Commemoration of the departure of the great san anba boula, the first hermit.

hermit, departed. This Saint was from the city of Alexandria, and had a brother named Pedro.
After his father’s departure, they divided the inheritance between them. When his brother took the most part,’s feelings were hurt by his brother’s action. He said to his brother: ” why don’t you give me the part that corresponds to my father’s inheritance?” Peter replied, ” you are a young man, and I’m afraid you can waste it. As for me, I’ll keep it for you “.

When they didn’t agree, they went to the governor to judge each other. On their way, they saw a funeral procession. Boula asked one of the mourners about the deceased man. Was told that he was one of the noble and wealthy people of the city, and that he left his wealth and wealth behind, and that they were carrying him to bury him alone with his clothes.

Saint boula sighed in his heart and said to himself: ” what do I have to do then with all the money in this temporary world that I leave naked?” he looked at his brother and said, ” brother, come back, because I will not ask you Nothing, not even what’s mine “.
On his way back, boula left his brother and followed his path until he left town. Boula found a grave where he remained for three days praying to the Lord Christ to guide him to what he pleases. As for his brother, he sought Paul diligently and when he did not find him, he regretted what he had done.

God sent saint Paul an angel who took him out of this place, and walked with him until they arrived in the eastern desert. He stayed there for 90 years, during which he did not see anyone. He put on a robe made of good palm fiber. The Lord sent him a crow every day with a half loaf of bread.

When the Lord wanted to reveal Saint Paul’s holiness and his righteousness, he sent his angel to San Antonio (Antonio) the great, who thought he was the first to live in the desert. The Angel told San Antonio: ” there is a man who lives in the inner desert, the world is not worthy of his footsteps. With his prayers, the Lord brings the rain and the dew to fall upon the earth, and brings the flood of the nile in due time “.
When San Antonio heard this, he rose immediately and went to the inner desert, at a distance of a day’s journey. God led him to st. Paul’s cave. He came in and bowed to each other, and sat talking about the greatness of the Lord.

At Night, the raven came bringing in a whole loaf of bread. St. Paul said to San Antonio: ” now, I know you are one of God’s children. For 70 years, the Lord has been sending me every day, half a loaf of bread, but today, the Lord is sending your food too. Now, go and bring me in haste the robe that Emperor Constantine had given to Pope Athanasius “.
San Antonio went to st. Athanasius, brought him the robe and returned to st. Paul. On his way back, he saw the soul of st. Paul carried by angels to heaven. When he arrived in the cave, he discovered that saint Paul had moved out of this world. He kissed him, crying, and dressed him in the robe he asked, and took his fiber robe.

When San Antonio wanted to bury saint Paul, he wondered how he could dig the grave. Two Lions entered the cave, bowed their heads to st. Paul’s body, and shook their heads as if they were asking San Antonio what to do. San Antonio knew that they had been sent by God. He marked the length and breadth of the body on the ground, and dug the grave with his claws, according to the instructions of st. Anthony. San Antonio then buried the holy body, and returned with Pope Athanasius and told him what had happened. St. Athanasius sent men to bring him the body of st. Paul. They spent several days searching the mountains, but they could not find the place of their grave. Saint Paul appeared to the Pope in a vision and told him that the Lord would not allow the revelation of the location of his body. He asked the pope not to bother the men, but to bring them back.

Pope Athanasius used to put the palm fibre robe three times a year during the divine liturgy. Once, he wanted people to know about the sanctity of the owner of that robe. He put it on a dead man, and the dead man got up instantly. The news of this miracle spread throughout the land of Egypt.

Your prayers will be with us all. Amen.