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== Life ==
[[Image:StBishoy.jpg|thumb|Coptic icon of St. Bishoy (320-417 A.D.)]] On 8 Abib (Coptic month) - [[July 15|15 July]], St. Bishoy, whose memorial is honorable, the star of the desert, departed. He was born around 320 A.D. in a village called Shansa (Shensha or Shesna), in the province of Menoufeya in Egypt. He had six brothers. His mother saw an angel in a vision saying to her, "The Lord says to you, give Me one of your children to serve Me." She answered, "Lord, take whoever you want." The angel took the hand of Anba (Abba) Bishoy, who was thin and his body was frail. His mother told the angel, "My Lord, take one who is strong to serve the Lord." "This is whom the Lord has chosen," answered the Angel.
Later on around 340 A.D., St. Bishoy went to the wilderness of Shiheet ('Wadi-El-Natroun' or Scete) and became a monk by the hand of Anba Bemwah (Bamouyah or Pambo), who also ordained St. John "Yehness" the Short a monk. St. Bishoy struggled in much asceticism and many worships that made him worthy to see the Lord Jesus Christ.
Also during his days, an ascetic old man appeared in the mountain of Ansena, who was reputed for his righteousness and to whom many people gathered. But he deviated from the true faith and the devil lead him astray. He taught that there is no Holy Spirit, and many were deceived by his sayings. Anba Bishoy heard about him, and he went to him and he had with him a weaved basket with three ears. When he visited the old man and his followers, they asked him about the reason for making three ears for the basket. He answered, "I have a Trinity, and everything I do, is like the Trinity." They said to him, "Then, Is there a thing called the Holy Spirit?" Then he started to explain to them from the Holy Scriptures, from the Old and New Testaments. He indicated to them that the Holy Spirit is One of the three Persons of the Trinity. He convinced them, and they returned to the true faith. Then he returned to his monastery in the wilderness of Scete.
[[Image:StBishoyIncorruptRelics.jpg|thumb|The incorrupt body of St. Bishoy in the main church of the Monastery of Saint Bishoy monastery bearing his name in Wadi-El-Natroun, Egypt]] In 407/408 A.D., when the Berbers invaded the wilderness, he left it and dwelt on Mount Ansena, where he departed. He met Saint Paul of Tammah in Antinoopolis, near the present-day town of Mallawi (currently known as 'Deir-El-Barsha'). Their love for each other was such that God promised them that they would never be parted. After the time of persecution had ended, they brought his body with the body of St. Paul of Tamouh to his monastery in the wilderness of Shiheet. The incorrupt body of St. Bishoy and the relics of Saint Paul still lie together in the main church of the [http://www.stmarycoptorthodox.org/deir_anba_bishoy.htm Coptic Orthodox Monastery of Saint Bishoy in Wadi-El-Natroun] until this day.
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