Mary of Egypt Penitent

Mary of Egypt /Penitent


There is also another wonderful story that I know better and relate to and that is the story of Mary of Egypt. Now I love the Desert Fathers. I love there pithy sayings , there wise words and their simple approach to essential Christianity. Yes I know they were a bit radical and I may not personally be able to go live in a cave /cell in the desert for eighty years or just eat a few figs and some bread to keep alive. But they left us really good stories and if you are weary of complicated thinkers and theological discussion or just want some straight up wisdom go sit with a Desert Father for awhile and you will find a wealth of wisdom you can actually apply to real life. Just Google Desert Fathers...I strongly suggest the reading on the Christ in the Desert Monastery site put out by monks living in New Mexico. They have nice short well selected stories and user friendly pictures. The fact that these guys are actually currently living in a desert increases the credibility of the story. Now some of the hermit guys lived in a community and had Sunday worship where they got to see real people but some of them lived way way out in a cave and didn't see another human face for many, many years . So there is this appreciation in the Desert Fathers for the desire for communion that is not yet received. The aspects of the value of time alone with God are balanced out by work and tender care for visitors. Benedicta Scholastica has some lovely books out on Sayings of the Desert Fathers. I am trying to remember is she wrote Harlots of the Desert but is it a not to be missed read for women especially. I think there are some good stories also in Laura Swans Forgotten Desert Mothers

Anyways..Mary of Egypt as the story goes was a woman who wanted to travel. Times being as they were she decided to sell her "wares" or just give them away for free to get around. She was a very active and beautiful woman and managed to get around , a lot. She was not apparently really big on church. However after one of her sea voyages she followed the crowds up to one of the local churches and thought she might check out the group for some local recreation. She tried to enter the church but could not get past the door. She tried three times and what she heard changed her life. You have to again go to the original story on some Google site that will get you into some nifty icons of her on her special day in the Orthodox church and it is such a good read it is well worth the search. So there is Mary who is now heavily convicted of her naughty activity and goes out into the desert to live half naked wondering the wilds of the Desert a recluse and a penitent. Traveling through the same Desert is a monk called Zomar and he not quite believing his eyes sees Mary in her bits of rags naked for all practical purposes and has a bit of a monk dilemma . Do I notice the naked lady or do I get curious and find out if she is real or a mirage. Mary is quite real and he tosses her his cloak and they have a little chat about how she managed to be in such a wild and barren place. Mary now a Penitent for years desire to receive communion and Zomar goes off to bring her some. She waits again and finally receives.
Zomar goes his way with her much on his mind having been deeply touched by her life and in a year goes back to bring her the Eucharist for Easter. Her finds her dead near the spot he left her with an indication that she had died only a few days after his last visit. Its really better then a movie and has this kind of wonderful eternal story aspect to it. Again best read is in Harlots of the Desert or look her up on an Orthodox site Mary of the Desert. She is remembered in the Lenten reading of the Orthodox church so she has something to say to us Desert Wanderers.