Saint Pachomius (292-348)
for May 9
Saint Pachomius joined the army when he was a young man. His unit was stationed in Thebes, Egypt. The Christians at Thebes showed the soldiers such great kindness that Saint Pachomius was inspired to convert to Christianity. After joining the faith, Saint Pachomius became a disciple of Palemon, a hermit. The two men led a life of extreme simplicity, devotion to God, manual labor, and perpetual prayer. After some time, Saint Pachomius felt called to build a monastery. Soon after construction, several hundred monks joined Saint Pachomius at the monastery, and he established principles of community living. Saint Pachomius and his fellow monks were so admired by others that he established 10 additional monasteries for men and two nunneries for women. Saint Pachomius was the first monk to form hermits into groups and write out a rule for them.
Read more about Saint Pachomius (292-348)
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Reflection
We hear a lot of talk about values. School communities may talk about common values, politicians talk about American values, and our families base decisions and rules on their own set of values. Our Church teaches us the values we share as Christians. Working together to live out and develop these shared values builds community. We each need to find groups of people who help us live as faith-filled Christians. When we find these groups and surround ourselves with people who share the same values, we can strengthen the values that are so important to us and that bind us together as a community of faith. (Taken from "By My Side: A Teen Prayer Companion.")
Prayer
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Three in One, help me to find others that walk in your ways as I try to bring my Christian values and faith to life. (Taken from "By My Side: A Teen Prayer Companion.")
