The Eskeem is a Coptic word which means ‘shape’ it is a string of plaited leather with crosses in equal distances, it surrounds the chest and the back. Two big crosses are in it; one at the chest, and one at the back, then 12 more crosses. The hermits who has reached high levels of …
St. Anthony used to conquer the devils with humility. Whenever they gathered around him, he used to address them humbly, "Ye strong, what do you want with me who am weak?" and he prayed, "Save me, O God, from those who think I am of any worth though I am too weak to fight even …
“The land of Egypt is fertile, not only for growing fruits that perish, but for people who bear fruit according to God. Yes, other lands bring different kinds of fruit to us and we find enjoyment in them, but our pride is in our own fruits, yes, in what our land has produced, the likes …
The Biography of St Anthony “Vita Antoni” written by St Athanasius in the 4th century was and still is a source of inspiration to many. St Augustine writes in his confessions. After he read the biography of St Anthony that he “neither wished nor needed to read further. At once with the last words of …
I wish today to offer you a banquet of honors for Anthony the Great, since this is an obligation encumbent on me. For who is called to honor the master more than his disciples? Besides, it is better for us to honor the saint to the best of our ability than to pass over him …
The books of the holy Fathers on the monastic life must be, read with great caution. It has been noticed that novices can never adapt books to their condition, but are invariably drawn by the tendency of the book. If a book gives counsels on silence and shows the abundance of spiritual fruits that are …
The Apophthegmata Patrum is an extraordinary anthology. In its pages, one finds “a diverse band of colorful characters, wild adventures, and stinging, memorable ‘one-liners.’” Its publication marked an important milestone in the literature of late antiquity. As Peter Brown has noted, “The Sayings provided a remarkable new literary genre, close to the world of parable …
Unfortunately St Shenouda , such a great saint and prolific author is still relatively unexamined by western historians of Christianity for several reasons. First, St. Shenouda remains unmentioned in Greek and Latin writings about Egyptian monasticism. Second, St. Shenouda has been depicted in historiography as a man more violent and less intellectually sophisticated than his …
