of egypt to the caves and cells of mount athos and even beyond to the vast forests of northern russia these are the chronicles of the desert for those that hunger and thirst for god there is neither male nor female for all are called by god to become holy to become vessels of the holy spirit among the early female monastics we know that some lived proto-monastic lives in villages along the edge of the desert while others lived in more secure monastic communities but of those who fled into the desert to be alone with god despite the
great risk we know very little yet they did exist such a one was discovered by the priest among silas in the sixth century while venturing out into the harsh judean wilderness from the faran monastery as he walked along a narrow path into the wadi kelt he briefly passed through the valley of the shadow before heading up toward the region of the cave-dwelling hermits father silas wanted to bring bread and lentils to a holy man that he knew and also to receive his blessing but he lost his way in the glaring sun and intense heat overwhelmed
by thirst he prayed to god for mercy suddenly he saw footprints small enough to be those of a woman or even a child he followed them until they disappeared as he looked further ahead he saw the figure of a small person entering a cave and so he drew near to the entrance of the cave and called out bless me father no one responded and so once again he called out bless me father still no response and so father silas entered the cave only to see a monk sitting in shadow and stillness the monks stood up
and they bowed to each other please offer a prayer said the unknown monk with a soft childlike voice forgive me but could you offer the prayer replied father silas no you should lead us in prayer for you are a priest said the unknown monk father silas attempted to hide the fact that he was a priest but the monk replied you are a priest father please do not hide this but rather pray for us father silas prayed thinking all along within himself could this be a eunuch or a woman in the desert after the prayer the
monk spoke again why do you have so many questions about me father i do not replied father silas of course you do you're thinking could this be a eunuch or a woman in the desert trembling at this father silas bowed his face down to the earth would you like to know my story father i will tell it to you only if you promise not to speak of me until i no longer live yes this promise i make i will tell no one about you while you are still alive she then began to tell the story
of her life she was born to a noble and wealthy family of constantinople she lived in wealth and was well educated as she was coming of age she was being prepared for marriage to a nobleman and yet she hungered for god she had learned about god but she desired to know him through experience so she prayed to be free of marriage so that she could dwell in solitude and stillness in order to draw near to him through unceasing prayer when her father finally arranged the marriage she told him that she had to first fulfill her
vow to god to worship at the sacred sites in jerusalem while still a virgin her father protested but to no avail and so he gave her 3 000 coins to use at her discretion and a retinue of servants and guards to accompany her on the journey after worshiping at the holy sepulchre and other sacred sites she went into the desert and distributed money to the holy fathers at the lavra of the egyptians she found three monks living there she saw among the monks an old man who wore sackcloth this monk can fulfill my wish she
thought if only god wills it so she returned to jerusalem and after some days she wrote a letter to her parents saying i offer myself to the god of all things search not for me for i am leaving to go where god will lead then as her retinue near jaffa gate in jerusalem and was preparing to head home she asked one of the guards please give me the benefit to personally slip away for a moment to once again worship at golgotha and the holy sepulchre not without some hassle did she make her way free of
the servants and guards but once alone she set forth straight away on the road to jericho to find the monk wearing sackcloth when he saw her surprised he said what can this be about i seek only god and hope to be clothed with the holy habit she replied that is my only desire ah but how do i know that you have not come as a temptation for the monks bowing down and weeping before him and giving him all that remained of her coins she replied holy father my only wish is that you honor me with
the holy habit and the holy scriptures the monk discerned properly her hunger for god and gave her a warn habit and his own bible she then stayed with him for the day before preparing to leave where will you go my child abba wherever your prayers will lead me she cast all her cares upon the lord and gave herself over fully to the desert she prayed to be hidden from sight and through the abba's prayers was led to the cave where she now lives she had lived in this cave in complete asceticism and hezekiah for 28
years rarely catching sight of any human figure and speaking to no one until now after hearing her story father silas noticed that her face gave off flashes of light sparks and spiritual embers that burned much like her very own heart for god trembling father silas bowed and offered her some bread but she refused if i share in the food with which you brought he who has fed me for all these years will no longer do so father silas glanced once again at the radiance of her face her youth well preserved but the beauty he was
seeing went beyond human nature to a spiritual essence that transcends mere words he thought for a moment about how his own burning thirst with which he had arrived had now ceased be of good cheer father she said for you will not thirst again until you reach the door of your cell please do not leave this place he begged so that i may come and be blessed by you again and so father silas headed down again to the path and followed it back to his cell noticing that just as she had promised he did not thirst
along the way in spite of the scorching heat some time went by and father silas once again retraced his steps to that cave but having entered found her no longer there once again she went hiding herself away in perfect stillness he returned home giving glory to god and thinking within himself blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled
