- Our Holy Godbearing Father Anthony the Great (356).
- 'Saint Anthony, the Father of
monks, was born in Egypt in251 of pious parents who departed this life while he was
yet young. On hearing the words of the Gospel: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell
what thou hast, and give to the poor" (Matt. 19:21), he immediately put it into action.
Distributing to the poor all he had, and fleeing from all the turmoil of the world, he
departed to the desert. The manifold temptations he endured continually for the space
of twenty years are incredible. His ascetical struggles by day and by night, whereby he
mortified the uprisings of the passions and attained to the height of dispassion, surpass
the bounds of nature; and the report of his deeds of virtue drew such a multitude to
follow him, that the desert was transformed into a city, while he became, so to speak,
the governor, lawgiver, and master-trainer of all the citizens of this newly-formed city.
But the cities of the world also enjoyed the fruit of his virtue. When the Christians were
being persecuted and put to death under Maximinus in 312, he hastened to their aid and
consolation. When the Church was troubled by the Arians, he went with zeal to
Alexandria in 335 and struggled against them in behalf of Orthodoxy. During this time,
by the grace of his words, he also turned many unbelievers to Christ.
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'He began his ascetical life outside his village of Coma in Upper Egypt, studying
the ways of the ascetics and holy men there, and perfecting himself in the virtues of
each until he surpassed them all. Desiring to increase his labours, he departed into the
desert, and finding an abandoned fortress in the mountain, he made his dwelling in it,
training himself in extreme fasting, unceasing prayer, and fierce conflicts with the
demons. Here he remained, as mentioned above, about twenty years. Saint Athanasius
the Great, who knew him personally and wrote his life, says that he came forth from the
fortress "initiated in the mysteries and filled with the Spirit of God." Afterwards,
because of the press of the faithful, who deprived him of his solitude, he was
enlightened by God to journey with certain Bedouins, until he came to a mountain in
the desert near the Red Sea, where he passed the remaining part of his life. Saint
Athanasius says of him that "his countenance had a great and wonderful grace. This
gift also he had from the Saviour. For if he were present in a great company of monks,
and any one who did not know him previously wished to see him, immediately coming
forward he passed by the rest, and hurried to Anthony, as though attracted by his
appearance. Yet neither in height nor breadth was he conspicuous above others, but in
the serenity of his manner and the purity of his soul."
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'So passing his life, and becoming an example of virtue and a rule for monastics,
he reposed on January 17 in the year 356, having lived together some 105 years.' (Great
Horologion)
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Speaking of the demonic temptations and struggles with the passions that beset
those who seek their salvation, St Anthony said: "All these trials are to your advantage.
Do away with temptation and no one will be saved."
source: http://www.abbamoses.com
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