Departure of St. Pishoy (July 15/Abib 8)
St. Pishoy was born in 320 A.D. in Shansa, which corresponds to present-day Al Manoufia. His mother saw an angel in a vision asking her to give God one of her children, St. Pishoy, despite the fact he was the smallest and most frail of his brothers. When the mother tried to give the angel one of her stronger children, the angel refused and chose St. Pishoy instead.
When he was 20 years old, St. Pishoy traveled to the wilderness of Shiheet (also known as Scetis) and was ordained a monk by Abba Pambo. When Abba Pambo died, St. Pishoy was led by an angel to the present-day site of St. Pishoy Coptic Orthodox Monastery in Wadi El Natroun, where he lived the life of a hermit. He became the spiritual father of many monks who gathered around him. He was famous for his love, wisdom, simplicity and kindness, as well as for his extremely ascetic life. He was also known to love seclusion and quietness. St. Pishoy’s ascetism was harsh to the extent of tying his hair and hands with a rope to the ceiling of his cell, in order to resist sleeping during his night prayers. This ascetism made him so famous that he was visited by St. Ephrem the Syrian.
St. Pishoy saw Our Lord Jesus Christ a number of times. Once, an old monk asked him to help him climb a mountain, so St. Pishoy carried him on his shoulders and climbed, only to discover that the old monk was no one but Jesus. The latter told him that, for the extent of his love, his body will not see corruption. St. Pishoy also washed the feet of Our Lord Who visited him as a poor stranger.
St. Pishoy was also a defender of the Orthodox Christian faith against heresies. When he heard that one of the monks in Ansena taught that there was no Holy Spirit, St. Pishoy visited him carrying a weaved basked of three ears. When the old man asked him about the reason for three ears in this basket, the saint replied, "I have a Trinity and everything I do is like the Trinity." After much debate from the Holy Scriptures, St. Pishoy was able to convince the monk to return to Orthodox teaching.
In Coptic icons, St. Pishoy is oftentimes depicted by St. Paul of Tammouh. Their friendship was kindled when, in 407-8 A.D., the Berbers invaded Shiheet. St. Pishoy left and dwelt in the mountain of Ansena, where St. Paul had been living. He built another monastery there in what is present-day Mallawi.
On July 15, 417 A.D., the holy St. Pishoy departed in peace. Those who have seen his body today affirm that it is still incorrupted.
May the prayers of the Holy Theotokos St. Mary, the righteous and perfect man, St. Pishoy, and all the choir of the saints be with us, Amen.