Pishoy - Life

Life

Saint Pishoy was born in 320 AD in the village of Shansa (Shensha or Shesna), currently in the Egyptian governorate of Al Minufiyah. Younger to six other brothers, he was weak and frail. His mother saw an angel in a vision asking her to give God one of her children, and pointed at Pishoy. When the mother tried to offer one of her stronger children, the angel insisted that Pishoy was the chosen one.

At the age of twenty, Pishoy went to the wilderness of Scetes and became a monk by the hand of Saint Pambo, who also ordained Saint John the Dwarf a monk. When Saint Pambo died, Pishoy was guided by an angel to the site of the present Monastery of Saint Pishoy, where he lived the life of a hermit. At this time, he became the spiritual father of many monks who gathered around him. He was famous for his love, wisdom, simplicity and kindness, as well as for his extremely ascetic life. He was also known to love seclusion and quietness. Pishoy's asceticism was harsh to the extent of tying his hair and hands with a rope to the ceiling of his cell, in order to resist sleeping during his night prayers. This asceticism made him so famous that he was visited by Saint Ephrem the Syrian.

The Copts believe that Pishoy saw Jesus a number of times. Once, an old monk asked him to help him climb a mountain, so Pishoy carried him on his shoulders and climbed, only to discover that the old monk was no one but Jesus. The latter told him that, for the extent of his love, his body will not see corruption. The Copts also believe that Pishoy washed the feet of Jesus who visited him as a poor stranger.

Saint Pishoy also saw Jesus when one day of all of the monks in his monastery heard that Jesus was coming so they all went to go see him. But, there was an old man that asked the monks to help him on the way but they ignored him. But, when Saint Pishoy saw the old man he helped him back to his room. He washed the old mans feet (as proper custom in those days). The old man then appeared to him as Jesus.

Pishoy is known as a defender of Orthodoxy against heresies. Having heard of an ascetic in the mountain of Ansena who taught that there was no Holy Spirit, Pishoy went to him carrying a weaved basket with three ears. When the old man asked him about the reason for making three ears for a basket, Pishoy replied "I have a Trinity, and everything I do is like the Trinity". After much debate from the Scriptures, the Old and New Testaments, the old ascetic reverted to Orthodoxy.

Saint Pishoy also has the title of "Perfect man"