Saint Anthony the Great

On losing his parents in 270, the wealthy 20 year old Egyptian Saint Anthony (250-356), impressed by the scripture in the Gospel of Matthew, “Go and sell what you possess and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven”, gave away his inheritance to those born in less priviliged circumstances than him. Anthony went to live in the desert as a solitary hermit dedicating himself to lonely contemplation thus becoming one of the first Christian monks. After spending a number of years in an abandoned fort, the entrance to which Anthony had barricaded, some of his admirers broke in. By the early 4th century his visions and several miraculous healings had attracted followers and he devoted several years to instructing these disciples in the ways of monastic life. Anthony then left his retreat to found a community of monks, at first only a group of separate and scattered cells. This was one of the earliest attempts to instruct people in the monastic way of life. After setting up this community Anthony was moved by the Spirit to go further into the desert on his own. There he spent most of his time meditating, worshipping, rope plaiting and maintaining a herb garden to feed those who had trekked through the desert for several days to visit him. At the age of 105, filled with serenity, he died in his remote retreat. In the middle of the 4th century his biography, written by St Athanasius, largely helped to spread the ideals of the ascetic movement. The many lurid temptations he grappled with later became a popular theme for Christian art.