Saint of the day for January 15: the story of Saint Paul the Hermit

(about 233 - about 345)

It is not clear what we really know about Paul's life, how fair it is, how real it is.

Paul was reportedly born in Egypt, where he was orphaned at the age of 15. He was also a cultured and devoted young man. During the persecution of Decius in Egypt in the year 250, Paul was forced to hide in a friend's house. Fearing that a brother-in-law would betray him, he fled to a cave in the desert. His plan was to return once the persecution was over, but the sweetness of solitude and celestial contemplation convinced him to stay.

He continued to live in that cave for the next 90 years. A nearby spring gave him drink, a palm tree gave him clothing and nourishment. After 21 years of solitude, a bird started bringing him half a loaf every day. Without knowing what was happening in the world, Paul prayed that the world would become a better place.

Saint Anthony of Egypt testifies to his holy life and death. Tempted by the thought that no one had served God in the wilderness longer than him, Anthony was led by God to find Paul and recognize him as a more perfect man than himself. The crow that day brought a whole loaf of bread instead of the usual half. As Paul predicted, Anthony would return to bury his new friend.

It is thought that he was around 112 years old when he died, Paul is known as the "first hermit". His feast is celebrated in the East; it is also commemorated in the Coptic and Armenian rites of the mass.

Reflection

God's will and guidance are seen in the circumstances of our life. Guided by God's grace, we are free to respond with choices that draw us closer and make us more dependent on the God who created us. These choices may at times seem to distance us from our neighbors. But in the end they lead us back to both prayer and mutual communion.