On Saint Antony

In sanctum Antonium

Hesychius of Jerusalem · c. 412–450 AD · PG 93

Remembrance of the Righteous§1

1The memory of the righteous brings joy to the world and enlightens it; the memory of the righteous makes humanity leap for joy. Now Anthony is remembered, and we are all enlightened by his memory. He is a citizen of heaven, a teacher of all virtue, an imitator of the incorporeal in the flesh, a light of the churches, a trainer of priests, the flower of virginity, the radiance of purity, a crown of those in mountains and caves, an example of self-control, a worker of temperance, an undefeated boxer, a pillar of the prophets, a mirror of the apostles, powerful with God and men, possessing nothing on earth while looking entirely toward heaven, lifting his eyes upward and hastening toward that prize.

He is faithful like Abraham, obedient like Isaac, patient like Jacob, and like Joseph feeding Egypt. He performed various wonders like Moses, sang like David and drove out demons, presented himself as a temple greater than God, commanded lions like Daniel, gathered the desert like the Baptist, rested on the chest of Jesus like the Theologian through evangelical study, and died daily like Paul (1 Corinthians 15:31).

But we too draw from the well and the torrent overflows; the jars are full, and 'the overflows pour out.' As much as we run, the stadium becomes greater; as much as the voyage proceeds, the boundlessness of the sea is revealed. Come then, let us also say the things of Paul: 'Time will fail me telling about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets' (Hebrews 11:32); for the father of the composed theaters took these men up in himself. For many words are needed and I am a guide to the matters, since the word grows weary of explaining the work. One thing is the character of a shadow, another is the energy of truth; one thing is an image, and another is the thing of which it is an image; the words image the work, but not in this way is the...

Greek · §1

In sanctum Antonium (homilia 8) Τοῦ μακαριωτάτου Ἡσυχίου, πρεσβυτέρου Ἱεροσολύμων, ἐγκώμιον εἰς τὸν ὅσιον πατέρα ἡμῶν Ἀντώνιον. 1 ∆ικαίων μνήμῃ καὶ ὁ κόσμος ἀγάλλεται, δικαίων μνήμῃ καὶ ὁ κόσμος φωτίζεται, δικαίων μνήμῃ καὶ ἡ ἀνθρωπότης σκιρτᾷ, δικαίων μνήμῃ καὶ πᾶς τις ἀκούων ἀγάλλεται. Νῦν Ἀντώνιος μνημονεύεται καὶ πάντες τῇ μνήμῃ φωτιζόμεθα, Ἀντώ νιος ὁ τῶν οὐρανῶν πολίτης, ὁ πάσης ἀρετῆς καθηγητής, ὁ τοὺς ἀσάρκους ἐν σαρκὶ μιμησάμενος, ὁ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν λύχνος, ὁ τῶν ἱερέων παιδοτρίβης, τὸ τῆς παρθενίας ἄνθος, τὸ τῆς ἁγνείας ἀπαύ γασμα, τῶν ἐν «ὄρεσι καὶ σπηλαίοις» ὁ στέφανος, τὸ τῆς καρ τερίας ὑπόδειγμα, ὁ τῆς ἐγκρατείας ἐργάτης, ὁ ἀήττητος πύκτης, τῶν προφητῶν ἡ στήλη, τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸ ἔσοπτρον, ὁ μετὰ θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων δυνατός, ὁ μηδὲν ἐπὶ γῆς ἔχων, ὅλος δὲ εἰς οὐρανὸν ὁρῶν, ἄνω τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τείνων καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνο τὸ βραβεῖον τὸν δρόμον ἐπειγόμενος. 2 Ὁ πιστὸς ὡς Ἀβραάμ, ὡς ὁ Ἰσαὰκ εὐπειθής, καρτερικὸςὡς ὁ Ἰακώβ, ὡς Ἰωσὴφ σιτοδοτῶν τὴν Αἴγυπτον, θαυμάτων παντοδαπῶν ὡς Μωυσῆς ἡνιοχῶν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ, ἔψαλλεν ὡς ∆αυὶδ καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας ἤλαυνε, ναὸν ἑαυτὸν μείζονα τῷ θεῷ προσήγαγεν, ὡς ∆ανιὴλ ἐπέταττε τοῖς λέουσιν, ὡς ὁ Βαπτιστὴς ἐκκλησιάζει τὴν ἔρημον, ὡς ὁ Θεολόγος «ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ Ἰη σοῦ» διὰ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς μελέτης «ἀνακείμενος», «καθ' ἡμέ ραν» ὡς Παῦλος «ἀπέθνῃσκεν». 3 Ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀντλοῦμεν καὶ ἡ ληνὸς ὑπερβλύζει, οἱ πίθοι γέμουσιν, «ὑπερχεῖται τὰ ὑπολήνια»· ὅσον τρέχομεν, μεῖζον τὸ στάδιον γίνεται· ὅσον ὁ πλοῦς ἀνύεται, τοσοῦτον τῆς θαλάσσης δηλοῦται τὸ ἀμέτρητον. ∆εῦρο τοίνυν καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ τοῦ Παύλου εἴπωμεν· «Ἐπιλείψει με διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος ἐπὶ Γεδεών, Βαράκ, Σαμψών, Ἰεφθάε, ∆αυίδ τε καὶ Σα μουὴλ καὶ τῶν προφητῶν»· τούτους γὰρ ἐν αὑτῷ ὁ πατὴρ τῶν συγκροτουμένων θεάτρων ἀνέλαβε· πολλῶν γὰρ χρεία ῥημάτων καὶ ὁδηγὸς ἐγὼ τοῖς πράγμασιν, ἐπειδὴ κάμνει ὁ λόγος τὸ ἔργον ἐξηγούμενος. Ἕτερον σκιᾶς χαρακτήρ, ἕτερον ἀληθείας ἐνέρ γεια. Ἄλλο εἰκὼν καὶ ἄλλο τοῦτο οὗπερ εἰκὼν τυγχάνει τὸ δει κνυόμενον· εἰκονίζουσιν οἱ λόγοι τὸ ἔργον, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως ἡ

Power of Words and Deeds§2

2The tongue speaks like the hand does good.

The voice of words is heavy in the air, while accomplishments reach heaven and fulfill those above, standing by their side.

Even Paul, who spoke on behalf of Christ, found that time was running out as he narrated the accomplishments of the saints, saying, 'Time will leave me while narrating.'

If time was limited for Paul, who had an inexhaustible treasure of knowledge and spoke with the fullness of the church, what can we, who are poor and needy, do to express ourselves?

We, who are untaught in words, weak in tongue, slow in mind, and uneducated in heart, have not learned external knowledge nor exercised internal knowledge.

There is no external factor that can give us the boldness to speak, nor can our life experiences replace the need for words.

The challenge lies in finding the right words to praise Anthony.

Now, let the music of David's lyre be the crown that honors him.

As it is written, 'Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, in His will he will be very strong. His seed will be powerful on earth' (Psalm 112:1).

For Anthony, his seed refers to the monastic communities that have sprouted everywhere in Egypt and around the world.

These communities consider him a father and a role model, regulating their lives according to his examples and keeping his laws.

Even a single word from those who are educated in the ways of philosophy can establish a sense of citizenship and belonging.

Let the prophet Isaiah speak about Anthony, saying, 'Blessed is he who has seed in Zion and a household in Jerusalem' (Isaiah 32:17).

And as Jeremiah's prophecy says, 'Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you and before you came out of the womb' (Jeremiah 1:5).

Greek · §2

γλῶσ σα λέγει ὥσπερ ἡ χεὶρ εὐεργετεῖ. Ἕτερον φωνὴ ῥημάτων, ἕτερον ὀσμὴ κατορθωμάτων· ἐκείνη περὶ τὸν ἀέρα βρίθει, αὕτη φθάνει τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τοὺς ἄνω πληροφορεῖ, αὕτη τοῖς ἄνω παρίσταται. 4 «Ἐπιλείψει με, φησί, διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος.» Εἰ δὲ Παῦ λον ὁ χρόνος ἐπέλιπε τὰ τῶν ἁγίων κατορθώματα λέγοντα, Παῦ λον ἐν ᾧ Χριστὸς ἐλάλει, ἐν ᾧ τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐφίκετο, θησαυρὸς γνώσεως ἀνελλιπὴς ἐκέκρυπτο– μέταλλον ἦν τῆς ἐπιστήμης, ἄνωθεν τὸν νόμον καὶ τοὺς προφήτας ἠρευνᾶτο, γλῶσ σαν εἶχεν ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ καθάπερ ἐν ἑνὶ θεάτρῳ σαλπίζουσαν–, τί πράξωμεν ἡμεῖς οἱ πτωχοὶ καὶ ἐνδεεῖς; Τί πράξωμεν οἷς ὁ λόγος ἀδίδακτος, οἷς ἀσθενὴς γλῶττα, βραδὺς ὁ νοῦς καὶ ἡ καρδία ἀπαίδευτος, οἳ μήτε τὴν ἔξωθεν γνῶσιν μεμαθήκαμεν, μήτε ἐλαχίστως τὴν ἔνδον γυμναζόμεθα; 5 Οὐκ ἔστι πολιτεία τὴν παρρησίαν ἕλκουσα, οὐδὲ βίος ἀντὶ λόγου φθεγγόμενος. Πόθεν Ἀντωνίῳ τὸν χιτῶνα τῶν ἐπαίνων ὑφάνωμεν; Στεφανούτω νῦν αὐτὸν ἡ τοῦ ∆αυὶδ κιθάρα· περὶ αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου καὶ τῶν ὁσίων αὐτοῦ ἔργων γέ γραπται· «Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν κύριον, ἐν ταῖς ἐν τολαῖς αὐτοῦ θελήσει σφόδρα· δυνατὸν ἐν τῇ γῇ ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ»· σπέρμα γὰρ ἐκείνου τὰ πανταχοῦ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, μᾶλ λον δὲ τὰ πάσης τῆς γῆς τῶν ἁγίων 1 συστήματα. Ἐκεῖνον πατέρα καὶ γεωργὸν νομίζουσιν, ἐκείνου τοῖς τύποις τοὺς ἑαυτῶν βίους ῥυθμίζουσι καὶ τὸν ἀπόντα διὰ τῆς φυλακῆς τῶν νόμων παρεῖναι νομίζουσι. Λόγος εἷς τῶν ἐκ διαδοχῆς παιδευθέντων σῳζόμενος ἱκανὸς πολιτείαν τὴν ἐκ φιλοσοφίας συστήσασθαι. Λεγέτω περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ Ἠσαΐας ὁ προφήτης· «Μακάριος ὃς ἔχει σπέρμα ἐν Σιὼν καὶ οἰκείους ἐν Ἰερουσαλήμ.» 6 Λεγέσθω περὶ Ἀντωνίου καὶ ταῦτα τῆς Ἰερεμίου προφητείας τὰ ῥήματα· «Πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ, ἐπίσταμαί σε καὶ πρὸ τοῦ <σε> ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ μήτρας

Anthony the Noble§3

3Anthony was a man who pursued holiness as a companion, and he possessed humility as a lot from the womb.

He set sobriety as the beginning of philosophy through Christ, and he was a noble man from the east of the sun, which refers to the sun of righteousness.

The apostles were his relatives, and the cloak of nobility is called the spirit.

Solomon also spoke about this righteous man, saying that a merciful man is great and honorable, and it is hard to find a faithful man, as he said, 'A merciful man is great and honorable, and it is hard to find a faithful man' (Proverbs 20:6).

But we have found the one sought by the wise, although Paul speaks differently, saying that those who through faith conquered kingdoms (Hebrews 11:33).

For he says that those who through faith conquered kingdoms, which refers to Anthony and his imitators, who despised the kingdoms of the world, glory, honor, and wealth, and obtained the promises of the future, stopped the mouths of lions, which are the pleasures, escaped the mouths of swords, which is external wisdom, was strengthened from weakness, which is intemperance, became strong in war against the devil, and overturned the camps of strangers, which are the demons.

Women received their dead from resurrection, which refers to mothers who offered their sinful children to the righteous, and this is what is meant by 'Women received their dead from resurrection' (Hebrews 11:35).

The faithful one suffered greatly, experiencing torture, death by the sword, imprisonment, flogging, stoning, and even being sawn in two, as is written, 'They were stoned, they were sawn in two' (Hebrews 11:37).

As a father to all, he went around…

Greek · §3

ἡγίακά σε»· τὴν γὰρ ἁγιωσύνην ὡς σύντροφον ἐπετήδευε. Κλῆρον ἐκ μήτρας τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκέκτητο ταπείνωσιν καὶ φιλοσοφίας ἀρχὴν τὴν σωφροσύνην τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ ἔθετο. ∆εῦρο καὶ τοῦτον ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἱστορίας ἐνδύσωμεν τῇ κεφαλῇ τοῦ δικαίου τὸν στέφανον· «Ἄνθρωπος γὰρ ἦν ἐν χώρᾳ τῇ» κατ' Αἴγυπτον, ὄνομα Ἀντώνιος, «ἄνθρωπος ἄμεμπτος, ἀληθινός, θεοσεβής, δίκαιος, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς πονηροῦ πράγματος» καὶ «ἦν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐκεῖνος εὐγενὴς τῶν ἀφ' ἡλίου ἀνατολῶν.» Ἡλίου ποίου; –Τοῦ τῆς δικαιοσύνης· ἐκείνου γὰρ ἀνατολαὶ ὑπῆρχον οἱ ἀπόστολοι, ὧν τὴν συγγένειαν Ἀντώνιος εἶχε· ἡ περιβολὴ τῆς εὐγενείας τοῦ πνεύματος καλείσθω. 7 Καὶ Σολομών τι περὶ τοῦ δικαίου τούτου καὶ αὐτὸς παροι-μιάσασθαι δύναται· «Μέγα ἄνθρωπος καὶ τίμιον ἀνὴρ ἐλεήμων, ἄνδρα δὲ πιστὸν ἔργον εὑρεῖν.» Εὕραμεν τοίνυν, εὕραμεν ἡμεῖς τὸν τῷ σοφῷ ζητούμενον, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἔλεγεν ἄνδρα πιστὸν εὑρεῖν, Παῦλος δὲ οὐχ οὕτως. Ἀλλὰ τί φησιν; – «Οἳ διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας», Ἀντώνιον καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνου ζηλωτὰς αἰνιττόμενος· οὗτος γὰρ τὰς βασιλείας τοῦ κόσμου, δόξαν, τιμήν τε καὶ πλοῦτον ὑπερφρονῶν κατεπάλαισεν, «ἐπέτυχεν ἐπαγγελιῶν» τοῦ μέλλοντος, «ἔφραξε στόματα λεόντων» τῶν ἡδο νῶν, «ἔφυγε τὰ στόματα μαχαίρας» τὴν ἔξωθεν σοφίαν, «ἐνεδυναμώθη ἀπὸ ἀσθενείας» τῆς ἀκρατείας, «ἐγενήθη ἰσχυρὸς ἐν πολέμῳ» τῷ πρὸς τὸν διάβολον, «παρεμβολὰς ἔκλινεν ἀλλοτρίων» τῶν δαιμόνων. «Ἔλαβον γυναῖκες ἐξ ἀναστάσεως τοὺς νεκροὺς αὐτῶν» ὅσαι μητέρες ἁμαρτωλοὺς παῖδας τῷ δικαίῳ προσήνεγκαν. 8 Ἀλλὰ μὴν καὶ «ἐτυμπανίσθη», «ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας ἀπέθανε», «δεσμῶν καὶ φυλακῆς» «καὶ μαστίγων πεῖραν ἔλαβεν», «ἐλιθάσθη, ἐπρίσθη»· πολλῶν γὰρ ταῦτα πασχόντων δι' εὐσέβειαν, αὐτὸς πᾶσιν ὡς πατὴρ πάντων συνέπασχε· «περιῆλθεν ἐν

Anthony's Ascetic Life§4

4Anthony's life was marked by his envy of Elijah's gentleness, and he chose to clothe himself in sheepskins.

He was ill-treated and oppressed in the flesh, yet he wanted to suffer with the people of God rather than indulge in fleeting pleasures of sin, for he believed that the world was not worthy of him, and so he transferred himself to heaven while still alive.

Christ seals the praises in our hands, saying, 'the kingdom of heaven is taken by force and the forceful take it' (Matthew 11:12).

Anthony disciplined his body, tamed his soul, punished pleasures, avoided luxury, was moderate in sleep, and considered fornication detestable, living a simple life that was wholly focused on heaven and the upper life, where earthly things are considered a loss.

He lived only in virtues, dead to passions, and played with the enemy, the devil, who fell at his feet, for he boldly tread on the lion and the dragon, considering trials a gain and tribulations a commerce, and rejoicing in mourning sins, considering wealth in poverty.

In this way, Anthony had all things because he had nothing, and he was lord of all things because he served no one, and above all things because he needed nothing.

As we gather today to honor his memory in this memorial gathering, through the grace and philanthropy of our Lord Jesus Christ, we offer glory, honor, and power to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and forever, into the ages of ages.

Amen.

Greek · §4

μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασι», ζηλῶν τὸν Ἠλίαν ἐν πραότητι· «ὑστερούμενος» τῇ σαρκὶ καὶ «θλιβόμενος», ὁδὸν γὰρ εἶναι τὰς θλίψεις τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας ἐγίνωσκε· «κακουχούμενος», ἐπειδὴ μᾶλλον ἐβούλετο «συγκακουχεῖσθαι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ θεοῦ» Ἀντώνιος «ἢ πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν.» «Οὐκ ἦν αὐτοῦ ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος»· τοιγαροῦν ἔτι ζῶν ἑαυτὸν εἰς οὐρανὸν μετέστησεν. Ἔπειτα δὲ τὸ πολὺ σῶμα τῶν προφητῶν διέλθωμεν. Χριστὸς ἡ κεφαλὴ σφραγιζέτω τὰ ἐν χερσὶν ἐγκώμια, ἔτι καὶ νῦν λέγων· «ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν βιαστή ἐστι καὶ βιασταὶ ἁρπάζουσιν αὐτήν»· ἔτηκεν γὰρ Ἀντώνιος τὸ σῶμα, ἐχαλίνου τὴν ψυχήν, ἐκόλαζε τὰς ἡδονάς, ἀπείχετο τρυφῆς, ἀφείδετο κόρου, ὕπνῳ τοσοῦτον ὅσον ὠφελεῖν τὴν φύσιν ἐκέχρητο, βδελυκτὴν τῆς πορνείας καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν ἐνόμιζεν, ὀλίγα τῆς γῆς ἀπήλαυσεν. Ὅλος δὲ εἰς οὐρανὸν ἦν, ὅλος τῆς ἄνω ζωῆς, ζημίαν τὰ ἐνταῦθα ἡγούμενος. Μόναις ἔζη ταῖς ἀρεταῖς, νεκρὸς ὑπάρχων τοῖς πάθεσι. 9 Παίγνιον εἶχε τὸν ἐχθρόν, ἐπὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ὁ διάβολος ἔπιπτεν. «Ἐπ' ἀσπίδα καὶ βασιλίσκον» τεθαρρηκὼς «ἀνέβαινεν, λέοντα» τὸν νοητὸν «κατεπάτει καὶ δράκοντα.» Κέρδος ἡγεῖτο τοὺς πειρασμούς, τὰς θλίψεις ἐμπορίας. Ἐνόμιζε τὴν χαρὰν ἐν τῷ πενθεῖν τὰς ἁμαρτίας, τὸν πλοῦτον ἐν τῷ πένεσθαι. Πάντα εἶχεν, ἐπειδὴ μηδὲν εἶχεν. Πάντων ἦν κύριος· οὐδενὶ γὰρ ἐδούλευε. Πάντων ὑπερεφρόνει· οὐδενὸς γὰρ ἐδέετο. Οὗ καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς ζῆλον αὐτοῦ ἔλθωμεν ὅσοι τε ἐν τῇ πανηγύρει αὐτοῦ 2 τῆς ἁγίας μνήμης σήμερον συνεληλύθαμεν, ὅσοι τὸν σεπτὸν αὐτοῦ βίον θαυμάζομεν καὶ ὅσοι ἐκ πίστεως τὴν μακαρίαν αὐτοῦ κοίμησιν ἐπιτελοῦσι, χάριτι καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα, τιμή, κράτος σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 3

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