In the Desert of Thebaides there once lived a holy man named Paphnucius. Of all the hermits who dwelt there, he was considered the holiest and most perfect because of his purity of soul, his sacrifices, prayers, many virtues, and good works. Every day of his life he worked to become more and more perfect, to love God more and more, and to do all he could to increase his reward in Heaven.

One day a thought came into his mind that perhaps he was the holiest man on the face of the earth. While Paphnucius clearly wanted to love God as much as possible, to keep himself from falling into pride he prayed to God that if there was anyone in the world more perfect than himself, God would be pleased to show him where this soul was, that he might go and learn from him how to serve God better.

God was pleased to hear his prayer and let Paphnucius understand that if he went into a certain city he would find a man much more perfect than he was. Paphnucius left his solitude and went to the city which God pointed out to him. When he arrived, he went to the market-place. There he saw a very poor man playing a street organ, and a crowd of people round about him enjoying his music. God made known to him that this was the man who was more perfect than he.

The holy man was in amazement at this. He wondered how it was possible that someone whose only trade was playing a hand-organ in the streets could be more perfect than a monk. After all, Paphnucius had spent his whole life in the desert, in prayer and all kinds of penances. When he got an opportunity, he took the man aside, and said to him :

"My good man, I would like to know how you live. Would you tell me in what way you serve God? For God has made known to me that you are doing so in a way which is very pleasing to Him."

"Good Father," the poor fellow answered, "I am a very great sinner, and I cannot see how God can be so pleased with me. I was once a robber but, by the grace of God, I repented of my crimes; now I am trying day by day to make reparation for my past life by this humble work."

In their conversation, Paphnucius also learned how this man, even when he was a robber, had on many occasions taken pity and shown charity towards his neighbors. Paphnucius realized that God had rewarded this good will of the former robber by giving him the grace of a complete conversion. And now, God was clearly pleased with the repentant man’s perseverance and humility.

With this new example, Paphnucius returned to his desert again and studied how to please God better than before. As he strove to practice every virtue that he could imagine, his continual prayer to God was this:

"O my God, make me become as good in Your sight as that man who plays the organ on the streets."

After a number of years spent in this way, the question again came to him if there was anyone in the world who could equal him now in perfection. God was pleased to speak to him again in his heart and to let him know that, in a little village not far away, there lived a man and his wife who were equal to him in virtue and merit.

Having a great desire to meet them, the hermit went to that village and easily found the good couple. They had not done anything important in the eyes of the world, but in the eyes of God they had obtained much merit. During all their married life, which had been for thirty years, they had lived together in the practice of great virtues, all in perfect peace with each other. They had done many good deeds, shown kindness to the poor and strangers, and labored together in their daily works, doing all for the glory of God.

Paphnucius returned again to his desert home, astonished to think that a poor man and his wife, living by the work of their hands and in the midst of a wicked world, should be equal to himself in merit before God. He resolved to do even more than before, that he might become more pleasing to his Creator.

Finally, after some more years spent in this way, he asked God if there was anyone equal to him in merit now. God answered that there was. In a certain large city a good way off, there lived a merchant who stood behind the counter in his shop from morning to night, selling his goods to various customers.

Instead of having Paphnucius travel there this time, God merely explained to him the secret of the stranger’s sanctity. This merchant was as rich in merits before God as the monk himself was, because the merchant did all the duties in his life for the glory of God and because it was His holy will.

When the holy hermit saw that people in the world, occupied with the labors of their calling, could become as saintly as a monk in his monastery—and even holier—he gave thanks to God, Who has put it in the power of everyone - even the lowliest and the humblest person in the world - to become so perfect and to love Him so much.