by four neighbouring towns, which were active in the worship of
idols. The lion accompanied him throughout all his journeys. One day he went
into each of these four towns, and after doing the sign of the cross on each of
the pagan idols, they crumbled to the ground. Although the people feared what
had happened, they persisted in pursuing their sinful ways, and so rebuilt the
idols. God's wrath came upon the people and so they became very ill and their
bodies were covered in ulcers. They gathered together and said, "These gods
of ours have no power, or else they would have healed us, instead we are
suffering excruciating pain. Let us go therefore, and search for the saint Mar
Olag and he will be able to heal us by his prayers..." When
they found the saint's cave, the lion allowed them entry, so they said amongst
themselves, "This man must be from God, or else the lion would not obey him
so." They asked the saint to pray for them and lead them along the paths of
righteousness. He gathered them together with the people of the four towns and
began preaching to them about our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. He healed them of
their illnesses, and after they repented and declared their faith and belief in
the Lord, he baptised them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit. Mar
Olag's Last Days The
saint longed for the life of solitude in the wilderness and had no desire to
live in the company of fellow human beings. The Lord answered his wish and said
to him, "My beloved Mar Olag, you are to remain in this wilderness for the
rest of your life..." The saint rejoiced and gave thanks to God. He
continuously prayed for the safety of the church and her children, to whom he
preached the faith. One
of Mar Okeen's disciples strayed from the faith and began sowing the seed of
pagan worship. At this time, Mar Olag appeared to three pagan priests in a dream
and said, "Why have you left your Orthodox faith and accepted the deceit of
magicians who worship the devil? Come to me tomorrow and bring with you Mar
Okeen's disciple." When the three priests awoke, they gathered together all
the aristocrats and magicians of the town and told them what they had seen in
their dream. They took along with them Mar Okeen's disciple who said, "I
will prove to you that it was Mar Olag who caused us to stray from the
faith!" When they approached the saint's cave, the lion jumped on Mar
Okeen's disciple and tore him into four pieces. The blessed Mar
Olag departed to the Heavenly Kingdom on the 10th of Abib. He was one hundred
and twenty years old when he died, and he was ten years old when he first
entered the monastery. The lion had served the saint for forty years, and after
Mar Olag's departure, the lion kept guard of his pure body which lay in his
cave. Many came to take their final blessings and be healed of their ailments. Forty
days after his death, God instructed the fathers from the monastery of Mar Okeen
to bring the body of the saint. Two hundred ascetic fathers gathered together,
headed by Father Andras. When they came to Mar Olag's cave, the lion licked
their feet and wept. Carefully they carried the body of the saint. The hair on
his head, and his beard were down to his waist, and when the lion roared loudly,
all the people of the town came. There were twelve thousand men in all. Gabriel,
the man whom the saint had healed from leprosy thirty six years earlier, brought
with him a beautiful tunic in which to clothe the saint's body. As they carried
him away, the lion accompanied them. In
the crowd was a man with one eye who in complete faith, approached the
saint'sbody asking for his intercessions. Immediately God gave him sight, and so
he glorified the Lord who honours and glorifies His saints. They
placed Mar Olag's body in the sanctuary and fasted for three days. After this
time, they took him to the cave of Mar Okeen and dug within, a grave to rest his
holy body. Three
days after Mar Olag's burial, the lion which had accompanied the saint for forty
years, died. Father Andras ordered the brethren to dig a grave and place the
lion within it. To
our Lord be glory and honour, now and forevermore, amen. Queen
Annasimon, the Hermit St.
Annasimon was brought up in her father's palace as one of the royal children.
When she was seven years old, a righteous priest was requested by the king to
teach and show Annasimon the fear of God. He read for her stories of the saintly
Hermit Fathers, monks and solitaires, and the way they cast out devils through
the power of God. Earnestly
she began reading their life stories, with a secret desire to one day live the
life of these saintly fathers. She much preferred to read the stories of saints
than engage herself in royal pomp and ceremonies. The
life stories of these Hermit Fathers touched her heart in a remarkable way.
Under her dress, she wrapped her body in Hessian material, and she forbid
herself from indulging in exotic food. But no one else in the palace was aware
of this. She wanted to escape to a monastery, but she feared her father.
Confused she cried bitterly day and night, lifting her eyes towards the heaven
saying, "My Lord, You know the secrets of my heart, so please ease the way
in which I must go, so that I may do Your will." She prayed continuously
and gave away to the poor whatever came to her from her father's palace, like
food, fruits and goods, and she preferred to eat dry bread and salty cheese. The
Lord knew the purity and faithfuhess of her heart, and how she greatly desired
to do His will. Her
mother had already passed away and when her father, whom had ruled over seven
provinces died, Annasimon became deeply saddened. All the army commanders and
soldiers gathered together and decided to crown the king's daughter Annasimon
queen on her father's throne, so that the kingdom would continue to be stable
and be prosperous. This
honour was much against her will... All
the people of the town, the priests, the bishops and the patriarch, and all the
rulers of the kingdom gathered together to celebrate her enthronement. The
church fathers prayed on her, and all the people rejoiced saying, "Blessed
is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" There was joy and happiness in
the land like there had never been before. She
was very beautiful, and when she sat on her throne all the people obeyed her. To
her was given mighty fortresses and majestic castles. She released all those who
were enslaved and imprisoned in her kingdom. She gladly gave away money and
possessions to monasteries, widows, orphans and to the poor. She remained
steadfast in her praying and fasting and never forgot the most precious thing in
her life - our beloved Lord Jesus Christ. A
year had past since her enthronement, then one night she said to herself,
"Annasimon, the Lord Jesus Christ has given you all that your heart
desires, and you have achieved and fulfilled all your aspirations, therefore,
what reason is there now for you to continue living in this world with all its
passing pleasures and vain glories? If you earnestly desire to attain the
Kingdom of Heaven, get up and prepare yourself now. The Lord has given you
strength and free will, so do not waste any time. Do not let this world and its
lustful desires deceive you and take you away from the joys which are prepared
for you in God's heavenly kingdom. Haven't you read what He has said in His Holy
Bible, 'Whoever does
not carry his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me’?” Immediately
she got up with the intention of fulfilling this commandment. She removed her
crown and said, "My Lord Jesus Christ, it is because of Your great love for
me that I leave this kingdom which I have inherited from my father and
grandfathers." She then dressed herself in an old outfit which belonged to
one of her servants. She knelt at her bed three times and farewelled it saying,
"The Lord be with you until His will be done." She then covered her
head and went out barefoot. She stood for a while at the front of the house and
looked at the beauty of her palace for the last time and said, "I leave you
in the care of Christ." Approaching the palace door, she knelt three times
and kissed the ground saying, "Open the door of Your mercy 0 Lord before
me, for You know my nature; I am a woman and a weak vessel, so please don't ever
leave me. Be my helper and protector, for I know no one but you." She took
her Bible and the small book containing the stories of monasticism and the
Hermit Fathers, then she crossed herself and left the palace grounds quickly,
heading towards the wilderness, out of Constantinople. It
was a dark, cold night, but the angel of God protected her. She knew not where
she was going, but in the morning she saw that her feet were bleeding from
walking so much, and she rejoiced at her new suffering. The
enemy began to frighten her concerning the dangers of a woman travelling
through the wilderness at night on her own, but the Lord eased her fears. When
she became hungry, she ate of the grass of the wilderness, and continued to roam
day and night without any direction, and without seeing a fellow human being. When
the beasts sighted her, they approached her and became her desert friends. She
awoke to their sound early in the morning, and they kept her company until late
at night. The Lord provided for her a palm tree and when she would eat of its
dates, she would wet the stones until they became soft enough for her to eat.
She then thought to herself, "When they want to fatten cattle, they feed
them these wet date stones; woe to you my soul, for you have left your ruling
over people to become queen over beasts of the wilderness!" Later,
she thought to herself, "I will get up now and go to a convent and serve in
its most lowly places, and I will tire for God's sake and be patient in times of
abuse and trial." She walked until she arrived at the door of the convent,
and she appeared to them as a mad runaway. When the gatekeeper saw her, she ran
in and informed the Mother Superior. Annasimon, for the sake of not being over
welcomed, pretended to be mad when she saw the mother approach her with a group
of nuns. She kept stepping back from them as if from fear. The nuns said,
"Look at this poor one; she is crazy!" They mocked her until they were
able to catch her, and then dragged her into the convent. Not knowing what to do
with her, they gave her the responsibility of cleaning the bathrooms, but
whatever Annasimon was ordered to do, she did it with dedication and enthusiasm. Still
pretending to be mad, she would snatch a bowl of soup whenever she became
hungry, then slept on the ground. The nuns constantly wondered about her, and
the more they wondered, the more she continued in her pretence. One
of the monastery fathers questioned the Lord Jesus Christ on the various levels
of spirituality, and so the Lord revealed to him many saintly fathers, but
declared, "None of these fathers have reached the level of spirituality of
St. Annasimon the queen, who left her kingdom, and her power to humble herself
in appearing as a mad woman before many... When
he heard this, he marvelled and sought the convent where it was revealed she
dwelt. On arrival, the nuns ran to take his blessings, then lead him to
Annasimon. When he looked at her, he saw a crown of light upon her head, and on
her body, a heavenly garment. The nuns, not having seen this revelation, said,
"Father, keep away from this woman, for she is crazy!" But in humility
he turned to them and said, "I am the crazy one, the poor and the ignorant.
Open your eyes and look at this pure saint and great queen!" He then took
her by the arm and the saint trembled. He said, "This is Annasimon, the
queen and ruler over seven provinces. She left her palace open for all and
sought the Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart. My beloved Lord has revealed
this to me and has said that no saintly father has reached her level of
spirituality." When they heard these words, they wept and fell at her feet
screaming, "Forgive us 0 pure lady!" They continued pleading with her
all through the night. When they fell asleep, Annasimon opened the convent gate
and quietly escaped. In the morning when then awoke, they could not find any
sign of her. One
day while a priest from the city was in his church resting, he awoke to the
beautiful aroma of incense coming from the sanctuary: "I hurried and opened
the door of the sanctuary and found a person standing in the midst, praying. I
looked about and found all the church doors closed, so in fear, I trembled and
fainted. The person then took my hand and lifted me up saying, "Do not be
frightened", and called me by my name. This in turn made me tremble even
more. The person then said to me, "Hurry and get for me a little flour and
wine in order to make the Holy Bread for Holy Thursday, which will be celebrated
by four hundred fathers." I asked him, "Where are all these
fathers?" and he answered, "It is not for you to know these places;
just take their blessings by doing as I ask." After giving him the flour
and wine, I begged him saying, "For the love of God, please take me with
you so that I may see these saintly fathers." But he answered, "You do
not need this." When I persisted he said, "On this same day next year,
wait for me and I will come to you again." He then farewelled me and left. I
waited anxiously for a year, and on the same day at the same hour, while I was
again resting in the church, I awoke to the sweet smelling incense. I ran to
open the door of the sanctuary and found the same person standing there praying.
I threw myself at his feet and said, "Bless me my master!" and so he
blessed me and I kissed his hands. I asked him about the fathers and he replied,
"they are praying for you." I then said to him, "You have
promised to take me to them." But he answered, "It is better for you
if you do not come with me." I pleaded with him, "Father, for the love
of God, take me with you!" Again he declined, "It is not the time
now,just give me the blessing of flour and wine so that I may prepare the Holy
Bread for Holy Thursday's mass." I did as he requested, but felt very sad,
so he said to me, "Next year, double this blessing and wait for me outside
the city of Alexandria, and I will come to you by the grace of God." He
blessed me, and left me entranced. The
days I had waited in anticipation of this hour seemed forever. When the day had
finally arrived, I doubled the blessing, as he requested, and waited for him
outside the city. He approached me as if a thunderbolt or a mighty gust of wind
which truly frightened me. I fell at his feet and kissed him, then gave him the
blessings of flour and wine. He warmly said to me, "Do you long to see my
fellow brethren?" to which I answered, "Yes master!" So he
ordered, "Hold on to my vestment tightly and do not marvel over what you
will see." The saint took hold of me and made the sign of the cross on my
face saying, "Be strong!" After taking three steps, I was not aware of
what was happening to me. I heard the sounds of mighty winds and crashing waves,
and was incredibly frightened. Before dawn, we
approached a great and beautiful monastery and entered its church. My eyes had
never beheld such beauty. I followed this father into the church and saw a crowd
of saintly fathers, and in fear of them, I trembled. After
celebrating the Holy Mass, and receiving the Holy Communion, I noticed a very
old person who looked like a eunuch, standing at the door of the sanctuary and
was supported on both sides by fellow fathers. The father who accompanied me
said to the brethren, "Bless this priest who supplies us with the blessing
of flour and wine each year!" So each one in turn put their hand on my head
and blessed me. After
this he said, "Now it is time for you to go back to your home and church,
because your people need you." I implored him saying, "For the sake of
God, please leave me here with these saintly fathers!" But he answered,
"This is not possible... for whenever one of these fathers pass away, the
Lord replaces him. .."~ *
We have literally translated this paragraph from the Arabic text, however, the
Coptic Church does not believe that there is a fixed' number of hermits. I
then asked, "Father, who is that elder who looks like a eunuch and is
supported by those two fathers?" He answered, "Brother, this is the
pure saint Annasimon, the daughter of a king who inherited his kingdom, and left
her palace open for all, but she left everything, seeking our beloved Lord Jesus
Christ. There is no one here older than she is, or higher in spirituality. She
is our organizer and our spiritual guardian who leads our thoughts in Christ
Jesus through her purity and holiness She is the head over four hundred
fathers." I marvelled greatly and asked, "How do they survive in the
wilderness?" He answered, "Some eat from the fruit of trees, others
from the grass of the wilderness, and on this day of Holy Thursday, every year,
they come here and gather together for Good Friday and Holy Saturday and Easter
Sunday, to celebrate and remember this special time and partake of the Holy Body
and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. After taking each others blessings, they
return to the wilderness and no one meets the other until Holy Thursday the
following year." He then turned to me and said, "It is time for you to
return to your town." I
left crying for departing this holy place, and as he farewelled me, he said,
"May Jesus Christ keep you!" I
walked only a short while and turned back but could not see the father or the
monastery. I became very thirsty and felt as if I was dying. I dropped to the
ground crying in desperation and suddenly I found standing before me, that
blessed father, so I rejoiced exceedingly. He took me by the hand and said,
"Get up now and go home." As I began to walk, I heard mighty winds and
crashing waves, and after a short time I found myself standing in front of my
church door. I turned and found the father before me ordering, "Do not tell
anyone of the things which have taken place until the day you die." He then
blessed me and left. He
continued visiting me each year to take the blessings of flour and wine, until
the day my death approached. These
are the incidents I saw and witnessed with my own eyes regarding our holy desert
fathers. Each time the blessed father would come to me, I would ask
whether any of his fellow brethren had departed; in the hope of visiting them
once more, but he would answer, "This is not possible..." We
ask our beloved Lord Jesus Christ, who glorifies and gives grace to His saints,
to make us worthy of being together with them in His heavenly kingdom. To
our Lord be glory and honour forever, amen. Abba
Stratios the Hermit During
the reign of one of the Orthodox kings over Rome, there lived a Roman prince who
was responsible for one hundred soldiers. Filled with the grace of God, he
expressed to the king his desire to leave this materialistic world and seek the
company of God as a monk in the wilderness. He
sailed to Alexandria and then traveled on foot to Tor Sinai... This took place
two hundred years after the death of Abba John Aklimakos, the writer of 'The
Ladder of Virtues of the Sinai Fathers, and Abba Anastasi of Sinai, the guardian
of monks'. During Abba John's time, there were two hundred and fifty monks
residing in the Sinai monastery. Abba
Stratios dwelt in this monastery in strict asceticism; being fervent in spirit
and in the love of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so he was clothed with the
'eskeem' of monasticism. After spending several years living within the
monastery and serving his fellow brothers with sincere love, he asked his
spiritual father for his blessings and permission so that he may venture into
the wilderness to dwell there. He left, taking with him a head covering and a
palm branch and went praising God saying, iii will lift up
my eyes to the
hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven
and earth" (Psalm
121:1,2). He
kept walking until the Lord led him to a cave within the inner wilderness, and
there he dwelt, in strict asceticism and fervencies and relentless spiritual
struggle. He fed on the grass which grew on nearby rocks and drank fresh water
from natural springs. He spent all his days praying and fasting, and only when
he felt the need, would he feed upon a handful of grass and a mouthful of water.
He lived as such for twelve years... The
Lord revealed to him that after forty days, he will departed from this temporary
world and is united with the beloved Lord Jesus Christ, and the whole host of
saints and angels. When Stratios felt the hour of his death approach, he made
the sign of the cross in the wind and immediately the wind carried him and
brought him safely inside the monastery. There he met his spiritual father who
had aged very much, and when he saw Stratios, he asked, "Who are you?" 'He
saint replied, "I am your son Stratios, who resided with you in this
monastery twelve years ago... I have come to you because my hour of deliverance
is at hand, and I would like to spend the rest of my time on earth, here with my
fathers in this monastery." His spiritual father embraced him with joy,
then called all the monastery fathers to him, by ringing the bells. Immediately
the fathers gathered and when they saw their fellow brother and Hermit Stratios,
they all rejoiced. 'They
gave him a separate cell, and after he entered, he closed the door... he then
left the monastery without anyone seeing him, and went straight to the tomb of
Abba John Aklimakos, the writer of the Sinai Fathers and Abba Anastasi. He knelt
at Abba John's tomb so that the prayers of these blessed saints, who lived two
hundred years before him, may help him. As
he was kneeling and praying an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said,
'Stratios, the two saints John and Anastasi have come to you to bless you, 0
pure saint, before you depart from this world." Stratios immediately turned Saw
the two saints saying to him, "We will also be present during your
deliverance and the release of your soul, and we will pray for you in the cell
'our fellow brothers have given you." Having said this, they departed and
,'tratios returned to his cell. He
did not tell anyone of the things which took place, except his disciple to whom
he said, "My son, after thirty seven days pass, open the door of my cell,
as it will be the day of my deliverance... do not be neglectful in this command,
For I want you to bury my body..." As
the day approached, they knocked on his door, but no one answered. So they
pushed open the door of his cell and found him kneeling and covered from head to
toe in rough cloth... Beside him they found a censor filled with coal and
burning of sweet smelling incense. This signified that the Hermit Fathers had
come to pray on him... The monastery fathers prayed on him, then buried him with
great reverence and honour in the place where their saintly forefathers had been
laid. From his pure body came the beautiful scent of incense, which was a
blessing to many. To
our Lord be all glory, honour and worship now and unto the end of all ages,
amen. A
Christian fisherman once said: One
day while I was fishing not far from the shores of Libya, I anchored the boat
and ventured into the desert. As I roamed about looking for water, I found some
wild plants and amidst them was a person. I asked, "Who are you?", and
he answered, "I am a sailor, and was shipwrecked. I was saved by grabbing
on to a drifting log, which brought me safely to the shore. Travelling through
the wilderness, I found these plants and this nearby spring of water, so I said
to myself, 'Why should I return to the world after God has saved me from death
and therefore wills that I live? It is better for me to remain with Christ here
in this blessed place and leave the world with all its vain glories behind me.
I have chosen this path because of the infinite love of my Lord Jesus
Christ, hoping that He may forgive me my countless sins. The Lord led me to a
cave which belonged to the desert beasts. I entered and lived with them and we
became friends, for they felt within me the life of repentance and the love of
God. I eat from the grass and plants of the wilderness, and drink water from the
spring..." I
asked him, "How long will you remain here?" and the saint answered,
"On the same day next year, I ask you to bring some linen with which to
wrap my body for burial." I kissed him and left, then headed back to
Alexandria. Along the way, I made note of his residence so that the following
year I would not lose direction. After
a year had passed, I packed some linen and went in search for this holy desert
father. When we met, we embraced each other and he prayed for me. We then sat
down and spoke about the many wonders and glories of our beloved Lord Jesus
Christ. I
then lifted my head and looked at the saint and marvelled at the glorious light
which shone from his face. The saint then did the sign of the cross saying,
"Peace be to this blessed place and peace be to the world..." He then
quietly released his soul. Gently
and carefully I wrapped the saint's body with complete respect; the beasts too
revered the saint's body. I carried him to his cave and sealed the entrance with
a large stone, then placed a wooden cross upon it. I
glorified the Lord and praised Him, then returned to Alexandria, speaking about
the wonders of God and the sweet, aromatic life story of this blessed hermit
father. To
our Lord be glory, honour and worship forever, amen. St
Phillip "...the
Spirit of the Lord caught Phillip away,..." Acts 8:39 Abba
Marcos El Termaki Abba
Serapion once said: I
saw in a vision two hermits standing at the cave of Abba John the hermit. One of
them said, 'Let us enter to take his blessings', but the other one answered him,
'Let us leave him to rest, for he must be tired from his journey in the
wilderness.' As they spoke with each other, they mentioned how strange it was
that Abba John had not yet seen Abba Marcos the elder of Mount Termaka;
"for there is no other hermit or monk of his spiritually in all the
wilderness. Besides, Abba John has lived in the wilderness for many years and
Abba Marcos being about one hundred and twenty years old had not yet seen the
face of a fellow human for the past ninety-five years... The Lord has revealed
to Abba Marcos that after forty five days, he will depart this world to go to
his Eternal Home...." When
I awoke I went to Abba John the hermit and told him all that I had seen in the
vision, and said to him, "I know this mountain of Termaka, where the father
resides!" After blessing me, I Serapion traveled to Alexandria, and arrived
within five days; (usually a journey of twelve walking days), so I remembered
the power of the vision I saw, and praised God... Arriving
in Alexandria, I asked a sailor for directions to Mount Termaka, and he
responded, "It will take you twenty eight days to walk there, so I suggest
you travel by sea, for it will be much easier than walking through the harsh
wilderness." Strengthening myself through the sign of the Cross, I took
some dates and water and began my journey through valleys and deserts, and
continued walking for ten days. During this time, I did not come across any
human, animal or bird, because it was land where no rain fell, and no grass
grew. After ten days of walking through the wilderness, Iran out of dates and
water, and in exhaustion I collapsed to the ground. I had no strength to
continue or to return, and suddenly as I lay helpless on the ground, I saw
before me the two hermits I had seen in the vision. They approached me saying,
"Why were you not patient to wait for us?" and when they noticed how
tired I was, one of them said, "you need some water. " He pulled 6ut
some green grass from the ground and gave it to me. Immediately after eating
this, my strength was renewed by the grace of God, and I no longer felt hungry
or Thirsty. My heart was full of hope and courage, and so I got up and continued
my journey until I sighted a cave. There I rested a while before continuing to
walk another seven days. Finally I arrived at the foot of Mount Termaka, and
prayed that God may give me the strength to climb to the top, so that I may
receive the blessings of the saintly father. It took me three days to reach the
top, and when I looked out from the heights of this mountain I found below me
the terror and greatness of the ocean. On
the second night of being on this mountain, I saw angels crowding around the
entrance of the saint's cave praising, "Blessed are you Abba Marcos; for
the Lord has heard your prayers and has brought you Abba Serapion, for you have
been anxious to see him!" I
reverently approached the saint's cave and heard him saying, "How great are
you 0 Lord for in your eyes one thousand years is like one day, so rejoice O my
soul and do not fear the darkness!" He then came out of his cave and when
he saw me he cried, "0 my son you have arrived in peace; may God reward you
according to your struggles. Come and greet your father!" As we embraced,
he cried. I marvelled at his strength; for it was that of a youth. He looked at
me and said, "Brother Serapion, you are a spiritual monk, and beloved of
God, and I was longing to see you for many years... May all glory be to our God
who has enabled you to persist in your journey so that we might meet, for it has
been ninety five years since I have seen a fellow human, or an animal, or even
tasted bread. My son, I have spent thirty years of my ascetic life in several
spiritual struggles. I hungered and I have thirsted; drinking only mouthfuls
from the salty sea water. I was naked, and I suffered greatly from satanic wars.
Many times devils would throw me from the top of this mountain, until no flesh
remained on my bones, or hair on my skin, and they would scream at me in the
darkness of the night, "Get out of our land!" But despite all of this,
I remained patient; withstanding hunger, thirst, and nakedness. Then God in His
mercy and love, allowed the hair on my skin to grow so that it may protect my
body, and cover it from nakedness, and daily He sent me food and angels to
minister unto me. My beloved Serapion, I have seen Paradise, and the glory which
God has prepared for those who love Him. I have seen Enoch, Elijah, and all the
righteous fathers, I have also seen Abba Anthony the Great, the father of all
the monks standing in great glory! God has revealed to me many wonders, and
whatever I have asked for in His name, He has granted me." I
then asked him, "My holy father Marcos, for the love of God, please tell me
for what reason you have come to this place?" He warmly smiled at me
saying, "My dear son I was brought up in the town of Atnas, and was a
student of Arts and Philosophy. When my father died, I thought to myself, 'I too
shall die like my father and leave this world, but by my own free will, before
my Lord forces it upon me.' I got up and sailed by sea, asking the Lord to save
my soul and guide my way... The waves carried me along and eventually directed
me to this mountain..." When
morning dawned, I looked at the body of Abba Marcos and found it to be just skin
on bones, and I became frightened, but his gentle heart felt my apprehension,and
so he turned to me and said, "Do not be afraid of my weary appearance. Now
tell me, how is the world?" I answered, "Father, the world today is
much better than it was in the past; Christianity is shining forth like a
brilliant sun, and the worship of idols has ceased..." The saintly father
rejoiced exceedingly and gave thanks to God. He then asked, "Are there any
people in the world who do wonders in the name of our Lord; for He has taught
us, 'If you have faith as a mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain move
from here to there, and it will move and nothing will be impossible for you' (Matthew
17:20)." Having said this, immediately the mountain trembled, but the saint
because of his tremendous faith, struck the mountain and at once, it quietened.
As for me the weak Serapion, I feared greatly but the saint encouraged me
saying, "My son Serapion, do not wonder about the power and the greatness
of God," and then he continued, "Blessed is the Lord God almighty, who
led me to this blessed place! Let us stand and pray." He outstretched his
hands towards the heavens, and prayed Psalm 23. After
praying, he turned towards the cave's entrance and said, "Prepare something
for us to eat," then turning to me he said, "The Lord will provide for
us from the abundance of His mercy." I became very confused, for I could
not see who he was talking to. It only occurred to me later that he was talking
to the angels. When we entered
the cave, we found a beautiful table and upon it white bread, delicious fruit,
and two pieces of fish, olives and a jug of water. Abba Marcos then asked me,
"Abba Serapion, please bless the food!", but I answered, "Forgive
me my father." He then lifted his eyes towards heaven, blessed the food and
made the sign of
the cross. While we were eating, Abba Marcos said to me, "Abba Serapion,
everyday my Lord provides for me one piece of fish, but today because of His
goodness, He has provided for us two!" We ate from the table, prepared for
us by the Lord's angels, and then praised our beloved Jesus for His many gifts
which He grants for those who love Him. I had never tasted such delicious food,
nor drank sweeter water! Abba Marcos said, "This has been my food for the
past sixty years. I have suffered greatly from satanic wars, and many times I
would cry and be afraid, but the Lord sustained me. After thirty-five years of
relentless spiritual struggle, the Lord was merciful and enabled the hair on my
skin to grow and cover me. No longer could the devils approach me, and no longer
did I hunger or thirst or become ill. My
days on earth are now completed, and the time for my departure from this world
is quickly approaching." Having said this, we got up to pray and we began
with the Psalms of David... "Abba
Serapion, follow me and come to the cave where I used to reside, for I would
like you to bury my body within it." When we entered the cave, a light
shone brightly like the rays of a sun, and I smelt the sweet aroma of incense.
My saintly father Abba Marcos farewelled the cave saying, "Peace be to you
O holy, blessed cave, for you have sheltered my poor body, and within you I
shall rest until the Day of Judgement and the resurrection of my body, when the
Lord will raise it up to eternity!" Then I followed him to the top of the
mountain, and he said, "Peace be to the entire world, and to all the
churches of my Lord, and peace be to His blessed flock; may He preserve you all
by His grace!" Then he turned to me and through gentle eyes, said,
"Abba Serapion, stay with me just for this night, and keep watch with me,
for on this night my soul shall be released from my weak body, and I ask you for
the sake of our beloved Lord, do not even take one hair from my body. Do not
wrap my body in anything, but just place it as it is in the cave which I have
shown you, then seal its entrance with a stone, and the right hand of God shall
protect it!" When
I heard these words, I fell at his feet crying bitterly and begged him saying,
"My blessed father, take me to the place where you are going!" But he
answered me lovingly, "The Lord is the only One who knows the place to
where I am going." As he was saying this, I heard a great and fearful voice
from heaven declaring, "Bring to me the good and righteous servant, who has
been doing the will of my father; come Marcos and rest in the place of Eternal
peace!" I feared this voice exceedingly... Then I heard this same voice
once again: "Stretch out your hands and complete your struggle!"
Immediately I saw two angels carrying bright garments with which they carried
the pure soul of the saint up to heaven. I then heard an angel exclaiming to an
army of devils, "Depart and disperse from the light you soldiers of
darkness and evil!" I gazed at the soul of the saint which was ascending
higher and higher, and I heard again the voice exclaiming, "Depart you
soldiers of darkness from this righteous soul!" As
the soul of the blessed saintly father continued to ascend, I saw a hand of fire
stretched out to receive the soul, and then I saw them no more... I began
praying on the pure saint, and after I had finished, I carried his body with
complete respect, and carefully lay him within his cave just as he had
requested, and then sealed its entrance with a large stone. Descending from the
mountain, I wept bitterly... through my tears I sighted the two hermits whom I
had seen in a vision, approaching me: "Peace be to you Serapion, for you
have been blessed by Abba Marcos the hermit, whom the whole world is not worthy
of!" As we walked together, I fell into a deep sleep, and when I awoke I
found myself at the entrance of Abba John's cave. Abba John came out and blessed
me, and when we sat together, I told him of all that I had seen of the blessed
saint of God - Marcos the hermit, and of the two hermits who accompanied me. He
answered me saying, "Truly father, we are not worthy to be considered
monks, for we have never experienced any struggle in comparison to the
relentless struggles of the virtuous saint Marcos, but let us ask and implore
our Lord, through the pleadings of Abba Anthony, the father of all monks, and
through the pleadings of Abba Marcos who is blessed amongst all the saints, and
all the righteous fathers, to grant us His mercy and to forgive us our sins, so
that we may partake of the inheritance of His Kingdom with the rest of His
saints. To
our Lord be honour, worship, and glory forever more, Amen. Some
of the Hermit Fathers approached Abba John El Tabaisi in Mount Assuit to ask him
about the lives and virtues of the desert fathers, and of the spiritual visions
which are revealed to them. Abba John said to them, "In the first place,
you must be humble, denying all worldly and bodily cares, and you must be in
deep love with our Lord Jesus Christ. Those who do not possess these virtues
shall be like leaves that fall from the tree and die." It
was Abba John's practice to speak to people on Sundays through a small hole in
his cave, and so likewise he spoke with the Hermit Fathers. He cominued: "In
the monastery situated in the valley of Mount Assuit, resided one of my
spiritual sons. One day he came to me asking for my blessings so that he could
venture into the inner wilderness and live they’re as an ascetic; he was still
a youth at the time. He walked for many days in the wilderness until he came to
a place where no animal, nor human nor plant has ever been. He found for himself
a small, dark cave, and there he dwelt. On
the first day, he went searching for food and water, but found none. On the
second day an angel of the Lord appeared to him carrying bread and water for the
young ascetic. He blessed him saying, "I shall bring for you bread and
water every second day, so do not waste your time and efforts in searching for
food." The angel granted him peace, then departed. For thirty years the
angel provided for him bread and water, and he regularly partook of Holy Communion
in churches, without anyone seeing him; just like our blessed Hermit Fathers. One
wintry day, he sat at the entrance of his cave and gazed at the beauty of the
dewdrops glistening in the rising sun. So instead of glorifying God for His
wonderful creation, he said to himself, "The Lord has formed these
beautiful crystals because of my prayers", and he began tobe very proud in
his thoughts. As the evil one
started to sow the seeds of ungodly intentions in his mind. He continued
tempting him by means of reminding him of his life before monasticism - his
freedom, his friends, and the delicious food he used to eat and enjoy.
Immediately the saint began complaining about the simplicity of the food which
the angel provided for him, and greatly desired to have abundance of
food; just as the Israelites complained to Moses and Aaron in the midst of the
wilderness. The saint even cried for being cut off from all worldly pleasures. Two
days had passed since the time he noticed the dewdrops. This time the angel did
not appear to him, but left his food outside the cave. When the saint went
searching for his food, he found the bread mouldy, yet because of his hunger he
ate it and drank the water provided for him. This was his first punishment for
leaving the Lord's embrace to listen to the voice of Satan; but ignoring this
warning, he chose not to repent. He persisted in his unrighteous thoughts to the
extent that he listened to the evil one's voice when he was reminding the saint
of the Old Testament prophets who married, like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...
and so our saint in his wandering thoughts forgot that he was consecrated to the
Lord... This
time, the bread the angels brought to him was not only mouldy but bitter,
(symbolising the bitterness of sin). When the saint refused to adhere to the
warnings to repent, he heard the voice of an angel angrily saying to him,
"Poor man, depart from this place because you are not worthy to live
here...!" So he took his rod and returned to the monastery of Abba John El
Tabaisi, where he began his consecrated life as a monk." He
approached the cell of his spiritual father Abba John who was then ninety years
old. The spiritual elder opened the shutter of the cave's hole and saw a man
standing before him crying bitterly. Abba John not recognising him asked,
"Who are you?" to which the saint replied, "lam your son the
hermit, who has dwelt in the wilderness for the past thirty years, but because
of my numerous sins, I heard a voice ordering me to, "...go back to the
monastery and repent before all the brethren, for you are no longer worthy to
remain in this place!" Abba
John accepted his repentance and encouraged him by saying, "Our beloved
Lord Jesus Christ is a merciful God who came to save sinners and to carry the
lost sheep on His shoulders. Now, go into the monastery and work in the mill
with the animals, so that you may remember the repentance of Sarnson, and
remember the humility of our Lord who was born in a stable, and remember how
Satan fell from the heights of heaven like lightening because of his pride.
Although you have glorified yourself instead of glorifying God, the Lord has
said that no matter how much a person sins, God will forgive them through
repentance: '...though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as
snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as white as wool' (Isaiah
1:18)." When
his fellow brothers saw him, they rejoiced at his return. They washed his feet
and dressed him in new cloth, for he was near naked, and continually they
supported and encouraged him through their words of spiritual benefit. The
saint worked in the mill doing the work of the animals, as his spiritual father
had advised, for the rest of his days on earth. He ate his bread crying bitterly
for his past sins and repented daily. A
year had passed since he returned to the monastery, and he died in peace. The
monastery fathers buried him with great honour, while giving praise and thanks
to our merciful God. To
whom is due all glory forever, amen. Abba
Elijah the Hermit Abba
Elijah was one of the fathers from Tor-Sinai, and one of the spiritual sons of
Abba Silwanis of Mount Sinai. He lived his life in ascetic order, just like
Elijah the prophet. The cave in which he resided was several kilometres away
from the monastery, and there he practised diligently praying and fasting, and
was a true example of holiness and righteousness. He dwelt in his cave for
fifty-one years, during which time he increased daily in spirituality and he
never delayed in partaking of the Holy Communion and attending the Holy Masses
in the monastery without being seen. One
night, a brother from the monastery came to the saint to seek his blessings and
ask him about his spiritual life. As he approached the saint's cave, he noticed
strong rays of bright light shining forth from the cave's window. He was
astonished and stood entranced over this sight for three hours. When the saint
had completed his prayers, a pillar of light which stretched from his cave to
the heavens, slowly faded. The
monk knocked on the saint's door, and when the saint came out, he could not bear
to look at the saint's face because of the brilliant light which shone forth
from him like the rays of a sun. The saint knew by the Spirit that this brother
had seen the rays of light and the pillar of light which shone brightly during
his prayers, and when he asked, "My son, have you seen anything
unusual?" he answered, "Glory be to our Lord Jesus Christ who
glorifies His saints!", so the saint realised that it was God's will that
this vision be revealed to the brother. As
they sat together, the saint spoke words of spiritual wisdom and then turned to
his new disciple, the brother, saying, "My son, I have avoided keeping
company with fellow humans because I do not deserve their praise and honour;
only God, glory be to Him, deserves all praise and honour. As for us mere men,
we are weak and sinners, but do not dismay, for I shall pray with you in the
monastery, however, some will see me and others won't..." They
embraced each other and then the disciple left, venturing into the wilderness
until he came to a cave. He spent the next seven years praying without ceasing,
and fed on the grass of the wilderness. Seven
years later, the saint visited his disciple's cave and knocked on its door. When
the disciple saw him, he was greatly surprised and so he did the sign of the
cross. The saint said to him, "Well done my son, for even demons appear in
the form of saints!... I am Elijah your father." The disciple fell down and
cried for he had not seen Abba Elijah for many years. The saint comforted him
and said, "My dear son, did I not tell you that I do not prefer keeping
company with other humans? I have been dwelling in my distant cave and attending
the Holy Mass regularly in the monastery, but not everyone could see me."
The disciple exclaimed, "But father, I never saw you!" to which the
saint replied, "It was not God's will, but I have come to you now because
it is time for me to leave this world and dwell in the place of Eternal living.
So I ask you to please pray on me, and place my body in the cave where I lived
my life in asceticism." Having said this, he embraced his disciple, prayed
for a short while before stretching his body and delivering his soul. His
disciple cried bitterly for many days, and finally he went to the abbot of the
monastery to tell him about the saint and his blessed departure. The abbot at
once gathered the monastery fathers together and went to the cave of this
Righteous man. The fathers prayed on him and then buried him with great honour
and respect, giving thanks and praise to God who glorifies His saints. To
Him is due all glory, honour and worship now and forever more, amen. Our
Blessed Hermit Fathers St.
John Chrysostom once said: One
day, I thought of visiting those who lived on the islands of the Mediterranean,
for they are within my Diocese. Journeying by boat, I took with me deacons and
priests and sailed to the island of Cyprus. There
we identified human footprints, but could not see anyone. As we followed the
footprints in the sand, we came to a place which resembled a church built of
uncarved rocks, and between the rocks was coral. There was no door and no
windows. We entered and found light shining strongly from seven fathers who
stood praying, like seven bright stars. We remained in our positions praying
with them, and when they had finished, they turned towards us and prostrated
before me, and then greeted us. I John, said to them, "I am John, your
father and patriarch." Again they prostrated before me, and said to my
weakness, "Our beloved Lord Jesus Christ has brought you here to bless us
and to encourage us by seeing you." I said to them, "Please, tell me
your story..." "A
long time ago, the seven of us gathered together from Constantinople and
journeyed to this island to spend our lives in worship and in the peace of our
Lord Jesus Christ. On the day of our arrival, we collected rocks to build caves
so that we may be sheltered from the rough winds of the sea, and on the second
day we began building this church. We
eat from the weeds that grow between the rocks and drink from the sea. As for
all these sand dunes which surround the church, we have been wanting to remove
them, however, we cannot find the time, for our minds and thoughts are
constantly engaged with our Lord Jesus Christ." I
asked him, "Where is your spiritual father?" and as soon as I had
asked this, an old man approached me leaning on a rod saying, "I am your
servant." No ficing that he was near naked, I asked, "Do you require
some cloth to cover your body?" He answered, "The Lord protects and
shields us from the coldness of winter and the heat of summer." I asked,
"Do you need any food?" to which he replied, "We feed on these
weeds which are sufficient for us, and therefore we are not in need of anything
from the world." I then said, "Father, please pray for me and for the
safety of the church." After
taking the blessings of these holy Hermit Fathers, we left glorifying the name
of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ; to whom is due all glory and honour forever,
amen. Abba
Hermina the Hermit The
blessed saint Abahor El Abarhati records for us the story of the most excellent
saint Abba Hermina the hermit, of Mount Kaw. I
was living with Abba John and Abba Yousab on Mount Asfaht, when one day as we
were walking through the wilderness, clothed in weaved palm, we noticed a person
who resembled a spirit, and his face shone with light as bright as the sun. He
approached and bowed before us saymg, "Do not be afraid, for I am John the
Evangelist and beloved disciple of our eternal God and Lord Jesus Christ. Hasten
Abahor and journey into the inner wilderness for there you will find a righteous
man by the name of Hermina, and you shall know him for he wears a 'kolonsowa'
upon his head (the monk's head covering). He is from the region of El Bahnasa
and he has lived in the wilderness for the past sixty years in relentless
spiritual struggle." Anxiously
I asked St John about Abba Hermina's life. "From the age of ten, he
shepherded his father's cattle and diligently learnt all the psalms and how to
pray. He fasted everyday without food until the evening, except for Saturday and
Sunday. He had great love for all people and was modest in all things. If a
stranger would pass him by, he would joyfully welcome him saying, "Please
come and grace me with your presence by sharing a meal with me at my home."
He served them with precious christian love, giving them water to drink from the
well, carrying their luggage and walking a mile with them, before returning
happily to his flock. In
his virtues, he reached perfection, and so one day St. Peter and I disguised
ourselves as monks passing in his direction. He was in the field shepherding his
cattle and when he saw us, he came forth and warmly welcomed us. He asked us to
rest in his village until the morning, but we declined saying, "It is
better for us to go to the monastery and rest with our brothers the monks."
He then requested, "Please, take me with you because in the Holy Bible it
says, 'There is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or father or
mother or wife or children or lands for my sake and the gospel's who shall not
receive one hundred fold now in this time' (Mark
10:29,30)." I asked him if he was willing
to become a monk, and eagerly he replied, "I am ready if my Lord is
willing, and through your prayers." At
once I took a pair of scissors and cut his hair then dressed him in the holy,
angelic 'eskeem' of monasticism. We lead him to the monastery where he received
the Holy Communion and then we prayed for him that our beloved Lord Jesus Christ
may bless him and save him from the traps of the enemy, so that the name of God
will be glorified through him in every place he goes. We
left him in the care of Abba Jacob the abbot so that he may teach him about the
rites of monasticism, before the Lord Jesus leads him to the place He has chosen
for him. From
the moment Hermina entered the monastery, Abba Jacob was very happy with him,
and when the time had come in which God arranged for him to leave the monastery,
I John knocked on his door and entered his cell. He prostrated before me (which
is a common monastic habit), and together we prayed. After praying I said,
"Let us go to the southern region of Mount Kaw, for it is called the
mountain of joy and consolation." Before leaving the monastery, Abba
Hermina went to Abba Jacob and prostrated before him saying, "Forgive me my
father and pray for me, for I am going to Mount Kaw in Upper Egypt in order to
have the blessings of all the saints, and may your blessings also be with
me." So Abba Jacob blessed him, and then together we departed. On
our journey, we met an elder named Bishoy who said, "Rest here until the
morning, then continue in God's peace." In the morning we continued walking
southward and as the sun set, we found a cloud of light before us, so Hermina
turned to me and said, "Master, as yet I do not know your name." So I
turned to him and said, "I am John, the son of Zebedee, and at the time in
which we clothed you in the holy 'eskeem' of monasticism, the apostles Peter and
Paul and David the King were present with me..." We
arrived at Mount Elnakloon, which is known as the Mountain of Rock, and we heard
the sounds of hymns and praises; as it was the ninth hour on Saturday evening.
We listened and joined in the praises until the dawn of Sunday morning. The
place where we stood praying was the area in which the grave of Abba Elijah was. We
continued journeying south until we came to the foot of Mount Assuit, and then
further walked for another two days through a very deep valley. We sighted a
cave which was located in a high position, and directly below it ran a stream of
fresh spring water surrounded by beautiful palm trees bearing fruit. I John
turned to Hermina and said, "Live here in this blessed place, eating from
the fruits of these trees and drinking from this spring..." I blessed him,
then departed. Abba
Hermina began his new ascetic life in relentless spiritual struggle. He prayed
fervently and fasted diligently, and daily he prostrated two thousand four
hundred times - one thousand two hundred prostrations during his morning prayers
and one thousand two hundred prostration’s at night. Angels would constantly
come to comfort him and strengthened him in his spiritual life, including
Archangel Michael who is the helper of saints dwelling in the wilderness for the
sake of the Lord. Abba
Hermina continued to live for many years in strict asceticism, until his eyes
were deeply set in his face, and his body became weak. Many times the Lord
revealed to him the place prepared for the righteous saints and those who love
God, and many times he was caught up into the third heaven; just like the
Apostle Paul. The
devil was furious and greatly envied the many crowns prepared for Abba Hermina.
So one day the devil disguised himself as an angel and went to the saint saying,
"Hermina, get up for you must go back to the monastery and live with Abba
Jacob!", but the saint knew by the Spirit that this apparition is not from
God and so he said, "Who are you?" to which the devil replied "I
am Michael who stands in the presence of God!" So the saint replied,
"If it is so, let us stand to pray before we begin our journey." But
the devil answered, "No, for I cannot pray without my host of angels!"
The saint then said, "In the name of my Lord Jesus Christ, I tell you I
shall not leave this place until you reveal to me who you are!" And having
said this, Abba Hermina began to pray. Immediately a cloud of fire descended
from heaven in order to consume the devil. Burning, he screamed out to Abba
Hermina to save him from the fire, so the saint because of his great Christian
love released him. The devil turned to the saint and said, "I will not rest
until I defeat you and all those like you!" and with this he disappeared. Satan
could no longer tolerate the saint's strong spirituality, so he gathered
together an army of his soldiers and said, "Let us go and conquer Hermina,
for he disobeys my voice and my will! We must overcome him with our power and
rob him of his glory!" The angel of the Lord appeared to the saint and
said, "Blessed Hermina,be strong and let not your heart tremble in fear,
for the Lord is with you." The
devil disguised himself as a glorious king, accompanied by seventy of his
soldiers. They approached the saint's cave and knocked on his door. Hermina came
out praying the psalms of David and when he saw them, he made the sign of the
cross saying, "The Lord sends me help from heaven..." Then the
Archangels Michael and Gabriel descended from the heights and scourged the
soldiers until they screamed out, "Have mercy, for we have been ordered by
our chief to destroy Hermina, so release us and we shall never return to this
place again!" When Satan who was disguised as a king saw this, he became
like the wind and vanished with his soldiers far into the wilderness. The saint
rejoiced saying, "I was tempted to fall, but the Lord sustained me; for He
is my holy and blessed salvation. That is why my lips shall sing forth your
praise, and your name shall be glorified forever!" The
devil kept watch from a distance and finally sent one of his evil soldiers, who
returned to the saint as a mighty sandstorm which completely covered and buried
his cave. The saint then lifted up his eyes towards heaven and prayed, "0
merciful and beloved Lord who heard the prayers of the three youth from the
fiery furnace and saved them, and heard the prayer of Daniel from the lions' den
and saved him, and heard the prayer of father Abraham and listened to Susanna
and saved her. You heard the prayer of Joseph from the torment of prison and
saved him, please, I ask you to hear me now and send to me your angel." At
once the Archangel Michael appeared, chained the devil and said to Abba Hermina,
"The Lord Jesus Christ has placed the devil in your hands, so that you may
do with him what you will." Having said this, he ascended to the heavens. The
saint then turned to the devil and said, "0 you enemy who battles with the
godly, I tell you that by the living God, I shall not release you before you
have removed all the sand that surrounds my cave." At once the devil became
like a lion and began shoveling the sand until it was completely removed. Again
the saint said to the devil, "I will not release you until I torment you
like you torment the saints!" The devil then screamed out to his leader,
"Did we not tell you to leave Hermina, the man of God in peace, lest he
does to us what was
done by Abba Bebnoda, who ordered a large rock to crush you on Mt Tookh?!"
The devil begged and screamed to the saint for mercy and promised that if he is
released he will never return, so the saint glorified God saying, "Heaven
and Earth and all that is in them praise You, for by Your breath they were
created and because of Your great love, You do not allow our enemies to trample
over us. To you is all glory and power forever, amen!" After
this incidence, the blessed saint Hermina ventured to the south of Kaw. As he
crossed the river, he heard voices coming from the bodies of saints saying,
"Blessed is your presence with us today our beloved brother Hermina!"
Together they glorified God who is the only performer of miracles. He remained
there praying unceasingly throughout the days and nights, and at sunset he would
eat only a little of the fruits which fell from the trees, for they tasted as
sweet as honey in his mouth, and he drank from fresh spring water. In
everything, he crossed himself and gave thanks to God... and when the forty days
of the Great Fast were finished, the Lord gave him new strength." I
John the Beloved then turned to Abahor and said, "Now I have told you the
story of the blessed man of God Hermina, so arise now and search for him for he
is well advanced in years, and his body has become weak from his strict ascetic
life. You shall find him dwelling in a cave in Mount Kaw. Record his story as I
have told it to you, for it will become a great consolation to its reader." After
St. John blessed me, I Abahor immediately got up in search of this blessed man
of God Hermina. I walked within the depths of the wilderness and eventually
journeyed into a deep valley and there before my eye was the blessed Hermina,
standing before a well with his hands outstretched in prayer. From his hands
came forth beams of light which reached up to the heights of heaven, and a cloud
of sweet smelling incense surrounded him. I carefully approached and knelt
before him. He prayed for me then said, "Blessed is your coming to me today
Abahor El Kesar, for the Lord has sent you to me." When we sat down
together, I asked him to tell me about his life, and he responded with the same
words of St John the Beloved... I
remained with him for two days before returning to my place, but after some time
had passed, I got up and once again journeyed in search of the blessed man of
God. Along the way, I fell into a deep sleep and I dreamt of a host of angels
dressing Hermina in garments of light while honouring and blessing Him. When I
awoke from this beautiful dream, I anxiously continued my journey until I
reached the saint's cave. When
Abba Hermina saw me, he rejoiced in the Spirit and his face shone as bright as
the sun. I prostrated before him and then we embraced one another. We spoke
about the many wonders of God and later Abba Hermina said to me, "Brother
Abahor, let us continue in our spiritual struggle for a while longer, for the
traps of the devil are many, and let us always bear in our mind and heart that
we are strangers in this world, and we must weep for our many sins." After
being filled with Abba Hermina's grace and spiritual words, I returned joyfully
to my cave in Mount Akhmeem. Six
months later, St John the Beloved of the Lord Jesus Christ came to my cave
clothed in light, so immediately I fell at his feet. He blessed me and raised me
up saying, "Go now to your friend Hermina because the day of his departure
quickly approaches, for it is time for him to rest from the hardships of this
world." Having said this, he left. I stood to pray, and in the afternoon I
ventured into the wilderness of Kaw. Along the way, I confronted a large, black
ox with two horns. I advanced towards it while doing the sign of the cross and
immediately it vanished in the wind. I then glorified the Lord who saved me from
the evil one. I
continued walking within the wilderness until I found Hermina kneeling on the
ground praying. He had remained as such for forty days in fervent prayer. When I
saw this sight, I wept bitterly for my weakness and my struggles which are in no
way comparable to the beloved saint's. I then looked up and behold, I saw the
Lord Jesus Christ, glory be to Him, descend from heaven upon the chariot of the
Cherubim amidst a whole host of angels praising, and He spoke to Abba Hermina
saying, "Blessed are you My chosen one, for you shall be rewarded many
fold. I will make your name known in all the world and I have prepared for you
three glorious crowns one for your chastity, one for your living as a stranger
in this world, and one for the many hardships which you have endured for the
sake of My name. Now, go to the north of this mountain so that you may be
blessed by the bodies of the saints which are present there, then return here to
the south of Kaw to dwell for the remainder of your life. When you return to
this place, you shall live for a further six months before completing your
journey on earth, which will be on the second of Kiakh; and indeed your friend
Abahor shall also depart on the same day a year later. Both Your
Soul and Abahor's shall be with me in the place of Eternal Living, but for now,
Abahor will take care of your body along with Abba Yousab!" The Lord then
blessed him, bestowed His peace upon him, then ascended in great glory. After
this glorious revelation, Abba Hermina clothed himself in the monastic habit and
on top of his he wore a tunic of weaved palm leaves. Together we crossed the
river and headed westward. Along the way we met Abba Armia who greeted us
saying, "Welcome my beloved brother Hermina whom God has granted to the
city of Kaw and all its surrounding regions!" We then ascended northward
where we were carried up in a cloud and taken to the church of Abba Elijah; the
church where his body is laid. Later, we walked to the church of Abba Apollo to
receive the blessings of his pure body and pray in his church. We then met Abba
Jacob who was reading spiritual stories to his brethren, and in his church we
received the Holy Communion. Prom
there we headed towards the north of El Khataf where we found the blessed body
of Abba Mina. We kissed his pure body before returning southward to the mountain
of Abba Abanoub the Confessor, and from his body we heard a voice saying,
"Blessed is your coming to us today Abba Hermina... for the mention of your
name is like sweet smelling fragrance in the city of Kaw and all over the
world!" Following this, the Archangel Michael appeared to Abba Hermina
saying, "I am Michael who cares for all the Lord's saints; prepare yourself
for after twelve days you will be released from this world." On
the first of Kiakh, I Abahor came out of my cell, and together with my fellow
brethren, we went to Abba Hermina. At our arrival we embraced each other and he
kissed me saying, "Brother, please remember me, for my hour approaches in
which my soul shall be released from my body... I ask you to wrap my body and
lay it in the place which my Lord Jesus Christ has prepared for me until the day
of the Resurrection of the bodies... 0 Abahor, how fearful it is for me to stand
between the hands of the living God and the hour of death. Are you too father
afraid of that hour?" So I Abahor answered him, "Which human on earth
could not fear such an hour? But blessed is the man whose fear is in the Lord
and who abides in His love and commandments." An angel of the Lord then
appeared before us and said to Abba Hermina, "Your friends Abahor and
Yousab the hermits, will take care of your body..." The saint rejoiced
exceedingly at these words. I
looked at my saintly father Hermina and found that his face became full of
light, so I began to cry. When he felt this, he turned to me and said warmly,
"Why are you crying?" to which I answered, "Because you will go
and leave me!" He looked at me with gentle eyes and said, "My dear
brother Abahor, as the name of Elijah is known throughout all the lands, so too
will your name be, and it will be a blessing for all, and the Lord will perform
many miracles in your name." Having said these words, he then embraced me
and returned to his cell. On
the second day of the blessed Coptic month Kiakh, my saintly father Hermina
died, and with my own eyes I witnessed the heavenly hosts embrace the saint's
soul in a garment of light and carry him towards heaven in a glorious chariot.
The Archangels Michael and Gabriel were present, and the whole angelic host were
heard singing songs of praise and sounding their trumpets all the way to the
Heavenly Jerusalem. I
stood to pray before wrapping the body of the pure and beloved saint and taking
its blessings. I then told my fellow brethren all that I had seen. From
this time on, Abba Hermina had become the patron saint of Kaw and all the
surrounding regions. He appeared many times and performed many miracles. His
body still remains in the monastery of Abba Hermina, which is located to the
north of Kaw, towards Badari in the province of Assuit. In the twelfth century,
a church was built in his name in the city of Homilis (El Bahnassa); the town in
which he was brought up. May
his blessings and prayers be with us all and all glory be to God forever, amen. After
burying the pure body of Abba Noufer the hermit, Abba Bebnoda met with other
desert fathers and said: After
I buried Abba Noufer's body, I walked in the wilderness for four days and
nights, after which time I noticed a cave. I approached it and knocked on its
door, but no one answered. After sitting at its entrance for about an hour, I
thought to myself, 'perhaps the father who lives in this cave has passed away!' At
once, the saintly looking father came out of his cave, as though the Spirit had
revealed to him my thoughts. He was of fine appearance. He had a long white
beard and was clothed in weaved palm leaves. When he saw me he said, "You
are brother Bebnoda who had buried the body of the blessed saint Abba
Noufer." Immediately I fell at his feet, but he raised me up saying,
"Get up my beloved brother, for it is the Lord who has revealed this to me,
and He has told me to await your coming to me today. It has been sixty years
since I have seen anyone, besides my fellow desert fathers who also reside on
this mountain." While
he was speaking with me, three more Hermit Fathers approached me saying,
"You are our beloved brother Bebnoda, and our fellow friend in Christian
deeds. Our blessed Lord has revealed to us of your coming today, for the four of
us have spent sixty years on this mountain without seeing anyone else." I
then saw before me five loaves of bread which looked as if they had been freshly
baked. We got up to pray before eating the loaves together. The fathers said to
me, "All these years the Lord has provided for us daily four loaves, but
because of your presence with us today, the Lord has sent us five." After
eating we stood to pray. It was a Sunday night and we remained praying until the
morning. I asked if I could spend the rest of my life with them, but they
answered, "This is not the will of God, but rather, go into the land of
Egypt and tell all people about the things which you have seen!" I asked
them to tell me their names, but they replied, "It is only for us to know
each others names, but we ask you to remember us brother, until we meet in the
Kingdom of Heaven, and take care that you not be overcome by the world." After
praying for me, they blessed me and foretold me of the things which will take
place on my journey back to Egypt. I
walked for several days before seeing a spring of water and palm trees
surrounding it, so I sat within their shade and meditated on the many wonders of
God. I wondered about the beautiful fragrant palm trees which grew in the midst
of the wilderness and the sweet tasting fruits which they bear. I also wondered
about the fresh spring of water which overflowed in abundance, to quench
anyone's thirst. I then said to myself, "Indeed, this is God's
paradise!" While
I was sitting within the shade of the trees, I saw from afar four men dressed in
sheepskin walking in my direction. "You are our beloved Bebnoda" they
said, and at once I fell at their feet. After we greeted one another, we prayed,
then spoke about the many glories of our Beloved Lord Jesus Christ. My heart
rejoiced exceedingly in their presence. I
asked them, "My dear brothers, from where have you come, and who has lead
you to this place?" They replied, "We are from the town of El
Bahnassa. When we had finished our education, we said to one another, 'We have
learnt all the wisdom of this passing world, and now we must also learn the
wisdom of the eternal world.' We considered this thought daily until we decided
that the best way to learn about the wisdom of God is to dedicate our entire
life and time to Him. For this reason we ventured into the wilderness... We
took with us bread and water, and after many days of walking in the wilderness,
we saw a person full of light standing before us. He held our hands and lead us
to this place, and we have been drinking from this fresh spring and feeding from
the fruits of these trees ever since. On our arrival, we found a saintly old
father, whom the angel commanded to teach us the life of worship and spiritual
contemplation, so we remained with him a whole year. After the year had passed,
our blessed father passed away to the Kingdom of God, and now we remain alone in
this place. At the end of each week, we meet here in order that we may pray
together." I
Bebnoda remained with them for seven days, during which time I asked for their
names. The first father replied, "My name is
John" and
the second responded with, "Andrew", but the remaining two preferred
not to tell me their names. After
blessing me they said that it was time for me to return to my monastery, so they
walked with me the first six miles, then departed. I continued my journey
through the wilderness for several days, crying, for my heart was deeply
saddened for having left them. Eventually
I arrived at my monastery and told my fellow brethren in Christ all that I had
seen and heard of the pure saint Abba Noufer the hermit, and all the blessed
Hermit Fathers whom I had met and spoken with. May
the blessings of their prayers be with us, and to our Lord Jesus Christ be all
glory, honour and dominion forever, amen. Archangel
Michael Abba
Paula the First Hermit Born
in the province of Tiba (Luxor, Upper Egypt) in the year 229 AD., Paula was the
second son of a very rich man. When
the father died, the two sons wanted to share the inheritance, so Peter, being
the eldest, took the majority and gave what was left over to his brother Paula.
This action caused great friction between the two brothers, and because they
could not come to an agreement, they decided to settle the matter in court. Along
the way, they noticed a coffin being carried, and a great multitude mourning the
loss. Paula approached one of the men to find out who had died, and the man
responded, "Son, this man who died today, delighted in luxuries and lived
the life of indulgence, possessed large amounts of gold and silver, and always
dressed in expensive attire. Today he left the world and all his riches behind.
Take heed my son that we not follow his example, but rather persist in enduring
spiritual struggles, for blessed is the man who lives in this world, but does
not belong to this world, for the Lord will reward him richly in His Heavenly
Kingdom." Paula
heard these words and felt as if he was spiritually awakened, and suddenly the
world before him seemed as nought. He turned to his brother and said,
"Brother, let us return." As they were returning home, Paula walked
slowly behind his brother, then quickly escaped from his sight. Peter searched
for days, and when he could not find his brother, he cried bitterly, "Why
did I quarrel with my brother on worldly riches?!" Having
left the town, Paula found an empty tomb, and so he remained within it for three
days and three nights, in continuous meditation and prayer. On the forth day, an
angel of the Lord appeared to him and led him into the inner Eastern Wilderness.
The angel directed him into a deserted cave, which was located near a spring of
water and a fruitful palm tree. He dressed himself in a tunic he wove from
palms, and diligently prayed, "My Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God,
save me from the traps of the enemy, be merciful to me so that I may accomplish
Your will and rest safely between Your hands, for to You my King, is all glory
and power forever, amen!" He began his ascetic life in the Eastern
Wilderness in the year 250 AD., and remained there for 80 years. Abba
Anthonv meets Abba Paula One
day, Abba Anthony thought to himself proudly, "lam the first person to ever
venture into and live in the inner wilderness!" but the Lord revealed to
him that, "within this wilderness lives a person whom the whole world is
not worthy of his footsteps." Immediately Abba Anthony took his rod and
began searching for this saintly ascetic. He walked for an entire day, then fell
on his knees to pray. He remained praying throughout the night, and in the
morning he got up and continued his journey. As
the sun was setting, he noticed a cave nearby. When he approached it, he found
the door closed, so he knelt on the ground and said, "My saintly father,
you know who lam and where lam from, and I will not leave this place before
seeing you! You who would not refuse the entry of an animal, I ask you, do not
refuse me!" Abba Paula then replied from within the cave, "No one asks
for charity by scolding, but rather by weeping." Abba
Anthony remained kneeling at the entrance of the cave for a long while, before
finally Abba Paula opened the door for him. The two fathers embraced, then
prayed together. As
they spoke about the many wonders of God, a raven flew passed and dropped a loaf
of bread before them. Abba Paula held the loaf of bread reverently, and turned
to Abba Anthony saying, "Blessed is the Lord my God; for eighty years He
has provided for me half a loaf of bread daily, but today because of your
presence, He has given us a full loaf! Blessed is the Lord, who satisfies the
needs of my body!" Together they once again stood to pray before eating. They
spent the entire night praising God, until the morning sun dawned. Abba Anthony
then said to Abba Paula, "Blessed is the hour in which God made me worthy
of seeing you my father." Abba Paula replied, "Anthony, return now to
your cave and come back to me with the gown Pope Athanasius will give you, for
with it you must wrap my body for burial; so go quickly, for the hour of my
departure has come!" Abba Paula blessed and prayed for Abba Anthony, and
then they embraced each other before departing. Abba
Anthony returned to
his monastery after
a two-day journey through the wilderness. His disciples who were very worried
about him being gone so long, rejoiced when they saw him. They ran towards him
asking, "Father, where were you?" to which he replied, "I am a
sinner and unworthy, for indeed the Lord has revealed to me someone much greater
than I." Taking
the gown given to him by Pope Athanasious, Abba Anthony returned to the saintly
father's cave. On arrival he saw a host of angels carrying the soul of the
blessed saint Abba Paula. Abba Anthony entered his cave and found the saint
lying on the ground with his hands outstretched like a cross. He wept bitterly.
He then carefully wrapped the pure saint's body within the gown, and prayed over
him with heartfelt tears. As
he was wondering how he was going to dig a grave for the saint's blessed body,
two lions entered the cave, knelt down beside Abba Paula's body and kissed him.
They then turned and began licking the feet of Abba Anthony as if to say, 'where
shall we dig?' Abba Anthony drew the sign of the cross on the ground inside the
cave, and immediately the lions began digging. After Abba Anthony placed Abba
Paula's body within the grave, he took his garment made from braided palm, and
went back to the Patriarch Abba Athanasious and told him that he had seen and
experienced of the life of the great Abba Paula. The Patriarch took Abba Paula's
garment as a blessing and only wore it three times a year : on the feast of
Epiphany, Easter and the Ascension of our gracious Saviour. Pope
Athanasious had the thought of bringing back from the wilderness the body of
Abba Paula so that he may rest beside the body of Pope Ananious. So Abba
Anthony, together with some priests went in search for Abba Paula's cave. After
two days of wandering through the wilderness, they became disoriented and were
unable to find the saint's cave. Abba Paula then appeared to Abba Athanasious in
a vision saying, "Send word for the fathers to return from their search,
because it is God's will that no one find my body." Immediately the
Patriarch sent forth Abba Olgious that he might convey Abba Paula's message to
the fathers, so that they may return from the wilderness. Pope
Athanasious wrote the life story of Abba Paula and placed it in the church of
Alexandria, so that it may be a blessing and inspiration to all those seeking
monasticism. There
was once a boy called Aladnos from Alexandria who fell terribly sick and died.
Pope Athanasius said, "I took the garment which Abba Paula used to wear and
placed it over the boy's body; immediately he arose, and I personally witnessed
this." Abba
Paula lived to be over one hundred and ten years old, during which time he spent
more than eighty years as an ascetic dwelling in the Eastern Wilderness. The
monastery of Abba Paula in the Eastern Wilderness was built in the 4th century,
and to this day is the home for a community of monks. It is situated to the
south east of the monastery of Abba Anthony. Both these monasteries are located
in the center of Boash, which is a town proceeding the province of Bani-Suweif. Abba
Anthony and Abba Paula are inseparable friends. They are found standing together
in icons, mentioned together in Doxologies, and in the Liturgy's
commemoration "...our
righteous father Abba Anthony
the great, the upright Abba Paula..." The
church celebrates the feast of Abba Paula each year on the 2nd day of the
blessed Coptic month Amsheer. "Hail
to our father Anthony the light of monasticism, hail to our father Pavli beloved
of Christ..." (From
the Verse of the Cymbals) Abba
Noufer the Hermit Abba
Bebnoda once said: I
wanted to venture into the inner wilderness for the sake of receiving the
blessings of the Hermit Fathers. I took some bread and water and walked for four
days. My
bread and water had finished, but I continued walking for a further four days
until I was fraught with fear and the thought that I was going to die. With the
little strength that was left in me, I stood to pray. With the Lord's
encouragement, I continued walking for a few more days until I became extremely
hungry and thirsty, and in exhaustion I fell to the ground. I opened my eyes and
found a person standing before me. He touched my lips with his fingertips and
immediately my strength was renewed. After
walking continuously for another four days, I once again felt drained of any
energy, so I lifted up my hands and prayed to the Lord. Before me approached the
person I had seen before. Once more he touched my lips and my body and again my
strength returned. After
God granted me this wonderful miracle, I journeyed for a further seventeen days
within the wilderness. In the distance I noticed a very strange looking man who
wore no clothes, but the hair on his body covered him like a cloak. As he
approached me, I became very frightened and sol ran to the top of the mountain;
I thought that perhaps he may be a mountain lion. He remained at the foot of the
mountain, but lifted his face towards me and said, "Come down my brother
Bebnoda and do not be afraid, for I am a man like you and I have dwelt in this
wilderness for many years because of my love for Christ." I was astonished
he knew my name, but felt that indeed he was filled with the Holy Spirit, so at
once I descended and knelt before him. As
we sat together, I asked him to tell me about his life. He humbly responded,
"My name is Noufer, and I have dwelt in this wilderness for the past sixty
years, living in the fear of God. The beasts are my friends and with them I
share my cave. I feed upon wild grass and these fruit-bearing trees and you are
the first person I have seen in sixty years." After a brief pause, he
continued: "I began my spiritual life as a monk in the Barida Monastery
where one hundred and forty monks lived together in love and harmony. Daily we
ate together and praised together, and the peace of our Lord filled our hearts.
At that time, I was still in my youth and diligently I learnt and observed the
virtues and wisdom of my saintly fathers, for they resembled the angels of God. One
day I heard my fathers speaking about the desert fathers who dwell within the
wilderness. They said that these fathers speak to God as if face to face, just
like Elijah and John the Baptist, so curiously I asked, "How could these
desert fathers be of higher spirituality than yourselves?" They answered,
"My son, they are the ones who are found just and righteous in the sight of
God; we are nothing in comparison for we live a communal life - eat and drink
when we feel the need, are served when we feel weak and we console one another
in times of depression. But as for the desert dwellers, they have none of this.
From the start of their ascetic life, they roam the wilderness in the intense
heat of the day and the bitter coldness of the night. They suffer from the
severity of hunger, thirst and exhaustion, and face relentless spiritual
struggles and Satanic wars. But all this they endure patiently and willingly
because of their great love for our Lord Jesus Christ and in expectation of
their heavenly reward. Because of their perseverance and their strong faith, the
Lord sends His angels to administer and serve them, just as it is written in the
book of Isaiah the prophet, "Those who wait on the Lord shall renew
their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not fainL.. when [they) seek water and there is none... I
the Lord will hear them; I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open
rivers in desolate heights and fountains in the midst of valleys; I will make
the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water..." (Isaiah
40:31,41:17-18), and also in the Psalms of King David we are told "The
righteous cry, and the Lord hears them and delivers them out of all their
troubles" (Ps 34:17). Abba
Noufer then said to me, "Abba Bebnoda, as I heard these words, my heart was
enlightened, and so that
night I packed enough bread to last me three days and went forth from the
monastery in the hope that the Lord will lead
me to the place He has chosen for me. As I left the monastery gate by night, I
found standing before me a person full of light. I was very frightened and
wanted to quickly return to my cell within the monastery. The lighted person
approached me saying, "Do not be afraid for lam the angel of the Lord; I
have been with you from
your childhood, and I will accompany you always." Together
we walked side by side for about seven miles through the wilderness. I
then continued journeying alone until I reached a small cave, sol knocked on the
door and said, "Bless me my father!" A saintly father with the face of
an angel emerged from within the cave with a warm smile. I knelt at his feet,
but he raised me up saying, "May the Lord bless you my dear friend Noufer,
please come in." I remained with him for a few days in order to learn and
benefit from his spirituality and wisdom. He taught me how I should spend my
time each day and he strengthened and forewarned me of the Satanic wars which I
shall face. Finally he said to me, "My son, you too must face spiritual
struggles, so arise and venture deep within the inner wilderness, and there
spend your time in prayer and praise, for the Lord has called you to live an
ascetic life." The
saintly father accompanied me for four days until we found a deserted fortress
and beside it was a fruit bearing palm tree. He turned to me and said,
"Noufer, this is the place which God has chosen for you to serve Him
in." The hermit father remained with me for a month, during which time he
instructed me in the
ways of virtues and
godly deeds which I was to apply in my life of asceticism. We
continued meeting one another once a year, until he passed away to the Heavenly
Kingdom. I buried him with great respect and reverence in the place where he
spent his life worshipping God. I
Bebnoda then asked Abba Noufer, "Did you face any trials or hardships when
you began your life of hermitage in the wilderness?" to which he replied,
"Believe me my beloved brother, I have faced death many times; from hunger,
thirst, extremes in temperature to the extent that my body withered, but I was
patient and endured all things. Many times the devil would appear and torment
me, but my Lord Jesus Christ, blessed be His name, would comfort me and save me
from the traps of the enemy. This palm tree produces twelve baskets of dates a
year, and each basket feeds me for a month. I also eat wild grass and because of
God's great love, He makes the grass taste as sweet as honey in my mouth. Now my
brother Bebnoda, let us go to the place where I live." We
walked for about three miles through the wilderness until we reached his
fortress, and it’s nearby palm tree. After we stood to pray, we sat together
and spoke about the many wonders of God. As the sun began to set, I saw before
the entrance of the fortress a loaf of bread and a jug of water. Abba Noufer
said to me, "Get up my brother and eat this bread and drink this water, for
you have suffered greatly along the way to find me." We shared the meal and
even though we ate until we were satisfied, there was plenty left over. We then
stood to pray and remained praying throughout the night. The
following day I looked at Abba Noufer's face and found it had become like fire.
I was very frightened, but he turned to me and said, "Do not be afraid
brother Bebnoda, for
our beloved Lord Jesus Christ has sent you to me so that you may take care of
and bury my body, for the hour of my deliverance quickly approaches." I Bebnoda
then asked him,
"Father, do you think that the Lord will make me worthy enough to live
within your dwelling place after your blessed departure?" But he replied,
"My dear son, the only reason the Lord had
in leading you here
is to bury
my body, and then return to your monastery to tell your fellow brothers the
monks all the wonders you
have seen, for in
so doing they may praise and glorify our Father in heaven." I knelt before
him and said, "Bless me my saintly father; may God be merciful to me and
make me worthy of seeing you once again in His Heavenly Kingdom." Abba
Noufer remained praying on me for a long while, then he turned to pray for
himself with many tears before lying on the ground with his hands outstretched,
and quietly he released his spirit. It was the 16th day of the blessed month of
Baouna, and I Bebnoda saw before me a whole host of angels praising and singing
as they carried the soul of the pure saint Abba Noufer saying, "Pure is
your soul Noufer, for it is without blemish; so let us present it as a beautiful
'korban' to Christ our Lord, the King of Glory!" Immediately I took the
tunic I was wearing and tore it in two. I wrapped the body of the blessed father
Abba Noufer with one piece, and covered myself with the other. I placed his body
in a small stone cave, and prayed on him before sealing the cave's entrance. The
same hour Abba Noufer departed, the palm tree withered and fell, and the fortress
which was his home
crumbled to the ground. It was then that I realised the strength of Abba
Noufer's words when he told me that it was not God's will
that I remain in his place. late
the bread which was
left over from the
meal we shared
together and drank the
rest of the water. I
then stood to pray before returning to the monastery. Suddenly,
the person who had come to me at the beginning of my journey and touched my
lips again returned
to me. He strengthened and encouraged me and so I left Abba Noufer's blessed
place glorifying the Lord through His beloved saint Abba Noufer the hermit. May
his blessings be with us all, amen? Abba
Ghaleon the Hermit Abba
Isaac, the abbot of El Kalamon Monastery once said: There
was a saint called Ghaleon who used to reside in
this monastery. He
was brought up in one of the villages in Upper Egypt, and God granted him the
gift of performing miracles and healing the sick. He prayed and fasted
diligently; only eating once
a week. He was chosen
to be the reader in the monastery, because he had a clear, strong voice. He read
many church books and so became spiritually knowledgeable and wise. He also
possessed many virtues. He
was consecrated as a monk while he was still in his youth, but took his
spiritual life very seriously. He lived an ascetic life within his own cell, and
only came out during prayer times. Daily the young saint increased in the love
and fear of God, until the devil could no longer tolerate his spirituality and
virtues. He therefore appeared to
him as he was on
his way to midnight prayers, disguised as a hermit saying, "Brother
Ghaleon, I am one of twelve desert fathers who dwell in the wilderness. Today,
however, one of my fellow desert dwellers passed away. Of course you realise
that once one of the desert fathers die, he must be replaced, and so we are
asking you brother Ghaleon, because of your love for solitude, to leave this
monastery and come dwell with us in the wilderness." Having said this, the
devil then vanished. The vision was so convincing that Ghaleon believed the Lord
had sent His angel to deliver this message, and that it must have been God's
will. Ghaleon began praying for this situation, and after the midnight prayers,
he took his rod and quickly left from the monastery gate. He found before him
eleven monks who approached and greeted him. He then followed closely behind
them as they walked through the wilderness amidst the darkness of the night.
They continued walking until midday when they reached a very high mountain,
where no person, no food and no water was in sight. Suddenly the eleven monks
began laughing wickedly saying, "We have hunted well tonight!" Then
Ghaleon thought to himself, "These men could not be saints, but seem to be
devils!" He quickly crossed himself and immediately the devils vanished
from his sight. Ghaleon
remained on the mountain feeling frightened and lost, and so began
praying the Psalms of David: "I will love You 0 Lord my strength.
The Lord is my rock and my fortress" (Ps 18). After praying this psalm
three times, his fears were calmed and his
heart was comforted. He looked around him and when he found no one, he began
praying Psalm 6: "0 Lord, do not rebuke me in
Your anger... have mercy on me 0 Lord, heal me
for my bones are troubled, and my soul is greatly troubled..!" He then
lifted his hands towards heaven and prayed, "Make haste 0 God to
deliver me, make haste to help me 0 Lord..!" (Ps 70), then, "May
the Lord answer you in the day of trouble. May the name of the God of Jacob
defend you. May He send you help from His sanctuary..."
(Ps 20). Still being filled with despair he
continued, "I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my
help? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth..." (Ps
121). Suddenly as he finished praying this psalm, he heard angelic voices in the
distance. Quickly he turned and saw three monks clothed in white garments
approaching him while praising Psalm 97: "0 sing to the Lord a new song
for He has done marvelous things." Their voices resembled the voices of
angels, and Ghaleon recognizing the tune joined in their praising. Because
of his last experience, he had some doubt as to whether these monks were
from God or not, but realising that demons
could never utter
the beautiful Psalms of David, his fears were put to rest. The four of them
stood praying and praising from the psalms throughout the entire night, and when
morning had dawned, they sat together and Ghaleon asked them where they were
from : "We are monks from the monastery of Abba Shenouda the Archimand
rite, but we are desert wanderers. It is not necessary for you to tell us your
story, for it
has been revealed to us by
the Spirit that you
have fallen victim to Satan's trap. So let us give thanks to our beloved Lord
for His mercy and care." At
the foot of the
mountain, they found a spring of fresh water which had been extracted from
rocks, and within this spring the Lord supplied them with fish. They
took a fish and left it in
the sun for a few days to cook before eating it. Abba
Ghaleon remained with these saintly fathers at the
foot of the mountain for a year, then one night one of the three monks said,
"Ghaleon, your spiritual father Abba Isaac is praying to God that he may
see you before your death, so arise quickly and return to
him." Ghaleon replied, "But father, I
do not know the
way!" Immediately, the desert father took Ghaleon
by the hand and said, "Follow us." He followed them
closely and before dawn he
found himself standing at the door of the monastery.
The three monks farewelled him before returning to their monastery of Abba
Shenouda the Archimandrite. "When
Ghaleon entered the monastery, my heart rejoiced exceedingly and so I Isaac
embraced him saying, 'My dear son Ghaleon, where have you been?' So he began to
tell me his story..." After
he had finished
speaking, I Isaac said to him, "Let me tell you what the Lord has revealed
to me regarding you: when you were away in the wilderness,
I prayed that God would tell me of your whereabouts, for I was worried about
you. Then in my dream I saw someone saying to me, "Do not be concerned, for
today you shall see Ghaleon in the flesh, and seven days later he will leave
this world to enjoy eternal life with Jesus Christ, so take care not to forget
this day!" Since you left this monastery my son Ghaleon, there has been no
other like you; no one who reads like you or memories the church songs and
psalms like you. For this reason, I cried bitterly when I could not find
you." There
was a bright young boy called Moses whose love for God was great. He became the
monastery's reader after Abba Ghaleon, so I presented him to Ghaleon and said,
"Teach him the rites of the church and all the hymns", so he took the
boy Moses and embraced him closely saying, "My son Moses, accept the Spirit
who dwells in me, for on the seventh day I will pass away." And having said
this, he breathed on him. Moses
eagerly learnt from Abba Ghaleon and increased in the knowledge of church
hymns and spiritual readings. On
the seventh day the blessed saint Abba Ghaleon delivered his pure soul to the
Heavenly King. All the monastery fathers gathered together to pray on him and
prepare his body for burial with all due reverence and honour. To
our Lord be all
glory forever and ever, amen. Abba
Karas the Hermit Abba
Karas lived at the turn of the 6th century and was the brother of the great King
Theodosious. Abba Karas' life story was written by Abba Bemwa; the one who
buried the body of St. Elaria, the daughter of King Zenon. (He is not to be
confused, however, with Abba Beinwa, the teacher of the two saintly fathers Abba
Bishoy and Abba John the Short). This
is Abba Karas' story, as was recorded by Abba Bemwa: One
day I heard a voice saying to me, "Go quickly into the inner wilderness,
for there you will meet Abba Karas who is greatly honoured by our Lord Jesus
Christ because of the many hardships he has endured for the sake of His Holy
Name." Immediately I got up and ventured into the wilderness, in search of
the saintly father. I continued walking for many days without seeing anyone, and
finally I noticed a nearby cave. I approached and knocked its door saying,
"Bless me my father the saint!" I then heard the reply, "Blessed
is your coming to me today Abba Bemwa, the priest of Sheheet, and the one whom
God made worthy of burying the body of the pure saint Elaria, daughter of King
Zenon!" I was
greatly surprised
at his response and his knowledge of my name, and when he opened his door, I
quietly entered. He greeted me warmly, then we sat down together and spoke about
the many wonders and glories of God. I marvelled at the strictness of his
ascetidsm, and so I said to him, "Father, are there any other Hermit
Fathers who dwell in this wilderness?" He sighed deeply and said,
"There is one who dwells among us, whose footsteps the world is not worthy
of, and his name is Abba Karas." I asked this blessed father sitting before
me, "What is your name and what is your story?" to which he replied,
"My name is Simon, and you are the first human I have seen in sixty
years... I eat every Saturday, when God in His infinite love, provides me with a
loaf of bread delivered on the doorstep to my cave..." After receiving Abba
Simon's many blessings, I asked him to pray for me, before continuing my
journey. I
walked for three
days before seeing another cave, and when I approached and knocked I heard a
voice from within saying, "Blessed is your coming to me today Abba
Bemwa!" and again I was greatly surprised. I asked him the same question I
had previously asked Abba Simon, and he replied, "There Lives one in the
wilderness, whom the whole world is not worthy of. He speaks with God and God
listens." I asked him, "Father, are you the blessed Abba Karas?"
Humbly he answered, "Who am I to
hear such words? l
am but very poor and
in no way comparable
to Abba
Karas, the friend
of angels!... I
am Bamon and I
have dwelt
in this wilderness
for twenty
nine years, feeding
on the fruits of
this palm
tree..." Once
again, I asked this
saintly father for
his blessings before
continuing with my search. As
I journeyed within the inner wilderness, I
heard a great voice, which frightened
me, and then all of a sudden I found myself standing at the entrance of a cave.
I knocked its door and once more I heard the response, "Blessed is your
coming to me today Abba Bemwa!" I entered and found before me a man who
had the face of an
angel. He had a long white beard and from him
shone rays as
bright as the sun. He looked very
fragile and spoke
in a soft voice. I knelt before him and said, "Hail to you my father the
saint." He looked at
me with gentle eyes
and said, "My beloved brother, I have been waiting for you a long time, for
with your coming today the Lord has
permitted my
departure." We sat together and I asked him to tell me about his life... "My
name is Karas, and I have dwelt
in this wilderness
for fifty seven years, during which time I
have not seen a
fellow human... As
the sun began to set
my blessed father
Karas was suddenly struck by a severe fever, and in pain he kept sighing,
"How can I escape your judgement O Lord, and from Your Spirit where can I
hide? 0 my Lord, howl
fear the hour! Be
merciful to me 0 Lord, because of my many sins!" I Bemwa marvelled at his
words, for he was a great and saintly hermit father! On
the 7th of Abib I found my father Abba Karas still feverish, but amidst his
pain, his eyes were uplifted towards heaven, calmly, for a long time. He then
said to me, "My beloved brother, one of our greatest pillars has passed
away today in Upper
Egypt. Indeed the
world has lost a
great saint, whom no one was worthy of his
footstep, and he is Abba Shenouda the Archimandrite. But now
he is resting in peace with our Lord." His
illness was becoming progressively more severe, and on the 8th day of the
blessed month of Abib, Abba Karas' angelic face shone brightly, and at midday an
unbearably strong, bright light illuminated the cave, and there standing before
us was our Lord God and Saviour Jesus Christ, glory be to Him,
together with the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and a
host of angels praising and singing. As the Lord of glory approached the pure
saint, Abba Karas said to Him, "My Lord and God, I ask You, for my sake to
please bless your servant Bemwa who has come to me from afar." So the Lord,
glory be to Him, turned to me and said, "My peace be with you Bemwa, and my
blessing come upon you." He then turned to Abba Karas and said, "Do
not be sad My beloved one; death for you is not death but eternal life and
transformation from this passing world to the place of eternal joy and
perfection." Our blessed Saviour then took unto Him the soul of the pure
saint Abba Karas. I
wrapped the body of
the saint in cloth, and then left his cave. At the entrance, the Lord of glory
placed His hand on
the cave to bless it, and suddenly it was as if the cave had no door. He
bestowed upon me His peace, before ascending in great glory. On
my return to the monastery, I passed by the caves of Abba Bamon and Abba Simon,
and eventually I reached Sheheet. I told all the fathers about Abba Karas,
whose life story is as sweet smelling incense to all those who hear it; for The
Lord is glorified through His saints. Our
church celebrates the feast of Abba Karas on the 8th of Abib each year. He is
also mentioned in the church 'Tasbeha' and the Liturgy's Commemoration. May
his blessings be with us all, amen? Abba
Misael the Hermit Abba
Isaac, the abbot of El Kalamon monastery tells us this story: One
Sunday morning, I was
present in the
monastery church when behind me I heard a young voice saying, "Father
Isaac, please accept me as one of your sons, and clothe me in the 'eskeem' of
monasticism; for I know you have the authority to do this,
because I have seen
how obedient the monks are to you." Before
me stood a boy of about twelve years old, but I felt he possessed many spiritual
fruits, and that he came seeking the life of worship with all his heart. I
said to him, "My son, go and remain within one of the monastery cells for a
while, and if you are patient and strong enough to overcome trials and
temptations through constant praying and living in solitude, then you can be a
monk." I also advised him to study spiritual books and church history
books, as well as memorise all the psalms. I asked one of the monastery fathers
to stay close by him
and teach him
the rites of
monasticism. Curious
about this young boy, I asked him, "My son, you are still very young; perhaps
you have disobeyed your parents and so escaped from them to come here.
Please tell
me about yourself." "My
parents were very evil; they never prayed and never had compassion for others.
They were becoming advanced in years and because they could not bear any
children, they were deeply distressed. Eventually they spoke to a monk priest
about their situation, and he answered them saying, "Firstly, you must go
and repent, and then God will give you a son." That same moment, they
repented, prayed diligently and comforted the poor. They asked their village
priest to teach them how to pray, and he asked them to memorise Psalm 50: "Have
mercy upon me 0 Lord according to your loving kindness..." Finally
God granted them a child. They brought me up in love and in the fear of God.
They had in their possessions many things - cows, goats, furniture, and all this
they gave away to the poor. When
I was five years old, my father died, and one year later my mother followed, and
so I was left alone. One day I thought to myself, "Where is my father now
and where is my mother? And where are all those people who died before
them?" I realised that this world on earth will not last forever, and so I
decided to escape
into the wilderness..." Abba
Isaac then continued: "Before a year had passed, the boy had learnt all the
church doctrines, memorised all the spiritual books, and he fasted and prayed
diligently. His guardian father came to me one day and said, "Indeed
father, this boy is
filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit." When
I felt that he had endured all trials patiently, and when I saw the fervencies
of his prayers, I clothed him with the 'eskeem' of monasticism, and named him
Misael, and at that very moment, his face shone brightly with the light and
grace of the Holy Spirit. He
lived an ascetic
life in his cell, to the extent
that no one
realised his existence. Then
one night, one of the monks came to me saying, "Father I have heard the
voice of a man blaming himself saying, '0 my soul, realise now that the human
body always desires the lusts of the world, and this is the result of sin,
therefore, if you seek salvation, escape from sin."' I the weak Isaac
realised that the devil was enticing our young monk with worldly cares... So
I then went to see Abba Misael. When I approached his cell, I found that he had
not yet finished his midnight prayers, so I remained outside his door until he
finished. He then
welcomed me into his cell and I asked, "My dear son, has anything
happened to you
tonight? Has the enemy disturbed you?" Kneeling before me he said,
"Father, the devil knows my
whereabouts, but he cannot tolerate hearing my prayers." I
noticed that he was reading from the book of Solomon,
and I was assured that Misael was too one of great wisdom. One
day I went to visit him
in his cell, and when I stood at his door, I found Him
praying, "Do
not leave me, nor forsake me 0
God of my salvation. When my
father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me" (Ps
27). I
knocked on his door,
and 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. He said to me, "Father
Isaac, you must rejoice!" So I replied crying, "How can I do such a
thing! When you entered the monastery you were a beautiful healthy boy, but now
look, you have become like the dead!" Misael answered me lovingly;
"During these years, God never dimmed my eyes, but strengthened me so
that I may stand to pray. This body seeks the world and its desires, but I have
prevented and restricted it from such things and for this reason, my Body has
become as you see it." I realised the greatness of this blessed saint
standing before
me and the heights of his spirituality, and therefore I asked him to pray for
me... Having
done this, he looked at me with gentle eyes and said, "Father, shall I tell
you what I saw in my sleep? After three days men from the Port of Alexandria
will come to this monastery, demanding one of your monks. Do not forbid them,
lest they bring sorrow to the monastery and kill the monks, for they are
powerful men and are sent by the king." Misael then began to cry,
"Father, I am the monk they must take away, but please do not be sad for
God is with
me; He is my protector, but be sure that I will return to you. The following
year there will be a disaster on earth, but do not be afraid; I will come to
you, and you shall
see the will
of God revealed."
I was greatly perplexed at
what he was saying, sol shared his dream with my fellow brethren, and they too were
surprised. A
few days later, a group of men from the Port of Alexandria came to the monastery
with a letter, and imprinted in the letter was the name of the blessed saint
Misael. They said aggressively, "Bring this man to us for we will not
permit him to remain in this place another day!" I was greatly distressed
and so replied "I do not know this monk; he is not here." Immediately
they bound me with a metal chain and tied me to a marble pillar. They drove all
the monks out of the monastery and wanted to take me back to Alexandria, when
suddenly Abba Misael stood before them asking, "Whom do you seek?"
They replied, "The young monk Misael, for the king has need of him!"
He then said, "Leave this old man, and I shall lead you to him." They
untied me the weak Jacob and left me behind, and took the blessed saint Abba
Misael. They left the monastery and I never saw him again. The brethren and I
cried bitterly for days... A
year later, there was a great famine and many people died because of lack of
food, but because the saintly father had forewarned me, I gathered large amounts
of wheat, maize, oats and beans and stored them in the monastery. This kept us
safe throughout the days of the great famine. When
the governor
heard we had food stored in
the monastery, he
came begging for food. Eventually, demand increased and so in fear I cried remembering
the saint's words, "I will come to you during the famine." The
governor and all his people began consuming our food in great amounts. Suddenly
a group of men came to the monastery and said to the governor, "What are
you doing here in this wilderness?" to which he replied, "Food! They
have food here that is no where else to be found in all the earth!"
Immediately they said, "Leave
this monastery at once and do not return, lest you die by the sword!"
Quickly, the governor and all his men got up and left and no harm came to the
monastery. I,
Isaac was eager to know who these men were, and when I offered them food to eat
they said, "No, you are the one in need of food." I approached the
elder of the group and said, "Brother please tells me, where are you
from?" One of the fathers answered, "The king has given us the
responsibility to take care of this wilderness and to make sure that no harm
comes to its dwellers."
I fell to the ground before them and begged them to tell me who they are, but as
I looked up, I found they had departed into the wilderness, so I pondered over
what I had seen and heard... A
younger looking man remained behind. He came towards me, took my hand and
sat in front of me saying, "My dear Father Isaac, truly God has been most
merciful to me; for I am your son Misael whom you clothed with the 'eskeem' of
monasticism. The men who were just with me are the same men who took me away
from you and none of my monastery brothers have seen me since; just as I had
told you beforehand. The men whom you have recently seen are heavenly members,
and the city which they claimed to be from - Alexandria, is actually Jerusalem.
Together with them I ventured through the wilderness and other places where
there are those who live in obedience and in the fear of God." I, Isaac
then asked, "Dear brother,
can I join you so
that I may rest from my pastoral responsibilities in the monastery, for there
are many other shepherds." But Abba Misael replied, "Father this
cannot be so, for you have been given authority from heaven to care for the
monastery brothers and to lead them spiritually, so do not be afraid Father
Isaac." He comforted me with his many beautiful words of spiritual benefit,
and then he asked me about his fellow monastery brothers. He asked me to send
each one of them his greetings and then said, "Go to Abba Athanasious, the
bishop of my home town and take from him the remainder of the money which my
parents left for me, for
it has been kept in
his care, and build a church within this monastery which will bear my
name." Having said this, he left me and caught up with his friends... After
this incident, I went straight to my father the bishop, just as Abba Misael had
requested of me. The Bishop Athanasious gave me two times 900 pounds of gold,
400 pieces of woollen cloth, 100 layers of sheepskin and 500 horses. I was
astonished by all these possessions. I
returned to the monastery and converted his cell into a beautiful church. The
day arrived in which
his church was to be consecrated. Great crowds gathered
from the
monasteries and towns in Upper Egypt; the Bishop of Fao was present,
along with
many other bishops,
monks and priests. When the prayers for consecration had begun, I saw before me
the same group of fathers I had seen previously. They entered the church with
rods in their hands and from their rods came beams of light in the shape of
crosses. Although I could see them standing before me, no one else did. I
approached them, knelt before them and asked that they pray for me. I then went
to my beloved son Misael and greeted him. They
remained in the church until the ceremony had finished and all the people had
left. The
groups of fathers then followed, but Abba Misael remained behind. He came
towards me and said, "Father Isaac, prepare for yourself a tomb in this
church, for on this day next year you shall go to God's holy place which the
Lord has prepared for you." Abba
Misael then departed from me and I never saw him again. I arranged for my tomb
to be built at the north side of this church. I,
Isaac saw and knew Abba Misael from his childhood. He lived in obedience to
God's commandments and complete self-denial of all worldly and bodily desires
and pleasures. He was like an angel; praising and praying unceasingly. Our
church celebrates his feast each year on the 13th day of the
blessed Coptic month
of Kiakh. May his blessings
be with us all,
and glory be to our
Holy Trinity, now
and forever, amen. *The
church of Abba
Misael the hermit is still present in Abba Samuel's Monastery
in El Kalamon, and was consecrated on the
10th day of the Coptic month Bashans,
in the year 396 AD.
during the reign of Diocletian. St
Mary the Hermit In
the 4th century lived an ascetic monk priest by the name of Father Zocima who
was from a monastery in Palestine. The monastery's location was not far from the
wilderness where our Lord Jesus
Christ fasted for forty
days and nights. It
is a monastic custom that each year the monks would spend the spiritual days of
Lent in solitude outside of the monastery. It
was the first Sunday of the Great Lent, when Abba Zocima ventured into the wilderness
to spend the forty days in spiritual retreat. After these holy days were over,
Abba Zocima was walking back to the monastery when he noticed a human form
quickly pass him by. He made the sign of the cross and carefully approached the
figure... he then heard a voice saying, "Give me your cape so that I may
cover my nakedness, for I am a woman." She knelt before Abba Zocima and
said, "Bless me Abba Zocima, for you are a priest of God." After he
prayed for her, he asked that she reveal her story... "I
was born in Egypt in the year 344. When I was twelve years old, I disobeyed my
father's wish and traveled to Alexandria; lam ashamed to think howl first lost
my virginity there, and how I was set on fire with the endless desire for
pleasure. I was exposed to many harmful things that at such an early age
destroyed the purity of my mind. I then became curious to experience many
things, and so I willingly surrendered myself to lusts and bodily desires. As a
result, I lost my virginity at the age of seventeen. While
I was living in this way, one summer I saw a great crowd of men going down
toward the sea. I stopped one of them and asked him where they were going, and
he said, "We are all going to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of the Holy
Cross." Drawn by curiosity, I joined the pilgrims going by ship to
Jerusalem. On the way I seduced many of my companions, and I continued to live
in this way in Jerusalem. As
the feast day of the Holy Cross-approached, I wanted to enter the church like
everyone else, but this mysterious force prevented me. The more I persisted in
trying to enter, the more it would throw me back. Giving up, I sat in a lonely
place not far from the church and wondered about this strange experience.
I then thought to myself, 'it must be because I am a sinner and Unworthy
of entering such a place, for what relation is there between an evil one such as
myself, and the cross of the Lord Jesus?' Suddenly guilt filled my heart and I
began to cry bitterly while beating on my chest. I then carefully approached the
icon of St. Mary and said, "Was not your Son incarnated for the salvation
of sinners? If this is so, please help me! 0 faithful pleader, ask your Son to
make me worthy of entering His church so that I may throw myself before His Holy
Cross. Save me from this power that resists my entry, and I promise never to
return to my worldly and sinful life, with all its desires and pleasures, and I
shall go wherever the Lord leads me!" After
finishing my prayers of repentance, the Lord permitted that I enter into His
holy church. I felt so shameful and unworthy before His greatness and majesty,
that slowly I approached His Holy Cross and fell to the ground before it weeping
bitterly. I
lost track of time during my prayers, and when I lifted my head, I found it was midday.
I left the church glorifying the Lord saying, "Glory be to you my Lord, God
and Saviour, who accepted
the pleadings of Your mother on my behalf, for You have accepted me, just as You
accept all sinners who return to You. I cannot comprehend the compassion and
unlimited love and
the new life you
grant to those who repent! And as for you blessed Virgin Mother, pray to your
Son for me, that He may lead me along the paths of righteousness, and now my
Master and Lord, into Your hands I do surrender my life." I then heard a
voice saying, "Cross the River Jordan and there you will find the place of
your salvation." On the way a man gave me three pieces of silver with which
to buy bread. I bought three loaves and took them with me on my journey. I was
then twenty-nine years old, and now it has been forty-five years since I left
the holy city Jerusalem. I
reached the church of St. John the Baptist, which is located near the Jordan.
The memory of my many sins still haunted me, so I washed my face in the river before
entering the holy place and confessing my sins to the priest. When the father
absolved me, I felt an incredible relief; it was as though a burden had been
lifted! I then completed my joy by receiving the Holy Sacraments. I
left the church and fed on a little of the bread I had with me. I continued
walking for two days without eating. I then stopped a while to rest before
sailing by boat to the other side of the Jordan River... The
trials and satanic wars I faced were severe, and to this day I remember them and
tremble. For seventeen years the devil stirred within me disturbing and lustful
desires. Many times I hungered and thirsted, which brought about memories of my
past, and I craved to taste the sweet liquors I was once so accustomed to
drinking... Many secular songs filled my mind, and then I would beat on my chest
remembering the day of my repentance, and once again surrender myself with tears
of repentance before the Lord, asking for the pleadings of His Virgin Mother St.
Mary. After
relentless spiritual struggles and many tears, a bright light would surround me
and immediately the devil would flee. I would then live in the comfort
and security of God's glory... When
I had eaten the three loaves of bread I had with me, I began eating from the
grass of the wilderness... my clothes wore out and my body was burnt many times
from the extreme heat of the sun, and trembled greatly from the cold desert
nights, but God in His infinite love preserved me so that my heart rejoiced
exceedingly. Father, you are the first person I have seen since crossing the
Jordan River many years ago, so I ask you to pray for me." She knelt before
Abba Zocima to take his blessings, and he lifted up his hands towards heaven
saying, "Blessed are You 0 God in the highest, who is the performer of
great miracles. Blessed is your holy name, for you have revealed to me the many
treasures of your grace." St.
Mary said to him, "Father, please do not tell anyone about me before my
death. Now, you must return to your monastery in peace. The following year you
will not be able to come to me during the days of Lent, for this is God's will,
but come and meet me on the shores of the Jordan on Holy Thursday, and bring for
me the Holy Body and Blood of my Lord Jesus Christ. Abba Zocima, I ask you to
tell Abba John the abbot of your monastery to keep close watch over his flock,
for they are in need of care and discipline. And finally, do not forget to pray
for me." Abba
Zocima returned to his monastery on Palm Sunday, and kept in his heart all that
he had seen and heard, just as St. Mary requested of him. The following year, he
was unable to leave the monastery during Lent because he was struck by a severe
fever. He then remembered St. Mary's words, and realised that his illness was
the will of God. After
the Holy Mass on Holy Thursday, Abba Zocima carefully carried the Holy
Sacraments, and took with him some vegetables and went out seeking the blessed
St Mary. When he reached the shores of the Jordan River, he saw the
saint in the distance making the sign of the cross on the water, then walked
upon it until she
stood before him. She knelt before the Holy Body and Blood of Christ in complete
reverence and prayed the Orthodox Creed and the Lord's prayer before receiving
the Holy Sacraments. She then said to Abba Zocima, "By the will of God,
come to me next year, and meet me at the cave where you first saw me." He
prayed for her before she once again made the sign of the cross on the water and
crossed over, returning to her cave. The
following year, the saintly father Zocima went to the cave of St. Mary and found
her kneeling towards the east; she had already passed away. Abba Zocima fell to
the ground crying, then as he got up to pray, he noticed a message engraved
beside her: "Abba Zocima, bury the body of Mary the Repentant in this place
and leave this body of sin for the dust." Abba Zocima was comforted by this
message and marvelled when he saw a lion sitting by guarding her body. When he
became worried as to how to dig a grave for her, the lion which sat guarding the
body began digging. Abba Zocima then prayed
over the body of St. Mary the hermit, before burying her and placing the sign of
the cross on her cave. Abba
Zocima returned to his monastery praising and glorifying God's holy name. He
gathered together all the monks of the monastery and told them the beautiful
story of the repentance of the pure saint Mary the hermit. Her aromatic story is
a comforting and encouraging meditation on God's mercies for all those who
struggle in the life of purity and virtues. Abba Zocima kept returning to her
cave each year during the days of Holy Lent, until he rested in peace at the age
of one hundred. As
for St. Mary
the hermit, her
pure body was discovered during the Papacy of Pope John, Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Through her, many miracles have occurred. She
died in the year 421 AD at the age of seventy-six. Our church celebrates her
feast each year on the 6th day of the blessed Cop tic month Baramudah. May
her blessings be with us all, and glory be to God forever, amen. Abba
Yousab the Hermit The
saintly father Abba Yousab lived in the wilderness of Sheheet. He was well
advanced in age, and his body had become weak from his constant spiritual
struggles, devotion and strict asceticism. He prayed unceasingly and kept watch
throughout the night. He was a blessed man of patience and tolerance, and humbly
clothed himself in a tunic of braided palm. God provided him with food, and upon
the soft clouds Abba Yousab would travel from place to place... He possessed
many spiritual virtues. One
day he thought curiously to himself, "I wonder if anyone is equal to me in
virtues?" and he prayed that the Lord would reveal a sign. Abba Yousab then
heard the voice of the Lord's angel saying to him, "He, who is the king of
Antioch, go to him and see the honour bestowed upon him." Abba
Yousab at once rode upon the clouds, and when he had reached the city of
Antioch, he walked with his rod until he arrived at the gate of the city. There
he saw the king mounted on his horse, and surrounded by all his soldiers and
guards. He was received by all the people with great honour and dignity. The
king was clothed in the most exquisite gown, and on his head he wore a crown
glittering with diamonds and precious gems. Abba Yousab became very confused at this,
and as he wondered how he could compare spiritually with such
a magnificent king, the king approached him and said, "Abba Yousab, you
bring upon yourself many hardships." He then ordered the soldiers to take
the saint to his palace and take care of him there until the king returns. When
the king arrived at the palace, he took hold of the saint's hands and leads him
into a lavish hall where a banquet had been prepared. The two of them sat beside
each other on the table... Later, the king lead the saint to his private
quarters, and there Abba Yousab was introduced to the king's wife. The queen,
who was arrayed in beautiful jewels and fine apparel, welcomed the saintly
father with much joy and warmth. Serving the king and queen were maids who were
also very beautifully dressed. Having completed their duties, the queen then
dismissed them... The
king and queen then excused themselves and after a short while returned clothed
in animal fur. Abba Yousab marvelled at this. They then lead the saint into
another room within the palace, and they’re sitting on the ground, working
with his hands was a monk. Immediately the monk came forward to kiss the hermit
father, then greeted the king and queen. They then all stood together and prayed
the 6th hour prayer, before returning to their craftwork. Each one of them
worked in silence, then the monk said to the saint, "My saintly father Abba
Yousab, it was God's will to reveal to you the life of the king and queen, for
it has been a spiritual experience for you." They then spoke about the many
wonders of God, His
love and His care. After praying the 9th hour prayer, the servant prepared a
small table upon which lay bread and a small portion of food. They ate and
gave many thanks to
God. The
monk then took the saint aside and said, "My dear brother, I hope that you
have benefited from the example of the king and queen, for as you have noticed,
their greatness is not in ruling the monarchy, but in spirituality and wisdom.
Despite their riches, they live in asceticism and humility. They eat only
a little and delight in working with their hands." The
king and queen took
the saint's
blessings before Abba Yousab left, riding upon his cloud back to his cave in
El-Eskeet. He glorified God through His chosen people, and lived in joy and
continuous prayer and praise until the day he
rested in peace. May
all glory be to our God forever, amen? Abba
Thomas the Hermit Abba
Wissa, the disciple
of Abba Shenouda the Archimandrite once said: There
lived on the mountain of Shenshif a saintly hermit father called Thomas. He
was greatly loved by everyone, and he was a dear friend of my spiritual father.
Abba Shenouda used to tell me that there was no other like Abba Thomas in
spirituality, and that the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to him and the angels
frequently visited him. When
the hour approached for his departure from this world, he hurried to our
wilderness to meet with my father, and together they sat down speaking about the
many glories and wonders of God. Abba Thomas said to my father Abba Shenouda:
"I shall no longer speak with you in the flesh, for the angel of the Lord
has revealed to me this night that my Lord will shortly come to take me with
Him. The angel also
revealed to me the day of your departure father, so
your sons must take note of this day; for it will be on the same day as
Alexandria's Archbishop Abba Kyrillos was born, and also the same hour of Abba
Boctor's birth, the abbot of Tebansin Monastery. It will be the 7th day of the
blessed month of
Abib, and many
saints will come to you on this day." My
father Abba
Shenouda then asked Abba Thomas the hermit, "Father, how will I know the
hour of your departure?" to which Abba Thomas replied, "I will give you
a sign; the rock on
which you sit upon
at the entrance of your cave will crack open into two halves, just like an open
book. When you see this, then know that
my soul has
been released from my body. You
will see the
Archangel Rafael walking before
you, together with
those whom
you choose to
accompany you for my
burial, and you
will reach my
dwelling place without
any transportation. So I ask you Abba Shenouda to do this act of
love for the sake of
God, and bury my
body, for I have no
one but God alone."
My father answered, "let it be according to God's will." They embraced
each other for the last time and then the saintly father said to Abba Shenouda,
"I will leave you now in the tender care of God, until I meet you
again." My father then returned to his cave and daily, he increased in
worship and asceticism. It
was three months since my father had spoken with Abba Thomas, and as he stood at
the entrance of his cave one morning to pray, he saw the rock before him crack
in half; just like an open book. My father sighed deeply and said, "The
wilderness of Shenshif had lost its lamp." As he spoke these words, the
Archangel Rafael appeared and pointed to Abba Shenouda with his right hand
saying, "Hail to you beloved of the Lord, and of all the saints! Come; let
us bury the body of the pure Saint Thomas, because they are all waiting for you.
My father followed the
angel until they
arrived at the monastery by nightfall. There
Abba Shenouda found
a brother praying, "At
midnight I will rise
to give thanks to You because of Your righteous judgements" (Ps
119:62), so
my father approached
him and said, "Follow me." He
then went to Abba Yousab the writer who was praying, "We
will rejoice in Your salvation and in
the name of our God we will setup our banners" (Ps
20:5), 50 my father said To
him, "Follow me." They approached the strong and courageous Brother
Enoch who was praying, "He sha11 cover you with His feathers, and under
His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and
buckler" (Ps 91:4), and my father said to him, "Follow me."
The four of them went into the sanctuary to pray, before leaving the monastery;
guided by the Archangel Rafael who walked before them. Finally
they reached the saintly father Abba Thomas' dwelling place, and when they found
his body, they fervently prayed on him, wrapped him in cloth and reverently
placed him within his cave. Many
miracles were performed through him. The saintly hermit father Abba Thomas
rested in peace on the 27th day of the blessed month Bashans, in the Year
452 AD, and his prophecy about the departure of Abba Shenouda the Archimandrite
on the 7th of Abib was fulfilled. To
this day, there is
a church which bears the name of the holy saint Abba Thomas
the hermit, which
is located about five kilometres north of El Sawamaa, northeast of Akhmeem.
There is also a monastery in this place, which also bears his name. May
his prayers and blessings be with us all, amen? Abba
Bejimi the Hermit Abba
Bejimi was born of poor Christian parents in the town of Fisha, under the
bishopric of Masil. When he was twelve years old, he was shepherding his
father's flock in the field, when the angel of the Lord appeared to him as a young
boy saying, "Would you like to come
and be a monk with me, so that we may
spend the rest of
our lives worshipping God instead of
caring for these
animals? Three days from now,
three monks are
coming to take
me with them back to
their monastery,
and if you like you
can come too!" The heart of the young boy Bejimi rejoiced exceedingly, for
monasticism was his heart's desire, so he said to his new friend, "Yes,
please take me with you!" Three
days later, three monks were walking through the field when they saw Bejimi.
The angel drew close to them and said, "It is good to take with you this enlightened
pillar who will be a shining light in the world, for he is a chosen one
of God. He will return to this place in his last days and God will perform many
miracles through him, until the day he completes his journey on earth." Realising
that it was the angel of the Lord who was revealing these words to them, the
elder of the monks approached the young saint Bejimi and asked, "Would
you like to come with us? But I warn you, the journey is long and
tiresome." Bejimi answered them, "I shall eagerly follow you."
Excitedly, he walked with them until they reached Mount Nitria, and there he
rested with them a few days. Then they continued walking within the wilderness
of Sheheet for a
further seventy miles. Along
the way the monks taught the young Bejimi the rites and traditions of
monasticism, and through their example they taught him humility, prayer,
fasting, vigils, handiwork and memorising spiritual books. The saint increased
daily in spirituality, humility and patience and abiding in the fear of God. The
three monastic fathers rejoiced in Bejimi's virtues and good deeds and in his
love and dedication in partaking of the holy church sacraments. When he had
lived for seven years in obedience and christian love towards the three monastic
fathers, they clothed him in the 'eskeem' of monasticism. Bejimi
was a person who had abeautiful, pleasant appearance,
and because of his warm smile and gentleness, they called him the "son of
peace." He lived For fifteen years in complete obedience towards the three
fathers, until their departure to the Heavenly Kingdom. During the years in
which he dwelt with the monastic fathers, they
prophesied to him that he would one day become a great
spiritual leader. After their departure, Bejimi remained alone in that place for
a further two years; thus he dwelt within the wilderness of Sheheet for
twenty-four years. His
fame spread
throughout all the land, and many people and monastic fathers came to see him
from all the
surrounding regions to receive his blessings.
When he found that he was consuming a lot of his time in meeting with people and
guiding them spiritually, he became frightened from vain glory and the praise of
men, and the evil effect it could have on his heart. So he began meditating on
the day of his departure from this world, and the moment of Judgement, and began
blaming himself saying, "What can I do if God has need of me this night?
How can I stand before God and justify all the deeds I have done in my
life?" He
then got up and walked within the wilderness of Sheheet for three days and
nights. He took nothing with him except for a palm branch on which he leaned for
support. He ate nothing during these three days, and then suddenly devils
appeared to him as ferocious beasts, wanting to attack him and eat him, however,
they were not able to even approach the saint. So Bejimi said to them, "If
my Lord Jesus Christ has given me over to you, then it would not be necessary
for all of you to be here, for only
one of you would have the strength to
kill me, but if the Lord has not given you authority over me, then keep away
from me!" and having said this, he made the sign of the cross, and at once
they vanished like smoke. After
this incidence, the saint continued walking within the
wilderness. He prayed along the way and felt happy that God was beside him and
supporting him. After two day of journeying through the wilderness of Sheheet,
he came to a small valley filled with beautiful palm trees and a pond of fresh
water. He rejoiced when he saw the many animals drinking happily from the pond.Abba
Bejimi then continued walking for a further twenty miles until he found a small
cave situated on the side of a high mountain. This was to be his home for the
next twenty four years, during which time he lived in strict asceticism, fervent
prayer and worship, humility and lowliness of heart; always remem140
Bering the Lord's
words, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and
lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matthew11:29). During
the first three years of living in this cave, he ate and drank only once every
six days. He ate from the fruits of the palm trees, which fell to the ground,
and drank fresh spring water. He never stored food or drink in his cave. Daily
he would pray fifty psalms and read from the books of Moses and the prophets. He
prostrated four hundred times in the morning, and at night he would kneel and
once again pray fifty psalm, together with praising and prayer, reading from
many Old Testament books as well as from the Gospels and Epistles. After
three years, his clothes wore out, so he remembered the example of Abba Paula
the First Hermit, and wove for himself a tunic of palms. During these three
years, he experienced severe spiritual struggle, so the angel of the Lord
appeared to him as a hunter and provided Abba Bejimi with heavenly food; just as
the angel had once provided to Elijah the prophet. Having
dwelt in the wilderness for twenty-four years, the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Archangel Michael and the twelve apostles appeared to Bejimi, and the wilderness
was flooded
with a brilliant
light. The Lord said to the saint, "Peace be
with you My chosen one!
Because of your love for
Me and the
sufferings you have
endured for Me, a church shall be
built in your name..." He then blessed Bejimi
and said,
"Arise and go to your home town, for there I shall perform many
miracles through you,
and idol
worshippers shall return to the True Faith. There you shall remain for ten
years, before completing your
life on earth and
coming to live with me in My Heavenly Kingdom forever." Our beloved Lord
gave Abba Bejimi His
peace and blessing
before departing from him. The
Archangel Michael
then placed the saintly father on a
cloud, which
carried him to a
high mountain, three miles from his hometown. There Bejimi built a small cave
and lived within it in strict asceticism and worship. He was a righteous example
to all those who saw him. A
few days later,
the angel of the Lord carried him safely
to the region of Pharan in Palestine; for it was
corrupted by
many heresies, but because of
the strength of
Abba Bejimi's spiritual teachings, and the grace bestowed upon him
by the Holy Spirit, he defeated all apostasies. God also granted him the gift Of
performing miracles, healing the sick and casting out evil spirits. Abba
Bejimi spent five years in the region of Pharan, praying and struggling to bring
the lost sheep back into the flock. After the Lord helped him accomplish this,
the angel carried him back to the cave near his home town. There he also lived
for five years, healing the sick and encouraging many to return to the True
Faith. As a result, his fame spread throughout the entire region. +
It has been
mentioned that Abba Shenouda the Archimandrite saw a vision
one night: he lifted up his eyes towards heaven and there he saw a magnificent
throne situated upon a pillar of light, and on the throne sat a crown of
glittering diamonds. When he asked one of the angels, "Whom does
this throne belong to?" the angel replied, "It is for the saintly
father Bejimi the hermit, of Fisha in the diocese of Maseal." After this
revelation, Abba Shenouda eagerly wanted to see the saint, so he ventured
through the
wilderness until he found him. The blessed father Abba Bejimi knew by
the Spirit who Abba
Shenouda was, and so
they warmly greeted one another. They
spent the entire night praising and praying together, after which they
spoke about the many great wonders of God. Abba Shenouda remained
with the
saint a few days
before returning to
his monastery. +
The Lord revealed to Abba Bejimi the hour of his departure, so he called
his disciple to him and gave him a sign by which the hour of his deliverance
would be known. It
was seven o'clock in the morning on the first day of Kiakh, when the saintly
father Abba Bejimi was struck by a severe fever, but in all his pain; he was
comforted by a group of saints who came to visit him. On the eleventh day of the
blessed month of Kiakh, the Holy Father Abba Bejimi released his spirit, and a
host of angels carried him to the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved him dearly. He
was seventy years old when he passed away. He
lived for twelve years in Fisha, seven years in Sheheet with the monastic
fathers, seventeen years clothed in the 'eskeem' of monasticism and living in
the wilderness of Sheheet, twenty four years wandering within the inner
wilderness, five years in Pharan and five years in a cave near his home town
Fisha. In
the Monastery of Abba Macarius the Great is a church bearing the name of
"The Hermit Fathers." Within its sanctuary is an icon of Abba Bejimi,
the blessed hermit father. Our
church celebrates his feast each year on the eleventh day of Kiakh. He is also
mentioned in the daily 'Tasbeha'. 'Pray
to the Lord on our be half my fathers... Abba Apollo, Abba Abib and Abba Bejimi;
'nay the Lord forgive us our sins." Abba
Timothy the Hermit Abba
Paphnatious once said: I
had this desire to journey into the wilderness in order to see the saintly Hermit
Fathers... So I walked through the wilderness for four days and nights without
having anything to eat or drink. Suddenly I noticed a cave, so I approached and
knocked on its door (as
this is a monastic habit) but no one answered. I remained at its entrance until
midday, then entered his cave calling out,
"Bless me
father!" I saw before me a monk sitting in silence, so I stretched out my
hand and held his arm. As soon as I had done this it crumbled and became as
dust... I crossed myself, prayed and left. I
then walked a little further and found footprints leading to another cave. Again
I knocked its door, and again no one answered. I sat at the cave's entrance and
thought, 'Wherever the owner of this cave has gone, he will return, so I shall
sit here and wait for him.' I remained
praying at the cave's entrance until the sun began to set, and in the distance I
could see a herd of zebras with a person walking amidst them. When I approached
him, I noticed that he was naked and that his hair had covered his body like a
tunic. He was greatly afraid of me, and thought me tobe a spirit, so abruptly he
stopped and began praying. I went to him and said, "Do not be afraid
father, for I am too a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living
God; I am not a
spirit, for I have flesh and bones." He began reciting verses
from the Holy Bible, then
warmly greeted me. I walked
him to his cave, Where we prayed then sat down together. I said to him, "I
greatly desired to see the Hermit Fathers of this wilderness, so I thank the
Lord for fulfilling my desire in seeing you. My saintly father, please reveal to
me your life story..." "I
was a
monk residing in a monastery and enjoyed
working with my
hands as is the
monastic habit. I
used to distribute my handiwork to the weak, and the
poor and the
strangers. After a while, I built for myself a cell outside the monastery,
and there I lived
within it. The
devil, the enemy of all goodness, was never far away. He envied me for my work
and so one-day he came to me in the appearance of a nun who often came
to buy my
handiwork. Gradually, a special relationship developed between
the two of us.
Whenever she came to see me, we would sit together, and
eat together and talk together, until
one day I committed a
sin with
her... For
the following six
months, my heart was hardened, until eventually I sat and
wondered about this trial
which the devil put
me through, and I was deeply
sorry. Realising and regretting my sin, I cried bitterly. At that
moment I imagined death
and the severe torment I
shall face because
of my sin, sol took courage and said to myself,
"Arise from your sin and escape to the wilderness, and
there cry with tears
of repentance over
your great sin and pray unceasingly to the Lord, in the hope that He will have
mercy on you and forgive you!" Immediately
I got up and left my solitary cell and ventured into the wilderness.
Eventually the Lord lead me to this cave which is situated beside this beautiful
palm tree. This tree bears twelve baskets of dates a year, and for the past
thirty years, this alone has been my food. When my tunic wore out God permitted
that the hair on my body grow long enough to cover me, as you can see." I
then asked
this saintly hermit
father, "Did you suffer at all when you first came
into the wilderness to live?"
He answered,
"Yes I suffered greatly. Many times
I threw myself to
the ground because of the severity of
my pain and the
sorrow within my heart, and many times I felt as though I was going to die. So
great was the pain
that I was unable to stand for prayer, but for four
years I never
ceased crying and
praying day and night,
pleading for God to forgive me for the great sin I had committed. It
happened one day as I felt the severity of my pain worsening, that I thought to
myself, 'This pain is the fruit of my impure thoughts and desires, so be patient
my soul in your pain so that the Lord may heal you.' I then saw before me a man
full of light saying, "Show me where is your pain?" So I pointed to my
liver. He gently put his hand on the area of my pain and said to me, "You
are now healed, but do not sin again. Be watchful and diligent in your prayers."
And from that moment, I have lived without pain." I
Paphnatious asked if I could live with him in his cave, but he replied, "My
dear brother, you
could not tolerate all the Satanic wars." I then said to him, "Father,
I do not yet know your name" so he answered, "My name is Timothy; please
remember me in your prayers." I
knelt before him and asked him to
pray for me. He said, "May our beloved Lord Jesus Christ bless you and save
you from all the traps of the enemy; may your ways be straight and your deeds
pleasing to God, so that you may be united with your saintly fathers in the
Lord's Kingdom... After
blessing me, I returned to my cell overwhelmed with joy desiring to live the
life of the hermit father Abba Timothy. Our
church celebrates his feast on the 23rd day of the blessed Coptic month Kiakh. May
his blessings be with us all, amen? Glossary
of Terms ABBA
- Coptic word meaning 'father', or within a monastic community it is given to
the spiritual father/elder. It is also a title given to the Pope and to
bishops, and also to some of our fathers the saints. AGAPE
- The primary meaning is 'love'. It is
also used to mean the meal taken in
common after the celebration of the Liturgy. ARCHIMANDRITE
- A title given to the abbot/protopriest of a monastery. BEDOUIN - An Arab of
the desert; a nomad, a wanderer. CELL
- A hut or cave where the monk lives alone or with a disciple. These buildings
are scattered about the desert, and a group of such cells is called a lavra. COENOBITIC
MONASTICISM - A
type of monasticism established by Abba Bakhomious, Father of the
Community, in the third century, where monks
or nuns live a communal life in
a monastery
or convent. CROSS
BEARER - A title
given to hermits who struggled relentlessly in the life of monasticism. They are
considered cross bearers because the strife they endured can be compared to the
suffering involved in bearing the cross. This title has also been given to some
of the Confessors and martyrs. DEFNAR
- A collection of short stories of the saints of each day, and it is read in the
monasteries during the Midnight Praise. DOXOLOGY
- Songs of praises for
saints and for special occasions. EPSALIEPSALIA
- Songs of praise for our Lord Jesus Christ. EPSALMODIA
- Book containing midnight psalms and praises. ESKEEM
- A leather belt of crosses which is worn by a monk who has reached a very high
level of spirituality. This belt symbolises spiritual responsibility and
struggle, as well as
self control over bodily needs and desires. The 'eskeem'
may also be the
monastic habit. FARAGIA
- A black tunic worn by monks and priests. It is black because it symbolizes the
fact that they have died completely to the world, and everything in the world,
and are now devoting their life to Christ. HERMITS
- Better known as Anchorites, the Spirit Born. They are usually called "El
Souah" in Arabic. This type of monk has reached a very high level of
spirituality where his spirit is heavier than his body, because he is fervent in
spirit, and he rarely eats. They live in-groups and can easily move from one
place to another in a very short time, without anyone seeing them. HESSIAN
- A strong, coarse fabric woven from plant fibres. It is commonly used for sacks
and carpet backing. HERSYCHIA
- A Greek word meaning stillness, quiet, tranquillity. This is the central
consideration in the prayer of the Desert Fathers. On the external level, it
signifies an individual living as a solitary; on a deeper level, it is the
possession of interior quiet and peace. More specifically it means guarding the
mind, constant remembrance of God, and the possession of inner
prayer. KOLONSOWA
- A
hood usually embroidered with crosses, that is worn on the head by all monks. It
is believed that the angel of the Lord had passed on the 'kolonsowa' and
monastic habit to St. Anthony, father of monasticism, and to this day, it is
worn by all Coptic and Syrian monks. Catholic Franschescan monks and other
Orthodox monks also wear a 'kolonsowa', but usually with no embroidered crosses. HOLY
THURSDAY - The
Thursday before Good Friday, commemorating the Lord's Last Supper. It is better
known as Maundy Thursday. METANYIA - Prostration. There are three different reasons why we prostrate:-*
for worship; when
we enter the church and prostrate before the Holy Altar. *for
respect; in the
presence of a Pope or bishop, we prostrate before them. *
Repentance, interior sorrow for sin. It also means the action by which
such sorrow is expressed, usually a prostration, or 'metanyia'. MELOTE
- Sheepskin.
A monastic cloak made of sheepskin, also used as a blanket
for the monk to sleep on. MEMAR
- Remembrance of the saints. EL
SHEIK EL ROHANI -
Literally, it is the Arabic term for 'Spiritual Elder', however, this title has
been given specifically to the saintly father Abba Youhanna Saba. SYNIXARIUM
- A collection of detailed biographies of the saints of each day, and their
stories are read during the Holy Mass (after the Acts of the Apostles). STYLITE
- Men who have lived for very long periods on the top of a pillar. TASBEHA
- Collection of Doxologies and praises. TONYA
- A white tunic worn by all monks and priests while celebrating the Holy Mass.
It is white because it represents the joyous angels who are serving
God in purity and holiness.
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