The Venerable Monk Paphnutius, who was ascetic in one of the desert monasteries of Egypt, left us a story about how he found Venerable Onuphry the Great and other hermits in the desert. He begins his story like this:

While dwelling and piously remaining silent in my monastery, one day a desire arose in me to go into the inner desert and see if there was any monk there who served the Lord more than I. Having risen, I took some bread and water and set out on my journey. I left my monastery, saying nothing to anyone, and set out into the deepest desert. I traveled for four days, tasting neither bread nor water, and came to a closed cave that had only one small window. I spent a whole hour knocking at the window, and expecting that someone would come out of the cave according to the monastic custom and greet me in Christ. But since I received no answer, nor anyone to open it, I opened the door myself and entered, saying: Bless! And I saw in the cave an old man who was sitting and seemed to be sleeping. I said again: Bless! and I touched his shoulder with the intention of waking him up, but it was like dust; and feeling his body, I found that he had died many years ago. Seeing a robe hanging on the wall, I touched it, and it turned into dust in my hand. Then I took off my mantle, covered the body of the deceased with it and, digging a grave in the sandy soil with my hands, buried the body of the ascetic with the usual psalmody and prayer, and with tears. Then, having taken some bread and water, I strengthened myself, and spent the night by the grave of that old man.

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