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Saints & Church Fathers

St. Mary of Egypt

St. Mary of Egypt, by RUSSIAN (MSTERA), LATE XIX CENTURY,
Icon of Mary of Egypt (Mstera, 19th c.) RUSSIAN (MSTERA), LATE XIX CENTURY, Public domain

A 5th-century ascetic saint whose life of radical repentance became a cornerstone of Orthodox Lenten spirituality. After a conversion in Jerusalem, she spent decades in the desert in prayer and struggle. Her life is read in Great Lent as a witness to metanoia, fasting, and transformation by grace. Feast: April 1, and the Fifth Sunday of Great Lent.

Sources

  • St. Sophronius of Jerusalem, Life of St. Mary of Egypt
  • Lenten Triodion, Fifth Week of Great Lent (Life of St. Mary) archive.org
  • The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

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