St. Anthony the Abbot

"The devil is afraid of us when we pray and make sacrifices. He is also afraid when we are humble and good. He is especially afraid when we love Jesus very much. He runs away when we make the Sign of the Cross."
- St. Anthony the Abbot (251 - 356)

Today is the feast day of St. Anthony the Abbot. Anthony was born in 251 in Egypt. At the age of 20, Anthony was inspired to sell all his belongings by the Gospel verse in Mark, which said, "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor" (Mark 10:21b). Anthony went into the desert after this and spent much time in solitude where he prayed and practiced mortification, and many people came to him for healing and spiritual guidance. At 54, he founded a sort of monastery which was made up of small, scattered cells. In 311, when he was about 60, he wished to die a martyr in the Roman persecution of Christians. He also helped many people who were being persecuted by giving them spiritual and material support while they were in prison. When he was 88, he helped fight the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. In 356, he died at the age of 105. 

St. Anthony, pray for us!

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Picture Of And Information About St. Anthony Taken From:

 http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saintofday/

http://www.communityofhopeinc.org/Prayer%20Pages/Saints/Saint%20Antony%20of%20the%20Desert.html