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Saint Mary of Egypt was born during the years of Justinian and from the age of 12 she lived in Alexandria, where she led a secluded life, according to her biographer, the Patriarch of Jerusalem Sophronius. Seeking new adventures, her footsteps brought her to Jerusalem at the age of 29.<\/p>\n
One day, a great crowd had flocked to the city for the celebration of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. Maria thought it was a good opportunity to look for clients and watched the ceremony from a distance. Suddenly, as if in a miracle, he “saw the true light” and after praying, he decided to leave the oldest profession in the world and settle in the desert, where he lived as an ascetic for 47 years. All these years she lived naked and was nourished by the Grace of God. Abba Zosimas, the only person who happened to see her in the desert, described her as “a shadow that resembled a human body”.<\/p>\n
When she was 12 years old, she escaped from the attention of her parents and went to Alexandria, where for 17 years she lived a prodigal life. Then, out of curiosity, he went, with many other pilgrims, to Jerusalem, to attend the raising of the Holy Cross. When she wanted to enter the temple of the Resurrection, on the day when the Holy Cross was being raised, she felt 3 or 4 times some invisible force inside her, which prevented her from entering, while the crowd entered unhindered.<\/p>\n
After her heart was wounded by this, she decided to change her life and propitiate God through repentance. Thus putting the Virgin Mary as her guarantor, she promised that if she let her enter and see the Cross of the Lord, she would be wise and prudent in the future and would no longer defile her body with evil desires and pleasures.<\/p>\n
When he then returned to the church, this time he was able to enter without any difficulty. Then he worshiped the sacred tree and without forgetting the promise he made, he left Jerusalem the same day and after crossing the Jordan he entered the innermost parts of the desert, where he lived for 47 years a very hard and unusual life, without seeing a human being , but, having God as her only viewer, she prayed to Him alone.<\/p>\n
He struggled so much that he passed the human nature and acquired an angelic and superhuman life on earth. He was not so elevated through apathy that he walked on the waters of the river without sinking. When he was not praying, he rose from the earth high and stood meteorically in the air.<\/p>\n
Towards the end of her life, she happened to meet a certain hermit, called Zosimas, who, after telling him her whole life, begged him to bring her the Immaculate Mysteries to receive communion. He did it the following year, on Maundy Thursday. But the next year, when Zosimas returned, he found her dead, lying on the ground and near her was a note, which read: “Abba Zosimas, bury the body of Athlia Maria. I died on this day, when I received communion of the holy Mysteries. Wish for me.”<\/p>\n
According to her biographer, she died on Maundy Thursday, April 1<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"