Saint of the Day

01 · Read · A life to discover

St. Anthony the Great

Anthony became one of the most influential figures in early Egyptian monasticism. According to the Life attributed to Athanasius, hearing Jesus’ call to sell possessions and follow him prompted Anthony to distribute his inheritance and adopt a life of prayer and self-denial.

Anthony first practiced self-denial near his home, learning from people already living ascetically. Only later did he seek more complete seclusion across the Nile. That progression is important: early monasticism developed through existing practices and relationships rather than appearing fully formed in one dramatic moment.

The Life became a powerful means of spreading his example beyond Egypt. Its narratives of temptation portray spiritual struggle in vivid form and shaped later art and literature. His January 17 memorial remembers that influence without making every dramatic episode a separately verified historical event.

He learned from other ascetics before withdrawing farther into the desert. Disciples gathered around him and sought his guidance, even as he continued to value solitude. The dramatic accounts of his temptations belong to the spiritual narrative of his Life. Although often called the father of monasticism, he was not the first Christian ascetic, and his form of life differed from Pachomius’s organized communities.

This saint is included on this recurring date in the U.S. Roman Rite calendar published by the USCCB. This reading guide gives U.S. calendar saints priority; the Mass celebrated on a particular year’s date can differ because of Sundays, seasons or higher-ranking celebrations.