Or

Abba Or of Nitria, also called Hor or Horus, was a Christian ascetic in Egypt who lived around the 4th century AD in Dalga, Nitria (Lower Egypt), the Thebaid, and in the deserts around Shaina. He is one of the lesser-known Desert Fathers, but is nevertheless regarded as one of the "chief among monks", being "a man who stood out among many of the fathers". He is associated with Theodore and Sisoes the Great. According to Jerome, at one point during his life, Or was the father of "one thousand [ cenobitic

Life

Desert reclusion Or's early life remains unknown. He was likely born in the late 3rd or early 4th century.

Most of his recorded life comes from Jerome's account of him in the History of the Monks of Egypt. Or was known for his extreme love for mankind, his hospitality, and his humility.

Veneration Or's Troparion is: " 'From the earth Or departed to me,' said grace, 'On behalf of Or begotten by you O law.''' " He gave this counsel, "Whenever you want to subdue your high and proud thoughts, examine your conscience carefully: Have you kept all the commandments? Have you loved your enemies and been kind to them in their misfortunes? Have you counted yourself to be an unprofitable servant and the worst of all sinners? If you find you have done all this, do not therefore think well of yourself as if you had done everything well but realize that even the thought of such things is totally destructive."

History of the Monks of Egypt Chapter 3 of the History of the Monks of Egypt by Jerome speaks of a visit to Or. Selected excerpts are as follows:And this blessed man had for a very long time lived a life of the utmost austerity at a remote place in the desert, but subsequently he took certain monasteries in the desert which was near Shaina, and gathered together a brotherhood, and he planted so many wild trees at that spot that they formed a dense wood in the wilderness.

And when the man of God saw us, he rejoiced in us, and saluted us, and straightway he offered up a prayer; and he washed our feet with his own hands, and began to teach us, for he was exceedingly well acquainted with the Scriptures, even as a man who had received the gift from God, and he expounded to us many chapters of the Scriptures, and delivered to us the orthodox faith; moreover, he urged us to prayer, and to partake of the Mysteries.

Now this man was more glorious in his life than very many of the fathers.

The Prologue of Ohrid The Prologue of Ohrid (an Eastern Orthodox synaxarium) by Nikolaj Velimirović commemorates Or on August 7 and includes a 26-line "Hymn of Praise".

The Vitae Patrum Chapters II and IX of the Vitae Patrum'' relate Jerome's account of Or.

Physical appearance Rufinus who visited Or described him in this way: "...he had an angelic form and was about ninety years of age; his beard flowed down over his breast, and it was white and beautiful, and his countenance was so glorious that those that saw him were reproved by the sight thereof only." The Vitae Patrum says, "He was ninety years old [when we saw him], with a very full and splendid silvery beard, a lively face and appearance, reflecting something greater than mere human nature." In Chapter IX it furthermore says, "At the age of ninety he had lost nothing of his physical strength."