St. Anthony The Great, Abbot

Sainted Wednesday, 17 January, the 2nd week of Ordinary Time


Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (251-356)
The Church celebrates St. Anthony, the Father of the Monastics.
Anthony retired to the desert at about the age of eighteen to live in perfect solitude. Many heard about him, however, and came to join him in his hermitage.
So despite his own intentions to live alone, he humbly accepted this as the will of God and laid the foundations of Christian community life from there on out.



His profound, broad, and mature instruction still form the Three Pillars of the rightful Christian life: Solitude, Prayer, and Asceticism.

Here is his story

St. Anthony
    Anthony, "the Great", the "Father of Monks", ranks with those saints whose life exercised a profound influence upon succeeding generations. He was born in Middle Egypt (about 250) of distinguished parents. After their untimely deaths, he dedicated himself wholly to acts of mortification.

    One day, while in church, he heard the words of the Gospel:

"If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give it to the poor" (Matt. 19:21).

    It felt as if Christ had spoken to him personally, giving a command he must obey.    
    Without delay he sold his property, gave the proceeds to the poor, and went into the desert (about 270 CE).
When overcome by fatigue, his bed was the hard ground.
He fasted rigorously, eating only bread and salt, and drank only water. Nor would he take food before sundown; at times he passed two days without any nourishment.

    Often, too, he spent whole nights in prayer.

    The saint suffered repeatedly from diabolical attacks, but these merely made him more steadfast in virtue. He would encourage his disciples in their struggle with the devil with such words:
    
    "Believe me; the devil fears the vigils of pious souls, and their fastings, their voluntary poverty, their loving compassion, their humility, but most of all their ardent love of Christ our Lord. As soon as he sees the sign of the Cross, he flees in terror."

    He died in 356 on Mount Kolzin by the Red Sea, 105 years old. A year later his friend, the fearless bishop and confessor St. Athanasius, wrote his biography, which for centuries became the classic handbook of ascetics.
    As seen by St. Anthony, the purpose of asceticism is not to destroy the body but to bring it into subjection, re-establishing man's original harmonious integrity, his true God-given nature.



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St. Anthony lived in solitude for about twenty years.

"His was a perfectly purified soul. No pain could annoy him, no pleasure bind him. In him was neither laughter nor sadness. The sight of the crowd did not trouble him, and the warm greetings of so many men did not move him.
In a word, he was thoroughly immune to the vanities of the world, like a man unswervingly governed by reason, established in inner peace and harmony."

- St. Athanasius

Here are a few of his famous sayings to monks.


"Let it be your supreme and common purpose not to grow weary in the work you have begun, and in time of trial and affliction not to lose courage and say: 'Oh, how long already have we been mortifying ourselves!'
Rather, daily begin anew and constantly increase your fervor. For man's whole life is short when measured against the time to come, so short, in fact, that it is as nothing in comparison with eternity. . . .
Therefore, my children, let us persevere in our acts of asceticism. And that we may not become weary and disheartened, it is good to meditate on the words of the apostle: 'I die daily.'
If we live with the picture of death always before our eyes, we will not sin. The apostle's words tell us that we should so awaken in the morning as though we would not live to evening, and so fall asleep as if there were to be no awakening. For our life is by nature uncertain and is daily meted out to us by Providence.
If we are convinced of this and live each day as the apostle suggests, then we will not fall into sin; no desire will enslave us, no anger move us, no treasure bind us to earth; we will await death with unfettered hearts."

One time St. Anthony the Hermit was severely tormented by devils; despite the vehemence of their attack, he did not yield but steadfastly overcame them. Then, seeing a brilliant light overhead, he inquired:

"Where were you, Lord?" And a voice replied: "I was present all the time, Anthony; but I waited in order to see your heroic struggle. Because you remained steadfast, I will always be your helper."

The incident brings consolation to us as well. Let us show a persevering heroism in times of tempests, and at the critical time Christ will appear to silence the boisterous sea.

—Adapted from, “The Church's Year of Grace,” Pius Parsch


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Patronage: against eczema; against epilepsy; against ergotism; against erysipelas; against pestilence; against Saint Anthony’s Fire; against skin diseases; against skin rashes; amputees; anchorites and hermits and monks; animals; basket makers, basket weavers; bell ringers; brushmakers; butchers; cemetery workers; domestic animals; epileptics; farmers; gravediggers; graveyards; hogs, pigs, swine; livestock; relief from pestilence; swineherds; Hospitallers

Devoted Locations: Canas, Brazil; Mook, Netherlands; San Antonio, Ibiza, Spain; Italy: Alano di Piave; city of Ampurias; diocese of Ampurias; Burgio, Sicily; Calasca-Castiglione; Castelsardo; Castrofilippo, Agrigento; Chiaravalle, Ancona; Fivizzano; Fontainemore; Mamoiada; Sant’Angelo Lodigiano; diocese of Tempio-Ampurias; Valmadrera

Symbols and Representation: asperges; Bell; baskets; pig or hog; t-shaped staff; tau cross with a bell on the end; man with a pig at his side; book; centaur; crutch, sometimes with a bell hanging from it; fire; old man; hermit; rod; satyr; young man distributing his wealth; carried by demons; Saint Anthony’s Cross (T or tau-shaped); with Saint Paul the Hermit; with a devil nearby; with two lions, who dig Paul‘s grave.

Highlights and Things to Do:




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