The Church today honors the memory of the saints Onuphrius of Egypt and Peter the Athonite.
Saint Onuphrius of Egypt is one of the greatest ascetic figures of the Egyptian monastic centers.
Even as a child, he showed a fervent desire for complete devotion to God. At a young age, he joined a cenobitic fraternity, in which he practiced spiritual and physical restraint and obedience for several years. His great humility made his brothers love him very much.
As he got older, Onuphrius wanted to go deeper into the desert, get to know and imitate the life of the hermits there. Later, with the blessing of his Elder, he retired to the desert. After walking a long way in the desert, he found the hut of the hermit Hermias, who was waiting for him with a divine revelation. Hermias led him to a hut, under a huge palm tree. There Onuphrius indulged in greater spiritual practice, and his fame spread to all the hermits, who often went to consult him and receive his blessing.
The saint was fed with greens and his garment was made of palm leaves. By practicing ascetism he cleansed his soul from passions and reached enlightenment and deification.
Once, Abba Paphnutius visited Saint Onuphrius. The two ascetics rejoiced in each other’s presence, exchanged their experiences and were spiritually strengthened. However, God arranged things this way, so that this meeting coincided with the time of the “exodus” of Saint Onuphrius, thus his body was buried by Abba Paphnutius under the big palm tree.
Saint Onuphrius became the interlocutor of the angels. Saint Onuphrius completed his earthly life on June 12, the day on which our Orthodox Church honors his memory along with the memory of his Venerable Father Peter the Athonite.
Source: Church of Cyprus
