In 580 A.D. the Holy Father Abba Daniel the Hegumen of the wilderness of Shiheet departed. He was born around the year 485 A.D. and went to Shiheet when he was young. He used to fast without eating anything everyday until sunset and worked at making baskets. Because the Berber (some tribes) kept attacking the monasteries and monks, the monks fled the danger and abandoned the wilderness. St. Daniel was captured three times by the Berbers and every time God saved him. Because of his holiness, the Pope ordained him Hegumen (Archpriest) for the wilderness.

There was a man called Olagi (Eulogius) who was a stone cutter. He was a very good Copt and used the little money he had to feed the poor and welcome strangers and travellers into his house.  It happened that St.  Daniel met Olagi and knew his good deeds, so he prayed to Daddy Jesus to give him more money so he could do more good things and to reward him for showing mercy to the poor. Daddy Jesus answered St. Daniel’s prayer and Olagi found a treasure in the mountain that made him very rich. Sadly, he started to love money so much that he stopped helping the poor. He went to Constantinople and because he had so much money he got an important job working closely with the emperor himself. Olagi forgot all about his deeds of mercy. 

St. Daniel had a vision and in it he saw our Lord Jesus Christ asking him for the lost soul of Olagi. St. Daniel entreated Daddy Jesus to save Olagi and bring him back to his holy and good life. The Lord listened to the prayers of St. Daniel who learned an important lesson, that we should accept the Lord’s plan for everyone. A new emperor sat on the throne and when Olagi made the mistake of taking part in a plot against him, the new emperor wanted to arrest Olagi. But Olagi was saved with a miracle and he had to leave behind him all his wealth. He went back to his first job of cutting stones, and back to doing good deeds and helping the poor.

St. Daniel ensured many hardships because he insisted on not changing his faith (like all good Copts do!) . God performed many miracles through him. St. Daniel departed to the Lord when he was more than ninety five years old.

May the blessings and prayers of St. Daniel be with us all, and glory be to our God forever. Amen.