[Rank]
S. S. Antonii Abbatis;;Duplex;;3;;vide C5

[Rule]
vide C5;
9 lectiones

[Oratio]
May the pleading of blessed Antonii Abbot make us acceptable unto thee O Lord,~
we pray; that what we may not have through any merits of ours, we may gain by~
means of his patronage
$Per Dominum

[Lectio4]
Anthony was an Egyptian, the child of noble and Christian parents, whom he lost~
while yet very young. On one occasion he entered a Church, and heard these words~
of the Gospel, (Matth. xix. 21,) If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou~
hast, and give to the poor. He took these words as if they were addressed to~
himself personally, for this was the obedience which he thought every word of~
the Lord Christ should meet with. He therefore sold his whole possessions, and~
gave the price to the poor. Being thus delivered from worldly entanglements, he~
set himself to lead on earth the life of an angel. Finding himself, as it were,~
about to enter the field of battle against Satan, he thought it wisest to add to~
the shield of faith, which he already possessed, all the rest of the armour of~
God, wherefore he observed all those who were eminent for any grace, and strove~
to copy them.

[Lectio5]
He was excelled by none in watchfulness and self-restraint. He surpassed all in~
long-suffering, meekness, tenderness, lowliness, perseverance, and continual~
study of the Holy Scriptures. He had such a loathing of the company and~
conversation of heretics and schismatics, especially Arians, that he used to say~
that a faithful Christian ought as far as possible never to come near any such.~
He took the sleep which was needful for the body lying on the ground. Such was~
his devotion to fasting, that he took nothing with his bread but salt, and drank~
only water; he never ate or drank before sunset; he often abstained from food~
altogether for two days at a time; and very often passed whole nights in prayer.~
Being so valiant a soldier of God, Anthony was attacked by the devil with divers~
temptations, but he overcame them all by prayer and fasting. Nevertheless, these~
frequent triumphs over Satan did not lull Anthony into security, for he was well~
aware of the numberless arts of assault possessed by the evil one.

[Lectio6]
Then he betook himself into the vast deserts of Africa that lie near Egypt. Day~
by day he advanced on the path to perfection. Day by day the attacks of the~
fiends became more violent, but day by day his' strength grew greater to strive~
against them. At length he came to mock at the powerlessness of the devils,~
against whom he stirred up his disciples to fight, teaching them with what arms~
to combat. Believe me, my brethren, he used to say, Satan is afraid of good~
men's watchings, and prayers, and fasts, and voluntary poverty, and mercifulness,~
and lowliness, but above all, of their warm love for Christ our Lord, the mere~
sign of Whose most holy Cross is enough to undo him and put him to flight. He~
became such an object of dread to the devils, that many persons throughout Egypt~
who were tormented by them, were delivered by calling on his name moreover the~
fame of his holiness was so spread abroad, that Constantine the Great and his~
sons wrote to him to commend themselves to his prayers. In the hundred and fifth~
year of his age, and the fulness of his reputation for piety and miracles,~
having roused up great numbers to follow his example, he gathered his monks~
around him, and when he had exhorted them to strive after Christian perfection,~
he passed to heaven on the 17th day of January, (in the year of our Lord 356.)

[Lectio94]
When Anthony of Egypt entered a church and heard the words of the Gospel, "If~
you will be perfect, go, sell all that you have and give to the poor," he took~
them as if said to him personally, thinking that this is how Christ should be~
obeyed. And so, having sold his family possessions and distributed the money to~
the poor, he withdrew to the vast solitudes of Egypt. He was so fired with zeal~
for all virtues that, whenever he saw anyone praiseworthy for excelling in any~
virtue, he strove to imitate him. None was more disciplined than he, none more~
watchful. He was so great a terror to the demons that many persons throughout~
Egypt who were troubled by them were set free merely bv invoking Anthony's name.~
And so. famous for his holiness and his miracles, when he had drawn innumerable~
other men and women to follow his example, he departed this life in the hundred~
and fifth Year of his age, on January 17.
&teDeum
