The Egyptian saint

In a small village in Egypt he was born. His parents were rich. When he was twenty years old, both his parents died and he became the owner of a large estate. He had a younger sister. Both brother and sister were kind to each other and fond of each other. Both of them decided to lead the spiritual life.

One day this young man heard something in the church that transformed his consciousness: "Give everything to the poor and follow me, if you want to have your treasure in Heaven." He thought that this message was meant directly for him. So he gave away everything. His sister was glad that he did so. She joined a convent to lead a spiritual life. She became a nun.

He went into the desert to remove himself from worldly distractions. There he received spiritual instruction from several hermits. In the course of time, many people began to flock to him for spiritual guidance. When he was over fifty, he built a monastery. By that time, he had many devoted disciples and admirers. They all needed his advice. They all admired his inner depth.

He told them that all problems can be solved only through prayers. There is and there can be no other way. He told them, "We are afraid of the devil. The devil is afraid of us. The devil is afraid of us when we pray, especially when we love Jesus with all our heart and soul."

He lived a very long life. He ended his earthly existence in a cave at the age of 105. His was a life not only of God-service to man but also man-illumination for God. Discouragement was a stranger to him. Continuous enthusiasm, continuous zeal, continuous self-giving his aspiration-heart and dedication-life became.

He is our St Anthony of the Desert.