January: Day 17: Venerable Anthony the Great

January: Day 17:
Venerable Anthony the Great
 
(The Power of the Word of God, Work and Prayer in the Work of Saving Man)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. Venerable Anthony, whose memory is celebrated today, was born in Egypt in the middle of the 3rd century to rich and noble Christians and was raised by them in the fear of God and Christian piety. Frequently visiting the temple of God and listening attentively to the word of God, he once heard the words from the Gospel: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, then come and follow Me” (Matthew 19:21). These words sank deep into his heart, and he decided to part with the world and its treasures forever, he sold the rich inheritance received from his parents and gave the money to the poor. He had a sister in his care - he made arrangements for her, and he himself decided to serve God in complete solitude, and settled beyond the Nile River in a cave. Here he spent his time in work and prayer and in the strictest abstinence. He ate only bread and water, ate food after sunset and not every day. Sometimes he did not sleep for several days in a row, prayed at night, and wove baskets during the day, with which he bought himself bread. His desert life was hard! Cold, hunger, and heat - he experienced everything. And most importantly: he had to endure much from the enemy of the human race - the devil. The devil wanted to drive him out of the desert. And so around his solitude the ascetic often heard noises, and the likenesses of lions, wolves, snakes, scorpions appeared, all these likenesses threatened to attack him and rushed into his cave. The ascetic was horrified and trembled. The feeling of fear changed to regret about the money he had given away, about the pleasures of life he had left behind. He often became despondent, yearned, wept - his situation was most unbearable. In the midst of such a struggle and spiritual confusion, he once exclaimed: "Lord! What should I do? I want to be saved, but my thoughts are hindering me!" After these words he immediately saw before him a man who was working, and after working he began to pray, and after praying he began to work again. It was an angel sent from God to enlighten Venerable Anthony. Venerable Anthony understood what he needed to do. He increased his work and prayer, and after 20 years of staying in the coastal cave he finally achieved a bright and calm state of mind.

At first, Anthony lived alone, but the fame of his holy life began to spread. Many people began to flock to him, some to listen to his soul-saving instructions, and others to settle near him. Soon many monastic cloisters and hermitages were formed around him. Anthony became the leader of the monks.

Venerable Anthony lived in the desert for 85 years, and during this long period of time he left it only twice: the first time he went to Alexandria to console Christians persecuted for their faith and to strengthen the fainthearted in their faith; the second time was on the occasion of the appearance of the heresy of Arius, who rejected the Divinity of Jesus Christ and His equality with God the Father. Venerable Anthony, having rebuked some and admonished and strengthened others in the faith, returned to his desert. Feeling the approach of death, Anthony called to him two monks devoted to him and said: “The Lord calls me to Himself for eternal rest. Do not forget my instructions and place all your hope in the Lord.” He died in the 105th year of his life.

II. The life of Venerable Anthony teaches us the following truths:

a) The word of God has a beneficial effect on man. Great and long were the ascetic exploits of Venerable Anthony! But what drew him into the desert for such exploits? The words of the Gospel he heard one day in church: “If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you have...” Such is the effect the word of God has on the soul of man! Truly, the word of God is “sharper than any sword,” as the Apostle says. It is the “seed” that, having fallen on good soil, can bear a hundredfold fruit and grow into a great tree. It is that grace-filled power that can embrace the soul with the fire of Divine love and burn up every worldly passion in it. With what insatiability, with what attention one must read it!

b) From the life of Venerable Anthony the Great we learn to look at work as a means of promoting our salvation. So, instead of indulging in one or another thought, take up with all diligence the work to which you have been assigned, work from morning until evening, according to the words of the Psalmist: "A man shall go forth to his work and to his doing until evening" - whether you are a master, a servant, a boss or a subordinate, a mother or a father, a daughter or a son, a teacher or a student, a craftsman or a scholar, whoever you are, fulfill your duty according to conscience, with love, with zeal, as before God, as your best work - if you do so, thoughts will flee from you, for they will not find sympathy in you, just as uninvited and unexpected guests leave the host, from whom they do not see affection and attention to themselves.

c) But while working, do not forget prayer. Pray with all your zeal "in the morning," the Lord will grant you to spend this day without sin. Pray mentally with your heart, and if you can, then with your lips. And while working "in the middle of the day" through prayer you will maintain your communion and union with the Lord, you will bring the Lord closer to you, and you yourself will draw closer to Him, you will ask for success in your labors, the strength to avoid sin in their midst, you will sober up your mind and heart, so that they are not darkened by worldly vanity, worldly cares. Pray with all your zeal "and in the evening." Through prayer, your soul, troubled by thoughts, will be filled with joy, gladness, strength, courage. Just as in nature after a storm everything becomes clear, purified, the very air becomes purer, so in your soul after a storm of disturbing thoughts, through prayer peace, joy, and silence will be established - the enemy will move away, and the Lord will come closer, for “the Lord is near to all who call on Him.”

III. May He be close to all of us through the prayers of our Father Anthony.

 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.