Saint Moses the Ethiopian: From Robber Chief to Desert Father of Mercy and Humility
Biography of Saint Moses the Ethiopian, also called Moses the Black, the desert father of Scetis, with the accounts of Palladius and Sozomen, his sayings, his martyrdom tradition and his place in Eastern and Western devotion.
Saint Simeon Stylites the Elder: The Pillar Saint of Syria Who Prayed Above the Crowds
Biography of Saint Simeon Stylites the Elder, the fifth century pillar saint of Syria, with the account of Theodoret, the pillar years, his teaching, his death in 459 and his place in Eastern and Western devotion.
Saint Paul of Thebes: The First Hermit, the Raven’s Bread and the Meeting With Anthony
Biography of Saint Paul of Thebes, honored as the first Christian hermit, with the story from Saint Jerome, the meeting with Anthony the Great, the uncertainty of the sources and his place in Eastern and Western devotion.
Saint Zosimas of Palestine: The Priest-Monk Who Carried Communion to Mary of Egypt
Saint Zosimas of Palestine, the priest-monk of the Life of Mary of Egypt, with documented veneration separated from tradition. Feast day April 4.
Saint Gerasimos of the Jordan: Desert Abbot, Founder of a Lavra and the Monk Remembered With a Lion
Saint Gerasimos of the Jordan, fifth-century Palestinian monk and abbot, his lavra near Jericho, his role after Chalcedon, and the lion story, with history separated from tradition.
Saint Macarius of Optina: Monk, Spiritual Elder and Editor of the Fathers
The life of Saint Macarius of Optina, Russian monk and spiritual elder: his path from civil service to the monastery, his letters of direction, his work on editions of the Fathers, and his glorification.