Hermit Paul

The Life of Apa Paul the Anchorite, the Holy Many times there occurred a disturbance and a turning among the holy monks who were in the land of Egypt, as they said, "Who then was the first to dwell in the desert?" Some called to mind those who had been from the beginning of the holy men, saying, "The beginning of dwelling in the desert came through the blessed Elias the Thesbite and John the Baptist." But the matter is clear that Elias was above the monks, and John, who was not known, was a prophet. Others, however, according to their own opinion, used to say, "Apa Antony was the first to dwell in the desert," and that he was the first to establish the work. If we examine accurately, we will not find that Apa Antony was the one who first began the desert, but the blessed Apa Paul. For we encountered the disciples of the blessed Apa Antony, those who buried him and informed us that Apa Paul the hermit was the one who preceded in dwelling in the desert, and our hearts were moved by these words. Since some say that Apa Antony was the first, for this reason I have taken it upon myself to write a little concerning the blessed Apa Paul the holy anchorite, how he preceded and completed his life.

It happened in the time of Decius the persecutor and Valerianus. Cornelius completed the contest of martyrdom in Rome, the metropolis, for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed Apa Paul was with his sister, and there was a man of their family. Their parents died, leaving them a great inheritance. Paul was fifteen years old, and he was being educated in letters.

...the blessed one was there...he walked...upon...taking refuge...he himself...was hidden... He himself, at ninety years of age, told us once: "I took counsel with my heart for a time, saying to myself, 'Surely no other monk has come to be in this desert that is within my reach.' And it happened, in that very night when I took counsel in my heart, alone by myself, that then, in that night, God revealed to me, saying to me thus: 'There is still another within your reach in this desert, better than you, and it is fitting that you go to meet him with great joy.' When the day came, the blessed Abba Antonius arose and went out walking, with his staff in his hand, having placed it upon himself, and he set out walking according to his own thought, without our knowing where he walked or what was the path of the saint. When evening came and the sun had grown strong, the heat also grew strong, but...

The blessed old man Abba Anthony went outside the road, saying, "I believe that God will not abandon him, but he will inform me about his work, the one who spoke to me concerning him." While he was speaking, he looked and saw a man who was like a centaur; his upper half was human, his lower half was a horse. This is the one called by the wise "Hippocentaurus." The blessed Abba Anthony called out to him and said, "I have found you. Are you the man of God? Stop here on this road." He answered him with a barbaric utterance, his mouth foaming. The blessed old man walked, seeking the road. The blessed Abba Anthony marveled, and those beasts fled from before him, heading to a place where he was standing. The devil himself, having changed his form like a hippocentaurus, and Abba Anthony marveled, saying, "How has he changed himself into this beast and revealed himself?" It happened that when he went a little further, he saw a man carrying himself, being hairy and standing on a rock, with hair on his head and his beard.

and when Abba Anthony saw him, he prostrated himself in the form of a supplication of faith and a prostration of truth, and said to him, "Who are you, whom I see?" He answered him, saying, "I am a murderer who dwells in this desert. I am one of those whom the nations call satyrs. For these are the ones who have enslaved the souls of the pagans until they serve them." But while the beast was saying these words, the blessed old man walked on his way, with his tears falling upon the ground, rejoicing in the glory of Christ and in the destruction of the devil, and he was amazed that he had been able to endure the speech of that beast. And he struck his staff upon the ground and said, "Woe to you, O city of the impious, which all the demons of this mountain have gathered against!" And the blessed Anthony again walked, wishing to complete his journey, the one in which he walked, seeking the servant of Christ, and he was troubled within himself, saying, "What shall I do, or where shall I go?" He looked to the east of the mountain and saw many tracks of beasts. The day was declining, and

this world, and I am troubled in my heart, looking out, and I was saying, "What a powerless thing this is, that God should abandon him." And he was walking in the evening, continuing in prayer. But when morning came, behold, he saw a great serpent crawling and hissing exceedingly, going up upon the head of the mountain, and he followed it. And when he reached the cave, he saw the beast entering into it, and when he had entered, he saw the love (agape) being fulfilled for the blessed old man Abba Paul. And he was afraid because of him, and he entered and saw a light within the cave, and he went to him, and he took the stone and placed it at the door. And it happened that when the blessed old man heard the sound of the stone, he also arose and took a great stone and placed it at the door from inside. Then Abba Anthony placed it upon his face outside the door, facing the old man, so that he might let him in, and he said to him, "I am alone outside, for I have come from a distant road, and I have come to see you. But I also know that I am not worthy of you, that I should see you, whether you dwell among the beasts or for what reason.

I am not for you, I am for the man. I turned around and I found. I cried out, "I will be bold, that you may open for me. If it is that this matter does not trouble me, I will die at your door, so that if you see my body, you will bury it." (-ϥ︦ⲇ︦-) And he remained with him, saying these words to him. With difficulty, however, the blessed Paul answered him. He said to him, "There is no one coming in anger, nor is there any man who gives offense." After he spoke with him in gracious words, he opened the door for him, and they embraced each other, they gave the kiss to each other in a holy kiss, and each one of them revealed his name to the other. It happened, however, after these things, the blessed Paul sat once with Abba Anthony, and he said to him, "Why did you take this great labor upon yourself, and you came walking this entire road, seeking an old man who has departed and is gone? And after a little while, you will see him as earth. But since love happens in all things, I yield to you, my brother Anthony. Tell me, what is the state of the human race now? Inform me, are they still building buildings in

The ancient cities of Egypt still have a ruler over the land, or still the archons are taken captive by the deception of the demons. While he was speaking with Abba Antony, he saw a black servant sitting on a branch of a tree, and immediately the beggar leaped, with a loaf of bread placed in his mouth, and he placed it in the middle, and he threw it down to them once, and when the beggar disappeared, they were amazed. Abba Paul said to Abba Antony, "Truly, our beloved man of noble heart has sent the breakfast to us, for indeed, for sixty years I have been receiving a portion of bread from this beggar every day. But when you came to me, Christ sent us this meal that is spread out, for we are his soldiers. They received grace from God, and they sat once at the spring and conversed with each other, saying, 'Who among us will break the bread first?' And after this, they stretched out their hands from one place and broke the bread in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and it happened that when they had eaten the bread, they completed the entire evening, being joyful and praising God.

When the first had happened, Abba Paul said to Abba Antony, "I would know concerning this time, that you are in these regions, for Christ told me that you are a fellow servant with me. But because the time of my departure has drawn near, and the one whom I sought, that is my departure, has come to pass with Christ, for my time was fulfilled. And thus I believe that the crown of truth is upon me. And God sent you so that you might cover my body in the earth, or rather so that you might give me to the earth from the earth." When the blessed Paul said these words, Abba Antony wept with a great cry, and he bowed down to him, saying, "Do not leave me, my beloved father, but take me with you to the place where you are going." The blessed Paul answered, "It is not permitted for you to seek after those who are not your own, but after your fellow. Therefore, my beloved, if the matter is difficult for you, go to your monastery in haste, and bring me the stole which Abba Athanasius the archbishop gave you, so that you may cover my body with it." He said this, but he did not

not need to cover his body, but he wished to stretch out his hand so that he might not see him, as he was laying down the body. When Apa Antony heard about Apa Athanasius and the stole that he had sent to him, he marveled because he saw Jesus Christ within it, and he worshipped him, and he did not dare to do anything to him at all, but he wept greatly, giving praise with his eyes, and he arose and went to his cell. The two disciples who had been with him for a long time met him and said to him, "Our father, you are the one for this entire time." He answered them, saying, "Woe to me, the sinner, because I have taken a name for myself, calling myself a monk of the monastery. I have seen Elijah and John in the desert today; I have seen Paul in the truth of paradise. And he was speaking with them, rejoicing in his humility. He took the stole and went out, and he left the disciples, and they bowed to him so that he might teach them many things, and he said to them, 'There is a time for speaking and a time for silence.' Then he arose and walked on his way, taking nothing of food with him at all, and he was walking, wishing to reach the blessed Paul, desiring to see him again. For he was afraid lest he be on the road and give his spirit into the hands of the Lord. When he had walked on that day, he came to his mountain.

It happened that when the time of his death drew near, he saw the ranks of the angels on the path, and the chorus of the prophets, and the apostles, and Apa Paulos giving praise in their midst like a pillar drawing them upward to the sky. At that moment, he fell upon his face and began to weep and lament, saying, "How have you left me behind, my beloved? O God, my father, why did you not accept my invitation to you after this great struggle that I undertook like a martyr?" And when he entered the cave, he saw Abba Paulos lying upon his knees, with his face turned upward to the sky, his hands spread out, and Abba Antonios was troubled, wondering whether he was alive and praying. Abba Antonios also stood up and marveled at his prayer. But when the time came, he did not hear a voice nor any lamentation according to the custom of those who pray. Then he realized that it was only the body that was praying, and

He gave glory to God, from whom all things live, and he wrapped his body in the holy garment, and he laid himself down, and he brought him to the middle. He sang psalms over him according to the traditions of the Christians. But the heart of Apa Antonios was grieved, saying, "What shall I do? I did not remember to bring with me a hoe and a mattock so that I might dig and bury the body." He was pondering, saying, "What shall I do? If I go to the monastery, I will barely bring it in three days." And he said thus, "My Lord Jesus Christ, let me die in this place with your good servant." And as he was saying these words, behold, two lions came running to the spot, and when he saw them, his fear stood at its place. After this, he strengthened his thought in God, and it happened that he saw them without fear, like one who sees two tame dogs. The lions also came and stood over the body of Apa Paulos, and they moved their tails, acting as if they were bidding farewell, while Apa Antonios drove them away from him, and they gnashed their teeth, crying out.

Then Apa Antonius realized that they were circling around, seeking his blessing upon them, and they were weeping because the blessed Paul had rested. After these things, the lions came, digging in the earth with their claws, digging down as if for a man, and they would move their ears as if in shame for themselves before Apa Antonius, and they would lick his thighs and his hands with their tongues, so that he might think they were seeking his blessing upon them. And he marveled at the wonder of the honor of Christ Jesus our Lord, saying, "How then does the nature of the wild beasts know the good men and the chosen ones of God?" And he said, "O Lord, the one for whom there is no burden upon the earth apart from his will, nor any word that falls apart from his command, you who bless us all." And he stretched out his hands to them, blessing them, and commanded them, saying, "Go to your own path." When the lions had gone, Apa Antonius took up the body of the blessed Paul, wrapped him according to the custom of the monks. After a day, as an heir, he...

The hermit took the tunic of the blessed Paul, which he had made for himself from palm leaves, and he placed it in his cell. He informed the brothers about all the things that had happened to him, and he taught them the entire sequence of the events. Then, according to the custom of Pascha and Pentecost, he would put the tunic of the blessed Paul upon himself and would kindle it over his body. But I, Hieronymus the sinner, give honor to everyone who will read this book, so that you may remember that indeed I desire the tunic of the blessed Paul and his faith more than the purple of kings and their receiving of tribute and their entire glory. Amen. Glory to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and at all times and forever and ever. Amen.