Saint Mary of Egypt

The Eastern Rite of the Church dedicates the Fifth Sunday of the Great Fast (Lent) to the memory of Saint Mary of Egypt, who lived circa 344–421 AD. Saint Mary was born in Egypt, and at the age of twelve ran away to the city of Alexandria where she lived an extremely dissolute life for more than seventeen years.

When she was twenty-nine, she decided to accompany a group of Libyan and Egyptian men who were voyaging to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, which attracted pilgrims from all over the empire. Mary joined the pilgrims, offering sexual favors to the sailors in return for her passage.

It was at Golgotha in Jerusalem where she underwent a mystical experience that led to her conversion, repentance, and eventual expiation of her sins. After buying three loaves of bread for sustenance, she crossed the river Jordan and settled in the desert. There she lived for forty-seven years without encountering any other human being, until she met Zosimas, a devout monk of a monastery in the vicinity of the river Jordan.

A year later, on Maundy Thursday, Zosimas brought her the holy eucharist as he had promised. He then went to meet her a third time in the following year as they had agreed. By then, however, Mary was dead. Zosimas discovered her body in the desert, and buried her with the help of a lion that appeared out of nowhere.

The life of Saint Mary of Egypt shows us that overcoming passions and temptations is a long and difficult process, even for those who have no other desire than to please Jesus. It takes a great struggle to put off the old person and be clothed in the new. But God gave her the grace every step of the way and was always there with her, supporting her, holding her hand, and guiding her to the Heavenly Kingdom. Saint Mary is revered as the patron saint of penitents.

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