It has been a tradition of St. Mary & St. Athanasius Church to remember the Desert Fathers & Mothers during the month of June. During the next couple of weeks, we will be sharing the stories and sayings of some of these influential ascetics.
We will start off by sharing the story of St. Sarah the Nun, whose feast is on the 15th of Baramhat.
St. Sarah was born as an only child in Upper Egypt to devout Christian parents. When she was young, her parents taught her in a Christian manner and she continually read the books of the Church, especially the biography and sayings of the Church Fathers. Their lives inspired her to become a nun, and during her 20s, she went to a convent in Upper Egypt.
Amma (Mother) Sarah dwelled in a cave by a river, presumably the Nile, in Scetis (Wadi El Natrun). Though she was a hermit and lived in isolation, she did receive visitors. Otherwise, she only left her cell to attend liturgical services.
For thirteen years, Satan tempted her lust, but she overcame these attacks from the devil. Satan then was exasperated by her steadfastness and purity and tried to cause her to fall using pride. He appeared to her while she was standing praying on the roof of her cell and said to her: “Rejoice for you have overcome Satan.” She replied: “I am a feeble woman, and I can not conquer you except by the power of the Lord Christ” and then Satan vanished.
During her 60 years of being a nun, she shared many sayings with the nuns. For example, she said, “I never set my foot upon the step of the ladder, and I never go up to the next step without thinking I may die before I raise my leg so that the enemy might not entice me with the hope of a long life.” She departed in peace when she was 80 years old.
May her prayers be with us all.
.For Further Reading:
- Baramhat 15 : Lives of Saints : Synaxarium – CopticChurch.net
- Sayings of the Desert Fathers