Among the holy icons looking at us from the wallsOrthodox churches, there is one on which the sight involuntarily stops. It shows the figure of a woman. Her thin, gaunt body is wrapped in an old cloak. The dark, almost black with sunburn skin of a woman is scorched by the desert sun. In her hands is a cross made from dry reed stalks. This is the greatest Christian saint that has become a symbol of repentance - Rev. Mary of Egypt. The icon conveys to us its strict, ascetic features.
The sinful life of young Mary
About the life and exploits of the reverend told the worldholy elder Zosima. By the will of God, he met her in the depths of the desert, where he himself went to spend the Great Fourtieth Age away from the world in fasting and prayer. There, in the sun-scorched earth, holy Mary of Egypt was revealed to him. The icon of the reverend often depicts this meeting. She confessed to him, telling an amazing story of her life.
She was born at the end of the 5th century in Egypt.But it so happened that in her youth Mary was far from unquestioningly keeping the commandments of God. Moreover, the unbridled passions and the lack of clever and pious mentors turned the young girl into a vessel of sin. She was only twelve years old when she, having left her parental house in Alexandria, was left to herself in a world full of vice and temptations. And the disastrous consequences were not long in coming.
Very soon, Mary indulged in unbridleddebauchery. The purpose of her life has been reduced to seducing and engaging as many men as possible into a deadly sin. By her own admissions, she never took money from them. On the contrary, Maria earned her living through honest labor. Debauchery was not her source of income - he was the meaning of her life. This went on for 17 years.
The turning point in the life of Mary
But once an event occurred, at the rootchanged the whole way of life of a young sinner. The holiday of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was approaching, and a large number of pilgrims were sent from Egypt to Jerusalem. Their path lay on the sea. Mary, among others, went up to the ship, but not to worship in the holy land of the Life-giving Tree, but so that during the long sea route she would retire in the liberty of men bored with boredom. So she was in the holy city.
In the temple, Mary mingled with the crowd and along withother pilgrims began to move toward the shrine, when suddenly an unknown force blocked her path and threw back. The sinner tried to try again, but the same thing happened each time. Finally realizing that this Divine power for sins does not allow her to go to the temple, Mary was filled with profound repentance, beat her hands to the chest and in tears begged for forgiveness before the icon of the Virgin Mary, which she saw before her. Her prayer was heard, and the Most Holy Theotokos showed the girl the way to her salvation: Mary had to go to the other side of the Jordan and go off into the wilderness to repent and know God.
Life in the desert
Since that time, Mary died for the world.Leaving for the wilderness, she led the hardest ascetic life. So, from the former libertine, the Venerable Mary of Egypt was born. The icon usually represents it in the years of deprivation and hardship of the recluse life. Taken along with them, an insignificant stock of bread soon ran out, and the saint fed on the roots and what could be found in the sun-dried desert. Her clothes eventually decayed on her, and she remained naked. Maria suffered torments from heat and from cold. So forty seven years passed.
Once in the desert she met an old monkfor a time away from the world for prayer and fasting. He was a hieromonk, that is, a minister who was ordained a priest. Covering nakedness, Mary confessed to him, telling the story of her fall and repentance. This monk was Zosima who told the world about her life. In years, he himself will be numbered among the saints.
Зосима рассказывал братии своего монастыря о St. Mary’s vision, about her ability to see the future. The years spent in prayer of repentance transformed not only the soul, but also the body. Mary of Egypt, whose icon represents her walking on the water, has acquired properties that are close to having the flesh of the risen Christ. She could indeed walk on water and, while praying, rose to her elbow above the ground.
Communion Holy Gifts
Zosima, at Mary's request, met her throughyear, bringing with him the priestly consecrated Holy Gifts and communed her. This is the only time when Holy Mary of Egypt tasted the Body and Blood of the Lord. The icon, which photo in front of you, depicts just this moment. Parting, she asked to come to her in the desert in five years.
Holy Zosima fulfilled her request, but when he came,found only her lifeless body. He wanted to bury her remains, but the hard and rocky soil of the desert did not succumb to his old hands. Then the Lord revealed a miracle - a lion came to help the saint. The wild beast with its paws dug a grave, where the relics of the righteous woman were lowered. Another icon of Mary of Egypt (photo taken just from her) completes the article. This is the episode of mourning and burial of the saint.
Infinity of God's mercy
The mercy of the Lord is all-inclusive. There is no sin that surpasses His love for people. It is not for nothing that the Lord is called the Good Shepherd. No lost sheep will be thrown to ruin.
Heavenly Father will do everything to turn her ontrue path. What is important is the desire to be cleansed and deep repentance. Christianity presents many such examples. The brightest among them are Mary Magdalene, the Prudent Brigand and, of course, Mary of Egypt, the icon, the prayer, and whose life have shown many the way from the darkness of sin to the light of righteousness.
