St. Anthony and St. Paul

After his parents’ repose, St. Anthony became a hermit in a desert near the Red Sea. In his entire monastic life, he only went only twice to Alexandria: once to give encouragement to martyrs, seeking martyrdom himself, and the second time to refute the Arian heresy. At age 90, a vision was sent to him to seek out St. Paul the first hermit.

​After his parents’ demise, St. Paul had a dispute with his brother regarding their share in the inheritance and sought the courts in order to settle this matter. On his way to court, he saw a rich dead man being carried to his grave, taking no possessions with him. St. Paul took this as a lesson for himself; thus, he gave left his inheritance to his brother and fled to the desert – there living for 90 years not seeing anyone until St. Anthony’s visit. During their visit with each other, God appointed a raven with a whole loaf of bread rather than the usual half a loaf that St. Paul used to receive.

​“Let us honor our sacred pair of enlighteners, who, by founding the monastic rites, have poured forth for us a well-spring of spiritual knowledge from which we draw abundantly even unto this day: We call you, blessed, O Anthony and Paul, ye that stand before the throne of the Most High and intercede fervently for our souls” (a hymn on their behalf).

​This icon reflects the aforementioned visit. St. Paul is depicted wearing a cloak of palm leaves stiched together while St. Anthony, in a monk’s habit. In the background, there is a gravesite wherein St. Anthony laid St. Paul.