Feast of St. Anthony of Egypt
The Feast of St. Anthony of Egypt is celebrated on January 17 and honors one of the most venerated saints in Christianity, recognized by the Roman Catholic Church and most Eastern Orthodox churches. St. Anthony, born around 250 in Egypt to wealthy Christian parents, embraced a life of asceticism after hearing a Gospel message that inspired him to give away his possessions. Following the death of his parents, he distributed his wealth to the needy and withdrew into solitude to pursue a deep spiritual life, initially living in an empty tomb and later in an abandoned fort for two decades.
Regarded as the founder of Christian monasticism, Anthony's life influenced the establishment of organized communities of hermits who sought spiritual discipline and communal living. He eventually became a spiritual leader for these groups, although he did not write a specific rule for monastic life. His legacy includes not only his teachings and way of life but also his role as a patron saint of herdsmen. St. Anthony's death at a venerable age and the subsequent discoveries of his relics further solidified his reverence in Christian tradition, making his feast day an occasion for reflection on his contributions to monasticism and spiritual devotion.
Feast of St. Anthony of Egypt
Feast of St. Anthony of Egypt
St. Anthony, also known as Anthony of Egypt, Anthony the Abbot, and Anthony of the Desert, is one of the most widely venerated Catholic saints. His feast was observed on January 17 in Jerusalem as early as the fifth century and was introduced in Rome in the 12th century. It is still celebrated on this day by the Roman Catholic Church and most Eastern Orthodox churches.
Anthony was born in Egypt about the year 250 or 251. The exact date is unknown, as is his precise birthplace. His parents were wealthy Christians and gave him a religious education. They died when he was 20 years old, leaving him their property, a fertile farm of more than 200 acres. Anthony was religiously inclined, and one day after he had heard in church the Gospel message “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell all thou hast,” he sold most of his property and distributed the proceeds to the needy. He stayed only to see that his sister's education was completed, sending her to a religious house after providing for her with part of his estate.
Anthony then withdrew from the world and adopted various ascetic practices, at first remaining in the neighborhood of his native town. He spent his time in prayer, study, and whatever manual labor was necessary to earn his living. Later, he lived in an empty tomb, where he was shut away by an obliging friend, who interrupted his solitude only to bring him bread. According to the Life of Anthony, written by St. Athanasius, one of Anthony's disciples and admirers, the recluse was assailed at various times by Satan and evil spirits, who tempted him spiritually and physically.
Regardless of the veracity of these stories, we do know that, at the age of 35, Anthony took up his abode in an abandoned fort on the mountain Pispir (now called Der el Memun), located near the Nile River. Here he lived for 20 years without looking at another human being. Food was thrown to Anthony over the wall of his retreat. Pilgrims visited the place, and those who wished to be his disciples lived in caves and huts in the neighborhood. Eventually, Anthony yielded to requests by pilgrims to be their spiritual leader, and in the early years of the fourth century (probably about 305), he devoted himself to the instruction of the colony of hermits that grew up around him. Unlike later monastics, Anthony did not write a rule (a book of regulations for leading a religious life) for his followers, being content simply to organize them into communities of isolated cells and loosely oversee their activities.
Eventually, Anthony withdrew to a distant retreat on Mount Kolzim, located on the South Qalala desert plateau about 100 miles southeast of Cairo and 20 miles west of the Red Sea. At this spot there now stands the monastery that bears his name: Der Mar Antonios. Here he spent the remaining decades of his long life, sometimes receiving visitors, including Athanasius, who gathered material for his biography during their encounters. The recluse was so greatly venerated that the Roman emperor Constantine the Great asked to be remembered in his prayers.
The hermit made occasional trips to the scene of his previous retreat at Pispir and to Alexandria, to visit his followers in their hermitages, to preach against heresies, and to console Christians threatened with martyrdom. To those who implored him to remain in Alexandria, he replied, “As fish die if they are taken from the waters, so does a monk wither away if he forsake his solitude.” He apparently lived to be older than 100, dying peacefully on Mount Kolzim. Anthony's grave was discovered in the mid-sixth century, and his bones were taken to Alexandria. When the Muslims conquered Egypt 100 years later, his relics were taken for safekeeping to Constantinople and, in later centuries, were acquired by the French.
Anthony of Egypt is regarded as the founder of Christian monasticism and is often called the first monk. There had, of course, been ascetics before Anthony—a number of “desert fathers” had dwelt in more or less isolated cells to honor God through mental and bodily self-discipline. However, Anthony is generally credited with having been the first to organize monasticism as a particular way of life. He is also considered the patron saint of herdsmen, because of his solitary sojourns in desolate places.