Story of the Monk in the Cell Next-Door: The Life of Father Tadros the Recluse

The recluse is the monk who continues to live in a monastery, but he adheres to his cell and does not go out of it. He does not sever his ties with the community; rather he follows the discipline of the solitary while he is in his cell. Such was the discipline of Father Tadros of the Monastery of Abba Paul, a rare example of the discipline of the recluse monk and one of the pillars of monasticism in this generation, which might not recur in the near future. While it is certainly not feasible for everyone to follow his discipline, we can emulate his love for unceasing prayer and praise, his seriousness in his spiritual life, and his death to the world and everything and everyone around him. Reading the lives of the saints ignites in us a desire to live a true and genuine life with God, striving to follow in the footsteps of saints.