Saint Pharmuthius the Anchorite

St. Pharmuthius the Anchorite (Feast Day - April 11)

Verses

Pharmuthius departed from hither,
In the month of Pharmuthi, which is April.

Saint Pharmuthius lived during the early fourth century, and was a desert anchorite in Egypt to whom a young Saint John of the Well (March 30) first went to receive a blessing to go further into the desert to pray. As John went he came across a deep dry well filled with scorpions, snakes and other reptiles, and entering therein he prayed. There he stayed initially for forty days, sustained with food sent by an Angel of the Lord to Pharmuthius who delivered it to the Saint. The bread was sent to Pharmuthius when John was young, in order to protect the youth from falling into pride. This lasted for a few years, until the devil deceived Pharmuthius to go and tempt John with words that would have taken him out of the well. John set the elder right and had him return to his cell, where he lived out the rest of his days in the Lord and reposed in peace.