Saint Antony of Egypt
The collect for today, the Feast Day of St Antony the Great of Egypt (251-356), anchorite, abbot (source):
Most gracious God,
who didst call thy servant Antony to sell all that he had
and to serve thee in the solitude of the desert:
grant that we, following his example,
may learn to deny ourselves
and to love thee before all things;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
The Epistle: 1 St Peter 5:6-10
The Gospel: St Mark 10:17-21
What we know about Saint Antony (or Anthony) the Great, the father of monasticism, comes mainly from the influential biography written by St Athanasius of Alexandria.
Born at Coma (present-day Memphis), Egypt, to Christian parents, he was orphaned at age 18. A church service shortly thereafter included a reading of Jesus’ words to the rich young ruler, “Sell all that you have and give to the poor …”. Antony heard this as God’s message to him, and he obeyed those words.
For the next twenty years, he lived in the desert as a hermit and ascetic. It was during this time that he experienced the temptations that were frequently depicted in medieval art.
Despite living alone, his story became widely known and many would-be followers sought him out in the desert. He eventually became spiritual father to a group of disciples, whom he organised in 306 into a loose community under his leadership and guidance.
He left the isolation of his monastery near the Red Sea twice to come to the aid of Christians in Alexandria. In 311, he travelled there to support believers being persecuted by Maximinus II. In 355, he returned to debate followers of the Arian heresy.
St Antony was not the first anchorite, but he was the first to be hailed as an example of piety and holiness to be extolled and imitated. Athanasius’ biography, written soon after Antony’s death and translated into Latin within 25 years, disseminated the ideals of monasticism throughout the Western and Eastern churches and became a model of Christian hagiography. The monk’s life was portrayed as one of asceticism, unceasing prayer, and spiritual warfare.
A simple man of Coptic background, he did not know Greek and was probably barely literate. Yet, during his lifetime, he was considered a living saint and miracle worker. His character and influence converted many to Christ.
Athanasius’ Life of St Antony can be read online at Christian Classics Ethereal Library or New Advent. St Nicholas Orthodox Church, Billings, Montana, has a page on St Anthony the Great.
Artwork:
- Saint Anthony the Great, mid-16th century. Icon, State Historical Museum, Moscow.
- Martin Schongauer, Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons, c. 1470-75. Engraving, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
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