The previous article talked about the Egyptian St. Antony the Father of all monks in the world and his glorious biography that spread throughout Egypt and drew many to monastic life, it was the spark to the ascetic life in the whole world; particularly after PopeAthanasius the Apostolic wrote his book“The Life of St. Antony” in which he gave a reason for that: “Because Antony’s life deserves to be set as an example and a prototype to monks in practicing the spiritual practices.”;Then the visits of manyfathers to Egypt and registration of monastic life therein.
St. Antony’s life presented a true living reality of monasticism itself;as the Thrice Beatified Pope Shenouda III mentioned: “Monasticism is life and not just only a life but it is growing in this life until a person reaches monastic perfection.”
Monastic life according to St. Antony’s life aims to being free from this world and unity with God pursuing spiritual perfection, and living pure life with modesty. It is an angelic life that everyone seeks to acquire after long efforts to be ready for eternal life. In St. Antony’s life we saw the ascetic life and devotion when he gave all what he had to the poor and lived in the wilderness solely for worshipping God. During the journey of his abstinence, prayer was the oar that helped him to propel through lifetime. And when the thoughts of boredom attacked him, he asked God to guide him, thus he saw an angel in the form of a human wearing an outfit- later on that became the monastic outfit.
St. Antony used to pray and braid frond then pray again and continue working and that’s how he repeated the same action; after an angel told him: “do this and you’ll feel comfort”. And that’s how St. Antony’s life became continuous prayers and ongoing work.
St. Antony didn’t leave the wilderness except for two times: the first time was when he went to Alexandria to get the wreath of martyrdom; so he served prisoners andaccompanied martyrs during their trials until their martyrdom, but God kept him safe for the benefit of others. As for the second time it was when he went to support Pope Athanasius the Apostolic in defending the Christian faith against the twisted preaches of Arians.
The name of St. Antony was connected to each of Pope Athanasius the Apostolic (the twentieth Patriarch of Alexandria) and St. Paul the Anchorite whom we celebrated his departure a few days ago.
St. Paul
The two great Saints, St. Antony and St. Paulhave met just before the departure of St. Paul from this world; then St. Antony placed his body in shrouds and buried him. In addition he told us his biography, his abstinence and his holiness.
Paul was born in Alexandria where a quarrel happened between him and his brother after their father’s deathdue to inheritance; thus they decided to invoke justice. While the two brothers were on their way, a funeral passed by and Paul knew that the dead man was one of the richest people in the city so he stopped before that scene thinking about this man who left that world without taking anything with him; so the world with all its glory and temptations diminished in his eyes and he asked his brother to return at once and drop the case then he left all the money to his brother willingly; in addition he went to the wilderness to pray and worship God.
At first Paul went out of the town to spend some days at one of the graves as he wanted the desire for the world to die into his heart. He kept praying and asking God to guide him in his new path. Then he went to the Eastern wilderness after an angel appeared to him to guide his way; he stayed at one of the mountains in complete solitude and worship for more than seventy years during which he never saw a man!!
His outfit was made of fiber which he himself made. God supported him in the wilderness as every day a crow comes carrying half a loaf of bread to him besides whatever he can find from palm fruits and some mountain herbs; while he drank water from a spring near the cave that he inhabited.
One day St. Antony felt deep down his heart…
Stories about Beautiful Egypt never end!
General Bishop,
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
