Homily
for the Memorial of
St.
Anthony, Abbot
Jan.
17, 2024
Collect
1
Sam 17: 32-51
Salesian
HS, New Rochelle, N.Y.
The collect today referred to St. Anthony’s “way of life in the desert,” a life of relative solitude outside the villages of Egypt, and to his love of God “above all things.”
He loved God above
land and wealth, which he abandoned as a young man, in order to live the Gospel
radically. He wasn’t learned—may have
been illiterate—but he learned the Scriptures, especially the Gospels, by heart
so as to live them wholeheartedly. In
them he found joy and the path to eternal life.
Even in the desert
he wasn’t completely alone, in solitude:
for 2 reasons. 1st, attracted by
his holiness and serenity, people sought him out, desiring to share his wisdom;
2d, he was constantly assailed by the Devil, at least in the early years of his
monastic life, because the Devil was so angry at his wholehearted pursuit of
Christ.
Like David in his
victory over Goliath, Anthony was victorious over the Devil because he put all
his trust in God.
Thus Anthony
teaches us to learn and live the Gospel with joy, and to put all our faith in
God, not in wealth or status.
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