OUR VENERABLE FATHER ATHANASIUS THE RECLUSE

(2 /15 DECEMBER)

At the raising of Lazarus, Christ our Saviour said, I Myself am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes inMe, though he dies, yet shall he live (Jn. 11, 25). These words of the Lord were demonstrated in the life of St Athanasius the recluse of the Caves.

This righteous man was a monk at the Holy Cave Monastery. After a long and God-pleasing life there, he fell ill and reposed. The brethren washed his body and wrapped it, as usual, but the burial was delayed for two days due to neglect. At night, the abbot had a vision and a voice said to him, ‘The man of God Athanasius has been lying unburied for two days now; do not be careless about that.’

In the morning, the abbot and the brethren came to the place where the deceased had been laid in order to perform the burial ceremony. However, they found the saint sitting and weeping. The monks were terrified at this resurrection and they asked, ‘How did you return to this life? What did you see and hear?’

He answered nothing but only repeated many times, ‘Save yourselves.’ The brothers asked all the more, ‘Tell us so that we might benefit from it too.’

Then the saint told them, ‘If I tell you, you will neither believe nor obey me.’

With an oath, the brethren promised to keep to his words no matter what he said. At this, the resurrected saint advised them, ‘Have obedience to the abbot in everything, repent every hour and pray to the Lord Jesus Christ, and His most pure Mother, and our holy fathers Anthony and Theodosius; end your life here at the monastery, and become worthy of burial with the holy fathers. These three things are more important than all the other Virtues. If anyone fulfils all this, he will be blessed. Please, do not ask me anymore, but I pray you all, forgive me.’

Having said this, the saint went into a cave. He locked the door and spent twelve years there, never going out and never seeing the sun. There he wept unceasingly, day and night, fasting, and eating only a little bread with some water every other day. During the whole period of twelve years, he did not say a word to anyone.

The saint felt the approach of his final repose, and he called forth all the brethren. He repeated his earlier advice about obedience and repentance, and reposed peacefully in the Lord. His honourable relics were placed in the same cave where he had struggled. Many miracles came forth from these sacred relics. A monk named Vavila (Babylos) who had suffered from hip illness for many years, was the first to receive healing from the holy relics. Vavila related how St Athanasius had appeared to him,

‘As I was lying in bed, crying out from the pain, the saint suddenly came in and said, ‘Come to me and I will heal you’. I accepted his words and asked to be brought to his cave and now I am healed.’ Father Vavila had been brought to the relics of the saint, embraced them and received healing from God. He was never ill again in his whole lifetime.

From that time, the brothers understood that the blessed recluse Athanasius had pleased the Lord. By prayers of this holy elder, may we too become worthy of resurrection from the death of sin to a life of God-pleasing repentance and of eternal life in Christ Jesus, Who has given us life. To Him be glory, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, unto the ages of ages. Amen!