St. Arsenius’ standing during his vigil differed even from that of all the fathers of his time, and his history bears witness to this. On the eve, it is said, of the Lord‘s day, he would leave the sun behind his back and stretch out his hands toward heaven, until the sun rose and shone on his face. And again, in another place it said that he would pass the whole night in vigil, and went on account of nature he wished for the approach of morning so that he might have a little rest, he would struggle with sleep and say, “Be gone from me, wicked handmaid!“￼

St. Isaac the Syrian