St. Antony: Father of Monks
Br. Keith Nelson
St. Antony of Egypt is known as the “father of monks.” Antony died in 356, and lived as a hermit – a solitary monk – for most of his life. But his single-hearted search for union with God inspired and shaped both solitary and communal forms of monasticism for centuries to come.
In our chapel window, St. Antony is depicted with a cross-shaped staff with a bell hanging from it. At his feet, the devil – much smaller than Antony – cowers and covers his ears at the sound. A pig behind Antony represents the temptation of gluttony.
Antony’s many temptations by demons in the wilds of the Egyptian desert followed the pattern of Jesus’ own forty days in the wilderness, tempted by Satan. The earliest monastics of Egypt, Syria, and Palestine did not simply believe in demons, the way nearly all ancient peoples did. Rather, they knew demons by direct experience: those minions of Satan who manipulate our innermost thoughts and feelings to lead us down paths that do not lead to life. They also knew the power of speaking aloud words that correctly named the offending demon, and the words of Scripture to weave a net of protection and blessing in response to each habitual thought that might ensnare, distract, or even persecute them.
In one of the most dramatic scenes from the Life of Antony, St. Antony spends several nights keeping vigil in a nearby tomb early in his monastic training. Tombs were the homes of unseen spirits, places given over to the power of death, so this was a direct, offensive attack against Satan. Satan sends against Antony a whole array of demons in the form of vicious wild animals, but they can only gather around him and threaten him with noise. Antony says, “If you are able, and you did receive authority over me, don’t hold back, but attack. But if you are unable, why, when it is vain, do you disturb me?” Finally, they depart and Antony sees the roof being opened and a beam of light descends upon him, relieving his pain. He asks the Lord, “Where were you? Why didn’t you help me sooner?” A voice answers, “I was here, Antony, but I waited to watch your struggle. And now, since you persevered and were not defeated, I will be your helper forever.”
“And now, since you have persevered and were not defeated, I will be your helper forever.”
In midlife, Antony spent twenty years as a hermit living in an abandoned fortress in the desert. The Life of Antony describes the moment when his friends and followers finally came and forcibly removed the door: “Antony came forth as though from some shrine, having been led into divine mysteries and inspired by God. . . . The state of his soul was one of purity, for it was not constricted by grief, nor relaxed by pleasure, nor affected by either laughter or dejection. He maintained utter equilibrium.”
Antony’s strict life of solitude, silence, fasting, and prayer led him to die and rise with Christ many times over in his heart. His likeness to Christ drew to him many in search of healing and wholeness. Eventually, Antony came to know a constant sense of union with the Lord, whether alone in the desert or surrounded by those seeking his counsel. Wherever he was, Antony embodied equanimity: the balance and peace Christ bestows in all circumstances.
Questions for Reflection
Antony spent years living in solitude, embracing silence as a way to deepen his relationship with God.
How do you experience solitude in your life?
What role does silence play in your spiritual life, and how can you cultivate more space for God in your daily routine?
Antony wondered why God did not help him sooner in his time of struggle.
Have you ever had a similar experience where you felt abandoned by God?
How can you learn to trust in God’s presence and faithfulness, even when it feels like God is silent or distant?
