A Pilgrimage Towards Monk Hood

St Anthony the Great, called ‘The Father of Monk.’ He was born in Egypt in about 251 AD; in about 269 he heard the Gospel read in church and applied the reading “Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor and come…” to himself. He sold all and went into the desert. After a time he attracted followers and acted as their spiritual father. He lived to the age of 105. His history was written by St Athanasius.

When asked what one must do to be saved he answered, “…always have God before your eyes; whatever you do, do it according to the testimony of the holy Scriptures; in whatever place you live, do not easily leave it. Keep up these three precepts and you will be saved.” Anthony thought it a great work to take blame for his own sins before God and expected temptation to his last breath.

Abba Anthony knew the limits of men and did not stretch his brothers beyond their limits. St Anthony was blessed with the gift of discernment. He was able to perceive demons and knew of the miraculous works of men.

One time the brothers came to St Anthony and asked him about a passage in Leviticus. St Anthony went out into the desert, he was followed by Abba Ammonas. Abba Ammonas saw St Anthony cry out to heaven saying, “God, send Moses, to make me understand this saying.” Abba Ammonas heard a voice speaking with him but he could not understand it. It was said of St Anthony that he was “spirit-borne.” Meaning that the Holy Spirit carried him along. He could see what was happening in the world, as well as knowing what is going to happen. He never spoke of this, because of his humility.

St Anthony was once asked to go to Constantinople by the Emperor Constantius, Constantine’s son. He asked Abba Paul if he should go Abba Paul said, “If you go, you will be called Anthony; but if you stay here, you will be called Abba Anthony.”

With a such a list of sayings and deeds it is easy to tell that St Anthony was a great man of God. He was one of the greatest of the early monks. He also participated in the great Council of Nicea where he defended the orthodox faith against Arianism. Being as humble as he was he instructed his followers to bury him in an unmarked grave lest his body become an object of veneration. Countless monasteries have been based off of his monastic rule.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we pray that we might follow after your Servant Jesus, just as Anthony followed after our Lord. We pray for humility, that we would seek to keep our deeds secret that all glory and honor might be given to you and none to us. We pray that we might heed his advice that most assuredly came from you. Allow us to always have you before our eyes and to always defier to the Holy Scriptures when we have a question, allow us to be content with where we settle. Make us remember that we have been tempted from our birth and that we will not stop being tempted until we die; but allow us when tempted to always turn towards you as our examples Jesus and Anthony did. And forgive us when we sin; make us grow from it, we pray never let us blame any other for our sin. Pour out your Spirit on us; so that we will know when you are present and that we will know when Satan and his demons are tempting us. Give us discernment that we might know how to bring the most glory to you. Conform us in to servants like Anthony, who like Elijah and John the Baptist sought you in the desert. Father Anthony intercede to Christ for us that our souls might be saved. We ask all these things through our mediator, your Holy Son our Savior Jesus Christ who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit now and forever. Amen.

So what I thougth I would do now that I am reading a lot of stuff about the church fathers is that I would start to blog about them. My basic lay out will be to give a little bit of a history about them and why I think that they are important. Then I will write a prayer that is inspired by their life and example. So I hope you enjoy.

St. James is I believe the most important person in Christian history, after Jesus of course. St James is the brother of our Lord, but this is not the reason that he is so important. St James is important because he foregoes his own love of Judaism and it’s connection with Christianity in order that Gentile might be brought into the faith more easily. He is the one that decided that Gentiles do not need to be circumcised to become Christians.

Some other information about St James called the Just. He was the head of the Church of Jerusalem, the most important church in Christianity until 70 AD. St Jeromewrites this about St James “After the apostles, James the brother of the Lord surnamed the Just was made head of the Church at Jerusalem… This one was holy from his mother’s womb. He drank neither wine nor strong drink, ate no flesh, never shaved or anointed himself with ointment or bathed. He alone had the privilege of entering the Holy of Holies…and went alone into the temple and prayed in behalf of the people, insomuch that his knees were reputed to have acquired the hardness of camels’ knees.” From Jerome’s writing it would seem that James was a Nazerite from birth.

St Paul calls St James with Sts Peter and John a “pillar of the Church.” St James is also thought to be the author of the Letter of James in the New Testament.

He was killed at the hand of Pharisees in Jerusalemin 62 AD. Eusebius, in his book Historia Ecclesiae, states that St James was thrown off the summit of the Temple, stoned, and then had his skull bashed in with a fuller’s club.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we pray that we may follow after our perfect example Jesus, just as your servant James followed after the example of his brother. Allow us to give up our own opinions so that we may follow after your holy way and lead others to you more easily. Give us a heart that we may pray unceasingly we ask this through your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ who, with the Holy Spirit lives and reigns with you, one God now and forever. Amen.