17 January – Saint Anthony the Great, Abbot

Memorial (Ordinary Time)

Father of all monks.

Sold everything after hearing “Go, sell what you have, give to the poor, and come follow me” — took it literally at 20, gave away a fortune, and headed into the Egyptian desert to fight demons, silence, and boredom for the rest of his very long life (died at 105).

Temptations came hard: gold in the desert, wild beasts, seductive visions — he beat them all with prayer and fasting. Disciples gathered. He visited Paul the Hermit once, fed by the famous raven. When he died, two lions dug his grave.

Athanasius wrote his biography — bestseller that launched a thousand monasteries and helped convert Augustine.

Patron against skin diseases (“St. Anthony’s fire”), of animals (blessing of pets on his day), gravediggers, butchers, basket weavers.

Green vestments. Ordinary Time deepens with the man who showed the world how ordinary life can become extraordinary when you leave everything for Christ.

In a culture addicted to noise and stuff, Anthony still whispers: the desert is closer than you think.

“Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.”

St. Anthony the Great, pray for us — that we may fight the real demons and hear the real silence.

#Avi #Catholic #AnthonyTheGreat #DesertFather #FaithAndCrypto