( 421 AD )

    Saint Mary of Egypt was born about 344. At the age of 12 she ran away from her family. Without the consent of her parents, she went to the city of Alexandria where she fell into sin. For 17 years, she described with her own words how she had lived a life of public prostitution, not for money, but for gratifying an insatiable lust.

    On the occasion of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the feast of the Holy Cross, she joined, for curiosity, a band of people who were going there to celebrate. She embarked for Palestine with the intention of having fun, and hope that life on board the ship would afford her new chances of evil doing, corrupting some of the pilgrims. Arrived in Jerusalem she persisted in her shameless behavior, and on the feast day of the Exaltation of the Cross, joined the crowds towards the church hoping to allure some new victims into sin.

  When she reached the church door, she tried to enter with the rest of the groups, but an invisible force held her back. She vainly attempted three or four times to enter, but the secret force repelled her. Then, she retired to a corner of the outer court. For the first time, she was struck by a full realization of her sinful life when suddenly her eyes fell on an icon  of the Blessed Virgin Mary. With remorse for her wicked life, she besought in bitter tears the help of the Mother of God. She vowed her self, to a life of penance, beating her breast, bewailing her sins. In deep humility, she recognized her wicked life as the cause of her exclusion from the church, requesting the Mercy of Mary, permission to enter the church. She promised that if her request was granted, she would then renounce forever the world and its ways, and depart to wherever the Ever Virgin Mary might lead her. Encouraged by prayer, she once more approached the door of the church and was able without any difficulty to enter  to venerate the Holy Cross. She kissed first the pavement of the church, and as she returned to the picture to give thanks to the Mercy of the Mother of God, and praying for guidance, she seemed to hear a voice telling her that if she crossed over Jordan, she would find rest.

  Her confession reflected good feeling on her soul. At a baker where she bought a loaf of bread, she inquired the way to the Jordan. The same night she arrived at the church of St. John the Baptist on the river bank. There, she received her communion and  crossed the river into the desert the following day where she lived alone for about forty-seven years. She had seen no human being, subsisting on edible plants and some dates. When she felt weak in fighting temptations, she had implored the intercession of the blessed Virgin. The divine providence had never failed her. She could not read, but the Lord Himself had taught her.

  The story of this sainted harlot was told by a priest and monk named Zosimus who had come out to spend Lent in the desert. After a twenty days' distance from his monastery, he sat down one day to rest and pray his psalms. Suddenly, a white haired, sun tanned figure appeared to him. He crossed himself and looked at which he thought to be a hermit, but which ran away as he went towards it. He stopped when she exclaimed, " Father Zosimus, I am a woman: throw your mantle to cover me that you may come near me". Surprised that she called him by name and recognized him as a priest, he complied. She told him the strange story of her shame and penitence, answered Zosimus' inquiries, and  prayed together. Then, Mary begged him to promise to meet her at the Jordan on Holy Thursday evening of the following year, and bring her the Blessed sacrament. He did.

  When the appointed evening arrived, Zosimus, we are told, prepared a small chalice of Communion, and came to the agreed meeting place, to find Mary standing on the opposite bank of Jordan. She crossed herself, and proceeded to walk on the water until she reached the astonished priest. She received the Holy Communion with deep devotion, following it by the recitation of  the words of Simeon: "Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace, because my eyes have seen thy salvation". Then, she thanked Zosimus. After making a final wish that he would return a year later to the same place, she departed over the river as she had come. Zosimus came back next year, but only to find Mary's corps, and written beside her on the sand these words: "Father Zosimus, bury the body of lowly Mary. Render earth to earth, and pray for me. I died the night of the Lord's Passion, after receiving the Holy Communion. Aided, we are told, by a lion, he prepared her grave and buried her. The saint's life story was written not very long after her death, to be well known throughout all Christendom. Western churches celebrate her feast on April 2nd, the Coptic church of Egypt on April 14, and the Greek churches on April 1st.

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