ANBA KARRAS (in Ethiopia He is Called Abune Kiros)

ANBA KARRAS THE ANCHORITE FROM THE TRANSCRIPTS OF ST. MARY MONASTERY (BARAMOS) St. Bimoa was saying , "I'll let you know my brethren what happened one day. I heard a voice calling me three times, "Bimoa, Bimoa, Bimoa." I paid attention. That voice was a heavenly one, because that voice wasn’t familiar to me. No one called my name several times. I raised my eyes up to heaven and said, "Speak out Lord, because your servant is listening."

The voice told me, "Get up Bimoa and hurry to the wilderness where you will meet Anba Karras, so that you may take his blessing because he is precious to me more than anyone, and my peace be with you." So I got up and left my church and walked alone into the wilderness with great gladness. I didn't know the way, but I knew for sure that God, who ordered me would lead me.

Three days passed while I was walked on my way alone. On the fourth day I reached one of the caves, the door was closed with a big stone. I walked toward the doorway, and I knocked on the door according to the monks custom and said, "Aghabi (love). Bless me my holy father."

Right then I heard a voice saying to me, "It is good to be here today Bimoa, Priest of the church of Gabal Cheheat. The one who was worthy to shroud the blessed St. Hilliaria, the daughter of the great King Zenon."

Then he opened the door for me and I entered. We greeted each other with a holy kiss and then we sat talking together about God's glories and greatness. I asked him, "My blessed father, is there any other saint who resembles you in this mountain?"

He looked at my face and sighed, then he said to me," My beloved father there is in the inner wilderness a blessed Saint that the world isn’t worthy of one of his footsteps. And he is… Anba Karras. "

Right then I got up and asked him, "So who are you?" He answered me, "My name is Simaan ElKallaa. For sixty years, and up until today I haven't seen a human face. I eat on every Saturday one piece of bread which I find out on the stone, the one in which you saw outside the cave."

After taking his blessing, I walked into the wilderness for three more days. All the while praying and praising until I reached another cave. I knocked on the door and said, "Your blessings on me blessed father."

He answered me, " It is good that you came to us oh you Saint of God, Anba Bimoa. The one who was worthy to shroud the holy body of St. Hillaria the daughter of King Zenon. Enter with peace." I entered and we sat talking, I asked him, "I understood that there was another saintly blessed father who is like you." He paused and sighed saying,

"Woe to me, 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 the angels."

I asked him, "What is your name holy father?" He answered, "Abbamoud ElKallaa, and I have been in this wilderness for 99 years. I live off of those palm trees, the kind that have dates, and I thank the Lord Jesus."

After he blessed me and I left with joy and peace. I walked for a while, and then I could not walk because I could not see my way. After a while I opened my eyes and found myself walking in front of a cave inside a rock on the mountain. I walked toward the door and I knocked and said, "Aghabi."

Right then a voice from inside spoke to me saying, "It is good that you came today Anba Bimoa 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 stood staring at him for a long time, because he was venerable and full of awe. He was a very luminous person, and God’s grace was on his face. He was full of light and of average height. He had a long beard with only a few black hairs in it and he was wearing a simple tunic. He was thin, had a soft voice and was holding a walking stick in his hand.

He said 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." Then I asked him, "What is your name blessed father?"

He answered saying, "My name is Karras."

I asked him, "For how long have you been in this wilderness? " He answered, "For 57 years I haven't seen a human face, and I have been waiting for you anxiously and happily. "

I stayed with him for a day at the end of which Anba Karras became sick with a high fever. He cried and sighed and said to me, "..and what I was afraid of all my life came to me. Oh Lord, how can I escape from 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 the sun rose on the next day Anba Karras was lying down and could not move. And behold a great light, greater than the sunlight was coming through the door. Then entered a very radiant person wearing white clothes as bright as the sun and in his right hand was a luminous cross. I was sitting at Anba Karras' feet and I was afraid and surprised. But this luminous person stepped forward toward Anba Karras and put the cross on his face. He spoke with him a lot and then gave him peace and left. I stepped toward our father Anba Karras to inquire about that person, who had all that glory. He answered with all gladness , "This is our Lord and Master Jesus Christ and this is his custom with me. He comes every day and blesses me, talks to me and then he leaves."

I asked him, "Oh my blessed father I desire to be blessed by His glory."

He answered me and said, "Before you leave this place you will see the Lord Jesus in His glory and He will bless you and talk with you also."

When we reached the seventh day of the month of Abeeb I found Anba Karras raising his eyes which were full of tears up to heaven. He sighed deeply and said to me, "There is a great pillar that fell in Upper Egypt and the earth lost a blessed Saint. The world was not worthy of one of his footsteps. He is Saint Anba Shenouda the Archimandrite. 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. The monks gathered around his holy body taking a blessing from him and his body was luminous."

When I heard that, I memorized the date and kept it in mind, it was on the 7th of Abeeb that Anba Shenouda passed away. On the next day, 8th of Abeeb, Anba Karras' illness worsened and in the middle of the day a great light appeared that filled the cave. The Saviour of the world entered preceded by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, and many angels with six wings, accompanied by the voices of prayer and hymns here and there, and with the smell of incense. I was sitting at Anba Karras' feet while our Lord Jesus Christ in all his glory was sitting at the head of St. Anba Karras, who held our Saviors right hand. He asked him for me, "My Lord and my God bless him because he came from very far cities and a long distance for this day."

The Lord looked at me and said, "May my peace be with you Bimoa, what you saw and heard you will write and preach. But you my beloved Karras every human that knows your life story and mentions your name on earth, will have my peace and I will count him with the Martyrs and the Saints. Every person that presents wine, corban, incense, oil or candles in your memory, I will reward him twofold in the kingdom of heaven. Any one who feeds the hungry or gives drink to the thirsty, or clothes to the naked or welcomes a stranger in your name’s sake, I will reward him double in my kingdom. And who writes your holy biography I will write his name in the Book of Life. Anyone who shows mercy in your memory day I will give him what the eye has never seen and what the ear has never heard and what the heart never felt. Now my beloved Karras I want you to ask me for something that I can do for you before your departure."

Anba Karras 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.." pslam117 v.24

Anba Karras 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." pslam116 v.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 Saviour who took it and presented it to the Archangel Michael.

Then, I Bimoa kissed the flesh of St. Anba Karras and buried him. The Glorious Lord pointed to me to leave the cave, which I did. Then Lord Jesus Christ surrounded by His angels left in front of the spirit, among songs and hymns. We left the body in the cave, and then the Glorious Lord put His hand on the cave and it became as if it had never had a door that could be opened. All of them raised up to heaven in happiness. I stayed standing alone in that place until that beautiful view vanished from my sight, then I closed my eyes to contemplate the bright light and the beautiful view. When I opened my eyes I found myself in front of the cave of Anba Abbamoud ElKallaa. I stayed three days and then I left him and I went to Anba Samaan ElKallaa. I stayed with him three days and then I left and returned to Shaheet Mountain where my church is. There I met all the brethren and told them the life story of St. Anba Karras the Great Anchorite, and his sayings about Anba Shenouda, the Archimandrite’s, departure.

After five days we got a message from Upper Egypt saying that St. Anba Shenouda the Archimandrite passed away on the same day that Anba Karras had seen.

May the blessings of St. Mary the Mother of Light and St. Anba Shenouda the Archimandrite and Anba Karras the Anchorite be with us all.

Glory be to God for ever and ever....

AMEN.