Saint of the day January 15, 2025
St. Paul the Hermit
DAILY SAINT
Nirmala Josephine
1/15/20253 min read


Saint Paul the Hermit, also called Paul of Thebes, was born around 227 A.D. He was born in Egypt, in the region of Thebaid. The names of Saint Paul’s parents and siblings are unknown, but it is recorded that he had a married sister.
At the age of 15, Saint Paul and his sister were orphaned and received some of their parent's possessions. In the year 250, Roman Emperor Traianus Decius began to persecute Christians. Saint Paul was a devout Christian and felt threatened by the Emperor. In a bid to escape Decius, Saint Paul the Hermit went into hiding in a friend’s house.
Fearing that his sister’s husband was going to sell him out to the Emperor, Saint Paul left his hiding spot and instead took to the safety of the wilderness.
Saint Paul the Hermit lived in a cave in the Egyptian desert, where he spent most of his time praying. He had planned to return home after the troubles had ended, but he got used to living in solitude and instead spent the rest of his life alone. For the majority of the time he spent in the wilderness, he was provided with water from a spring that ran in the desert, and a palm tree provided him with food and clothing. He made his clothes out of the leaves of the trees.
This went on until he reached the age of 43. After that, a raven started to bring him bread for food every day. When Saint Paul turned 90, his presence in the wilderness was shown to St. Anthony the Great. Saint Anthony had a vision in which he saw Saint Paul and spent a year trying to find him.
Anthony finally found Saint Paul in his 113th year, in 342 AD. He met him in the cave, and they became fast friends. They dined on the bread the raven brought and prayed together.
While Saint Anthony was convinced that he had just found a new friend, Saint Paul knew that God sent him Anthony to help him die. He told Anthony this, and Anthony wept bitterly.
Saint Paul the Hermit requested the cloak that Athanasius had gifted Anthony and asked that his body be wrapped up and buried in it. While Anthony left to get the cloak, Saint Paul the Hermit passed away peacefully. Saint Paul the Hermit died in 342 A.D. His grave was dug by two lions, and Saint Anthony laid him to rest. When Saint Anthony left the wilderness, he took with him the clothes made from woven leaves that Saint Paul always wore.
Saint Paul was canonized Pre-congregationally. He is commemorated in the Coptic and Armenian rites of the Mass. Saint Paul the Hermit is celebrated every year by the Catholic Church on the 15th of January in the West and by Orthodox Catholic Churches. The Oriental Orthodox Churches celebrate him on the 9th of February.
Reflection
Saint Paul the Hermit possessed certain spiritual qualities that, once meditated upon, certainly cried out to modern man. Saint Paul left a life of gentility in order to defend his faith, pursue a ministry of meditation, and wait upon the Lord. Worldly standards were set aside and the crush of time lost its control so that this man might find peace with creation and Creator. A man threatened by other men discovered a true sense of fellowship with all mankind. We, no less than he live in a wasteland unless God blesses our life and endeavors. As with Saint Paul, our life may either be shallow or charged with purpose when we offer it up in service to our Lord Jesus.
St. Paul the Hermit is considered the patron saint of hermits, ascetics, and all those who seek a life of solitude and contemplation. His enduring legacy lies not only in his own pursuit of a solitary life but also in his influence on the development of Christian monasticism. His example continues to inspire those who are drawn to a life of prayer, meditation, and spiritual reflection, even in the bustling modern world.