It’s the Feast of St. Paul, First Hermit, 3rd Class, with the color of White. In this episode: the meditation: “The Education of the Children”, today’s news from the Church: “First Cristero Congress in Cancún”, a preview of the Sermon: “Challenges and Remedies for Families Today”, and today’s thought from the Archbishop.

• “The Education of the Children” – From Epiphany to Lent
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Saint Paul the First Hermit stands at the very beginning of Christian monastic history, a figure wrapped in silence whose life shaped centuries of desert spirituality. He lived in the third and fourth centuries, during a time of violent persecution, when choosing solitude was not escapism but a radical act of trust in God. Born into a wealthy Christian family in Egypt around the year 230, Paul was well educated and devout from an early age. When persecution broke out under Emperor Decius, he fled into the desert to avoid being forced to renounce his faith. What began as flight soon became vocation.

Paul settled deep in the wilderness near the Red Sea, dwelling in a cave beside a spring and a palm tree that provided food and clothing. According to tradition, he lived there in complete solitude for nearly ninety years. His life was one of prayer, fasting, and quiet endurance. Bread was brought to him daily by a raven, an image that later became inseparable from his story. Paul did not seek visions, disciples, or recognition. His holiness matured in hiddenness, shaped by constancy rather than intensity. He became a living witness that communion with God does not require structures or crowds, only faithfulness.

Late in Paul’s life, God sent him a visitor. Saint Anthony of Egypt, already known as a father of monks, was led to Paul’s cave by divine prompting. Their meeting is one of the most tender scenes in early Christian literature. The two old men prayed together, spoke of God’s mercy, and shared the bread brought by the raven, which that day arrived with a double portion. When Paul died shortly afterward, Anthony buried him with the help of two lions who came to dig the grave. The story is rich in symbolism, showing creation itself honoring a man wholly given to God.

Paul’s death likely occurred around the year 341, but his influence only grew. Though Anthony became the public founder of monastic life, Paul was remembered as its hidden root, the first to embrace total solitude for love of Christ. His example affirmed that the desert could be a place of fruitfulness, not sterility.

Devotion to Saint Paul the First Hermit remained especially strong among hermits and contemplative orders. His feast on January 15 was observed with prayers for perseverance, detachment, and fidelity in hidden vocations. He became a patron for those called to solitude, silence, and prayer away from the world’s recognition.

Saint Paul the First Hermit reminds us that the Church is sustained not only by visible ministry, but by souls who intercede unseen. His life teaches that what is hidden from the world can be radiant before God.

Saint Paul the First Hermit, father of desert solitude, pray for us!

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