St. Thais the Penitent

From an ancient Greek Writer.

Thais was a native of Egypt, who being exceedingly beautiful, was so unhappy as to be betrayed and prostituted by her own mother to infamy and sin. Hav ing followed a most wicked course of life for a long time, she, on account of her extraordinary beauty, be came the ruin of many, who spent their fortunes on hfcr, and frequently quarrelled so much about her, that murders were sometimes committed on her account. There happened to live at this time in a neighboring desert a holy abbot, called Paplmucius, who, on hearing of the wretched life she led, and of the havoc which Satan by her means had made amongst the youth of that part of Egypt, became inspired with a desire to attempt her conversion. For this purpose, procuring a secular habit, and taking some money with him, he went to the place where she lived, and desiring to speak to her in private, was introduced by her into a chamber richly furnished. Having asked her if she had not some more retired apartment? she replied she had: but added, what can you be afraid of? for as for men, I assure you, no mortal can see us, or dare to come into the room where we are; and as for God, he would equally see us wherever we went. " Oh! " said he, " dost thou then believe there is a God, whose all-seeing eye is always upon us." " Yes, Sir," replied she, " I do believe there is an all-seeing God; and what is more, I do believe there is a heaven, where the good shall be rewarded with never-ending bliss; and also a hell, where the wicked shall be tormented for all eternity."

Paphnucius rejoicing interiorly to hear her make this profession of her faith began to represent to her the dismal state of her soul, and the dreadful account she must one day give for the souls of so many others whom she had seduced into sin, in so pathetic a manner, and with such powerful unction of divine grace, that perceiving him to be a man of God, she cast her self at his feet, and poured forth torrents of tears, gave herself up to be directed by him, offering without a moment's delay, to undergo whatsoever penance he should think proper to appoint, and in what place he pleased; hoping, as she said, that through his prayers God would show her mercy. Paphnucius having men tioned the place where she should come to him, departed, whilst she immediately prepared herself to follow him. But first gathering what she had acquired by sin, viz. all the rich presents of her lovers, together ii/ one heap, she made a bonfire of them in the midst oi the street, in the sight of all the people, and of those who had been accomplices in her crimes, declaring publicly an abhorrence of every thing that contributed to detain her in that way of life. Having made tin? first sacrifice, she repaired to the place appointed by Paphnucius, who conducted her from thence to a monastery of nuns, where he shut her up in a cell by herself, and stopped up the door, leaving only a small aperture, or window, to which he desired the sisters to convey to her a little bread and water every day, which was to be her whole allowance for the remainder of her life. Before he departed from her, she asked him what prayers he would recommend to her, and in wha' manner he would have her address herself to God ii prayer \ " Thou art not worthy," said he, " either tc invoke the sacred name of God with thy polluted lips nor to stretch forth thy hands, or lift up thy eyes towards heaven, after so many abominations; let it suffice then for thee to sit turned towards the East, ana frequently to repeat these words: Thou that hast made me, have mercy on me."

She continued this course of penance, in her solitary enclosure, for the space of three years, till at length Paphnucius, having compassion on her, went to con* suit the great St. Antony, at that time the oracle of Egypt, to learn whether God had accepted her penance and pardoned her sins. St. Antony having assembled his disciples together, and exhorted them to pray that God would be pleased to let them know what Paph nucius so earnestly required. St. Paul the Simple saw «.hat very night in a vision, a glorious throne, or bed of state, in heaven, surrounded by three virgins, glittering with beams of heavenly light; and whilst he was thinking within himself that this throne could be designed for no other than St. Antony, he was an swered by a voice: " It is not for thy father Antony, but for Thais the harlot." This vision being notified to Paphnucius, he concluded it was the will of God that Thais should be released from her confinement, and therefore let her out, whilst she, on her part desired to remain where she was, but at length humbly submitted to the will of her holy director. Having told her that God had forgiven her sins, she assured him, that from the time she first entered into her cell, she had collected them together as it were into one heap, and placing them before her eyes, never ceased to think on and bewail them.

" It is on beholding your contrition," said Paphnncius, "that God has shown you mercy, and not on account of the rigor of your penance." She lived no longer than fifteen days after she had been released from her penitential enclosure, when she was called to see the good things of our Lord in the land oj the living.