15th Jan, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary time-Feast of St. Paul the Hermit – an African

Paul was born into a Christian family in the year 229. They lived in Thebes, Egypt. Paul’s parents showed him by their own lives how to love God and worship him with one’s whole heart. Paul was very sad to lose both his parents when he was just fifteen years old.

A few years later, in 250, Emperor Decius started a cruel persecution of the Christians. Paul hid in his friend’s home, but he still wasn’t safe. His brother-in-law was after his money and property. Paul realized that this greedy relative could easily betray him to the authorities, so he ran away to the desert. Paul found a cave near a palm tree and a spring of fresh water and he settled there. He sewed palm branches together for clothes, and he lived on fruit and water.

Paul had intended to stay in the desert only until the persecution was over. But by the time it ended, he had fallen in love with his life of prayer. He felt so close to God. How could he give it all up? He decided to remain in the desert and never return to his wealthy city life. He would spend his life praying for the needs of all people and offering God penances to make up for sin.

There was another holy hermit living in the desert at that same time. His name was Anthony. Anthony thought he was the only hermit. But God showed Paul to him in a dream and told Anthony to go visit him.

Paul was so happy to see Anthony because he knew he was going to die in a few days. Anthony was sad because he didn’t want to lose his new friend so soon. But, as Paul predicted, he died on January 15, 342, at the age of 113. Anthony buried him in a cloak that had belonged to St. Athanasius. Then Anthony took home the garment of palm leaves that Paul had been wearing. He never forgot his wonderful friend.

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We should feel a close connection with those who are in heaven. We can treasure a keepsake, or even a beautiful memory, of someone we love who has died, just as St. Anthony treasured the garment of St. Paul. This way we feel them close to us until we meet them again in heaven.

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