Parish Priests

The Life of Saint Mary of Egypt

ADAPTED From the Coptic Synaxarium

Saint Mary of Egypt was born in Alexandria around the year 345 AD to devout Christian parents. However, at the age of twelve, she fell into sin, being ensnared by the temptations of Satan, who led her into a life of debauchery and moral decay.

For seventeen years, she lived in this state until a divine intervention occurred during a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. While attempting to enter the Church of the Resurrection, she was inexplicably prevented from crossing the threshold, realizing that her sinful nature was the cause. In deep remorse, she beseeched the Virgin Mary for forgiveness and vowed to abandon her life of sin entirely. Upon her sincere repentance, she was granted access to the church, where she wept tears of joy and gratitude for God's mercy.

Guided by a voice from the icon of the Holy Virgin Mary, Saint Mary of Egypt resolved to seek salvation by crossing the Jordan River and retreating to the wilderness. There, she embarked on a life of asceticism and spiritual warfare, enduring hardships and resisting temptations for seventeen years. Through prayer, fasting, and reliance on divine grace, she overcame the passions and achieved victory over the enemy of her soul.

Forty-five years into her seclusion, a priest-monk named Saint Zocimus encountered her during his Lenten retreat in the wilderness. Initially mistaking her for a vision, he was astounded by her presence and knowledge of his identity. Saint Mary of Egypt humbly requested his blessing and recounted her remarkable journey of repentance and redemption. She asked him to return the following year to administer communion to her.

True to her word, Saint Mary of Egypt met Saint Zocimus at the Jordan River the following year, miraculously walking on water to receive the Holy Eucharist. When Saint Zocimus returned the next year, he found her lifeless body, kneeling in prayer. Beside her was a note requesting burial and prayers for her soul.

Saint Zocimus obeyed her wishes, burying her with reverence and sharing her inspiring story with his fellow monks. Throughout her life, Saint Mary of Egypt spent seventy-six years on earth, with forty-seven of those years dedicated to her solitary asceticism in the desert. Our beloved Saint Mary of Egypt is a testament to the power of repentance and the boundless mercy of God.

The blessing of her prayers be with us all and glory be to our God forever. Amen

Chant Venerating Saint Mary of Egypt

(1/31) I start O my brethren / to move my tongue / to glorify faithfully / Saint Mary of Egypt

(2/31) This pure one / born in Alexandria / into a Christian family / Saint Mary of Egypt

(3/31) When she turned / twelve years old / the reproached enemy deceived her / Saint Mary of Egypt

(4/31) Through her the devil hunted / many souls, O my brethren / she was boldly living in impurity / Saint Mary of Egypt

(5/31) She remained in that state / living an unruly life / for seventeen years / Saint Mary of Egypt

(6/31) Until the love of her Creator / called upon her / and one day she saw / Saint Mary of Egypt

(7/31) People who were going / to travel to Jerusalem / she went with them faithfully / Saint Mary of Egypt

(8/31) As she had no / fare for her trip / so she gave herself / Saint Mary of Egypt

(9/31) To those on the ship/ with a cursed soul / and she reached the port / Saint Mary of Egypt

(10/31) When she wanted to enter / with acceptance to the church / she felt the hand of the Awesome / Saint Mary of Egypt

(11/31) Pulling her back / so, O my beloved, she felt / this to be her punishment / Saint Mary of Egypt

(12/31) Due to her unchastity / and her severe defilement / so she lifted up her eyes to her Creator / Saint Mary of Egypt

(13/31) With a contrite heart / she wept with love / asking for the intercession of the Mother of God / Saint Mary of Egypt

(14/31) She asked her tearfully / to intercede for her before Jesus / as her voice is heard by Him / Saint Mary of Egypt

(15/31) The chaste one gained courage / and desired to enter / so she found acceptance / Saint Mary of Egypt

(16/31) She entered, O you who are present, / she prostrated with the worshipers / and prayed in faith / Saint Mary of Egypt

(17/31) She asked God to guide her / to what pleases Him / and to take His anger away from her / Saint Mary of Egypt

(18/31) She gained support / and stood before the icon / of the compassionate Virgin / Saint Mary of Egypt

(19/31) She asked her fervently / to guide her with wisdom / to a life of piety / Saint Mary of Egypt

(20/31) To the place of her salvation / so she heard a voice telling her / "you will find it in the Jordan" / Saint Mary of Egypt

(21/31) So she arose at once / and on her way she met / a man who gave her / Saint Mary of Egypt

(22/31) Three dirhams of silver / with which she bought / three fresh loaves / Saint Mary of Egypt

(23/31) She passed the river of the Jordan / and remained in the desert / for forty seven years / Saint Mary of Egypt

(24/31) She met Anba Zocimus / who gave her Communion / then she departed / Saint Mary of Egypt

(25/31) The father saw next to her / a lion watching her / and it was written above her / Saint Mary of Egypt

(26/31) "O Zocimus my father / bury the poor one / Mary the faithful" / Saint Mary of Egypt

(27/31) He prayed for her / and buried her by himself / and returned to his monastery / Saint Mary of Egypt

(28/31) May her prayers be with us / she carries our requests / to the Lord so He may accept us / Saint Mary of Egypt

(29/31) Let her be a guard for us / against all conspiracies / that we may inherit the kingdom / Saint Mary of Egypt

(30/31) O the one whom God loves / we say to you, "Worthy, worthy, worthy" / Saint Mary of Egypt

(31/31) The mention of Your name / Is in all believers' mouths / They all say "O God of Saint Mary of Egypt / Help all of us!"