Abba Anthony said, 'I no longer fear God, but I love Him. For love casts out fear.' (John 4.18)

Abba Anthony said, 'I no longer fear God, but I love Him. For love casts out fear.' (John 4.18)

St. Anthony the Great, called 'The Father of Monks' (251-356 AD) was born in central Egypt about A. D. 251, the son of peasant farmers who were Christian. In c. 269 he heard the Gospel read in church and applied to himself the words: 'Go, sell all that you have and give to the poor and come . . . .' He devoted himself to a life of asceticism under the guidance of a recluse near his village. In c. 285 he went alone into the desert to live in complete solitude. 

His reputation attracted followers, who settled near him, and in c. 305 he came out of his hermitage in order to act as their spiritual father. Five years later he again retired into solitude. He visited Alexandria at least twice, once during the persecution of Christians and again to support the Bishop St. Athanasius against heresy. 

He died at the age of one hundred and five. His life was written by Saint Athanasius and was very influential in spreading the ideals of monasticism throughout the 

Christian World. St. Anthony's Feast Day is celebrated on January 17th.

From the "Sayings of the Desert Fathers":

- Someone asked Abba Anthony, 'What must one do in order to please God?' The old man replied, 'Pay attention to what I tell you: whoever you may be, 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 these three precepts and you will be saved.' 

- One day Abba Anthony received a letter from the Emperor Constantius, asking him to come to Constantinople and he wondered whether he ought to go. So he said to Abba Paul, his disciple, 'Ought I to go?' He replied, 'If you go, you will be called Anthony; but if you stay here, you will be called Abba Anthony.' 

- The brethren came to Abba Anthony and laid before him a passage from Leviticus. The old man went out into the desert, secretly followed by Abba Ammonas, who knew that this was his custom. Abba Anthony went a long way off and stood there praying, crying in a loud voice, 'God, send Moses, to make me understand this saying.' Then there came a voice speaking with him. Abba 

Ammonas said that although he heard the voice speaking with him, he could not understand what it said. 

- Abba Anthony said, 'A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, "You are mad, you are not like us."' 

- Abba Anthony said, 'I no longer fear God, but I love Him. For love casts out fear.' (John 4.18)

From "The Sayings of the Desert Fathers"