17 January: Saint Anthony the Abbot

Father of all Monks

Anthony is considered the Father of Monasticism. Details of his life are narrated in “The Life of Anthony”, by Saint Athanasius of Alexandria, written in 360 AD. Anthony was born to a wealthy family, in Koma, Egypt, on the left bank of the Nile, around 251. He was an orphan by the time he was 18 years old. Two years later, taking the Gospel literally, he sold all his possessions, distributed them to the poor and withdrew into the desert to live a life of penance.

He spent many years living as a hermit inside an ancient tomb carved into the rock, fighting against the temptations of the devil, who often appeared to him to distract him from his purpose. Anthony defeated the temptations through fasting and penance.

As his reputation for being an anchorite quickly spread among the faithful, Anthony, who wanted to live completely detached from the world, was forced to change his place of retreat several times.

Around 311, he travelled to Alexandria to help and comfort Christians who were being persecuted by Emperor Maximinus. He then travelled to Thebaid, and retreated on Mount Colzim, near the Red Sea, before returning to Alexandria again to fight against Arianism.

Although his life was difficult and filled with hardship, Anthony lived to be 105 years old. He died on 17 January 355, in his hermitage on Mount Colzim. A church and a monastery were built on his tomb, which soon became a site of worship for the faithful. His relics were moved to Constantinople in 635, and to France between the ninth and tenth centuries. His relics are currently in the Church of Saint Julian in Arles.

Because he is considered the protector of animals, an image of Saint Anthony was often depicted on stable doors. He is invoked against epidemics, fires and the herpes zoster, known as “Saint Anthony’s fire”.