{"id":42867,"date":"2017-02-12T13:06:42","date_gmt":"2017-02-12T11:06:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/site\/?p=42867"},"modified":"2017-02-16T10:57:11","modified_gmt":"2017-02-16T08:57:11","slug":"%d9%85%d8%b5%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%84%d9%88%d8%a9-193-%d8%a3%d9%88%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%ad-1222017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/%d9%85%d8%b5%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ad%d9%84%d9%88%d8%a9-193-%d8%a3%d9%88%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b3%d9%88%d8%a7%d8%ad-1222017\/","title":{"rendered":"Beautiful Egypt 193 \u2013 The First Hermit \u2013 February 12, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\u00a0 \u00a0The \u201cFirst Hermit\u201d is the title lent to the Egyptian Abba Paula who was born in Alexandria, and introduced asceticism to the world. Thus, he became a stranger whom humans knew nothing about. Yet, God provided for him throughout his life which was full of prayer and worship.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0In like manner we tackled the life of St. Anthony who introduced monasticism to the world in the two previous articles, we will present the biography of the first hermit. St. Paula\u2019s story reached us through St. Anthony who met him shortly before his departure, enshrouded and buried him. Mysticism is a spiritual rank which only few monks and anchorites attain, having forsaken the world and lived in constant prayer and worship.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Life<\/span>\u00a0 <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Paula was born in Alexandria. He had an elder brother called Peter. When their father died, Paula was almost twenty-five years old. It came to pass that Peter wanted to take the greatest portion of their father\u2019s wealth, which is why they clashed. When Peter obtained a bigger portion than Paula\u2019s, the latter felt bad and said, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you give my right in my father\u2019s inheritance?\u201d \u201cBecause you are a young man, I fear lest you waste it. I shall preserve it for you,\u201d replied his brother<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Paula was not convinced. So, they sued each other. On their way to court, they saw a funeral. Paula asked one of the mourners who the deceased was. He said he was one of the city\u2019s richest and most renowned personae. Having passed away, he left all his money behind, taking nothing but his robe. So, Paula wondered how that man left all his wealth and treasures behind. When he found that none of the man\u2019s belongings was put in his tomb, worldly treasures became trivial to him. He thought, \u201cI do not want this ephemeral world\u2019s wealth: for I shall leave it naked.\u201d Then, he turned to his brother and said, \u201cLet\u2019s go back, brother. I do not want my portion anymore!\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Thus, instead of sewing his brother for money, he abandoned the world, having decided to lead a life of prayer and worship. He left the town and went to a deserted tomb where he spent three days beseeching God to guide him through his path. Meanwhile, his brother searched for him a lot, and grieved for not finding him, only to feel remorseful for his deed.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Flight to the Wilderness <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0St. Paula headed to the eastern wilderness after God\u2019s angel had guided him to the route. He settled in a mount near the Red Sea to lead a life of seclusion and worship for more than seventy years during which he saw nobody! He wore a robe which he made from palm leaves. God provided him with food in the wilderness: whereby a raven used to bring him half a loaf of bread daily. He also ate the fruit of palm trees and some wild plants. He drank the water of a nearby spring.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Encounter<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0It came to pass that St. Anthony felt he was the first to inhabit the desert to worship God. However, God\u2019s angel guided him to the man who went to the wilderness before him: a man who the world does not deserve his footstep, and because of this man\u2019s incessant prayers, God prevents drought, sends rain as well as the flood of the Nile on time. St. Anthony yearned to see the man who heaven testified to. So, God guided him through the wilderness toward St. Paula\u2019s cave. Thus, the Father of Monks and the First Hermit met.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0During that meeting, St. Paula told St. Anthony his life story. Likewise, they kept tackling God\u2019s great deeds in the universe and with humans. At sunset, the raven brought him his daily food. Yet, on that day, he brought a whole loaf of bread instead of half. When St. Paula saw this, he said, \u201cNow I know you\u2019re a man of God; for throughout the past eighty years or more, the raven has brought me half a loaf of bread. Now, he brings over a whole loaf. God sent you your food, too.\u201d Then, both prayed. At the end of the conversation, St. Paula asked St. Anthony to bring him Pope Athanasius\u2019 priestly cloak which King Constantine had given him for he would soon depart.<\/span><\/h2>\n

Departure <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0St. Anthony walked for two days till he reached his cave. He was quite weak due to his old age. No sooner had one of his disciples seen him than he asked him why he disappeared for a while. However, St. Anthony preferred silence and brought the cloak hurriedly. Then, he returned to St. Paula\u2019s cave. He was on his knees, as if worshipping. At first, St. Anthony thought he was praying, so he did not want to interrupt him. Yet, as he stayed for quite a long time, he approached him only to find out that he had departed. He wept, then enshrouded him with the cloak he had brought, taking the palm leaf robe with him.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0St. Anthony started considering St. Paula\u2019s burial. Being an elder of ninety, he was unable to dig a grave. In his confusion, he found two lions approaching him! He showed them the body\u2019s length and breadth. So, they dug the ground with their claws and left. St. Anthony buried St. Paula while praying. This was in 341.<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0Later, St. Anthony recounted St. Paula\u2019s biography to his disciples. Then, he gave St. Paula\u2019s robe to Pope Athanasius the Apostolic who rejoiced exceedingly. He used to wear it on Nativity, Epiphany, and Easter. Pope Athanasius wanted to bring over St. Paula\u2019s body to have it buried beside the patriarchs who had departed. Yet, his messengers could not find it. So, he understood that God wanted the body to remain where it was. The hermit\u2019s biography was written and kept in Alexandria. It was read to whoever yearned to monasticism that their lives and prayers might be filled with zeal and strength.<\/span><\/h2>\n

A Monastery in His Name<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0The place where St. Paula had lived now contains a prosperous monastery which bears his name. Several monks live there. Among St. Paula\u2019s saying is the phrase, \u201cWhoever flees from tribulation flees from God.\u201d One of the monks wrote St. Paula\u2019s biography, concluding it with the following words, \u201cI would like to know from those who have countless possessions, decorate their houses with marble, and purchase mansions and ranches what this ascetic did need. Your cups are made of gems, whereas he used to quench his thirst with his palm. You wear gold-embroidered clothes, whereas he had a robe the least of your slaves would wear. You and your wealth will perish in hell! I entreat you to beware the wealth you love!\u201d<\/span><\/h2>\n

\u00a0 \u00a0This is life story of St. Paula who loved God and left world, enjoying divine love and leading an angelic life. Such stories never end in Beautiful Egypt.<\/span><\/h2>\n

General Bishop<\/span><\/h2>\n

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center<\/span><\/h2>\n

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\u00a0 \u00a0The \u201cFirst Hermit\u201d is the title lent to the Egyptian Abba Paula who was born in Alexandria, and introduced asceticism to the world. Thus, he became a stranger whom humans knew nothing about. Yet, God provided for him throughout his life which was full of prayer and worship. \u00a0 \u00a0In like manner we tackled […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19638,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[6391,6389,7552,7551,7513,7512,240,682],"class_list":["post-42867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","tag-almasry-alyoum","tag-beautiful-egypt","tag-st-paul","tag-the-first-hermit","tag-7513","tag-7512","tag---2","tag-682"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42867"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42867"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43234,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42867\/revisions\/43234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/copticocc.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}