Saint of the Day
Summary of St Anthony of Egypt
Anthony is regarded as the founder of the monastic life although he did not create a monastery himself,
Fr John Murray PP profiles him here and gives us some hints how we can follow his footsteps.
Many centuries ago, when people first began to reflect about life, one wise man told a story about a cave and those who dwelt inside it. At the cave’s entrance there was a fire, and those who dwelt in the cave had the fire at their backs with the result that all they saw was their own shadows thrown up on to the wall they faced. This was reality for them: these images without substance, mere shadows.
In time, there were some who had enough courage to look round and realise that the fire caused the shadows; but a lot of darkness remained, and things were not yet clear. Eventually one man went beyond the cave into the daylight, and he saw the sun. Needless to say, he could not maintain his gaze for long, but he came to know that this was what gave light to everything around, and he rejoiced in this knowledge.
Seeing the light
The saints are those who venture out of the cave and look at the sun. They are not afraid of its light. Whereas most people cannot stand too much reality, these men and women know that they cannot stay for ever in the cave with its shadows and false images. Something inside drives them to seek the warmth and light of the sun. St. Anthony of Egypt was one man who was not afraid to venture out of the cave and face reality. There were three key moments in his life when he did this; but first a few details about his life and culture.
Anthony was born in the year 251 at a village near Memphis in upper Egypt. His parents were Christian and well-to-do. When they died – he was only twenty years of age – he found himself in possession of a large estate and with the care of a younger sister.
Treasure in heaven
Then came the first moment of reality, when he heard the words of the gospel, ‘Go, sell what you have and give it to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven’. That is exactly what he did. Having seen to the care of his sister, he himself retired into solitude to live a life of prayer and fasting. Anthony is called the ‘Father of monasticism’ and rightly so, for countless millions have followed his example through the centuries.
Council of bishops
A second moment of reality came for Anthony when the bishops of the Church were gathered in the city of Alexandria. Despite the victory of the council of Nicea in AD 325, the Arian cause had grown in strength. This heresy claimed that Jesus was not truly God, but a mere creature.
Anthony, this unlettered man, saw differently, and claimed that the Arians ‘did not differ from the heathens themselves who worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator’. Even the pagans rejoiced at his wisdom and he converted many back to the faith.
It was not uncommon for the great and the good to seek the advice and counsel of this holy man. In AD 337, Constantine the Great, the first Christian emperor, wrote a letter to Anthony seeking his prayers. Anthony, seeing his fellow monks’ surprise, said, ‘Do not wonder that the emperor writes to us, a man even as I am; rather be astounded that God should have written to us, and that he has spoken to us by his Son’.
Face to face
The third moment of reality in the life of Anthony came at his death. His life had been long – 105 years no less. He had founded monastic settlements, and led many into a committed following of the Lord and Saviour whom he loved. But when the time came for him to die, he slipped away as if he were passing into sleep. He was not afraid. He looked forward to seeing the Son face to face. With his friends gathered round him, he distributed his few possessions, just as he had done eighty years before with the parental estate. ‘Farewell, my children,‘ he said. ‘Anthony is departing and will no longer be with you.’ He stretched out his feet, and calmly ceased to breathe. The year was 356, and the date was 17 January.
A space to meet God
Two things I ask you to do as you consider this less well-known Anthony.
Firstly is to think of and pray for those men and women in the convents and monasteries up and down the country. Their way is no escape from life, for these are the people who have emerged from the cave, and they see for real.
Secondly – today – find a space in your life to meet the God who is Reality itself. This may mean rising early in order to pray, or stopping the car in a lay-by for ten minutes after work before heading home. Or it may mean switching off the box and its daily dose of ‘reality’, in order to pray together as a family. Whatever you do, seek to see the sun, and you will be following Anthony, the man who was for real.
This article first appeared in The Messenger (January 2005), a publication of the Irish Jesuits.
Patrick Duffy tells his story.
Anthony,
(Abba Antonius, (Ἀββᾶς Ἀντώνιος), and Father of All Monks), was written by St Athanasius shortly after his death. It influenced the conversion of St Augustine and St Martin of Tours and became a classic of monasticism in the Middle Ages. Antony lived at first in total solitude but later allowed a monastic community to be formed around him.
Early Life
Antony was born in Upper Egypt in 251 to wealthy Christian parents, who died when he was about eighteen. Hearing in church the saying of Jesus in Mt 19:21:
“If you wish to be perfect, then sell what you have and give it to the poor and come follow me”, he did just that. He first made provision for the care of his younger sister with a community of nuns and then himself became a disciple to a local hermit. Gardening and the weaving of palm mats became his way of life and his discipline.
The desert – his demons
For Anthony the real desert was his own personality, where facing his interior demons and overcoming them was victory.
According to Athanasius, the devil afflicted Anthony with boredom, laziness, and sexual images; these he overcame by discipline and prayer. When the devil saw Anthony’s intense ascetic life and devotion, he was envious and beat him mercilessly, leaving him unconscious. Anthony’s friends from the local village came and found him in this condition, carried him to a church where he recovered.
Total Solitude
Later Anthony went further out to a deserted fort at Pispir so he could be in total solitude. Here the devil resumed his warfare against him, this time in the form of wild animals who seemed as if they would destroy him. But when he emerged after twenty years (286-306), and people expected him to have wasted away, or gone insane, to their amazement he was healthy, serene, and had a bright light in his eye.
The Nearby Community
Despite seeking solitude, Anthony understood that discernment and relationship with others in charity were central in the spiritual life. He did not himself create a monastery, but a community grew up nearby him based on his example. Disciples sought him out for “words of wisdom” and those who wished to follow him needed the company of others to survive the harsh conditions.
Visits to Alexandria
During the persecution of Christians by the Emperor Maximin (311), Anthony went to Alexandria openly wearing his identifying white tunic to encourage other Christians, but he was not put to death. On another occasion he went to Alexandria to encourage Athanasius in his struggle against the Arians. On this occasion Athanasius gave him his own cloak as a gift.
Emperor Constantine
It is said that the Emperor Constantine wrote to him seeking his prayers. Antony, seeing the surprise of those around him, said: “Do not wonder that the emperor writes to us, a man even as I am; rather be astounded that God should have written to us, and that he spoke to us by his Son.”
Entrance to St Antony’s Cave where St Antony spent forty years in solitude.
Visit to Paul the Hermit
Anthony knew he was not the first nor the only hermit in the desert. Jerome tells us that shortly before the death of the first hermit Paul (345), Anthony went to visit him. A raven miraculously appeared to supply a loaf for their meal and they engaged in playful conversation. Anthony asked Paul to take him as his companion. Paul urged him rather to go and bring the cloak that Bishop Athanasius had given him. Anthony went out to fetch the cloak coming back as soon as he could, fearing Paul might die while he was out. This indeed is what happened. To help bury Paul, two lions appeared and scooped out a grave with their paws. Antony removed the tunic of leaves Paul had sewn for himself as his garment and buried the holy man in the cloak of Athanasius he had brought. Each Easter and Pentecost ever after he always wore Paul’s tunic.
Sayings of St Anthony
Some of the Sayings and a Story of Antony
Here are some of the sayings and a story of St Anthony:
- This is the great work of a man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his last breath.
- Whoever has not experienced temptation cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Without temptations no-one can be saved.
- Do not trust in your own righteousness do not worry about the past, but control your tongue and your stomach.
- I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world and I said groaning, “What can get through from such snares?” Then I heard a voice saying to me, “Humility.”
- A Story of Humour
A hunter in the desert saw Abba Anthony enjoying himself with the brethren and he was shocked. Wanting to show him that it was necessary sometimes to meet the needs of the brethren, the old man said to him, ‘Put an arrow in your bow and shoot it.‘ So he did. The old man then said, ‘Shoot another,‘ and he did so. Then the old man said, ‘Shoot yet again and the hunter replied ‘If I bend my bow so much I will break it.‘
Then the old man said to him, ‘It is the same with the work of God. If we stretch the brethren beyond measure they will soon break. Sometimes it is necessary to come down to meet their needs.’ When he heard these words the hunter was pierced by compunction and, greatly edified by the old man, he went away.
As for the brethren, they went home strengthened.
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Memorable Sayings for today
What hermits realise most of all is
that when we are very quiet
we begin to be deeply connected to everything else
and to God..
~ c/f Alan Wattts ~
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