Jan 17 – Memorial for St. Anthony, abbot
Following the death of his parents when he was about 20, St. Anthony (251-356) ensured that his sister completed her education, then sold his house, furniture, and the land he owned, gave the proceeds to the poor, joined the anchorites who lived nearby, and moved into an empty sepulchre. At 35, he moved alone to the desert, living 20 years in an abandoned fort.
Anthony barricaded the place for solitude, but admirers broke in. He miraculously healed people and agreed to be the spiritual counsellor of others. His recommendation was to base life on the gospel. Word spread, and so many disciples arrived that Anthony founded two monasteries on the Bile, one at Pispir, one at Arsinoe. Many of those who lived near him supported themselves by making baskets and brushes, and from that came his patronage of those trades.
Anthony briefly left his seclusion in 311, going to Alexandria to fight Arianism, and to comfort the victims of Maximinus’ persecution. At some point in his life, he met with his sister again. She, too, had withdrawn from the world, and directed a community of nuns. Anthony retired to the desert, living in a cave on Mount Colzim.
Descriptions paint him as uniformly modest and courteous. His example led many to take up the monastic life, and to follow his way. He became a friend late in life of St. Paul the Hermit, and buried the aged anchorite, leading to his patronage of gravediggers. His biography was written by his friend St. Athanasius.
His relationship with pigs and patronage of swineheards is a little complicated. Skin diseases were sometimes treated with applications of pork fat, which reduced inflammation and itching. As Anthony’s intervention aided in the same conditions, he was shown in art accompanied by a pig. People who saw the artwork, but did not have it explained, thought there was a direct connection between Anthony and pigs — and people who worked with swine took him as their patron.
- Patron Saint Index
1 Sam 9:1-4,17-19,10:1
Mk 2:13-17
“You are the man…who must save them (the Lord’s people) from the power of the enemies surrounding them.”
A deviation from the usual. This reflection is neither on the Gospel or the First Reading but on the Saint that is remembered on this day. Today, we celebrate St. Anthony the Abbot, also known as St. Anthony of Egypt or St. Anthony the Great. He is not to be confused with another saint with the same name, St. Anthony of Padua.
St. Anthony the Abbot is a very unique character. He is often referred to as the father of Christian monasticism. He led a monastic life and in varying stages of asceticism, increasing in solitude. His diet was austere, eating only bread and water, and only after sun set. Knowing his background, one would be surprised at his behaviour.
At the age of eighteen or twenty years old, upon the death of his parents, he inherited 300 acres of land and the responsibility of caring for a young sister. However, instead of living a life of luxury, he heard the calling of the Lord, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” (Mt 19:21). At that, St. Anthony gave away all his property, except for what they needed to live on. Later, he gave away the rest of his possessions and entrusted his sister to a convent and began his monastic life of praying, fasting and manual labour.
St. Anthony was not content just to listen and ponder; he wanted to act and become what Jesus said and taught. He had unwavering faith and courage in following Jesus and was well known for his battles with temptations and the devil. His wisdom drew a lot of attention — people sought him out to learn from him, to be comforted by his words and for miraculous healings that his intercession brought. He lived a life of radical faith and perseverance, to the ripe old age of 105.
Certainly, St. Anthony’s asceticism is not for everyone, nor is God asking for everyone to live to the extreme like he did. But there is something to be learned from St. Anthony. His perseverance in faith and prayer, not only in words but practice. His zeal for God’s words and for the Christian life. He inspires us to a life of devotion and self-denial. This is much harder in the present age when everything is so readily available at the touch of a button. Because of these difficulties in fighting off distractions and temptations, we can gain better self-control and prevail in our own spiritual battle; and in doing so, we become more Christ like. Now, isn’t that worth fighting for?
(Today’s OXYGEN by Winnie Kung)
Prayer: My most precious Lord, please give us the grace of faith and perseverance, like You did St. Anthony. Please guide us and protect us in our own spiritual battle. St. Anthony, pray for us.
Thanksgiving: Heavenly Father, we thank you for loving us. You have offered us redemption through the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus. You have also provided us with guidance through the Holy Spirit, Mother Mary, all the angels and saints. Thank you for always thinking about us and helping us.
OXYGEN 
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