Biography
of Saint Antony of Egypt
1. Introduction
Each saint is a gift which God sent to us. Reading the
biographies of saints helps us to follow Jesus more closely and to love him
intimately. Saints are good models for all of us, showing in their lives how
they follow radically the life of Jesus. Our Catholic faith has shown us the
lives of many saints. The experiences of the saints express the various ways God
loves human beings like us. Saints are witnesses of God in the Christian life.
Throughout church history, each saint demonstrates different character as well
as different ways to become witnesses of God. One saint, in whose life I am
interested, is Saint Antony of Egypt. This essay will look at the life of Saint
Antony, his teachings, and explore some of his influences on the early Church
as well as on Christian life today.
2. The life of saint Antony of Egypt
Less than six months after his parents died, Antony went
to church, where he heard the Word of God from the Gospel of Matthew, “Go, sell your possessions, and give the
money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven”, (Mt, 19: 21). Antony
When Antony was twenty one years old, he wanted to
become a hermit and lived in his tomb which was near Coma until he was 34 years
old. After that, he spent 20 years living in the desert in the ruins of an old
castle on the top of a mountain[3].
When Antony
A short time before his death, Antony
3. The teachings of saint Antony
One of the teachings that Saint Antony taught his
disciples was how to cast out demons through prayer, silence and fasting. Because
of his many years experience in the desert, Antony had a close relationship
with God who can cast out demons. Antony
4. Some influences of Antony in the early Church as well as the Christian
life
One of the most significant influences of saint Antony
in Church history is that he was the father of the hermit. In his whole life,
he spent time being in his tomb and in the desert. It is clear that the life of
a hermit was difficult for him during his time in the tomb and his 20 years in
the desert. He lived in poor conditions, engaged in prayer and religious
reading. His only food was bread and a little salt, without drinking water. He
wanted to become “a model of humility, piety, and self- discipline.”[8]
During that time, he often encountered temptations from devils but he still believed
in God, his Master. When assaulted by the devils, he would tell them, “Nothing
shall separate me from Christ my Lord”.[9]
As he lived in the desert for 20 years, he had time to train himself in
solitude, never going forth and seldom seen by anyone.[10]
He had time to be silent and listen to God’s Word. Therefore, life in desert
helped him to have a close relationship with God.
Another influence of saint Antony is that he was also the
father of Monasticism. After he founded his monastery, there were many people
who wanted to hear his teaching and they became monks in his monastery. He was
a good example for his disciples in spending time praying and working. He
believed that keeping the hands busy is to escape from temptations.[11]
Moreover, when he worked outside, he still kept his heart living in solitude.
For example, when “the governor of Egypt invited him to stay longer in the
city, he declined and said ‘fish die if they are taken from the water; so does
a monk wither away if he forsakes his solitude’.”[12]
Thus, saint Antony became a good example for everyone in the monastic life.
Finally, saint Antony dramatically influenced the
Christian life not only in his time but also today. It is necessary for people
when they read Saint Antony to realise that spending time living in solitude is
the best way to communicate with God. Therefore, they can realise values as
well as meaning in life through saint Antony.
5. In conclusion
Saint Antony has influenced significantly Church history
as well as the Christian life. Some main points we can learn from saint Antony
are that he had a life in desert and the way of his teachings. Moreover, he was
the father of the hermit, the father of Monasticism as well as a good example
for people to communicate with God by praying and living in solitude.
(1,120 words)
Bibliography
Comby, Jean. How to read
church history. Vol.1. London
Coptic, Saint Anthony, father of
the monks.
http://www.coptic.net/synexarion/Anthony.txt
Saint Antony of Egypt
http://www.ewtn.com/library/mary/antony.htm
Saint Athanasius. The Life of
Anthony. Ancient Christian Writers Vol.10. Trans. Robert T. Meyer. Westminster , MA
[1] Saint Antony of Egypt
http://www.ewtn.com/library/mary/antony.htm
[2] Saint Athanasius, The Life of
Anthony, Ancient Christian Writers Vol.10, trans. Robert T. Meyer
(Westminster, MA: The Newman Press, 1950), 18.
[3] Saint Antony of Egypt
[4] Saint Athanasius, Saint
Antony the hermit, trans. Dom F.B. Mc Laughlin, O.S.B (London: Burns and
Washbourne, 1924), 24.
[5] Saint Antony of Egypt
[6]Saint Athanasius, The Life of
Anthony, 39.
[7]Saint Athanasius, The Life of
Anthony, 52.
[8] Saint Antony of Egypt
[9] Ibid.
[10] Jean Comby, How to read
church history, Vol.1, (London: SCM Press, 1985), 83.
[11] Coptic, Saint Anthony, father
of the monks.
http://www.coptic.net/synexarion/Anthony.txt
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