It is unclear what we really know
of Paul's life, how much is fable, how much fact.
Paul was reportedly born in
Egypt, where he was orphaned by age 15. He was also a
learned and devout young man. During the persecution of
Decius in Egypt in the year 250, Paul was forced to hide
in the home of a friend. Fearing a brother-in-law would
betray him, he fled in a cave in the desert. His plan
was to return once the persecution ended, but the
sweetness of solitude and heavenly contemplation
convinced him to stay.
He went on to live in that cave
for the next 90 years. A nearby spring gave him drink, a
palm tree furnished him clothing and nourishment. After
21 years of solitude a bird began bringing him half of a
loaf of bread each day. Without knowing what was
happening in the world, Paul prayed that the world would
become a better place.
St. Anthony attests to his holy
life and death. Tempted by the thought that no one had
served God in the wilderness longer than he, Anthony was
led by God to find Paul and acknowledge him as a man
more perfect than himself. The raven that day brought a
whole loaf of bread instead of the usual half. As Paul
predicted, Anthony would return to bury his new friend.
Thought to have been about 112
when he died, Paul is known as the "First Hermit." His
feast day is celebrated in the East; he is also
commemorated in the Coptic and Armenian rites of the
Mass.
Comment:
The will and direction of
God are seen in the circumstances of our lives. Led
by the grace of God, we are free to respond with
choices that bring us closer to and make us more
dependent upon the God who created us. Those choices
might at times seem to lead us away from our
neighbor. But ultimately they lead us back both in
prayer and in fellowship to one another.
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the print edition of
Saint of the Day
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