Saint Paul the Hermit, a remarkable figure in Christian history, was born in Egypt and tragically orphaned at the tender age of 15. A young man of both learning and devout faith, Paul’s life took a dramatic turn during the Decius persecution in Egypt around 250 AD. Initially seeking refuge in a friend’s home, he soon fled to a desert cave to evade betrayal by a relative.

This temporary hideout became Paul’s permanent abode, as the serenity of solitude and divine meditation captivated him, leading to an astonishing 90 years of hermitic life. Nature provided for his basic needs: a nearby spring for water, a palm tree for food and clothing. Remarkably, after 21 years of isolation, a bird began delivering half a loaf of bread daily, a miraculous sustenance that kept him disconnected yet prayerful for a better world.

St. Anthony, another pillar of monasticism, acknowledges Paul’s sanctity. Challenged by the notion that no one had surpassed him in wilderness devotion, Anthony was divinely guided to discover Paul. On this fateful day, the raven brought a full loaf, signifying the meeting of two spiritual giants. Paul, foreseeing his end, prophesied that Anthony would return to bury him.

Dying at the age of approximately 112, Paul earned the title “First Hermit.” His life is celebrated in the Eastern Christian traditions and commemorated in both the Coptic and Armenian rites, marking his profound impact on Christian monasticism.

Photo credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
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10 COMMENTS

  1. Might God, i place my dis month in ur hands for provisions for my family n my proposed business plan i ask dat u will send me a helper to accomplish it,Amen

  2. ST. Paul the hermit pray for me and rid the evil around me. and send work to my friends. help me with my sister . pray for LARRY FAUST, KOHN REED BUCKLEY AND MY CLOSE FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN PURGATORY I AM ALSO HURTNG A LOT AND HAVE 2 OPERATIONS COMING UP ON EYE AND SKIN AND MY HEARIN IS BAD. PLEASE ASK THE LORD TO HELP

  3. Dear St.Paul the Hermit, please intercede for all of us who are suffering both physically and emotionally. Please give us the strength , courage and patience to be like saints like yourself who carried a hardship like we do. Never let us give up our faith and keep carrying the cross until our prayers are answered.

  4. ST. PAUL THE HERMIT, PLEASE HELP ME PRAY FOR ALYCIA, WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER,PLEASE GOD, HER OUR PRAYERS, THANK YOU ST, JOHN THE HERMIT.

  5. Prayer to St. Paul the Hermit
    Lord Jesus Christ, we thank You for giving us an example of sanctity in the life of St. Paul the Hermit. One of early desert Fathers, he originally fled into the wilderness to escape persecution, and ended up enjoying the solitude of his cave so much, he stayed there for ninety years. For the first twenty one years, he lived off the fruit of a palm tree and water from a nearby spring. After these two decades passed, a raven started bringing him bread. You willed St. Paul to become known, so by sending a dream to St. Anthony, he was inspired to seek out the hermit and break bread with him. He also found St. Paul when he finally died and buried him.
    Jesus, with St. Paul the Hermit as our role model, we ask to be reminded to take time to draw away from our busy, noisy lives and withdraw into an inner cave to pray to You. May we also seek solitude and quiet so that we may hear Your voice speaking to us in the depths of our hearts. Grant that we may find rest and nourishment for our souls at such times, and draw closer to Your loving Heart. We ask this through the intercession of St. Paul the Hermit. Amen.

    St. Paul the Hermit, pray for us!

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