Story
Steven the Libyan.
Saint Palladius recounts to us the life of the blessed Stephen, who was of Libyan origin and lived as an ascetic in the wilderness on the borders of Marmarica and Mareotis in the Western Desert (apparently near Libya). One senses from his account of him how greatly he longed to meet him, were it not for the distance; and he had heard of him from Saints Ammonius and Evagrius, who had visited him in his sickness.
Saint Palladius said of him: [He dwelt in the wilderness for sixty years, and attained the heights of the perfect way of life, and was counted worthy (by the grace of God) to grant consolation to others, so that every afflicted one, whoever he was, would depart rejoicing when he drew near to him. The blessed Antony knew him.
This Stephen continued in this manner of life until our own days, but I never lived with him, nor met him, for the mountain in which he dwells is very far from me.
Saints Ammonius and Evagrius, who went to visit him, recounted to me stories about him, for they said:
When we went to him, we found him in a very grave illness, for he had been afflicted with tumors in the lower parts of his body; he was stricken with gangrene, and we found a physician cutting away parts of his body (most likely one of his legs).
And despite this the saint was working with his hands, plaiting palm leaves, and he was speaking with us while the physician was cutting into his body. He bore this with patience, as though the cutting were in another body, not his own; and as these parts were severed, as though hair were being trimmed, the saint continued by the grace of God without giving the matter any heed.
The physician began binding the wounds while he sat plaiting baskets with his hands, and spoke with us joyfully, giving thanks to God...
We stood amazed at this tragedy, being unable to bear the sight of a man who had walked in so lofty a spiritual and ascetic life having his limbs amputated under necessity.
The blessed one perceived our thoughts, and sensing our grief, he answered, saying to us:
"Do not grieve, my children, over this matter, and let not your faith be weakened on account of it; for God will never do evil, but on the contrary looks toward a happy end (for His works). How many times have these members deserved the verdict of punishment! These members have deserved to be cut off, so let them be requited here, which is better than to be requited after the departure from this world."
This is what he spoke with us, and he comforted us, and sent us away, saying to us:
[Do not stumble when you find trials of this kind befalling the saints, for by them God builds us up, and grants us rest, and establishes us in the laws that are against the temptations. I have recounted these things so that you may not marvel when you see saints falling into afflictions.]