Around 251, Anthony was born to affluent parents who possessed land in the current Faiyum neighborhood of Cairo. Even though the Roman Empire was still formally pagan and did not have the authority to officially recognize the new religion, the Catholic Church was rapidly expanding its influence over the broad reaches of the empire during this time.

During his extraordinary and remarkably long life, Anthony would witness the official adoption of Christianity by the Roman Empire under the rule of Emperor Constantine. But Anthony himself would create something more lasting: he would grow to become the spiritual leader of the monastic communities that have persisted throughout the Church's later history.

Around the year 270, Anthony was faced with two enormous burdens at once: the passing of both of his parents and the inheritance of their belongings. Anthony was forced to reexamine his entire life in light of the gospel's teachings as a result of these coincidental events, which highlighted both the spiritual peril of his financial success and the potential for personal redemption via loss.

One day when he went to church, he heard- as though for the first time- Jesus telling another wealthy young man in the Bible, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your things, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me." In later years, Anthony told his disciples that he felt as though Christ had personally said those words to him.

He dutifully acted upon the instruction to sell everything he possessed and donate the money, allocating some for his sister's support. It was common for Christians to live a life centered on prayer and fasting, abstain from marriage, and empty themselves of assets to some extent, even though organized monasticism was not yet established. Eventually, Anthony's sister would become a member of a community of dedicated virgins.

But Anthony himself aimed for a broader definition of Christian austerity. He discovered it among the desert hermits of Egypt, people who decided to live a physically and culturally isolated life from the outside world to focus entirely on their relationship with God. However, the radical lifestyle of these people had not yet developed into a formal movement.

Following his studies with one of these hermits, Anthony attempted on his own for an extended period to live alone in a remote desert area, relying on the kindness of a few guests who would give him enough food to last. This first phase of hermiting lasted for perhaps thirteen or fifteen years.

Similar to several saints who came before and after him, Anthony found himself involved in a spiritual struggle against unseen forces that aimed to divert him from the path of perfection he had selected. Anthony suffered from these conflicts on many levels. A few of his patrons discovered him in critical condition when he was about 33 years old, and they returned him to a nearby church so that he might heal.

Despite this setback, Anthony remained steadfast in his quest for God and soon doubled down by relocating to a mountain on the east bank of the Nile River. There he resided in a deserted fort, once more living off the kindness of those who begged him to pray for them. In addition to these donors, he also drew the attention of several curious people who wanted to emulate him.

At the age of 54, Anthony broke from his seclusion in the early years of the fourth century to offer advice to the expanding hermit population that had settled in his area. Even though Anthony had not intended to form such a community, the monastic movement as we know it today began when he chose to become its spiritual leader, or "Abbot."

For the next forty years, Anthony would fulfill his monastic calling by giving pupils both practical and spiritual guidance that would guarantee the movement's survival. According to St. Athanasius, Anthony's biographer, Emperor Constantine finally wrote to the Abbot, asking for assistance on how to administer an empire that was now formally Christian.

In response, Anthony wrote Constantine that he should "remember the judgment that is coming, and to know that Christ alone was the true and Eternal King, and not to think much of the present."

St. Anthony died between 350 and 356 and could have been as old as 105 years. Two of his pupils buried his remains covertly in an unmarked grave per his orders.

Saint Anthony of Egypt is the patron saint of butchers, gravediggers and skin diseases. His feast is celebrated on January 16.

Other Saints of the Day
Saint Pior
Saint Nennius
Saint Sulpicius
Saint Mildgytha
Saint Julian Sabas the Elder