St. Paul the Hermit
is considered to be the first Christian hermit. He was born in Thebes, Egypt,
in the third century A.D. He spent a life of total seclusion in the desert,
escaping the persecutions of Christians by Roman emperors. The well-known
episode of his life is the visit of St. Anthony of Egypt. The two hermits
spent some time in the company of each other, and St. Paul the Hermit informed
his younger friend that for 60 years, day after day, a raven had been bringing
him a half a loaf of bread. That day, however, the raven brought them a
whole loaf of bread. After a while St. Anthony bade farewell. On his way
home he saw two angels carrying off Paul's soul. Her turned back and found
the lifeless body, guarded by two lions. They helped St. Anthony to dig
a grave and bury the first hermit. |
