Feast Day: June 12th
The Life of Saint Onuphrios: “I find every Sabbath or Day of the Lord that the Angel of the Lord has prepared the most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ to bring me. With his own hand he gives me these Precious Gifts, for the everlasting Salvation of my life…”
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Prayers
Apolytikion: In the flesh you lived the life of Angels, you were citizens of the desert and treasuries of grace, O Onouphrios adornment of Egypt, and Peter the light of Athos. Wherefore we honour your struggles as we sing to you: Glory to Him Who has strengthened you; glory to Him Who has made you wonderful; glory to Him Who through you works healings for all.
Kontakion: By your achievements in the wilderness you became like the Bodiless Powers, godly Onouphrios, and venerable Peter adornment of Athos, you heavenly-minded pair who sing: Alleluia.
By Abba Paphnutios: And the commandment of one tunic Father, you exceeded having gone about naked to the end. On the twelfth Onouphrios was removed from life without a tunic.
The sole source for Saint Onuphrios’ life is by Saint Paphnutios…
Now suddenly I looked and I saw a man in the distance; he was very terrifying because his hair was spread out over his body like a leopard’s. Indeed, he was naked, and leaves covered his male member. When he came up close to me I was afraid and I climbed up on a ledge of the mountain, thinking that perhaps it was a wild ass. . . . He raised his eyes to the mountain ledge; he saw me and called, ‘Come down to me, holy man. I too am a man of the desert, like yourself. I live in this desert on account of my sins.’ He said to me, ‘You too are a friend of God’. So I sat down in front of him and I asked him to tell me his name.
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“I am called Onouphrios, an unworthy sinner, and I have been living my laborious life in this desert for nearly seventy years. I have the wild beasts for company, my regular food is fruit and herbs, I lay my miserable body down to sleep in mountainsides, in caves, and in valleys. Throughout all these years I have seen no one except you, and I have not been supplied with food by any human being.”
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“…This was the instruction carefully given me in the Monastery by the holy Fathers, and I began to picture silently the glorious bliss enjoyed in Heaven, by those who for the love of God have endured great trials here on Earth. My heart burned within me, my mind began to be set on spurning worldly joys completely, and seeking my Heavenly Father with all my might, as the Psalmist says: ‘It is good for me to cleave unto God and put my hope in the Lord my God’ (Psalms 73.28)”
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“Then suddenly I saw a man of most beautiful appearance come towards me out of that ray of shining light. ‘Fear not,’ he said, ‘I am your Guardian Angel, whom God has assigned to you right from the beginning, to be with you by God’s command and to lead you into the desert. Be perfected, walk humbly with God, labor joyfully, keep guard over your heart at all times, live uncomplainingly, persevere in good works. Rest assured I shall never leave you until such time as I shall bear you up into the presence of his Majesty most high.’ Thus spoke the Angel, who became my companion at the beginning of my journey.”
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“Believe me, beloved brother,” the holy man replied, “I have endured such things in this desert that I have often thought I was very near death. There have been so many times in my life when hope has failed me and I have scarcely had any breath left in my body. Scorched by day in the heat and burning fire of the sun, exposed to dew and hoar frost by night, fainting from hunger and thirst – O how many such things have I suffered! I cannot tell you how many wounds and hard knocks must be suffered by anyone who is willing to die for the love of God, nor would it be right to do so. But the Lord rewards the labors of his Saints (Wisdom 10.17), for his riches are beyond telling, nor can they be diminished. Through all the manifold pains and torments that I have suffered, cold and heat, hunger and thirst, his power has strengthened me with the Heavenly riches of the company of Angels. By spurning food for the body I have been found worthy to receive the bread of Heaven. My Holy Angel has daily brought me bread, and water in due measure, to refresh my body lest it faint, that I might continue in the praise of God. The palm trees have this property that the dates ripen twelve times a year. I picked them daily and ate them together with green herbs, and they were in my mouth as the honey and the honeycomb. In the Gospel it is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’ (Matthew 4.4). Brother Paphnutios, if you wish to fulfill the will of God, everything necessary is ready for you. For the Truth Himself counsels you, ‘Take no thought for what you shall eat, or what you shall drink, or what you shall wear, for your Heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things. Wherefore seek first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you'” (Matthew 6.31-33).
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“In the darkest moments of my life I found Lord Jesus’ Hand takes care of me.”
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“I find every Sabbath or Day of the Lord that the Angel of the Lord has prepared the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ to bring me. With his own hand he gives me these Precious Gifts, for the everlasting Salvation of my life. Indeed all the monks who lead a Spiritual life in the desert share in this joy. If perchance any holy hermit living in solitude has a desire to see another human being he is carried up hence by an Angel into Heaven where he can contemplate the vision of the Souls of the Righteous, shining like the sun in the Kingdom of the Father. There, in the company of Angels, they see their own Souls joined together with the Souls of the Blessed. And all who struggle in the battle with their whole mind, their whole heart and all their strength abound in good works in order that they may be found worthy to share in the Glory of that Heavenly country with Christ and all His Saints.”
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“Paphnutios,” he replied, “do not worry. The Lord will grant that your desire will stand firm. Stand in faith, act manfully (1 Corinthians 16.13), keep your eyes and your mind always on God, keep the Commandments, do not be weary in well-doing, grasp hold of Eternal Life. May the Angels of God protect you and keep you from every working of wickedness, that you may be found pure and spotless before God in the day of judgment.” Weeping, he prayed to the Lord, bent his knees and said, “Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.” As he said this, a brilliant light surrounded him, and his holy Soul left his body in a flash of blinding light.”
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Icons
Saint Onouphrios and Saint Peter
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