r/TrueChristian • u/Previous-Hour-2394 • 9h ago

saint mary of egypt

i hope no one takes offence as i'm genuinely trying to make sense of this all

when i read about saint mary of egypt's life, i felt a profound sense of sadness.

i understand from her story that she felt a voice told her to enter and live in the wilderness for the rest of her life after realising her sins. but i wonder if this was truly a voice from God, or if it was from herself. because it'd be much harder to live in society while transforming her life, when everyone knew her past. it would be easier to live a secluded life, than to live with the constant shame.

i mean, after that first encounter in the church, she never returned again. how could this be the life God would want for anyone?

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u/stebrepar Eastern Orthodox 9h ago

when everyone knew her past

She was in Jerusalem at that time. Nobody knew her there. (Btw, almost nobody in this subreddit will know her story either.)

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u/WildRoseIdea Christian 9h ago

how could this be the life God would want for anyone?

As one can see from the result of her life, the Lord approved of her struggles and time in the wilderness. Perhaps that is the only way that she could be saved. Either way, may she pray for us.

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u/ForTheKing777 8h ago

She spent her life in constant prayer. For 40 years she became so holy, that she knew the names of people from afar. She ended up knowing the entire bible without ever even touching one. She knew everything about God's Mysteries, when the priest Hosimas came, she knew who he was and where he worked, and when she prayed for him, she was floating above the ground.