Alexandros, awaiting some of his clergy to dine with him,
was looking out of his window. A few paces away from
him, some children were playing on the seashore. Their
attentiveness and their sobermindedness astonished the
Pope and he watched them intently. His whole being
vibrated with emotion as he realised that they were
performing the Rite of Baptism. He had them called in
and began questioning them. With bowed heads and
cheeks red with confusion, they confessed the truth; and
turning towards one of them declared: ‘It is Athanasius
who was our chief. He acted the role of a bishop and
baptised those among us who have not yet been baptised’.
Abba Alexandros looked at the lad who had been singled
out, and immediately loved him. The lad looked back at
the venerable Pope with candour and frank audacity; his
face lit up with the triple reflection of all beautiful souls:
intelligence, serenity and purity. On examination, it was
found out that each minute detail of the Baptism Rite had
been carefully observed by this ‘bishop’ of twelve.
On that very day of his first meeting with
Athanasius, Abba Alexandros felt within his heart that he
was before a person who was destined to become a
chosen vessel for the service of the Church. Thus, even
through play, Athanasius was initiated into the sanctuary
of the Most High; he was stirred to the depth of his spirit,
and filled with joy. So he set himself to study the
Scriptures and all Church books. At the end of the day,
when school was over, he would hasten home to delve
into them. With singleness of purpose, this became his
sole interest.^3
- When his mother beheld how engrossed he had
become in his books she was alarmed. At fifteen, she
thought that the best cure for him was marriage. When