According to Besa (wissa), Shenoute’s relationship with God began early in life and was the reason he joined the White...
The Repentance Of A Harlot
One day Abba Serapion passed through an Egyptian village and there he saw a courtesan who stayed in her own...
Pachomius And The Development Of Village Monasticism
Tradition has bestowed on Antony and Pachomius the status of founders of early Egyptian monasticism. They serve as the movement’s...
The Spirituality Of St Pachomius’ Rules
To understand the system of Pachomius’ communal monasticism is to understand Pachomius’ spirituality. In the first place Pachomian spirituality was...
The Practice Of Virginity As A Spiritual Martyrdom
As was pointed out at the beginning of this chapter, the suffering required for spiritual martyrdom may arise from exterior...
The Life Of St Agnes
The blessed virgin S. Agnes was much wise, and well taught, as S. Ambrose witnesses, and wrote her passion. She...
Concerning Virgins; St Agnes
My task begins favorably, that since today is the birthday of a virgin, I have to speak of virgins, and...
St Mary As An Example of Virginity
Let then, the life of St Mary be as it were virginity itself, set forth in a likeness, from which,...
Did St. Antony Give or Take?
There is no doubt that St. Antony gave to God everything he possessed; He did according to the commandment: “He...
Early Libyan Martyrs
Confessors prepared to die for their convictions can hardly be ignored, many have died, most of their names remain quite unfamiliar Listen: Januaria, Generosa, Vestia,...