Standing of Mary of Egypt. Memorial Day of Venerable Mary of Egypt

On Wednesday evening of the fifth week of Lent in all Orthodox churches A special Lenten service is being celebrated - St. Mary's Standing. The entire Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete and the Life of Mary of Egypt are read. The service can give hope to those who think they are in a desperate situation and to those who do not believe that they are able to adequately complete the fast and meet the Resurrection of Christ.

Mariino standing

In the fifth week of Great Lent, on Wednesday evening, Thursday Matins is celebrated in churches, which is usually called the Station of Mary of Egypt, or the Station of Mary. This is a long service that occurs only once a year. During it, the entire Great Canon of Andrew of Crete(in the first week of Lent the canon was read in small parts from Monday to Thursday), which is connected with the canon of Mary of Egypt. Also in the church on this day we hear the life of St. Mary of Egypt. This text, according to the thoughts of the holy fathers of the VI Ecumenical Council (692) - and it was then that the service was compiled from the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete and the Life of Mary of Egypt - is capable of giving hope to those who think that they are in a desperate situation, and those who do not believe that they are able to adequately complete the fast and meet the Resurrection of Christ. Mary's standing is a service that consoles those who suffer and at the same time encourages believers to continue the feat of fasting and repentance.

Life of Mary of Egypt

Maria was born in a small Egyptian village. When she was twelve years old, she left her parents' home. Possessed by carnal passion, she went to Alexandria and became a harlot. Maria indulged in debauchery uncontrollably and insatiably, both for bribes and voluntarily. For more than 17 years, she knew no limits to her debauchery. One day, seeing many Libyan pilgrims going to Jerusalem to venerate the Cross of the Lord, Mary decided to join them.

The woman did not have any pious intentions; on the contrary, she hoped that there would be no shortage of clients, and in Jerusalem there would always be someone to “have fun” with. With her body she paid for food, for lodging, for transportation on the ship. But when, on the day of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Mary suddenly wanted to enter the Church of the Resurrection of Christ with a crowd of pilgrims, she could not do this. Not only did the crowd of believers push her away from the entrance, but some incomprehensible force did not let her in, did not allow her to cross the threshold of the temple. She tried to enter once, twice, three times, but when something prevented her from entering the temple the fourth time, the woman retreated. Exhausted, she stood confused at the entrance and wondered: “Why is this? I want to be there, inside." The answer suggested itself. Realizing who she is, what she lives for, what she strives for, realizing that her own sin does not allow her to touch the Life-giving Cross of the Lord, Mary suddenly burst into tears. Standing in the vestibule of the temple, sobbing over her sins, she saw in front of her an icon of the Mother of God. Mary turned to the Mother of God, begging her to intercede before Christ, who never disdained sinners. In her prayer, Mary promised “not to defile herself any more with carnal filth and to renounce the world.” And now she feels that the prayer has been heard. Transfigured Mary at the Cross of the Lord. The face is flooded with tears. Tears flow in an endless stream down tired eyes, and the question in my head is: “How to live on?” How to beg for forgiveness? Also unexpectedly, she heard a voice: “Go beyond the Jordan, there you will find blissful peace.”

Venerable Mary of Egypt with her life. XIX century

Beyond the Jordan, in the desert, completely alone, experiencing terrible temptations for forty-seven years, Mary prayed for forgiveness. For forty-seven years, under the scorching sun, the saint cried about her sins, practically not remembering water and food.

Therefore, when the monk Zosima, an eyewitness to the life of Mary of Egypt, wanting to see “the holy man who surpassed him in sobriety and work,” came to the Trans-Jordanian desert, he did not recognize either a woman or even a person in the black shadow.

When the “shadow” began to rapidly move away from him, he rushed to pursue it. Only after the weak old man began to beg the hermit not to run away did the man, blackened by the sun, himself turn to the old man for help. Mary, unaware of the holiness she had achieved, addressed the monk by name, called him presbyter and asked Zosima for a cloak to cover her nakedness and come under the blessing.

For a long time they knelt in front of each other and repeated: “Bless.” And then Zosima asked Mary to pray for the whole world and for him. Turning to the east, raising her hands to the sky, Mary whispered a prayer. Her body rose almost half a meter from the ground and floated.

The monk Zosima was even more shocked when Maria told him about her life. An uneducated woman who had never held a book in her hands, who had spent half a century alone in the desert, easily quoted the Holy Scriptures and Psalms. And most importantly, she bitterly mourned her sin.

A year later, on Thursday of Passion Week, when the church remembers the Last Supper, the saint came to the Jordan. In front of the elder, she crossed the water and crossed the river as if on dry land to take communion. Elder Zosima was sad only that he did not know the name of the ascetic.

A year has passed. Zosima is again in the desert. He stands by the dry stream where he first met the hermit. In front of him is her body with her arms folded crosswise on her chest. And in the heads on the sand there is a message: “Bury, Abba Zosima, in this place the body of the humble Mary.” So Zosima learned the name of the saint. He buried the ascetic, and a lion who came from the desert helped dig the grave. This happened in 522.

“The Golden Legend”, or How Mary Magdalene turned into Mary of Egypt

Jose de Ribera. Mary of Egypt. 1651

In church art, thanks to the service that existed since the 7th century, Mary of Egypt, along with Andrew of Crete, began to be revered as a “mentor in repentance” and depicted on icons with him.

IN fiction and in folklore, in painting, and sculpture, the image of the saint was also reflected. A big role in this was played by the “Golden Legend” (1255) of Jacob of Voraginsky, which was inferior in popularity in medieval Europe only the Bible. One of the two hundred lives contained in the book is dedicated to Mary Magdalene. And although the myrrh-bearing Mary Magdalene is a saint who lived five centuries earlier than Mary of Egypt, the author (who knew neither Greek nor Hebrew) borrows some motifs from the life of Mary of Egypt for his story. He adapts them, attributes to Mary Magdalene some of the traits of Mary of Egypt. In the Golden Legend, Mary Magdalene is depicted as a repentant harlot who, having come to Christ and realizing her sinfulness, labored in fasting and prayer in the desert. For thirty years, angels brought prosphora to the cave where she lived every day.

Giotto. Mary Magdalene receives clothes from the hands of Elder Zosima. 1307-1308

The "Golden Legend" inspired sculptors and painters of the Renaissance. That is why Mary Magdalene, both in the sculptor Donatello and in the painting by Titian, looks like Mary of Egypt. The Gospels say nothing about Mary Magdalene being a harlot or living in the desert, but the popularity of the Golden Legend turned the New Testament character into a medieval ascetic.

Donatello. Mary Magdalene. 1454

The image of Mary of Egypt was also reflected in the literature of modern times. We find motifs from her life in Brecht, Goethe, Dostoevsky, and Zamyatin.

April 14, new style, as well as on Sunday of the fifth week of Lent Russian Orthodox Church honors the memory of the Venerable Mary of Egypt. In 1912, the Silver Age poet, writer and composer Mikhail Kuzmin retold the life of St. Mary of Egypt in poetic lines and presented it to his friend, Maria Zamyatina, on Angel's Day on April 1.

“After all, Mary the Egyptian
Sinful life is empty
Didn't let me touch you
Life-giving cross.
And when I went into the desert,
Having forgotten fornication, my soul is simple,
Free songs sounded
The new glory of Christ.

Zosima found her,
Having divided your mantle,
To cover before death
Prepared flesh.
Not sins, but the power of the Savior,
The secret life of purity
Let it make it easy for you
I wear a free cross.

And the care of life is cramped,
Invisible and simple
It will count for you as a prayer,
At the resurrection Christ,
And it’s not Zosima who will find it,
Having divided your mantle:
Christ Himself, coming, will cover
prepared flesh."

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- This is the saint of the Christian religion. She happens to be patroness of penitent girls. The first story of Mary's life was published by Sophronius of Jerusalem, and most of the information from the life of Mary of Egypt was transferred to medieval times. legends about Mary Magdalene.

In the article you will see icons of Mary of Egypt, as well as photos of Mary of Egypt, and find out on what day the saint’s memory is honored.

Righteous life

Mary fulfilled her vows and began a completely different life. From Jerusalem she went to the deserted and gloomy desert of Jordan and there she spent about 50 years in complete solitude, in intense prayer.

Thus, through careful and regular labors, Mary of Egypt was able to remove sins and transgressions and made her heart and soul a real holy temple for the Holy Spirit.

Elder Zosima, who was located in the Jordanian desert at the monastery of St. John the Baptist, doubled his faith in the Lord when he met Saint Mary in the desert. At this time, Mary of Egypt was already at an advanced age. He was surprised at her unusual holiness and gift of foresight.

Once he saw her in the process of prayer, as if elevated above the surface of the earth, and the next time, when she was heading across the Jordan River, she walked at that time as if on dry land.

At the moment of parting with Zosima, Saint Mary asked him to come here again in one year to perform before her. The elder complied with the request and returned exactly after the specified time and administered the sacrament to St. Mary. Then, returning to the desert another year later in the hope of meeting the saint again, he no longer found her alive. The elder buried the remains of St. Mary of Egypt in the desert. In this he was helped by the lion himself, who, with his strong claws, dug a hole for the burial of the body of the holy seer. This happened around 521.

Thus, from a girl shrouded in sins, Mary, with the help of the Lord, turned into a great saint and left behind a very useful example for repentance to the Lord.

Having fulfilled their prayer and the required number of bows to the ground, the elders, asking forgiveness from each other, began to ask for blessings from the abbot and, to the general singing of a psalm, opened the gates of the monastery so that they could then go into the desert.

Everyone took with them the right amount of food, whatever they wanted. Some did not take anything with them at all and ate only roots. The monks departed from the Jordan and settled as far as possible from it, so as not to watch someone fasting and asceticism.

At a time when Lent was coming to an end, the monks went back to the Jordan monastery for Palm Sunday together with the fruit of his work, having tested his soul. Despite all this, no one asked others how they prayed and did good deeds.

At this time and Abba Zosima According to monastic traditions, he crossed the Jordan. He longed to go as far as possible in the desert in order to find one of the great saints or elders saving themselves there and praying for the unity of soul and body.

He walked through the desert for 20 days and one day When he continued to sing psalms for about six hours and said simple prayers, suddenly to his right he noticed a real shadow of a man. He became scared, because he decided that he saw a tribe of demons in front of him, but, having crossed himself several times, he put aside all his fears and, having finished one of the prayers to the Lord, turned towards the shadow and saw one walking through the desert naked man. The body was completely black from the sun's heat, and the short, burnt hair became white, like a lamb's fleece. Avva Zosima became happy, because during this time he did not meet a single living person or even an animal on his way, and at the same time he went to meet the creature.

But at the same moment the naked man saw Zosima approaching him, he began to run away. Abba Zosima forgot both his old age and complete fatigue, and began to move faster and faster. But soon, in complete exhaustion, Zosima stopped by a dry stream and began to ask in tears to the departing man: “Why are you running away from me, a sinful old man, fleeing in this sultry desert? Wait, wait for me, an unworthy and weak old man, and give me your prayer and blessing, for the sake of Christ, who never disdained anyone.”

The unknown man did not even turn around, but shouted back: “Forgive me, Abba Zosima, turning to appear before your face: I am a woman, and, as you can see, I have no clothes on to cover my nakedness.” But if you want to pray to me, the great sinner, then throw me your cloak for shelter so that I can approach you for your blessing.”

“She would not have known my name if holiness and great deeds were not hidden in her, which were given to her from Christ himself,” Zosima decided and hastened to fulfill the demand given to him.

Covering herself under her cloak, the saint turned to Zosima: “What have you decided, Zosima, to talk to me, a woman full of sins and unwise in words? What do you want to learn from me and, without sparing your labors and efforts, spend so much of your time on me?” At this time, he bowed his knees, began to forgive her blessings. At the same moment, the saint bowed before him, and for a long time they asked each other: “Bless.” Finally, the saint said: “Abba Zosima, blessing and prayer are due to you, since you are honored by the very rank of presbyterate and for a long time“, standing before the altar of Christ, you bring great gifts to the Almighty.”

These words became even more terrible for Zosima. Afterwards the saint said: “Blessed is God, who desires salvation for all people on earth.” Avva answered this: . And they simultaneously rose from the surface of the earth. The ascetic once again asked Zosima: “Why did you come here, to me, a sinner in whom there is no virtuous power? Although, apparently, the grace of the Holy Spirit instructed you to perform one church service that is needed for my soul. Tell me first, Abba, how do Christians live, how do they grow and achieve prosperity for the saints who are in God’s Church?”

Abba Zosima told her: “Yours strong prayers God has given the Church and all of us real and righteous peace. But listen to the unworthy old man, my mother, and pray for Christ’s sake for all nations and for me, a sinner, for only then will this walk bear real fruit.”

The saint replied: “You rather need, Abba Zosima, having an order of a sacred nature, to pray to the Lord for me and those around me. This is why you were given the rank. Although, everything you commanded me will be willingly done for the sake of obedience to the truth and from my purest heart.”

Having said these words, the saint turned towards the east and, raising her hands high, began to quietly pray. The elder noticed how the saint rose into the air a full cubit from the surface of the earth. From this strange and unusual event, Zosima fell to his knees, began to pray earnestly and did not dare to say anything except, Lord, have mercy!

A doubt came into his soul - was it a ghost leading him into some kind of temptation and instructing him in sin? The holy ascetic, turning around, lifted him from the ground and answered: “Why, Zosima, are you so embarrassed by good works? I'm not a ghost at all. I'm just a woman, unworthy and full of sins, although she found the sacred

Mary of Egypt is revered as the patroness of repentant women, as her life is a shining example of repentance and deliverance from carnal desires.

The saint lived in Egypt in the 5th and 6th centuries. At the age of 12, she left her parents and settled in Alexandria. Without the guidance of her elders, the girl chose a sinful path: she lost her chastity early and indiscriminately indulged in carnal pleasures. This is how the next 17 years passed.

However, before the celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Mary met a crowd of pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. The girl went with them, hoping to find men for her depraved pleasures.

Having reached the holy place, she tried to enter the temple. However, an unknown force pushed her away from the entrance. Maria made several futile attempts, but in vain. Then the girl realized that it was the Lord who was blocking her path for sinful acts.

In grief, the libertine began to pray and repent at the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos located at the entrance, asking for intercession before God. Feeling relieved, the Christian woman again tried to go inside the temple and succeeded. Inside the sanctuary, the girl indulged in prayer in front of the Life-Giving Cross. Coming outside, she thanked the Mother of God and asked to be guided on the righteous path. Then she heard a voice from above, telling her to go to the desert beyond the Jordan River to find peace of mind.

On the way to solitude, Mary confessed and received communion at the monastery of St. John the Baptist. The woman spent about 47 years in the desert. The most difficult period for her was the first 17 years: eating roots in the desert, she recalled past meals, tormented by thirst, thought about how she used to enjoy wine, and there were also moments of overcoming fornication. At such hours, she was brought back to her senses by thoughts of the oath given to the Most Holy Theotokos.

Behind long years her clothes were worn out. The woman walked naked, enduring the heat in the summer and freezing in the winter. But Mary devoted the rest of her life to prayer, asking the Lord for forgiveness for her sins. For this he awarded the repentant woman the gift of clairvoyance.

One day the monk Zosima came to that area. During Lent he went to pray in solitude. Seeing a thin woman with black-tanned skin and short, faded hair, the monk shared his clothes with her. Mary told about herself and asked the elder to come in a year to give her communion.

A year later, Zosima returned to the agreed place near the river. He saw a woman on the other side of the Jordan without a boat, but Mary walked on the water and quickly reached him. After her communion, both broke up and agreed to meet a year later.

On his next visit, Zosima found Maria dead. With his own strength, he could not dig a hole for the deceased and asked the lion who was guarding her body to do it. Leo obeyed, and the monk buried Mary with all honors.

In a Palestinian monastery in the vicinity of Caesarea lived the venerable monk Zosima. Sent to a monastery from childhood, he labored there until he was 53 years old, when he was confused by the thought: “Will there be a holy man in the most distant desert who has surpassed me in sobriety and work?”

As soon as he thought this way, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him and said: “You, Zosima, have labored well in human terms, but among men there is not a single righteous one (Rom. 3:10). So that you may understand how many other and higher images there are. salvation, leave this monastery, like Abraham from his father’s house (Gen. 12:1), and go to the monastery located near the Jordan.”

Abba Zosima immediately left the monastery and, following the Angel, came to the Jordan monastery and settled in it.

Here he saw the elders, truly shining in their exploits. Abba Zosima began to imitate the holy monks in spiritual work.

So a lot of time passed, and the Holy Pentecost approached. There was a custom in the monastery, for the sake of which God brought St. Zosima here. On the first Sunday of Great Lent, the abbot served Divine Liturgy, everyone partook of the Most Pure Body and Blood of Christ, then ate a small meal and gathered in church again.

Having said the prayer and the appointed number prostrations, the elders, having asked each other for forgiveness, took a blessing from the abbot and, accompanied by the common singing of the psalm “The Lord is my enlightenment and my Savior: whom will I fear? The Lord, the Protector of my life: from whom will I be afraid?” (Ps. 26:1) they opened the monastery gates and went into the desert.

Each of them took with him a moderate amount of food, whoever needed what, some did not take anything into the desert at all and ate roots. The monks crossed the Jordan and dispersed as far as possible so as not to see anyone fasting and asceticism.

When Lent ended, the monks returned to the monastery on Palm Sunday with the fruit of their work (Rom. 6:21-22), having examined their conscience (1 Pet. 3:16). At the same time, no one asked anyone how he worked and accomplished his feat.

That year, Abba Zosima, according to monastic custom, crossed the Jordan. He wanted to go deeper into the desert to meet some of the saints and great elders who were saving themselves there and praying for peace.

He walked through the desert for 20 days and one day, when he was singing the psalms of the 6th hour and doing the usual prayers, suddenly a shadow of a human body appeared to his right. He was horrified, thinking that he was seeing a demonic ghost, but, having crossed himself, he put aside his fear and, having finished the prayer, turned towards the shadow and saw a naked man walking through the desert, whose body was black from the heat of the sun, and his short, bleached hair turned white like a lamb’s fleece. . Abba Zosima was delighted, since during these days he had not seen a single living creature, and immediately headed in his direction.

But as soon as the naked hermit saw Zosima coming towards him, he immediately began to run away from him. Abba Zosima, forgetting his old age's infirmity and fatigue, quickened his pace. But soon, exhausted, he stopped at a dry stream and began tearfully begging the retreating ascetic: “Why are you running from me, a sinful old man, saving yourself in this desert? Wait for me, weak and unworthy, and give me your holy prayer and blessing, for the sake of the Lord, never disdained anyone."

The unknown man, without turning around, shouted to him: “Forgive me, Abba Zosima, I cannot, having turned, appear to your face: I am a woman, and, as you can see, I don’t have any clothes on to cover my bodily nakedness. But if you want to pray for me, the great and to the damned sinner, throw me your cloak to cover yourself, then I can come to you for blessing.”

“She would not have known me by name if through holiness and unknown deeds she had not acquired the gift of clairvoyance from the Lord,” thought Abba Zosima and hastened to fulfill what was told him.

Covering herself with a cloak, the ascetic turned to Zosima: “What did you think, Abba Zosima, to talk to me, a sinful and unwise woman? What do you want to learn from me and, sparing no effort, spent so much work?” He, kneeling down, asked her blessing. In the same way, she bowed before him, and for a long time both of them asked each other: “Bless.” Finally the ascetic said; “Abba Zosima, it is fitting for you to bless and say a prayer, since you have been honored with the rank of presbyterate and for many years, standing at the altar of Christ, you have offered the Holy Gifts to the Lord.”

These words frightened the Monk Zosima even more. With a deep sigh, he answered her: “O spiritual mother! It is obvious that you, of the two of us, have come closer to God and died for the world. You recognized me by name and called me a presbyter, having never seen me before. It is your measure to bless me. For God's sake."

Finally yielding to Zosima’s stubbornness, the saint said: “Blessed is God, who desires the salvation of all people.” Abba Zosima answered “Amen,” and they rose from the ground. The ascetic again said to the elder: “Why did you come, Father, to me, a sinner, devoid of all virtue? However, it is clear that the grace of the Holy Spirit guided you to perform one service that my soul needs. Tell me first, Abba, how Christians live today, How do the saints of God’s Church grow and prosper?”

Abba Zosima answered her: “Through your holy prayers God gave the Church and us all perfect world. But heed the prayer of the unworthy old man, my mother, pray, for God’s sake, for the whole world and for me, a sinner, so that this deserted walk will not be fruitless for me.”

The holy ascetic said: “You should rather, Abba Zosima, having a sacred rank, pray for me and for everyone. That’s why the rank was given to you. However, I will gladly fulfill everything you commanded me for the sake of obedience to the Truth and from a pure heart.”

Having said this, the saint turned to the east and, lifting her eyes and raising her hands to the sky, began to pray in a whisper. The elder saw how she rose in the air an elbow from the ground. From this wonderful vision, Zosima prostrated himself, praying earnestly and not daring to say anything other than “Lord, have mercy!”

A thought came into his soul - was it a ghost that was leading him into temptation? The venerable ascetic, turning around, lifted him from the ground and said: “Why are you so confused by your thoughts, Abba Zosima? I am not a ghost. I am a sinful and unworthy woman, although I am protected by holy Baptism.”

Having said this, she suddenly realized sign of the cross. Seeing and hearing this, the elder fell with tears at the feet of the ascetic: “I beg you, by Christ our God, do not hide your ascetic life from me, but tell it all, in order to make the greatness of God clear to everyone. For I believe in the Lord my God, in Him and you live that this is why I was sent to this desert, so that God would make all your fasting deeds obvious to the world.”

And the holy ascetic said: “I am embarrassed, father, to tell you about my shameless deeds. For then you will have to run from me, closing your eyes and ears, as one runs from a poisonous snake. But still I will tell you, father, without keeping silent about any of them.” my sins, you, I conjure you, do not stop praying for me, a sinner, so that I may find boldness on the Day of Judgment.

I was born in Egypt and while my parents were still alive, when I was twelve years old, I left them and went to Alexandria. There I lost my chastity and indulged in uncontrollable and insatiable fornication. For more than seventeen years I indulged in sin without restraint and did everything for free. I didn't take money not because I was rich. I lived in poverty and made money from yarn. I thought that the whole meaning of life was to satisfy carnal lust.

While leading such a life, I once saw a multitude of people from Libya and Egypt going to the sea to sail to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. I also wanted to sail with them. But not for the sake of Jerusalem and not for the sake of the holiday, but - forgive me, father - so that there would be more with whom to indulge in debauchery. So I boarded the ship.

Now, father, believe me, I myself am surprised how the sea tolerated my debauchery and fornication, how the earth did not open its mouth and bring me alive to hell, which deceived and destroyed so many souls... But, apparently, God wanted my repentance, not even though the death of the sinner and waiting patiently for conversion.

So I arrived in Jerusalem and all the days before the holiday, as on the ship, I was engaged in bad deeds.

When the holy holiday of the Exaltation of the Venerable Cross of the Lord arrived, I still walked around, catching the souls of young people in sin. Seeing that everyone went to the church very early, where the Life-Giving Tree was located, I went with everyone and entered the church vestibule. When the hour of the Holy Exaltation arrived, I wanted to enter the church with all the people. Having made my way to the doors with great difficulty, I, damned, tried to squeeze inside. But as soon as I stepped on the threshold, I was stopped by a certain God's power, not allowing her to enter, and threw her far from the door, while all the people walked unhindered. I thought that, perhaps, due to female weakness, I could not squeeze through the crowd, and again I tried to push the people away with my elbows and make my way to the door. No matter how hard I worked, I couldn’t get in. As soon as my foot touched the church threshold, I stopped. The church accepted everyone, did not forbid anyone to enter, but I, the accursed one, was not allowed in. This happened three or four times. My strength is exhausted. I walked away and stood in the corner of the church porch.

Then I felt that it was my sins that prevented me from seeing the Life-Giving Tree, my heart was touched by the grace of the Lord, I began to sob and began to beat my chest in repentance. Lifting up sighs to the Lord from the depths of my heart, I saw before me an icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and turned to her with a prayer: “O Virgin, Lady, who gave birth to God in the flesh - the Word! I know that I am unworthy to look at Your icon. It is righteous for me, a hated harlot, to be rejected from Your purity and to be an abomination to You, but I also know that for this purpose God became man, to call sinners to repentance. Help me, Most Pure One, that I may be allowed to enter the church. Do not forbid me to see the Tree on which. The Lord was crucified in His flesh, shedding His innocent Blood for me, a sinner, for my deliverance from sin. Command, O Lady, that the doors of the holy worship of the Cross may be opened for me. You will be my valiant Guarantor to the One who was born of You. I promise You from now on. “I will no longer defile myself with any carnal defilement, but as soon as I see the Tree of the Cross of Your Son, I will renounce the world and immediately go where You, as the Surety, will guide me.”

And when I prayed like that, I suddenly felt that my prayer had been heard. In the tenderness of faith, hoping in the Merciful Mother of God, I again joined those entering the temple, and no one pushed me aside or prevented me from entering. I walked in fear and trembling until I reached the door and was honored to see the Life-giving Cross of the Lord.

This is how I learned the mysteries of God and that God is ready to accept those who repent. I fell to the ground, prayed, kissed the shrines and left the temple, hastening to appear again before my Surety, where I had made a promise. Kneeling before the icon, I prayed like this before it:

“O Our Benevolent Lady, Mother of God! You did not disdain my unworthy prayer. Glory to God, who accepts the repentance of sinners through You. The time has come for me to fulfill the promise in which You were the Guarantor. Now, Lady, guide me on the path of repentance.”

And so, not yet finishing my prayer, I hear a voice, as if speaking from afar: “If you cross the Jordan, you will find blissful peace.”

I immediately believed that this voice was for me, and, crying, I exclaimed to the Mother of God: “Lady Lady, do not leave me, a nasty sinner, but help me,” and immediately left the church vestibule and walked away. One man gave me three copper coins. With them I bought myself three loaves of bread and from the seller I learned the way to the Jordan.

At sunset I reached the Church of St. John the Baptist near the Jordan. Having bowed first of all in the church, I immediately went down to the Jordan and washed his face and hands with holy water. Then I took communion in the Church of St. John the Baptist of the Most Pure and Life-Giving Mysteries of Christ, ate half of one of my breads, washed it down with holy Jordanian water and slept that night on the ground near the temple. The next morning, having found a small canoe not far away, I crossed the river in it to the other bank and again fervently prayed to my Mentor that She would direct me as She herself would please. Immediately after that I came to this desert."

Abba Zosima asked the monk: “How many years, my mother, have passed since you settled in this desert?” “I think,” she answered, “47 years have passed since I left the Holy City.”

Abba Zosima asked again: “What do you have or what do you find for food here, my mother?” And she answered: “I had two and a half loaves of bread with me when I crossed the Jordan, little by little they dried up and turned to stone, and, eating little by little, I ate from them for many years.”

Abba Zosima asked again: “Have you really been without illness for so many years? And have you not accepted any temptations from sudden challenges and temptations?” “Believe me, Abba Zosima,” answered the saint, “I spent 17 years in this desert, as if fighting with fierce beasts with my thoughts... When I began to eat food, the thought immediately came of meat and fish, to which I was accustomed in Egypt I also wanted wine, because I drank a lot of it when I was in the world. But here, often without simple water and food, I suffered fiercely from thirst and hunger. I suffered even more severe disasters: I was overcome by the desire of fornicators. songs, they seemed to be heard to me, confusing my heart and ears. Crying and beating my chest, I then remembered the vows that I made, going into the desert, before the icon of the Holy Mother of God, my Handmaid, and cried, praying to drive away the thoughts that were tormenting my soul. Through the measure of prayer and crying, repentance was accomplished, I saw the Light shining for me from everywhere, and then, instead of a storm, a great silence surrounded me.

Forgone thoughts, forgive me, Abba, how can I confess them to you? A passionate fire flared up inside my heart and scorched me all over, arousing lust. When cursed thoughts appeared, I threw myself to the ground and seemed to see that the Most Holy Surety Herself was standing before me and judging me for breaking my promise. So I did not get up, lying prostrate day and night on the ground, until repentance was accomplished again and I was surrounded by the same blessed Light, driving away evil confusion and thoughts.

This is how I lived in this desert for the first seventeen years. Darkness after darkness, misfortune after misfortune befell me, a sinner. But from that time until now, the Mother of God, my Helper, guides me in everything.”

Abba Zosima asked again: “Did you really need neither food nor clothing here?”

She answered: “My bread ran out, as I said, during these seventeen years. After that, I began to eat roots and what I could find in the desert. The dress that I was wearing when I crossed the Jordan has long been torn and decayed, and I then had to endure a lot and suffer from the heat, when the heat scorched me, and from the winter, when I was shaking from the cold. How many times did I fall to the ground as if dead? How many times I was in immense struggle with various misfortunes, troubles and temptations. But from that time until this day, the power of God, in an unknown and varied way, protected my sinful soul and humble body. I was nourished and covered by the word of God, which contains everything (Deut. 8:3), for man will not live on bread alone, but on everything. the word of God (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4), and those who do not cover themselves with stone will be clothed (Job 24:8), if they take off the garment of sin (Col. 3:9). As I remembered, from how much evil and what kind. The Lord delivered me from sins; in that I found inexhaustible food.”

When Abba Zosimas heard that from Holy Scripture the holy ascetic speaks in memory - from the books of Moses and Job and from the psalms of David - then he asked the venerable one: “Where, my mother, did you learn the psalms and other books?”

She smiled after listening to this question and answered like this: “Believe me, man of God, I have not seen a single person except you since I crossed the Jordan. I had never studied books before, I had never heard church singing or the Divine reading, except that the Word of God itself, living and all-creative, teaches man all understanding (Col. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21; 1 Thess. 2:13). but where I began, I end with this: I conjure you by the incarnation of God the Word - pray, holy Abba, for me, a great sinner.

And I also conjure you by the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ - do not tell anything that you have heard from me until God takes me from the earth. And do what I tell you now. Next year, during Lent, do not go beyond the Jordan, as your monastic custom commands.”

Again Abba Zosima was surprised that their monastic order was known to the holy ascetic, although he did not say a single word about it to her.

“Stay, Abba,” the saint continued, “in the monastery. However, even if you want to leave the monastery, you will not be able... And when the Holy Great Thursday of the Last Supper of the Lord comes, put the Life-giving Body and Blood of Christ, God, into the holy vessel ours, and bring it to me. Wait for me on the other side of the Jordan, at the edge of the desert, so that when I come, I will partake of the Holy Mysteries. And to Abba John, abbot of your monastery, say this: take heed to yourself and your flock (Acts 20, 23; 1 Tim. 4:16). However, I do not want you to tell him this now, but when the Lord indicates.”

Having said this and asking for prayers again, the saint turned and went into the depths of the desert.

All year Elder Zosima remained in silence, not daring to reveal to anyone what the Lord had revealed to him, and he diligently prayed that the Lord would grant him the privilege of seeing the holy ascetic once again.

When the first week of Holy Great Lent began again, the Monk Zosima, due to illness, had to remain in the monastery. Then he remembered the prophetic words of the saint that he would not be able to leave the monastery. After several days, the Monk Zosima was healed of his illness, but still remained in the monastery until Holy Week.

The day of remembering the Last Supper has approached. Then Abba Zosima fulfilled what he had been told to do - late in the evening he left the monastery to the Jordan and sat down on the shore, waiting. The saint hesitated, and Abba Zosima prayed to God that He would not deprive him of a meeting with the ascetic.

Finally the saint came and stood on the other side of the river. Rejoicing, the Monk Zosima stood up and glorified God. A thought occurred to him: how could she get across the Jordan without a boat? But the saint, having crossed the Jordan with the sign of the cross, quickly walked on the water. When the elder wanted to bow to her, she forbade him, shouting from the middle of the river: “What are you doing, Abba? After all, you are a priest, the bearer of the great Mysteries of God.”

Having crossed the river, the monk said to Abba Zosima: “Bless, father.” He answered her with trepidation, horrified by the wondrous vision: “Truly God is not lying, who promised to make all those who purify themselves, as far as possible, like mortals. Glory to Thee, Christ our God, who showed me through His holy servant how far I fall from the measure of perfection.”

After this, the saint asked him to read “I Believe” and “Our Father.” At the end of the prayer, she, having communed the Holy Terrible Mysteries of Christ, stretched out her hands to heaven and with tears and trembling said the prayer of St. Simeon the God-Receiver: “Now do You let Thy servant go, O Master, according to Thy word in peace, for my eyes have seen Thy salvation.”

Then the monk again turned to the elder and said: “Forgive me, Abba, and fulfill my other desire. Now go to your monastery, and next year come to that dried-up stream where we first talked to you.” “If it were possible for me,” answered Abba Zosima, “to continually follow you to behold your holiness!” The venerable woman again asked the elder: “Pray, for the Lord’s sake, pray for me and remember my curse.” And, making the sign of the cross over the Jordan, she, as before, walked across the waters and disappeared into the darkness of the desert. And Elder Zosima returned to the monastery in spiritual rejoicing and awe, and reproached himself for one thing: that he had not asked the name of the saint. But he hoped next year to finally find out her name.

A year passed, and Abba Zosimas went into the desert again. Praying, he reached a dry stream, on the eastern side of which he saw a holy ascetic. She lay dead, with her arms folded, as it should be, on her chest, her face turned to the East. Abba Zosima washed her feet with his tears, not daring to touch her body, wept for a long time over the deceased ascetic and began to sing psalms appropriate for mourning the death of the righteous, and read funeral prayers. But he doubted whether the saint would be pleased if he buried her. As soon as he thought this, he saw that at its head was inscribed: “Bury, Abba Zosima, in this place the body of the humble Mary. Give dust to dust. Pray to the Lord for me, who died in the month of April on the first day, on the very night of Christ’s saving suffering, upon communion of the Divine Last Supper."

Having read this inscription, Abba Zosima was at first surprised who could have made it, for the ascetic herself did not know how to read and write. But he was glad to finally know her name. Abba Zosima understood that the Venerable Mary, having received the Holy Mysteries on the Jordan from his hands, in an instant walked her long desert path, which he, Zosima, had walked for twenty days, and immediately departed to the Lord.

Having glorified God and wet the earth and the body of the Venerable Mary with tears, Abba Zosima said to himself: “It’s time for you, Elder Zosima, to do what you were told to do. But how can you, damned one, dig up a grave without having anything in your hands?” Having said this, he saw a fallen tree lying nearby in the desert, took it and began to dig. But the ground was too dry, no matter how much he dug, sweating profusely, he could not do anything. Straightening up, Abba Zosima saw a huge lion near the body of the Venerable Mary, who was licking her feet. The elder was overcome with fear, but he made the sign of the cross, believing that he would remain unharmed by the prayers of the holy ascetic. Then the lion began to caress the elder, and Abba Zosima, inflamed in spirit, ordered the lion to dig a grave in order to bury the body of Saint Mary. At his word, the lion dug a ditch with its paws, in which the body of the saint was buried. Having fulfilled his will, each went his own way: the lion into the desert, and Abba Zosima into the monastery, blessing and praising Christ our God.

Arriving at the monastery, Abba Zosima told the monks and the abbot what he had seen and heard from the Venerable Mary. Everyone was amazed, hearing about the greatness of God, and with fear, faith and love they established the memory of the Venerable Mary and honor the day of her repose. Abba John, abbot of the monastery, according to the word of the monk, with God’s help corrected what needed to be done in the monastery. Abba Zosima, having lived a life pleasing to God in the same monastery and not quite reaching the age of one hundred, ended his temporary life here, passing into eternal life.

Thus, the ancient ascetics of the glorious monastery of the holy, all-praised Forerunner of the Lord John, located on the Jordan, conveyed to us the wondrous story of the life of the Venerable Mary of Egypt. This story was not originally written down by them, but was reverently passed on by the holy elders from mentors to disciples.

But I,” says Saint Sophronius, Archbishop of Jerusalem (March 11), the first descriptor of the Life, “what I received in my turn from the holy fathers, have committed everything to written history.

May God, who works great miracles and rewards with great gifts all who turn to Him with faith, reward both those who read and listen, and those who conveyed this story to us, and grant us a good share with the blessed Mary of Egypt and with all the saints, who have pleased God with their thoughts of God and their labors from centuries. Let us also give glory to God the Eternal King, and let us also be granted mercy on the Day of Judgment in Christ Jesus our Lord; to Him belongs all glory, honor, and power, and worship with the Father, and the Most Holy and Life-giving Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever, amen.

The Venerable Mary was born in Egypt. In the twelfth year of her life, she fled from her parental home to the city of Alexandria, where she indulged in unrestrained and insatiable fornication and earned shameful fame for the extreme debauchery of her life. This went on for 17 years, and it seemed that all hope of saving the sinner was lost. But the Lord did not turn His mercy away from her.

One day, Mary saw a crowd of people on the seashore who were going to sail on ships to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Not at all out of pious motives, but simply wanting to have fun, she begged him to take her too, and behaved defiantly shamelessly along the way.

Upon arrival in Jerusalem, Mary followed the people to the church, but could not enter it: some unknown force pushed her away and did not let her inside. After several unsuccessful attempts, Maria retreated to the corner of the church porch and thought. Her gaze accidentally stopped at the icon of the Most Holy Theotokos - and suddenly, shocked, she realized all the abomination and shame of her life. The light of God touched her heart - she realized that her sins were not allowing her into the church.

Mary prayed long and earnestly to the Most Holy Theotokos, begging for a long time to allow her to enter the church and see the Cross on which Jesus Christ suffered. Finally it seemed to her that her prayer had been heard.

Trembling with excitement and fear, Maria approached the church doors - and this time she entered unhindered. There she saw the Life-giving Cross of the Lord and realized that God was ready to forgive the repentant. She again returned to the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos and turned to Her with a prayer to show her the path to repentance.

And then she heard a seemingly distant voice: “Go beyond the Jordan, there you will find peace for your soul.” Mary immediately set off on her journey, reached the Jordan River, crossed to the other bank and retreated into the depths of the Jordan Desert. Here, in the desert, she lived in complete solitude for 47 years, eating only roots.

For the first 17 years, she was overcome by lustful thoughts, and she fought them like fierce beasts. Enduring hunger and cold, she remembered the food and wine to which she was accustomed in Egypt, the cheerful songs that she had once sung; but most of all she was overcome by lustful thoughts and tempting images...

Maria begged Holy Mother of God to rid her of them, she fell prostrate to the ground and did not get up until repentance was accomplished in her soul - then Heavenly light penetrated into her, and she again found peace.

After 17 years, the temptations left her - years of concentrated and detached peace began. Finally, God became willing to reveal to the world unusual feat repentant sinner, and with God's permission, Mary was met in the desert by Elder Zosima, a monk of a neighboring monastery, who had retired here for ascetic deeds.

By this time, all of Mary’s clothes had decayed, but the elder covered her with his cloak. The ascetic told him her whole life, asking him not to tell anyone about it and to come to her a year later on Maundy Thursday with the Holy Gifts so that she could receive communion.

The next year, fulfilling Mary’s request, Elder Zosima took the Holy Gifts and went to the Jordan. On the other bank, he saw Mary, who, approaching the river, made the sign of the cross over the water and calmly walked along it. The elder looked with reverent awe at the saint walking on the water.

Coming ashore, Mary bowed before the elder and asked for his blessing. Then she listened to “I Believe” and “Our Father,” took communion of the Mysteries of Christ and said: “Now do You let Your servant go in peace, according to Your word!”

Then she asked Zosima to fulfill her last request: to come in a year to the place where he met her for the first time. A year later, the elder again went to the place where Mary was saved, but found her there already deceased. She lay on the ground, folding her hands as if in prayer, and turning her face to the East. Next to her in the sand was inscribed: “Father Zosima, bury the body of the humble Mary, who died on April 1. Return ashes to ashes."

With tears and prayers, the elder buried the great ascetic and returned to the monastery, where he told the monks and the abbot everything that he had heard from the monk. Maria.

The Venerable Mary of Egypt died in 522. During the first and fifth weeks of Great Lent, the penitential canon of St. Andrew of Crete with the addition of prayer verses about Mary of Egypt.