Mary of Egypt. Icon and brief history of earthly life

Among the holy icons that look at us from the walls of Orthodox churches, there is one on which the look involuntarily stops. It shows the figure of a woman. Her thin, emaciated body is wrapped in an old cloak. Swarthy, almost black from sunburn, the woman's skin is scorched by the sun of the desert. In her hands a cross made of dry cane stems. This is the greatest Christian saint, which became a symbol of repentance, the Monk Maria of Egypt. The icon conveys to us its strict, ascetic features.

The sinful life of the young Mary

The holy elder Zosima told the world about the life and deeds of the saint. By the will of God, he met her in the depths of the desert, where he himself went to spend the Great Four-Day in fasting and prayer, far away from the world. There, in the sun-scorched earth, he was revealed to St. Mary of Egypt. The icon of the monk often depicts this meeting. He confessed to her, telling an amazing story of her life.

She was born in the end of V century in Egypt. But it so happened that in her youth Maria was far from unquestioning observance of the commandments of God. Moreover, the unbridled passions and the absence of clever and pious mentors turned a young girl into a vessel of sin. She was only twelve years old when she left her parental home in Alexandria and was left to herself in a world full of vice and temptations. And the harmful effects were not long in coming.

Very soon Maria indulged in unbridled debauchery. The goal of her life was to seduce and involve as many men as possible in pernicious sin. According to her own confessions, she never took money from them. On the contrary, Mary earned honest living by honest work. Corruption was not its source of income - it was the meaning of her life. This went on for 17 years.

A turning point in the life of Mary

But one day an event occurred, radically changing 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 way lay on the sea. Maria, among others, took to the ship, but not to bow in the holy land to the Life-giving Tree, but that, during the long sea voyage, she should indulge in debauchery with men who are bored with boredom. So she was in the holy city.

In the temple, Mary mixed with the crowd and along with other pilgrims began to move toward the shrine, when suddenly an unknown force blocked her way and threw her back. The sinner tried to repeat the attempt, but each time the same thing happened. Finally realizing that this is the divine power for her sins does not let her into the temple, Mary was filled with the deepest remorse, beat herself with her hands in her breast and prayed for forgiveness before the icon of the Virgin, which she saw before herself. Her prayer was heard, and the Blessed Virgin showed the girl the way to her salvation: Mary had to move to the other side of the Jordan and retire to the desert to repent and to know God.

Living in the desert

From this time, Mary died for peace. After retiring to the desert, she led a difficult ascetic life. So, from the former whore was born the Monk Maria of Egypt. The icon usually represents it during the years of hardship and hardship of hermitage life. Taken with a tiny stock of bread soon ran out, and the saint ate roots and what could be found in a desert-drained desert. Over time, her clothes decayed on her, and she remained naked. Maria suffered torments from the heat and from the cold. Forty-seven years passed.

Once, in the desert, she met an old monk, who for a while withdrew from the world for prayers and fasting. It was a hieromonk, that is, a priest having the priesthood. Covering the nakedness, Mary confessed to him, telling the story of her fall and repentance. This monk was the same Zosima, who told the world about her life. Years later, he himself will be counted among the saints.

Zosima told the brethren of his monastery about the perspicacity of Saint Mary, about her ability to see the future. Years spent in penitential prayer, transformed not only the soul, but also the body. Mary of Egypt, whose icon represents her walking on the water, acquired properties close to those that had the flesh of the risen Christ. She really could walk on the water and during the prayer to the elbow rose above the ground.

Communion of the Holy Gifts

Zosima, at the request of Mary, met with her a year later, bringing with him the pre-consecrated Holy Gifts and communing with her. This is the only time the Holy Mary of Egypt has tasted the Body and Blood of the Lord. The icon, the photo of which is in front of you, represents just this moment. After parting, she asked to come to her in the desert five years later.

St. Zosima fulfilled her request, but when he came, he found only her lifeless body. He wanted to lay his remains to the ground, but the hard and rocky soil of the desert did not succumb to his old hands. Then the Lord showed a miracle - a lion came to help the saint. The wild beast dug out his grave with his paws, where the relics of the righteous descended. Another icon of Mary of Egypt (the photo was made with it) 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 universal. There is no sin that transcends His love for people. No wonder the Lord is called the Good Shepherd. No lost sheep will be left to perish.

Heavenly Father will do everything for her conversion to the true path. The only thing that is important is the desire to purify oneself and deep repentance. Christianity shows many such examples. The most striking among them is Mary Magdalene, the Prudent Robber and, of course, Mary of Egypt, the icon, the prayer, and whose life indicated to many a way from the darkness of sin to the light of righteousness.