Saint Anthony

From New World Encyclopedia
Saint Anthony
StAnthony.jpg
Father of Christian Monasticism
Born 251, Heracleus, Egypt
Died 356, Mount Colzim, Egypt

Feast Day January 17 (Western Calender)

Tobi 22 (Jan. 30) (Eastern/Coptic Calendars)


Iconographic Symbols bell; book; crutch; hermit; man with a pig at his side; pig; Saint Anthony's cross (tau-shaped); tau cross with a bell on the end.

Areas of Patronage amputees; animals; basket makers; brushmakers; Burgio, Sicily; butchers; domestic animals; eczema; epilepsy, ergotism; erysipelas; graveyards; hermits; Hospitallers; monks; pigs; relief from pestilence; Saint Anthony's fire; skin diseases; skin rashes; swineherds; lost items

A Typical Prayer to Saint Anthony

Lord God, You gave Saint Anthony the Abbott the grace of serving in the desert in prayer with You. Aided by his intercession, may we practice self-denial and hence always love You above all things. Amen.

Saint Anthony the Great (251 - 356), also known as Saint Anthony of Egypt, Saint Anthony of the Desert, Saint Anthony the Anchorite, and The Father of All Monks, was an early Christian ascetic, later sanctified for his exemplary devotion to the lifestyle and teachings of Christ. He was an unofficial leader and spokesman of the Desert Fathers, a loosely-organized group of Christian hermits who left hearth and home to take up residence in the harsh Eyptian desert as a form of imitatio Christi. Though no surviving texts are unequivocally attributed to him, Anthony's life is recounted in considerable hagiographic detail in Bishop Athanasius's Vita Antonii - the source of many tales of his spirtual strivings and the means by which the remainder of the Christian polity came to know of this retiring Egyptian "monk."[1]

His feast day is celebrated on January 17th in some churches, but celebrated on Tobi 22 (January 30) in the Coptic Orthodox Church and the Coptic Catholic Church (both of which have the closest cultural and geographical ties to him).

Life of St. Anthony

Context

Though Anthony is often recognized as the "Father of Monasticism," such a title is somewhat misleading, as eremetic (solitary, often desert-dwelling) Christian, Jewish and pagan monasticism was already being practiced throughout the known world. For example, the Hellenized Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria (20 B.C.E. - 40 C.E.) described such individuals in his De vita contemplativa (On the Contemplative Life), where he notes that their individual dwellings (and loosely-organized communal organizations) were long established in the harsh environments surrounding Lake Mareotis (close to Alexandria) and in other less-accessible regions. His account is notable for addressing both the actualities of their renunciation and also the motivations that could underlie such a difficult spiritual path:

When, therefore, men abandon their property without being influenced by any predominant attraction, they flee without even turning their heads back again, deserting their brethren, their children, their wives, their parents, their numerous families, their affectionate bands of companions, their native lands in which they have been born and brought up, though long familiarity is a most attractive bond, and one very well able to allure any one. And they depart, not to another city as those do who entreat to be purchased from those who at present possess them, being either unfortunate or else worthless servants, and as such seeking a change of masters rather than endeavouring to procure freedom (for every city, even that which is under the happiest laws, is full of indescribable tumults, and disorders, and calamities, which no one would submit to who had been even for a moment under the influence of wisdom), but they take up their abode outside of walls, or gardens, or solitary lands, seeking for a desert place, not because of any ill-natured misanthropy to which they have learnt to devote themselves, but because of the associations with people of wholly dissimilar dispositions to which they would otherwise be compelled, and which they know to be unprofitable and mischievous.

...

And in every house there is a sacred shrine which is called the holy place, and the monastery in which they retire by themselves and perform all the mysteries of a holy life, bringing in nothing, neither meat, nor drink, nor anything else which is indispensable towards supplying the necessities of the body, but studying in that place the laws and the sacred oracles of God enunciated by the holy prophets, and hymns, and psalms, and all kinds of other things by reason of which knowledge and piety are increased and brought to perfection. Therefore they always retain an imperishable recollection of God, so that not even in their dreams is any other object ever presented to their eyes except the beauty of the divine virtues and of the divine powers. Therefore many persons speak in their sleep, divulging and publishing the celebrated doctrines of the sacred philosophy. And they are accustomed to pray twice every day, at morning and at evening; when the sun is rising entreating God that the happiness of the coming day may be real happiness, so that their minds may be filled with heavenly light, and when the sun is setting they pray that their soul, being entirely lightened and relieved of the burden of the outward senses, and of the appropriate object of these outward senses, may be able to trace out truth existing in its own consistory and council chamber.[2]

In this way, it is notable that the renunciant path was not an alien mode of spiritual praxis to Anthony, who was raised as an Egyptian Christian. Indeed, E. C. Butler notes that "long before [Anthony's time] it had been usual for Christians to practice asceticism, abstain from marriage and exercising themselves in self-denial, fasting, prayer, and works of piety; but this they had done in the midst of their families, and without leaving house or home. Later on, in Egypt. such ascetics lived in huts, in the outskirts of the towns and villages, and this was the common practice about 270."[3] However, Anthony's contribution, as discussed elow, was as an exemplar whose exploits were publicized far beyond the his desert fastness, making this mode of devoted existence known throughout the Christian communion. Also, he was of the first to truly take renunciation to the desert, denying the supports of home and community relied upon by the vast majority of his predecessors.

Textual History

Most of what we know about the life of St Anthony is derived from the Greek vita (Life of Antony) by Athanasius (d. 373), a text that was highly influential throughout the Eastern Christian world. Following its composition, it was soon translated into Latin, which allowed its influence to be extended throughout the Western half of the Holy Roman Empire.

All further information comes from a limited selection of surviving homilies and epistles, all of which provide some scant autobiographical details. Unfortunately, their attribution to Saint Anthony has been roundly questioned.[4]

Biography

In the year 251 C.E., Anthony was born into an upper class Christian family near Heraclea, in Upper Egypt. He had an unremarkable childhood and adolescence, which was abruptly shattered in 271 with the death of his parents, who left him with the care of his unmarried sister. Not long after, he was attending a mass and was transfixed by the Gospel's depiction of the Christian path of renunciation: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven; and come, follow Me." (Matthew 19:21). Taking these teachings to heart, Anthony decided that he too wanted to embark on this path of devoted practice. So, he gave his wealth to the poor and needy and placed his sister with a group of Christian virgins (a proto-nunnery), freeing himself from personal and financial obligations, which, in turn, allowed him to devote his entire energy to the path of renunciation that had so captivated him.

Anthony's anchoritic (from the Greek: "to withdraw") lifestyle was remarkably harsher than that practiced by his ascetic predecessors, as he was one of the first to attempt living in the desert proper, completely cut off from civilization. Specifically, he chose to head directly into the arid alkali-plains region called the Nitra (in Latin) (Wadi al-Natrun today), about 95 km west of Alexandria, some of the most rugged terrain of the Western Desert. His flight from society was motivated by a desire to imitate Christ's forty day sojourn in the desert.

During this time, the Vita (written by Saint Athanasius) describes the contest between St. Anthony and the Devil, who afflicted him with boredom, laziness, and the phantoms of women. It was only through a drawn-out battle and a steadfast reliance on the power of prayer that Anthony was able to emerge unscathed. After these trials, he sealed himself into a tomb, relying on some local villagers to provide him with food and water. Again, the Athanasian account states that the monk was confronted by the Devil, who beat him mercilessly and left him unconscious. When his patrons from the local village came to visit him and found him in this condition, they carried him to a church.

After he recovered, he made a second effort, going even further into the desert, to a mountain by the Nile called Pispir (now Der el Memun), opposite Arsinoë in the Fayyum. Here he enclosed himself in an abandoned Roman fort, where he remained for some twenty years. According to Athanasius, the devil again resumed his war against Saint Anthony, only this time the phantoms were in the form of wild beasts, wolves, lions, snakes and scorpions. They appeared as if they were about to attack him or cut him into pieces. By this point, the saint's spiritual devotions had reached such a level that he could laugh at them scornfully and say, "If any of you have any authority over me, only one would have been sufficient to fight me." At his saying this, they disappeared as though in smoke, and God gave him the victory over the devils. While in the fort he only communicated with the outside world by a crevice through which food would be passed and he would say a few words. Saint Anthony would prepare a quantity of bread that would sustain him for six months. He did not allow anyone to enter his cell: whoever came to him, stood outside and listened to his advice.

The main altar of the hermitage church in Warfhuizen in the Netherlands with a mural of Anthony Abbot and a reliquary with some of his relics.

The one day he emerged from the fort with the help of villagers to break down the door. By this time most had expected him to have wasted away, or gone insane in his solitary confinement, but he emerged healthy, serene, and enlightened. Everyone was amazed he had been through these trials and emerged spiritually rejuvenated. He was hailed as a hero and from this time forth the legend of Anthony began to spread and grow.

The backstory of one of the surviving epistles, directed to Constantine I recounts how the fame of Saint Anthony spread abroad and reached Emperor Constantine. The Emperor wrote to him, offering him praise and asked him to pray for him. The brethren were pleased with the Emperor's letter, but Anthony did not pay any attention to it, and he said to them, "The books of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, commands us everyday, but we do not heed what they tell us, and we turn our backs on them." Under the persistence of the brethren who told him, "Emperor Constantine loves the church," he accepted to write him a letter blessing him, and praying for the peace and safety of the empire and the church.

Then he went to the Fayyum and confirmed the brethren there in the Christian faith, then returned to his old Roman fort. Anthony wished to become a martyr and went to Alexandria. He visited those who were imprisoned for the sake of Christ and comforted them. When the Governor saw that he was confessing his Christianity publicly, not caring what might happen to him, he ordered him not to show up in the city. However, the Saint did not heed his threats. He faced him and argued with him in order that he might arouse his anger so that he might be tortured and martyred, but it did not happen.

Then he went back to the old Roman fort and many came to visit him and to hear his teachings. He saw that these visits kept him away from his worship. As a result, he went further into the Eastern Desert of Egypt. He travelled to the inner wilderness for three days, until he found a spring of water and some palm trees, and then he chose to settle there. On this spot now stands the monastery of Saint Anthony the Great. On occasions, he would go to the monastery on the outskirts of the desert by the Nile to visit the brethren, then return to his inner monastery.

According to Athanasius, Saint Anthony heard a voice telling him, "Go out and see." He went out and saw an angel who wore a girdle with a cross, one resembling the holy Eskiem (Tonsure or Schema), and on his head was a head cover (Kolansowa). He was sitting while braiding palm leaves, then he stood up to pray, and again he sat to weave. A voice came to him saying, "Anthony, do this and you will rest." Henceforth, he started to wear this tunic that he saw, and began to weave palm leaves, and never got bored again. Saint Anthony prophesied about the persecution that was about to happen to the church and the control of the heretics over it, the church victory and its return to its formal glory, and the end of the age. When Saint Macarius visited Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony clothed him with the monk's garb, and foretold him what would be of him. When the day drew near of the departure of Saint Paul the First Hermit in the desert, Saint Anthony went to him and buried him, after clothing him in a tunic which was a present from St Athanasius the Apostolic, the 20th Patriarch of Alexandria.

When Saint Anthony felt that the day of his departure had approached, he commanded his disciples to give his staff to Saint Macarius, and to give one sheepskin cloak to Saint Athanasius and the other sheepskin cloak to Saint Serapion, his disciple. He further instructed his disciples to bury his body in an unmarked, secret grave, lest his body become an object of veneration. He stretched himself on the ground and gave up his spirit. Saint Anthony the Great lived for 105 years and departed on the year 356. Probably he spoke only his native language, Coptic, but his sayings were spread in a Greek translation. He himself left no writings. His biography was written by Saint Athanasius and titled Life of Saint Anthony the Great. Many stories are also told about him in various collections of sayings of the Desert Fathers.

Cultural Impact of the Vita Antonii

Some of the stories included in Saint Anthony's biography are perpetuated now mostly in paintings, where they give an opportunity for artists to depict their more lurid or bizarre fantasies. Many pictorial artists, from Hieronymus Bosch to Salvador Dalí, have depicted these incidents from the life of Anthony; in prose, the tale was retold and embellished by Gustave Flaubert.


afflicted by the Devil with boredom, laziness, and the phantoms of women, which he fought with and overcame through the power of prayer. providing a theme for Christian art.

Founder of monasticism

Saint Anthony and Saint Paul the Hermit are seen as the founders of Christian monasticism. Saint Paul the Hermit is lauded by Saint Anthony as the first hermit. The monastery of Saint Paul the Hermit exists to this day in Egypt. Saint Anthony himself provided the example that others would follow (see Saint Pachomius). Anthony himself did not organize or create a monastery, but a community grew up around him based on his example of living an ascetic and isolated life. Those who wished to follow him needed the company of others to survive the harsh conditions.

Monastery of St. Anthony the Great

The fortress-like Coptic Monastery of St Anthony the Great stands at an oasis spring in the Red Sea Mountains, 155 km (100 miles) south east of Cairo. It was founded in the mid-4th century, perhaps in 356, on Saint Anthony's burial site. The Coptic Orthodox monastery, presided over by an abbot, is the oldest Christian monasteries in the world.

In 2005 it was reported that monks' cells dating to the 4th century - the oldest ever found - had been discovered at the monastery, beneath the Apostles Church.International Herald Tribune

Notes

  1. Note: The term "monk" is used in quotation marks because the idea of Christian monasticism was yet inchoate at this early period in the tradition's history. Indeed, Anthony was, in this way, a spiritual innovator who was responsible for the notion of a Christian life entirely dedicated to religious faith and observance. However, it was not until the time of Saint Pachomius that these ideas became formalized into a tradition proper.
  2. From "The Contemplative Life or Suppliants" in The Works of Philo, translated by C. D. Yonge, (London: H. G. Bohn, 1854-1890), sections II (18-20) and III (25-27). Accessed online at: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/yonge/book34.html.
  3. E. C. Butler, "St. Anthony" in The Catholic Encyclopedia. Accessed online at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01553d.htm.
  4. Though such difficulties and ambiguities are frustrating for the modern historical scholar, it must be noted that the authors of these hagiographic sources had a far different motives for memorializing their religious "heroes." Often, these accounts were the only means whereby the saint's message/example would ever be known outside of their particular localities. In this way, writing hagiography was both a means of conveying that exemplarity for popular consumption and also of demonstrating their own commitment to the ideals and the person of the sainted individual being thus described. As such, though historical accuracy is sometimes questioned, the spiritual validity and utility of such texts cannot be. See Derek Kruger's "Writing as Devotion: Hagiographical Composition and the Cult of the Saints in Theodoret of Cyrrhus and Cyril of Scythopolis," Church History, Vol. 66 (4), Dec. 1997, 707-719.

References
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  • The Greek Vita of Athanasius. Ed. by G.J.M. Bartelink ('Vie d'Antoine'). Paris 2000. Sources Chretiennes 400.
  • The almost contemporary Latin translation: in Heribert Rosweyd, Vitae Patrum (Migne, Patrologia Latina. lxxiii.). New critical edition and study of this Latin translation: P.H.E. Bertrand, Die Evagriusübersetzung der Vita Antonii: Rezeption - Überlieferung - Edition. Unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Vitas Patrum-Tradition. Utrecht 2005 (dissertation) [free available: http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2006-0221-200251/index.htm]
  • An English translation: in Philip Schaff and Henry Wace, editors Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series II, vol. IV Full text on-line, with criticisms pro and con of the attribution of this vita to Athanasius.

Historical and critical

  • Bertrand, P.H.E. Die Evagriusübersetzung der Vita Antonii: Rezeption - Überlieferung - Edition. Unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Vitas Patrum-Tradition. Utercht 2005. [dissertation] [freely available: http://igitur-archive.library.uu.nl/dissertations/2006-0221-200251/index.htm]
  • Butler, E. C. Lausiac History of Palladius. 1898, 1904. The W.K.L. Clarke Translation (London: SPCK, and NY: Macmillan, both 1918) is available online at Medieval Sourcebook.
  • Butler, E. C. "St. Anthony the Great." Catholic Encyclopedia, 1908:.
  • Kruger, Derek. "Writing as Devotion: Hagiographical Composition and the Cult of the Saints in Theodoret of Cyrrhus and Cyril of Scythopolis." Church History. Vol. 66 (4). Dec. 1997, 707-719.
  • Rubenson, S. The Letters of St. Antony: Monasticism and the Making of a Saint. Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 1995.

Texts attributed to St Anthony

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