St. Moses the Anchorite
The Lives of the Anchorite Fathers
St. Moses the Anchorite
He was a monk who renounced the world and desired the heavenly life. He was content with the simplest sustenance, like that of a weak bird, and clothed himself with garments made from palm fibers and leaves. He drank only the rainwater that gathered in the caves of the mountains and valleys.
The wild beasts of the desert became familiar with him — they approached and sat before him, turning their faces toward him as if to converse, though unable to speak his language. When they came to him, he rejoiced in their presence. Yet when the time of prayer arrived, he would motion to them with his hand, tracing the sign of the Cross, and they would depart quietly.
Once, when the rain failed for a year in the wilderness, the beasts gathered around him, crying out for help, beseeching him to intercede before God for rain and grass. He lifted up his hands to heaven as the beasts cried out with their varied voices — and the Lord heard his prayer. When an injured beast came to him, it would show him its wounds; he would touch them, and they would be healed.
Thus, this saint lived for thirty-five years.
When the evil enemy saw how far the saint had advanced in virtue, he grew angry and said, “How is it that I cannot overcome this man, who is of flesh and bone, while I am made of fire and light?”
So the devil took the form of an aged monk with a white beard, dressed in rough goat’s hair, his head uncovered and his white hair flowing over his shoulders. He leaned on a staff and walked slowly, descending from one mountain peak to another.
When the saint saw him, he thought in his heart that this must be a holy man who had spent long years in ascetic labor. He approached him, wishing to speak, but the old man kept silent and would not answer. Whenever the saint prayed or mentioned the name of the Lord Jesus, or made the sign of the Cross, the old man would disappear. The saint thought that perhaps God, out of love for him, was hiding this holy man’s identity — and thus he honored him even more. He stayed with him for three nights, though the wild beasts that usually approached the saint fled at the sight of the old man.
On the fourth night, the saint spoke to him, and the old man replied:
“What do you desire, my holy son who has pleased God by your deeds? Blessed are you and the place prepared for you.”
He then asked the saint about his life, and the saint answered:
“I was born in a village near Alexandria. My parents named me Moses. When I was thirteen, I went to the valley of Habib and joined a godly monk who taught me. At twenty, I considered the vanity of the world and left everything for the wilderness. I have lived here for many years and have seen no one but you. For three days, I have not seen you pray, though I wish to learn from your prayer and receive blessing.”
The old man replied:
“Know, my son, that I was once a rich young man, careless and greedy, lustful and slow to give alms. But at last I gave away all my wealth to the poor and came to the desert of Barca, where I have lived forty years. God, in His mercy toward the poor, forgave my sins, though I knew nothing of prayer, sacrifice, or the commandments. When my death drew near, I asked God to send someone to bury me and pray for me — and He showed me you. I know the place where I am to be buried; come, my son, and I will show it to you.”
The saint believed his words and followed him. As they walked, he saw a splendid palace built on a hill overlooking a garden like paradise. The old man said, “Here is where I shall be buried.” The saint marveled greatly.
Seeing this, the old man said, “After my burial, this palace shall be yours. Another elder will come to lay your bones beside mine. Beware lest the cursed devil deceive you and lead you away from the worship of the Lord.”
Then the old man showed him a beautiful maiden, saying she was his daughter, and offered her to the saint in marriage, together with the palace. When the saint refused, the old man began to tempt him with examples of holy men who had married — Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. He deceived him until the saint consented to marry her after the old man’s death. Then he pretended to die, and the saint buried him.
But as the saint was about to enter the palace to see the maiden, a fierce wind lifted him and threw him upon his back like a dead man.
When he awoke, the palace was gone — he was in the wilderness again. His heart was filled with sorrow; he grew hungry, but the herbs of the desert tasted bitter; he could not find water; the beasts no longer approached him; the palm fibers no longer covered him. Then he realized that the old man had been the devil. He said, “Woe to me! May God grant me time to repent.”
He could no longer stay in the wilderness and sought the way to the inhabited land.
As he journeyed, the devil appeared again, now as another old man riding a donkey, carrying food and drink. The saint asked where he was going. “To Alexandria,” he replied. The saint said, “I too am going there.” The devil rejoiced to lead him out of the wilderness, and the poor saint was glad to have a guide. The old man gave him food and hastened to bring him near a suburb of Alexandria, beside a well where people came to draw water.
There the devil appeared again as a beautiful woman with a jar on her shoulder. She pitied him, took him to her house, and said she was a royal maiden, orphaned and alone, with great wealth in her homeland. She persuaded him to marry her, saying she was a Jewess of priestly descent and that he must become a Jew for their marriage to be lawful. When he refused, she deceived him with false visions of the greatness of the Jews, until he agreed. She said, “Come, let us go to the city where my treasure lies.” He followed her.
When half the day had passed, they were in a desolate wilderness. He grew very thirsty and asked for water, but she mocked him, saying, “Follow me, and I will show you a spring.” She climbed a hill and said, “Wait while I look for the water and call you.” When she reached the top, she shouted, “O foolish saint who fled the world lest the devil deceive you — behold, now you see the devil!” She mocked him for forsaking his faith and vows: “You will die here, and your soul will go to hell!” Then she vanished.
He looked around but found no path, no water — only vast emptiness. He was in despair, realizing how he had been deceived. He wept bitterly, crying, “Woe to you, my weak soul! You have desired the world’s pleasures and obeyed the evil thought. Woe to me, how could I be deceived by that old man? Why did I not see when he neglected prayer and fled from the sign of the Cross? Woe to me for seeking the palace and the maiden! Woe to me for following the other deceiver!”
He wept, beat his head on the ground, and prayed with great repentance, confessing his sins before God.
But God, who does not desire the death of a sinner but his return, looked from heaven and heard the cry of this repentant saint. He sent an angel to comfort him, saying, “In three days you will rest, and I will send my servant Samuel to bury you.”
Then the angel departed, and behold — a monk appeared, coming toward him. When he reached him, he fell at his feet, saying, “God has sent you to me, my father, as a sign of His mercy and forgiveness.” They greeted and blessed each other. The saint confessed all his sins to him.
Then he said, “I have long been without Holy Communion.” The priest Samuel said, “Come, follow me.”
Soon they reached a beautiful church, its doors open and lamps lit. A group of monks came in, praying and offering the Holy Sacrifice. Samuel said, “Do not be troubled. These are hermits who gather here once a year to pray. This church is hidden from the eyes of men and is the dwelling and burial place of saints.”
After the Liturgy, Moses said, “Show me, father, the place of the saints’ relics.” Samuel led him there, and he entered to venerate them. When he delayed, Samuel entered and found him fallen on his face — he had departed in peace. Samuel covered his face, prayed over him, and was blessed by him.
He then wrote down all that the saint had told him and sent it with a faithful man to be placed in the Church of St. Mark in Alexandria, so that people might read and marvel at the temptations of the devil and the repentance and return of the saint to God.
(From Manuscripts No. 382 and 383, Monastery of the Syrians)
Source:
Article by H.G. Bishop Shenouda, Bishop of Education – El-Keraza Magazine, Year 1, Issue 6, August 1965
