This holy man was born to a Christian family in Egypt. His parents always shared what they had with those in need. Thus, from his earliest years, the boy witnessed firsthand a life of goodness and compassion.
As a youth, his mother presented him to the clergy. He grew fond of the monks' way of life and soon went to live in one of the Egyptian sketes. His guide in spiritual life was Saint Pamva. Paisius learned to give up his own wishes, following the elder’s teaching with a willing heart.
The elder advised the young monk to guard his gaze, wary of distractions. And so, for three long years, Paisius kept his eyes downcast. He gave himself to constant prayer, pored over the writings of the early Church Fathers, and embraced a life of stern fasting. To begin with, he would go without food for a whole week. As time went on, these periods of abstinence grew longer. On occasion, after partaking of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, he would fast for as long as seventy days.
In the quiet of the Nitrian Desert, the venerable Paisius practised silence. There, he was blessed with a vision of the Lord Jesus Christ, who told him that because of his efforts, many monks would come to that place. Paisius wondered how they would survive in such a barren land. The Saviour assured him that He Himself would supply all their needs and shield them from worldly snares, so long as the monks faithfully followed His commands. Before long, men aspiring to the monastic life gathered around Paisius’s cell. A community took root, where obedience was held as the guiding rule.
God granted Paisius the gift of insight. With his prayers and gentle words, he guided those who had lost their way and healed the souls of his fellow monks. Yet he was also remarkably modest, never drawing attention to his devotional practices or the rigours he embraced. He often reminded the brothers that the finest virtue is the deed performed unseen.
In the fifth century, the saint peacefully departed this life. His brethren laid him to rest in the Pelusiot Monastery, near the venerable Paul the Hermit.
