The Disciplined Monk - Life of Fr. Benyamin the Hermit

His Illness:

When some of the Fathers visited Fr. Benyamin in his cave they noticed a number of injuries on his face and he tried to hide these injuries when they were with him. When they asked him of these severe injuries he replied that it was from the common cold that he just recently caught. However, they were not convinced and kept asking him more questions until they found out from him that he was suffering from severe anemia that needed him to be taken to the hospital immediately. They carried him to the monastery and exerted great efforts to try to convince him to agree to be taken to the hospital.


The decision was made for him to be taken to the hospital and later he returned to the monastery where he awaited the opportunity for his slight improvement so that he can ask them to let him return to his cave. In turn, some of the Fathers did not permit his moving back to his cave and this bothered him greatly.

For that reason he did not open the door of his cell for any of the Fathers the visitors, except for the one who brought him his food.

The first time he arrived at the hospital was on Sunday 30/08/1987 for a blood test, at that time he was in bad condition. They found that the percentage of hemoglobin in his blood to be 18% which typically is impossible to live with.

He got a blood transfusion at Heliopolis Hospital many times. He underwent many medical examinations and started to improve greatly but did not succumb to any kind of pressure. In regard to his food, they pressed him to eat meat but he would decline right away. When the doctors insisted that he eat, especially meat to regain his strength since food is natural medicine that can’t be replaced, he agree to eat but only some potatoes and olives and this meant that he would double the quantity of food he ate regularly prior to his sickness.  Fr. Elisha El-Baramosy confirmed this as he was the one who accompanied him in his last week.

The Crucified Monk - Life of Fr. Benyamin the Hermit

Fr. Benyamin the Hermit

`The Crucified Monk` Icon

His Readings:

Next to his daily readings of the Holy Bible, Fr. Benyamin used to read the whole Gospel of St. John as part of the hermit rite, in addition to Paradise of the Fathers and others books of the sayings of the Fathers like those of Mar Isaac. Sometimes he would go to the monastery’s library to borrow a book and would finish it before returning it back.

It is worth mentioning that during Fr. Benyamin’s last period of illness, he would be unable to focus on the readings. He would read chapters 13 to 17 from the Gospel of St. John as he wanted, and would constantly contemplate them. They were the chapters of the Lord Christ’s farewell discourse to His disciples before His crucifixion.


His Moving to Baramos Monastery:

After some time of thinking and praying and in light of other factors, Fr. Benyamin asked H.H. the Pope to allow him to join the monastic community of the Baramos Monastery so that he may continue his life of silence in the same cave.

He was able to go back starting Saturday 22/09/1984 (12^th of Tout, 1701), returning to the Baramos Monastery until his departure.

Other Features of his struggle in his Life:

We will give some of the features of his personal spiritual life:

His Love for Silence: Rarely did he speak, but with a bright smile of his peaceful and meek face, he would sit with his visitors looking the opposite direction or towards the floor. The one who sat with him would feel as if he was sitting with an innocent child! One of the hermit fathers who lived near him said that he was very simple and innocent, without any malice or guile and lived a modest life. Other Fathers said of him that he never condemned or hurt anyone but supported the distressed and endured patiently. Those who upset him and those Fathers who praised him for his virtues and spoke of his great ascetic endeavor, made him feel ashamed to be compared to the great saints.

Fr. Benyamin in front of his cave

For a long time he committed himself to absolute silence under the guidance of his spiritual father, even in his cave he would pray and praise silently without making a sound. This period of absolute silence extended over four years in which he prayed and praised in thought alone which gave him a greater depths in calmness. Many days would pass by without anyone hearing a sound from him, but when some Fathers visited he would stop his practice of silence and would talk with them normally out of love and to conceal this practice.

TO BE CONTINUED…