Saint Karas

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Saint Karas the Anchorite

Saint Karas the Anchorite AKA (Anbba Karas الأنبا كاراس Anbba Karras ) The vita of SaAint Karas, told was written by the Egyptian monk, Saint Pambo (AKA St.Pemwah, Anbba Bemwah); it was translated from the Syrian Monastery (Dar es-Surian) manuscripts by Nashed and Archdeacon Aziz Nashed

In the vita St. Bemwah wrote, "I'll let you know my brethren what happened one day. I heard a voice calling me three times, Bemwah, Bemwah, Bemwah. When I paid attention I realized the voice was a heavenly call, because it wasn’t a familiar one. No one ever called my name several times like this. I looked up the sky and said, Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening."

The voice commanded me saying “get up Bemwah and hurry to the wilderness where you will meet Anbba Karas, so that you may take his blessing, as he is so precious to Me more than anyone else as He worked very hard for Me, and I will be with you”.

I left my church and walked alone into the wilderness with great happiness. I didn’t’ know where to go, but I knew for sure that God, who ordered me, would get me there.

Three days passed walking my way alone. On the fourth day I reached a cave, the entrance was closed with a big rock. I walked toward the entrance, and knocked, according to the monk’s habit, and said, aghape (means peace), bless me my holy father.

I then heard a voice saying, It is good to be here today Bemwah, the priest of Mountain of Shiheet church. The one who was worthy to shroud the blessed St. Hilliaria, the daughter of the great King Zenon. He then let me in, after we greeted each other with a holy kiss, we sat together and talked about God's glories and greatness. I then, asked him, my blessed father, is there any other saint who resembles you in this mountain?. He looked at my face and sighed, My beloved father, there is a blessed Saint deep in the wilderness, even the world is not worthy of one of his footsteps. His name is Anbba Karas.

I then got up and asked him, so who are you?. He said, my name is Simaan ElKallaa. For sixty years, and up till today, I have not seen a human face. Every Saturday, I eat one piece of bread, which I find out on the rock you saw outside the cave.

After He blessed me, I left again into the wilderness walking and praying for three more days, till I reached another cave.

I knocked on the entrance and said, bless me my blessed father. He answered me, it is good that you came to us, oh you saint of God, Anbba Bemwah. The one who was worthy to shroud the holy body of St. Hillaria the daughter of King Zenon, enter with peace. I entered the cave, and we started talking, I asked him, I understood that there is another blessed saint like you around this wilderness!.

He paused and sighed Woe to my sole; I'll let you know my father that in this wilderness, there is a great saint whose prayer can even stop the heavenly anger. Truly he is a partner of all angels. I then asked him, What is your name holy father?. He answered, Abbamoud ElKallaa, and I have been in this wilderness for 79 years, and I live off of those palm trees dates, and I thank the Lord Jesus.

After he blessed me, I left with joy and peace. I walked for a while till I couldn’t walk anymore, as I couldn’t see anything in front of me. Then after a while I opened my eyes and found myself walking in front of a cave inside a rock in the mountain. I walked toward the cave entrance and I knocked and said, agape (peace). A voice came from inside saying, “It is good that you came today Anbba Bemwah, God's saint, the one who was worthy to shroud the holy body of St. Hillaria the daughter of the great King Zenon”.

I entered the cave and was staring at him for a long while, as he was venerable and full of awe. His face was a very lighted, and looked very blessed, He was full of light and of average height. He had a long beard with only a few black strands and was wearing a poor dress. He was thin, with soft voice and had a walking cane in his hand.

He then told to me, “you came to me today and brought death with you, and I have been waiting for you for a long time my beloved one”. I then asked him, what is your name my blessed father? He said, my name is Karas. I asked him again, how long have you been in this wilderness? and he said, “For 57 years I have not seen a human face, and I have been waiting for you anxiously and happily”.

At the end of My first day staying with Anbba Karas, he became sick with a high fever. He cried and sighed to me, “what I was afraid of, all my life, had finally came. Oh Lord, how can I escape your face and how can I hide?. Truly how fearful is that hour. Let it be according to Your mercy, oh my Lord, and not according to my sins”.

When sun shined the following day , Anba Karras was lying down and was not able to move. A great light, Brighter than the sunlight, was coming through the cave entrance. A very lighed person entered, He was wearing white clothes as bright as the sun and in his right hand was a lighted cross. I was sitting by Anba Karas' feet and was scared and surprised. This person stepped forward toward Anba Karras and touched his face with the cross in his hand. He spoke with Anba Kars for a while, then blessed him and left. I came closer toward our father Anba Karras and inquired about this glorified person. He said, This is our Lord and Master Jesus Christ, He Comes to me everyday, talks to me, blesses me, and then He leaves.

I asked him, Oh my blessed father, can I get blessed from my lord Jesus Christ as well..?. He said, before you leave this place, you will see the Lord Jesus in His glory and He will bless you and talk to you as well.

By seventh day of the month of Epip, I found Anba Karras looking up, and his eyes are full of tears. He sighed deeply and told me, Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite, is a Coptic pillar that died in Upper Egypt, and the world lost a great blessed Saint today. The world was not worthy of one of his footsteps, He added. I saw his soul going up to heaven surrounded by angels' hymns and I heard crying and mourning rising from all of Upper Egypt's earth. I saw, the monks gathered around his holy body taking a blessing from him and his body was lighted. I made a note of the day for a later reference of Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite depart.

On the 8th day of Epip, Anba Karras health was deteriorating by the mid-day, a great light appeared and filled the cave. The Savior of the universe entered, preceded by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, and many other angels with six wings seraphim, along with voices of prayer and hymns from everywhere, and the great smell of incense. I was sitting by Anba Karras feet while our Lord Jesus Christ in all His glory was sitting at the head of St. Anba Karras, who held our Savior's right hand. Anba Karras, asked Jesus Christ, for my sake my Lord and my God, can You bless him because he came from very far, for this day.

The Lord looked at me and said, "May My peace be with you Bemwah, what you saw and heard today, will be written in the books and preached by you. But for you, My beloved Karas, every human that knows your vita and mentions your name on earth, will have My peace on them and I will count them with the martyrs and the saints. Everyone that offer wine, bread, incense, oil or candles in your name, I will reward them twofold in the Kingdom of Heaven. Anyone who feeds the hungry or gives drink to the thirsty, or clothes to the needy or welcomes a stranger on your name, I will reward them double in My kingdom. And who writes your holy vita I will write their name in the Book of Life. Anyone who shows mercy on your anniversary, I will give them what no eye had ever seen and, what no ear had ever heard and what any heart ever felt. Now, my beloved Karas, I want you to ask Me for something that I can do for you before your departure.

Anbba Karas asked Him, My Lord, I have been praying the psalms day and night and I wished to see David the Prophet while I am still in the flesh. In the blink of an eye, David came holding his harp in his hand and he was singing the psalm, This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 117:24.

Anbba Karas said, I want to hear the ten cords together with the tune and melody. David moved his harp and sang, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. Psalm 16:15. While David was singing his psalms with his beautiful voice, and while the Saint was very pleased, his soul departed from his blessed body to the bosom of our Good Savior, who took it and presented it to the Michael (archangel).

I, Then, kissed the body of saint Anbba Karas and prepared him for burial. The Glorious Lord pointed to me to leave the cave, which I did. The Lord Jesus Christ, surrounded by His angels, left in front of the saint soul, with songs and hymns. We left the body in the cave, and the Glorious Lord put His hand on the cave and sealed the entrance, so the entrance disappeared and became part of the mountain. All of them risen to heaven in happiness. I stayed alone in that place until that beautiful view vanished from my sight. I Then I closed my eyes to contemplate the bright light and the beautiful view. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself in front of the cave of Anbba Abbamoud ElKallaa. I stayed three days with him and left. I then went to Anbba Samaan ElKallaa, I stayed with him another three days and then I left and returned to Shiheet Mountain, where my church is.

There I met all the brethren and told them the life story of Saint Anbba Karas, the Great Anchorite, and what he told me about Anbba Shenouda the Archimandrite departure. After five days, we received a message from Upper Egypt saying that saint Anbba Shenouda the Archimandrite passed away on the same day that Anbba Karas had told me.