St. Antony of the Desert was hailed
as a very saintly man, even by his contemporaries. Upon learning of his life, St. Augustine
exclaimed that he was “amazed to hear that so lately, and almost in our own
days, such wonderful things had been wrought by Thee”.[1] St. Athanasius, a close friend of Antony’s,
was so inspired by this holy man that he wrote a biography of his life,
saying, “[f]or I too gain much help from merely remembering Antony; and I know
that also when you hear, besides admiring the man, will wish to imitate his
purpose.”[2] St. Antony is known by various titles, such
as “the hermit” or “of the desert”, which gives the indication that he spent
his whole life in solitude in a cave, with not much influence on the world
around him. Although Antony did spend many
years in solitude, much of his life he dedicated to instructing fellow monks
and working miracles, all of which have had a profound impact even on the world
today.
Call
to Monasticism
As a young man, Antony heard the
words of the Gospel, “If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give
to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come follow Me” (Mt
19:21 DR). Deeply touched, Antony left behind all
worldly possessions to live a life of prayer and solitude in the deserts of Egypt. Antony spent thirty-five years in complete
solitude.[3] However, young men began coming out to him in
his desert retreat, begging him to teach them his way of life.
Teacher
of Monks
Antony left his cave and
began to instruct men how to live in monastic communities, “teaching spiritual
seekers hungry for guidance about living into loving relationship within the
will of God.”[4] Antony taught his brethren the importance of
imitating the virtue of their neighbors, observing “the meekness of one, the
charity of another”[5]. It was very important to Antony that if the
monks were to live together, that they should strive to raise each other
up. “It is well that we should encourage
each other in the Faith and stimulate each other with words.”[6] Through his teachings and his holy way of
life, he inspired many men and monasteries began to flourish. “The monasteries in the hills were like tents
filled with heavenly choirs… having love and harmony among themselves.”[7]
Healer
of Souls and Bodies
Antony guided not only his monks,
but any troubled souls that came to him for direction. He “exhorted that the cell must always be
open to the stranger and the brother.”[8] Antony was a tender father to all who sought
his advice. “His visitors he comforted,
but he himself fought, bending his knees and entreating the Lord.”[9] Often God worked miracles through Antony to
heal the sick. Sometimes, Antony would
not even come out to those who waited outside for his blessing, but he would
simply pray, and the sick would go away healed, praising God. While on a journey with his monks through the
desert, they had not been able to find water, and the brothers were dying of
thirst. “And the old man, seeing all in
danger was very grieved, and groaning, went a little way from them and prayed…
And at once the Lord made a spring come forth there where he was praying, and
so all drank and were refreshed.”[10]
Influence
on the World
Although Antony lived a secluded life so long ago, his
life has impacted the world even to present times. He was the first to lay down an ordered way
of life for religious. The demons were
aware of the influence this man would have on the world, and they tempted and
tortured him incessantly. Yet Antony
remained firm and it was through him that the foundation was laid for hundreds
of religious orders. Through a life “always
for God, and always for the world,”[11] one saintly hermit has changed the world.
[1] St. Athanasius, St. Antony of the Desert (Rockford, IL:
Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1995), vii.
[2] St. Athanasius, St. Antony, ix.
[3] Carol McDonough, “Christian
Hermits and Solitaries: Tracing the Antonian Hermit Traditions,” The Way 54, no. 1 (Jan 2015): 81.
[4] Carol McDonough, “Hermits and the
Roman Catholic Church: Recovering an Ancient Vocation,” The Way 54, no. 2 (Apr 2015), 58.
[5] St. Athanasius, St. Antony, 6.
[6] St. Athanasius, St. Antony, 23.
[7] St. Athanasius, St. Antony, 55.
[8] McDonough, “Christian Hermits and
Solitaries,” 81
[10] St. Athanasius, St. Antony, 64.
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