1. Father of Christian Monasticism

2.  251 AD to 356 AD  St. Antony was the son of a well-to-do family in Egypt. When he was eighteen his parents died, leaving him sole guardian of his younger sister Dious.  Six months later, while attending Mass, he heard the scripture passage of Jesus and the rich young man, in which Jesus says, "If you would be perfect, go, sell all you have, give to the poor, and follow me (Matt. 19:21)."

3.  He took this as a personal invitation from God and sold most of his inherited property, gave much of the money to the poor and the rest to his sister and placed his sister in the care of a parthenon, a community of holy women, very similar to the priories or nunneries of the Middle Ages.

4.  After a time of study, he left on his own and began living in the manner of a mountain hermit, living in a cave and praying for the salvation of the world.  At the age of 35, he moved further into the desert and remained there in solitude for 20 years. During that time, many came to live near him and copy his holy life.  He became their spiritual leader, teaching them by word and by example the life of the ascetic. Antony also taught them to perform manual labor between prayer times as an additional contribution to society.

5.  St. Antony also stayed for a time locked away in a tomb, where a friend would bring him bread and water.  Here, he soon encountered temptations by the Devil that, at one point, left him physically tormented, beaten and all but life-less.

6.  The Devil harassed him night and day with gross and obscene thoughts. Antony resisted by a strict watchfulness over his senses and imagination, controlling them by austere fasts, acts of humility, and prayer.  At last, Satan himself appeared in visible form, first as a seductive woman, then as a black and terrifying man. Antony remained unmoved, and the fiend confessed himself vanquished.

7.  Anthony wandered and lived in the wilderness, an old fort and inside of a mountain, living off of dried loaves of bread and water.  He performed healings, settled disputes, consoled the troubled, delivered sermons, and inspired many others to take up the solitary life.

8.  Starting in about 394, seven monks set out from Jerusalem for Egypt in order to study the ways of St. Antony.  In the process, 3 styles of monasticism emerged: Hermits (little contact with others) Enclosed Monasteries Those who gathered around the teachings and guidance of a single master.

9.  Contemplation  Silence and Stillness  Prayer  Abstinence of worldly pleasures