St. Mary of Egypt was born around 344 AD in Egypt, and she was a sinner, a big one. As a young girl (most likely a pre-teen) she ran away from home and moved to Alexandria. She then lived in Alexandria for 17 years and lived very sinful in her life there. She was not forced into this life at all. She chose it and it was a bad decision.
One day, Mary traveled to Jerusalem for a pilgrimage on the Feast of the Holy Cross, and she even planned to continue her sinful life there, but she tried to enter a church and there was just this invisible forcefield that stopped her, like something was pushing her away. She tried to enter several times with no success, and then she realized her sins were the reason she was being pushed back. She then saw a statue of the Virgin Mary, and she prayed, asking for forgiveness, promising to change her life, and promised to go anywhere God led her. She then was able to enter the church and then heard a booming voice saying, “Cross the Jordan and you will find rest.”
Mary then crossed the Jordan River, the same river that Jesus was baptized in roughly 343 years ago, and Mary found a desert, and she knew that she must become a hermit in this desert. Mary then lived the next 47 years alone, eating only herbs and what little food she could find, but she prayed constantly and battled against the temptations of returning to her old life of sin.
A monk and priest named Zosimus then found her in the desert in the season of Lent and a few amazing things happened. Mary knew his name before they even started talking, and she knew he was a priest even though he never brought it up. She then told him her entire life story and asked him to bring Holy Communion at the same time next year.
Zosimus then returned the next year with Holy Communion and when Mary saw him, she walked across the Jordan, she walked on water like Jesus did roughly 390 years ago. Zosimus then gave her Communion and she then prayed, preparing for death. Zosimus came back the next year to find Mary dead. She apparently died the night of receiving Communion. Zosimus then gave her a burial and when digging her grave, a lion came, but instead of attacking, it started digging with Zosimus.
Mary died alone in roughly 421 AD, but she died loving God to such an extent that she gave up her life to live in the desert for 47 years with only having human contact twice with the same man. She is a true inspiration that everyone should live by.
I hope everyone has an amazing rest of their day on this first Friday of Lent and the day that the Fabbrica di San Pietro will be inaugurating a new Way of the Cross in St. Peter’s Basilica.