Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot
The Father of Christian Monasticism
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I,II
Introduction
“If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own… and come, follow me.” Saint Anthony (251-356) heard these words, gave away what he had and withdrew into the desert, as he thought that this was the place where the evangelical way could be practiced in all its purity. Later Anthony organized monastic life for the “fathers of the desert” who had followed him and for whom he wrote a rule. For a while he left the desert to defend his faith against Arianism and to strengthen those suffering for the faith. Then he retired to the desert again.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
though he was a rich young man,
Saint Anthony did not refuse the invitation of Jesus
to renounce his material riches
and to follow your Son radically.
Through the prayers of St. Anthony,
may we too put our riches
not in what we have
but in what you give us and make us
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayers of the Faithful
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
Let these offerings of bread and wine express
that we welcome your Son in our midst.
As he places himself into our hands,
entirely and without holding anything back,
may he give us the wisdom and strength
to go all the way with him,
without becoming sad,
without looking back
and without counting the cost,
for he is our riches and Lord for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
you have satisfied our hunger
for food that lasts.
Let it be a hunger that cannot be stilled
for you, for people, for life in its fullness.
Give us the courage to put Jesus and his gospel
above everything else and to give you
not only the best of what we have
but our very selves,
by the power of Jesus Christ our Lord.
REFLECTIONS
Asceticism and prayer
His life was marked by solitude, fasting and work. Orphaned at 20, as a young man he gave all his goods to the poor and retired to the desert, where he also fought against the temptations of the devil, choosing the path of asceticism and prayer. Anthony was responsible for the establishment of families of monks who, under the guidance of a spiritual father, consecrated themselves to the service of God.
Saint Anthony and the blessing of animals
St. Anthony is often depicted next to a pig with a bell around its neck. This iconographic representation is linked to the fact that the ancient hospitaller order of the “Antonines” raised pigs because the fat of these animals was used to anoint the sick affected by ergotism. This disease was then called "the fire of Sant 'Antonio". On his feast day, the stalls are blessed, as are any domestic animals brought for blessing. In the iconography is associated with St. Anthony figures also the hermit’s staff in the form of T, the tau, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
A gift from God
In the biography Vita Antonii, St. Athanasius wrote these words referring to St. Anthony: "That he was everywhere known, admired and desired by everyone, even those who had not seen him, is a sign of his virtue and God-friendly soul. In fact, neither for writings nor for a profane wisdom nor for any capacity is Anthony known, but only for his piety towards God - and no one could deny that this is a gift from God. As indeed we would not have heard in Spain and in Gaul, in Rome and in Africa of this man, who lived withdrawn in the mountains, if God Himself had not made him known to all, as He does with those who belong to Him, and as He had announced to Anthony since the beginning? Even if Anthony acted in secret and desired to remain hidden, the Lord shows him and those like him to everyone, as a lamp, that those who hear about them know that it is possible to follow the commandments and take courage in following the path of virtue.”