The Commemoration of the Departure of Abba Isaac, the Priest of El-Qalali (Cells).

On this day, the church commemorates the holy father Abba Isaac, the priest of El-Qalali(Cells) . He was born in an Egyptian village from poor parents, but he was rich in his righteousworks . He took the opportunity of the presence of the elders of the monks in the village to sell theworks of their hands, and followed them to the wilderness . He served them under the yoke ofobedience . When he became a monk, he excelled in asceticism and worship to the point that henever possessed two garments at the same time . They asked him once: "Why don't you possesstwo garments?" He answered: "Because when I was in the world before being a monk, I did nothave two garments at the same time ."He wept very often during his prayers, and he mixed his bread with the ashes of the censer and ateit . Once he became sick of a grievous sickness, and some of the brethren brought him food, but hedid not eat it . One of the brethren described to him the benefits of food and urged him again to eatsome of it . He insisted on not eating anything of it, and said to him: "Believe me my brother that Idesire to remain sick for thirty years ."351When he became seasoned and everyone heard about his virtues, the fathers by consensus decidedto ordain him a priest . He fled and disappeared among the fields . When they were looking for him,they passed by the field, where he was hiding in and sat to rest . They had with them a donkey,which went into the field and stood where the father was . When they went after the donkey tocatch it, they found him, and they wanted to bind him so that he could not escape again . He saidto them: "I will not escape now, for I know that this is the will of God ." He went with them, andthey ordained him a priest, and he increased in obedience to the elders and in teaching thebeginners the virtues . When the time of his departure drew near, they asked him: "What can wedo after you leave us?" He told them: "Do exactly as you have seen me do, if you wish tosteadfast in the wilderness", then he departed in peace .May his prayer be with us . Amen .