The readings from Hebrews continue to emphasize the reality of the Incarnation and Christ’s solidarity with us. Jesus shared with us the same “blood and flesh.” In this way, as one of us, he was able to offer his life in death to set us free from the power of death. It is the power of evil in the world which brings about our real death, separating us forever from the love of God. By Jesus’ own physical death and resurrection, he liberated us from the fear of that death from which there is no escape.
Paul of Thebes, also known as Paul the Hermit, is one of the first recorded Christian hermits. During the persecutions of the Emperors Decius and Valerianus in the middle of the third century, Paul learned that his brother-in-law was going to turn him over to the authorities for being a Christian. The brother-in-law was jealous of Paul over the inheritance Paul had just received. Paul decided to retreat to the desert where he found a mountain cave located by a stream and some date palm trees. Legend tells of a raven that also used to bring him food. It is said that Paul lived as a hermit in the desert for more than 50 years. Anthony of the desert, another hermit at the time, was directed to a very elderly Paul by God through a dream. After his death, Paul’s relics were first buried in the desert, but later moved to Alexandria, Egypt and Venice and then to their current resting place in Hungary. There has been a great interest in the desert fathers in recent years, in the wisdom, solitude, and simplicity we can learn from them. We unite our prayers with the prayers of Paul of Thebes.
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