Onuphrius

thumb|150px|right|Saint Onuphrius Onuphrius was a Christian hermit and saint who lived in the desert of Upper Egypt during the 4th or 5th centuries. Quotes My name is Onnophrius, and for sixty years I have lived in this solitary place and desert. I walk in the mountains like the wild beasts, and I live on the plants and trees, and I have not seen anyone I know. The Life of Onnophrius 11, pp. 177 in: Vivian Tim Journeying Into God: Seven Early Monastic Lives Fortress Publishing Minneapolis 1996 0-8006-2855-1 Quotes about Onuphrius I rose and stretched out my hands and I prayed, and suddenly a man of light came to me, the one who had come to me the first time. And when he came, he stood over me and he strengthened me as he had done the first time. In short, seventeen days passed while I journeyed in this manner. Suddenly I looked in the distance. I saw a man coming who was completely fire, his hair spread out over his body like a leopard’s. Indeed, he was naked, and leaves from a plant covered his shameful parts. Now when he came close to me, I climbed up on a mountain ledge, thinking that he was a mountain man. Now when he came closer, he threw himself under the mountain ledge in the shade because he was exhausted and because of his hunger and thirst. Indeed, he was in grave danger of dying. He raised his eyes to the mountain ledge and called to me, saying, “Paphnutius, come down to me, man of God. I, too, am a man of the desert, like yourself. I live in this desert on account of God.” Now when I heard these things, I went down. I fell on my face and worshiped him. He said to me, “Rise, my son, you are a friend; you too are a servant of God.” And when I had sat down in front of him, I began to entreat him to tell me his name and to teach me his way of life. The Life of Onnophrius 10, pp. 176-7 in: Vivian Tim Journeying Into God: Seven Early Monastic Lives Fortress Publishing Minneapolis 1996 0-8006-2855-1 See also Anthony the Great Paul of Thebes External links Category:Christians from Egypt Category:Christian saints Category:4th century births Category:5th century deaths Category:Desert Fathers Category:Christian monks Category:Centenarians