Anthony the Great

Anthony the Great was born in Koma (in Lower Egypt) in 251 to Christian landowning parents. His parents died when he was around 20, leaving Anthony and his sister to take care of their large estate. But when he heard Matthew 19 read in church, where Jesus instructed a rich young man to sell his possessions and give the money to the poor, Anthony was so moved that he did just that: he gave about 120 acres to his neighbors and sold the rest, giving the proceeds to people in need. He got rid of all his possessions and even placed his sister in the care of a “house of virgins” (likely an early Christian nunnery).

Freed from the burden of everything he ever owned, Anthony became a hermit. Though he was not, as some claim, the first Christian monk, his influence in the spread of early Christian monasticism cannot be denied. He was committed to strict asceticism: he lived in the desert west of Alexandria for over a decade, and subsisted only on bread, salt, and water. Eventually, Anthony decided this life was a bit too cosmopolitan for his tastes and decided to really retreat from the world. He settled on a mountain (called Pispir) east of the Nile, where he lived alone in an abandoned Roman fort for two decades. It was here that he faced his famous temptation (vote him on for more deets!). Despite his best efforts, Anthony developed something of a following. Pilgrims would come to visit and throw food to him over the wall. A community of ascetics formed in the nearby caves, and after 20 years, he emerged and began to teach them.

He eventually moved on once more, and at about 62 years of age settled on Mount Colzim (southeast of Cairo). He lived there for 45 years, during which he would receive visitors and occasionally travel across the desert back to Pispir. He died in 356, at the tender age of 105.

While he was something of a celebrity monk during his lifetime, his popularity and influence only grew after his death. This was partly because Anthony had the good fortune to meet and befriend one Athanasius of Alexandria, who wrote a hagiography of Anthony shortly after his death, which became whatever the premodern equivalent of a New York Times Bestseller is. Think of it like The Shack of its time, especially because it’s easy to picture Anthony living in one.

Anthony also goes by a good number of names, including Anthony the Great (not, it turns out, a family name), Anthony of Egypt, Anthony the Anchorite, Anthony of the Desert, and the Father of All Monks, just to name a few.

— Ian Lasch

Collect for Anthony the Great

O God, as you by your Holy Spirit enabled your servant Antony to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil; so give us grace to follow you with pure hearts and minds, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Paul of Thebes

He is known as Paul of Thebes, or Paul the First Hermit, or Paul the Anchorite. No matter how he is known, Paul’s contributions to Christian life are far-reaching and deeply spiritual. Paul is considered the first Christian hermit, kicking off a lifestyle grounded in faith and prayer.

Paul was born in Egypt in 227 and died at an amazing age of 113 in Thebes.

Orphaned and caught in the middle of a family dispute, he trekked to the desert of Thebes at 16 years old during the persecution of the Roman Emperors Decius and Valerianus. He lived in a cave, relying on nearby resources for food and water. Then, at 43 years old, as the story goes, a raven started to bring him daily bread.

Paul lived a solitary life. However, he welcomed a significant visitor around 342, from Anthony the Great, who was following instructions from his dream to find Paul. They shared bread, prayers, and blessings.

As they met near the end of Paul’s life, he shared his burial wishes. Tradition says Anthony was aided by two lions who dug the grave with their claws.

Many followed his way of life. The Order of St. Paul the First Hermit was founded in Hungary in his honor in the 13th century.

Paul is the patron saint of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo in the Philippines, where the cathedral is sanctified for him. The Monastery of Saint Paul the Anchorite, near the Red Sea, is a major pilgrimage site.

In the Episcopal Church, St. Paul in the Desert in Palm Springs, CA, is named for him.

Paul was canonized in 491. His feast is celebrated on January 10 by the Roman Catholics, January 15 in the Anglican Communion and the Eastern Orthodox Church, and February 9 in the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Paul is the patron saint of children, based on a 15th-century tradition of miracles occurring through intercession to him. As such, the Pauline Fathers still bless children on his feast day.

He is featured in The Life of St. Paul the First Hermit by St. Jerome of Stridon, and in three YouTube videos: The Story of Saint Paul the First Hermit; Saint Paul of Thebes & Saint Alexius of Rome; and Saint Paul of Thebes Saint Story for Kids.

Paul is symbolized by a palm tree, two lions, and a raven.

— Neva Rae Fox

Collect for Paul of Thebes

Saint Paul the Hermit, lover of silence and faithful servant of God, teach us to seek the Lord above all else. Help us detach from worldly distractions and grow in prayer, trust, and holiness. Pray for us, that our hearts may always rest in God. Amen.