Desert Fathers Raised the Dead.       Throughout history there have always been Christians who sought a more disciplined, ascetical way of self-denial in following Christ. They sought (and today, seek) to open themselves to the Holy Spirit while closing the door to the seductions and temptations of the world, often seeking out desert or wilderness. In the Bible, Elijah had done so; so did John the Baptist; so did St. Paul for a period of time in Arabia, the Syrian desert ( Gal 1:17 ).       By the end of the Third Century (AD 200's), many ascetics were following St. Paul of Thebes (aka Paul the First Hermit) (c. 227-c. 341) and St. Antony of the Desert (251-356) into the Egyptian Desert. They were seeking God and holiness of life through self-denial, prayer, and by battle with the demons.       St. Macarius of Egypt (aka Macarius the Great) (300-390) went into the desert about 330, becoming a disciple of St. Antony. Both m...