Story
The life of Saint Anba Karas presents a vivid picture of "the anchorite's wandering" (siyaha) as the support of God's grace to the striving believer, that he may attain a lofty degree of union with God.
Anba Karas lived about fifty-seven years without seeing the face of a single human being, until Saint Anba Bemwa came to him to make his acquaintance. Thus he recorded for us a few lines of a life whose secret is known only to those who have tasted it, and he wrapped his body for burial and buried him.
The spiritual elder said of such men: "Those upon whom You have shone with a ray of Your love could not bear to dwell among men."
His entry into the wilderness:
He was the brother of Emperor Theodosius the Great. This saint knew well the corruption of the world and how swiftly it passes away, so he left all his possessions and went out, bound for no known destination. God guided him to the inner western wilderness, and there he spent many years alone, during which he beheld neither human being nor animal.
The priest Bemwa sets out for the wilderness:
In the wilderness of Shiheet there was a holy priest named Bemwa, the same who wrapped for burial the body of Saint Hilaria, daughter of King Zeno who loved our Lord Jesus (474-491 A.D.). This father longed to see one of the wandering servants of Christ, and the Lord helped him until he entered the inner wilderness and beheld many of the saints. Each one would tell him his name and the reason that had brought him there, while he, for his part, would ask each of them, saying: "Is there anyone who has penetrated deeper into the wilderness than you?" And each would answer him: "Yes."
With Saint Simeon the Recluse, the Anchorite:
On the fourth day of his journey through the inner wilderness, Anba Bemwa found one of the caves, its door closed with a great stone. He drew near and knocked at the door. He heard a voice saying to him: "It is good that you should be here today, O Bemwa, priest of the church of the mountain of Shiheet, who were counted worthy to wrap the body of the blessed Saint Hilaria, daughter of the great King Zeno." Then the door was opened to him, and he entered, and they kissed one another, and they sat conversing about the great works of God and His glory.
Anba Bemwa asked him: "O my holy father, is there in this mountain another saint like you?" The solitary gazed into his face and began to sigh, and said to him: "O my beloved father, there is in the inner wilderness a great saint, and truly I say to you that the world is by no means worthy of one footstep of his feet." Anba Bemwa asked him: "And what is his name, my father?" He said: "Anba Karas."
When Anba Bemwa asked him his own name and the number of years he had lived in the cave, he answered him:
"My name is Simeon the Recluse. I have today sixty years in this wilderness, in which I have not looked upon the face of a human being. Every Sabbath I am nourished by a single loaf which I find placed upon this stone you see outside the cave. And this loaf, by the grace of Christ, suffices me until the following Sabbath."
Then Father Bemwa said to him: "Bless me, my holy father, and pray for me, that I may depart and go on my way to Anba Karas."
With Anba Balamon the Recluse:
After that he walked three days and three nights, rejoicing in the Spirit, praying and praising God, until he reached another cave. When he knocked at the door, a voice answered him, full of the spirit of joy and exultation. The saint supposed it to be Karas.
Saint Balamon said to him:
"Woe is me, my holy father. I know, my father, that within this wilderness there is a great saint whom the whole world does not deserve, whose prayers turn away the wrath that descends from heaven upon the earth, and to whose prayers the Lord swiftly responds."
"Who am I, the wretched one, that I should be this Anba Karas, who is truly a companion of the angels and a partaker of the divine nature?"
He told him that his name was Balamon, and that for seventy-nine years he had dwelt in that wilderness, living upon the palm tree that yields him its fruit; he takes his sufficiency and gives thanks to Christ.
Anba Bemwa asked him to pray for him and to bless him, and he answered him: "May the Lord make your steps easy and send His angels to guard you on your way." And he went out from him rejoicing and filled with peace.
So it was, until he reached Saint Karas, the last of them all. He called out to him from within his cave, saying: "Welcome, Anba Bemwa, priest of Shiheet." He entered to him, and after the greeting Anba Karas asked him about the affairs of the world and the state of the rulers and the believers.
Anba Bemwa described him, saying that he was exceedingly radiant, the grace of God upon his face, and his eyes were very luminous. He was of medium stature, with a long beard in which only a few black hairs remained after it had become white as snow; and so was the hair of his head. He wore a simple tunic; he was slender of body, with a soft voice, and in his hand a staff.
His vision of the soul of Anba Shenouda:
When the seventh day of the month of Abib arrived, Saint Karas began to weep, lifting his eyes to heaven, between joy and sorrow. Then he said to Anba Bemwa: "A great pillar has fallen today in Upper Egypt." When Anba Bemwa inquired of him further, the saint answered: "It is the great saint Anba Shenouda, the head of the solitaries; he has reposed today, and I have seen his pure soul ascending to the height of heaven amid the exultation of the angels. The monks have gathered around the holy body, receiving blessing from it, while it shines with light and blessing."
His repose:
With great joy Anba Karas said to Anba Bemwa:
"O my beloved brother, you have come to me today, and death has come with you; for I have been awaiting you, O beloved, for a long time. Throughout all this time (fifty-seven years) I have never looked upon the face of a human being, and through all this lifetime I was awaiting you with all joy and patience and great longing."
The two of them spoke together of the great works of God, and he remained with him a day. At its end, Saint Anba Karas fell ill with a severe fever, and he moved about staggering, sighing and weeping, saying: "The day I feared all my life has come upon me, O Lord. Where shall I flee? And how shall I hide from Your face? Truly, how dreadful is that hour! Deal with me according to Your mercy, O Lord, and not according to my sins."
Anba Bemwa marveled greatly at these words, for he himself felt that he was a sinner, unworthy to be in heaven.
On the following day, that is, the eighth of Abib, a great light appeared, filling the cave, and the Lord Christ entered, who was accustomed to appear to him in great light and glory and to speak with him mouth to mouth. He took the soul of Anba Karas into His bosom and then gave it to Michael the Archangel. So Anba Bemwa received blessing from his body, then wrapped it for burial in his cloak, and turned back to tell of his life, glorifying God.
On the way back he spent three days with Anba Balamon, and three days with Anba Simeon the Recluse, and recounted to them what he had seen with his own eyes; then he went to his church at the mountain of Shiheet to recount to them his wondrous journey.
The life from another source:
Saint Anba Karas the Anchorite is among the great wanderers in whom the universal, apostolic Church takes pride. He forsook the glory of the kingdom and its luxuries and went out to the mountains and lived in the caves, until he attained the rank of the anchorite's wandering.
Nothing has been recorded of the life of Anba Karas the Anchorite, nor of how he began his life of solitude and asceticism; but it is recorded of him that he was the brother of King Theodosius.
It has become evident to us that his repose was in the year 451 A.D., on the eighth of the month of Abib, the second day after the repose of Anba Shenouda, the head of the solitaries, as is recorded in the Synaxarium.
The text of the manuscript:
Anba Bemwa tells us: Know, my brethren, what came to pass on a certain day. I was sitting in the church, and I heard a voice saying to me three times: "O Bemwa, O Bemwa, O Bemwa." And here my attention was drawn, for this voice was from heaven and unfamiliar to me, since someone was calling me by name so many times. So I lifted my eyes to heaven and said: "Speak, O Lord, for Your servant is listening." The voice said to me: "Arise, O Bemwa, and hasten quickly to the inner wilderness, where you shall meet Anba Karas and receive his blessing; for he is greatly honored in My sight above all, because he has labored much for My sake. And My peace be with you."
So I went out from the church and walked in the wilderness alone in great joy, not knowing the way with any certainty, confident that the Lord who had commanded me would guide me. Three days passed as I walked the way alone. And on the fourth day I came to one of the caves, its door closed with a great stone.
I drew near to the door and knocked upon it as is the custom of monks, and said: "Agape (a blessing), bless me, my holy father." And at once I heard a voice saying to me: "It is good that you should be here, O Bemwa, priest of the church of the mountain of Shiheet, who were counted worthy to wrap the blessed Saint Hilaria, daughter of the great King Zeno." Then he opened the door to me, and I entered, and he kissed me and I kissed him; then we sat conversing about the great works of God and His glory.
I said to him: "My holy father, is there in this mountain another saint like you?" He gazed into my face and began to sigh, then said to me: "O my beloved father, there is in the inner wilderness a great saint; the world is not worthy of one footstep of his feet, and he is Anba Karas."
Here I paused, then said to him: "Then, my father, who are you?" He said to me: "My name is Simeon the Recluse. I have today sixty years in which I have not looked upon the face of a human being, and every Sabbath I am nourished by a single loaf which I find placed upon this stone you see outside the cave." After I had received his blessing, I journeyed in the wilderness again three days, between prayer and praise, until I reached another cave whose door was closed.
I knocked at the door and said: "Bless me, my holy father." He answered me: "Welcome to us, O saint of God, Anba Bemwa, who were counted worthy to wrap the body of Saint Hilaria, daughter of King Zeno. Enter in peace." So I entered, and we sat conversing, and I said to him that I had learned there was in this wilderness another saint like him. Then he stood up and sighed, saying to me: "Woe is me. I know, my father, that within this wilderness there is a great saint whose prayers nullify the wrath that comes from heaven; this one is truly a companion of the angels."
I said to him: "And what is your name, my holy father?" He said to me: "My name is Abamoud the Recluse, and I have ninety-nine years in the wilderness; I live upon this palm tree that yields me dates, and I give thanks to Christ." After he had blessed me, I went out from him with joy and peace and walked a little, and behold, I found that I could not see the way nor walk. After some time had passed, I opened my eyes and found myself walking before a cave in a rock in a mountain.
I drew near the door and knocked upon it and said "Agape." At once a voice spoke to me from within, saying: "It is good that you have come today, O Anba Bemwa, saint of God, who were counted worthy to wrap the body of Saint Hilaria, daughter of King Zeno." So I entered the cave and began to gaze upon him for a long while, for he was full of awe and dignity. He was an exceedingly radiant man, the grace of God upon his face, and his two eyes very luminous; he was of medium stature, with a long beard in which only a few black hairs remained;
he wore a simple tunic, was slender of body, with a soft voice, and in his hand a staff. Then he said to me: "You have come to me today and have brought death with you, for I have been awaiting you a long time, O beloved." Then I said to him: "What is your name, my holy father?" He said to me: "My name is Karas." I said to him: "And how many years have you in this wilderness?" He said: "For fifty-seven years I have not looked upon the face of a human being, and I have been awaiting you with all joy and longing."
Then I remained with him a day, and at the end of the day our saint Anba Karas fell ill with a severe fever, and he was sighing and weeping and saying: "That which I feared all my life has come upon me. O Lord, where shall I flee from Your face? How shall I hide? Truly, how dreadful is the hour! Deal with me according to Your mercy, O Lord, and not according to my sins."
When the sun of the second day rose, Anba Karas was lying unable to move, and behold, a great light surpassing the light of the sun shone upon the door of the cave; then there entered an exceedingly radiant man clothed in garments white and dazzling as the sun, and in his right hand a shining cross. At that moment I was sitting at the feet of Saint Karas, and fear and astonishment had seized me; but this luminous man drew near to Anba Karas and placed the cross upon his face, then spoke with him at length and gave him peace and went out. So I drew near to our holy father Anba Karas to inquire about this man who had all this glory. He said to me with all joy: "This is the Lord Christ, and this is His custom with me each day: He comes to me to bless me and to speak with me, and then He departs." I said to him: "My holy father, I long for the Lord of glory to bless me."
He said to me: "Before you go out from this place, you shall see the Lord Jesus in His glory, and He will bless you and speak with you also." And when we reached the seventh day of the month of Abib, I found Anba Karas with his eyes lifted to heaven, brimming with tears, sighing deeply. Then he said to me that a great pillar had fallen in Upper Egypt, and the earth had lost a saint of whom the whole world was not worthy to be a footstool for his feet. "It is Saint Anba Shenouda, the head of the solitaries; I have seen his soul ascending to the height of heaven amid the chanting of the angels, and I hear weeping and wailing over all the land of Upper Egypt; the monks have gathered around the body of the holy saint, receiving blessing from it while it shines with light." When I heard this, I noted down the date of the repose of Anba Shenouda, which is the seventh of Abib.
On the following day, that is, the eighth of Abib, the sickness intensified upon our holy father Anba Karas, and at midday of that day a mighty light appeared, filling the cave, and the Savior of the world entered to us, and before Him the six-winged archangels, and the sounds of praises here and there with the fragrance of incense. I was sitting at the feet of Anba Karas, and the Lord Christ, to Him be glory, drew near and sat at the head of the saint Anba Karas, who took hold of the right hand of our Savior and said to Him: "For my sake, O my Lord and my God, bless him, for he has come from a far country for the sake of this day." Then the Lord of glory looked upon me and said: "My peace be with you, O Bemwa, who have seen and heard. Speak it and write it for the benefit of others."
"As for you, My beloved Karas:
Every person who knows your life and remembers your name upon the earth, My peace shall be with him, and I will reckon him with the assembly of the martyrs and the saints.
And every person who offers wine, or an oblation, or incense, or oil, or a candle in remembrance of your name, I will repay him manifold in the kingdom of heaven.
And whoever feeds a hungry man, or gives drink to a thirsty man, or clothes a naked man, or shelters a stranger in your name, I will repay him manifold in My kingdom.
And whoever writes your holy life, I will write his name in the book of life.
And whoever does an act of mercy in your remembrance, I will give him what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor what has entered into the heart of man.
And now, My beloved Karas, I would have you ask of Me a request, that I may grant it to you before your departure."
Anba Karas said to Him: "I have recited the Psalms night and day, and I have longed to behold David the prophet while I am yet in the body." And in the twinkling of an eye David came, holding his harp in his hand and singing his psalm: "This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24 (Psalms 118:24)) Then Anba Karas said: "I wish to hear all ten at once, the tunes and the melodies together." So David moved his harp and said: "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints." (Psalm 116:15 (Psalms 116:15)) And while David was chanting the Psalms with his harp and his beautiful voice—
and while the saint was in great exultation—behold, the soul of the saint went forth from his holy body into the bosom of our good Savior, who took it and gave it to Michael the Archangel. Then I, Bemwa, went and kissed the body of Saint Karas and wrapped it for burial. The Lord signaled to me to go out of the cave, so I went out; then He went out with the angels, with chants and praises, before the soul of the saint, and we left the body in the cave. The Lord of glory placed His hand upon it, and it moved as though it had no door at all, and all ascended to heaven with joy.
And I remained alone, standing in that place, until this beautiful sight passed from me. When I opened my eyes I found myself before the cave of Anba Abamoud the Recluse. So I stayed with him three days, then left him and went to Anba Simeon the Recluse and stayed with him another three days; then I left him and returned to the mountain of Shiheet, where my church is.
There I met all the brethren and told them the life of the blessed Saint Anba Karas, the great anchorite, and the words of our saint concerning the repose of Anba Shenouda, the head of the solitaries. And after five days a message came from Upper Egypt saying that Saint Anba Shenouda, the head of the solitaries, had reposed in peace on the very day on which Anba Karas had seen him.
May the blessing of Anba Karas the Anchorite and of all the saints whose names I have mentioned be with us all. Amen