Venerable Taisia

Life

A repentant sinner. An Egyptian by birth. Like Saint Pelagia, so also Taisia spent her youth in unbridled fornication. Taisia had been directed onto the evil path of life even by her own shameless mother. But the merciful God, who does not desire the sinner's destruction but his salvation, found a way through His wondrous Providence to save the sinful Taisia. One of the disciples of Saint Anthony the Great, Paphnutius of Sidon, heard of Taisia, of her sinful life, and of the spiritual poison with which she was poisoning the souls of many people, and resolved, with God's help, to save her. And so holy Paphnutius dressed himself in worldly clothing, took a gold coin, went to the city, found Taisia and gave her the gold coin. Taisia, thinking that this man had given her the gold coin for an impure deed, led Paphnutius to her room. Then Paphnutius opened his grace-filled lips and exposed the sins of Taisia and called her to repentance. The soul and conscience within Taisia awakened, and Taisia was bathed in tears of deep, heartfelt repentance. Having distributed all her possessions to the poor, she set out for a women's monastery, according to the instruction of Saint Paphnutius, and there remained for about three years, enclosed in a cell, living on bread and water alone. Before her death, Saint Paphnutius visited her and led her, against her will, out of her cell. She soon fell ill, and after a brief illness surrendered her cleansed and sanctified soul to God. Saint Paul the Simple, another disciple of Saint Anthony, in a vision saw in Paradise a most beautiful dwelling, prepared by God for Saint Taisia the penitent. This holy soul reposed in the year 340.