January 17 2025 - St. Anthony of the Desert - "If you wish to be perfect..."

 “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.”

At first glance, this can seem like a simple command regarding material detachment. But in Catholic spirituality, these words hold a much deeper meaning related to Christian Perfection and the call to complete love of God and neighbor. Jesus’ invitation involves more than the external act of selling possessions; it is an invitation to radical interior freedom and total surrender to God.

All Christians—whether lay, consecrated, or ordained—are called to strive for perfection. Vatican II powerfully re-emphasized this in its document Lumen Gentium (Chapter 5, “The Universal Call to Holiness”), reminding us that holiness is not reserved for a select few but is a vocation for everyone.

Lumen Gentium states, “The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and every one of His disciples of every condition. He Himself stands as the author and consumator of this holiness of life [teaching] "Be you therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect" Indeed He sent the Holy Spirit upon all men that He might move them inwardly to love God with their whole heart and their whole soul, with all their mind and all their strength and that they might love each other as Christ loves them.”

This is what Christian perfection consists of, growth in charity—growth in love. All of the virtues find their fulfillment in the virtue of charity. And this growth in charity changes us, transforms us, unites us more closely to God who is love.

St. Anthony, whom we honor today, at the age of 19, heard the Lord’s call to Christian perfection, and sought it in the solitude of the desert. He went to the desert because it is a place without material attachments and earthly pleasures that could distract him from the ultimate pursuit.

Like St. Anthong, all Christians are called to pursue perfection through Interior Detachment from material things, deepening in our life of prayer, practicing virtues like fortitude, temperance, patience, and humility, learning to rely ever-more wholly on God’s grace, and striving daily to be faithful to God in all things and loving our neighbor with Christ-like love. 

May St. Anthony be a constant reminder to strive for that Christian perfection for which we were made, the perfection which brings us the joy and fulfillment we most deeply long for, perfection for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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For the Church: that all the faithful, inspired by the universal call to holiness proclaimed by Vatican II, may strive for Christian perfection by growing in love of God and neighbor.

For the poor and the marginalized: That our acts of charity, grounded in the virtue of love, may bring them hope and remind us that true holiness includes concrete service to our brothers and sisters in need. 

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, the sanctification of all marriages, and a deeper devotion to charitable service amongst all people.

For those oppressed by hunger, sickness or loneliness, that through the Holy Spirit’s manifold graces, they may find relief in both mind and body, and rejuvenation in spirit. 

For all who have died: that they may now share in the eternal joy of heaven, beholding the fullness of God’s love and perfection.

Heavenly Father, You call each of us to holiness. Hear these prayers we offer in faith. Through the example of Saint Anthony and by the power of Your Holy Spirit, lead us further along the path of Christian perfection. We make these prayers through Christ our Lord. Amen.

January 17 2024 - St. Anthony of the desert - Retreat in order to be filled

Last night, I attended an event hosted by the Young Adult Ministry of the diocese called, “Theology on Tap”. It meets monthly at a local bar, and a priest or lay person offers a presentation on some theological topic. Last night, Fr. Mike McCandless, former vocation director for the diocese and current administrator of Holy Family parish in Stowe, offered a powerful presentation on retreats: why we should make a regular retreat. 

Catholic priests are required by canon law to make an annual retreat. We took retreats once or twice a year during seminary, and a week long silent retreat leading up to our ordination to the diaconate and to the priesthood. It was on an 8 day silent retreat that I was confirmed in my decision to enter the seminary.

A retreat is exactly that, a withdrawal from the distraction of the world in order to encounter God. Our spiritual director in the seminary would often say that the retreat is closer to heaven than anything else we would experience in seminary. For on retreat, one rests and seeks to be refreshed and enlightened by God’s presence in an intentional and focused way. We become immersed in silence and adoration and meditation on the Word of God and contemplation of God’s presence. 

And even more than simply encountering God, we engage in retreat  to be filled with God’s very life. St Bernard said that we are to be not simply canals in which the Word of God goes in one ear and out the other, but reservoirs, to be filled with the very life of God.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Anthony of the desert, who himself retreated from the world in order to encounter God. Anthony retreated to the desert because the desert is the place devoid of material attachments and earthly pleasures—those distractions which keep us from seeking God. And there in the desert, Anthony did encounter God.

And yet, like Christ, who himself made a 40 day silent retreat in the desert, Anthony also encountered the devil. The devil would send Anthony great temptations which took great effort and prayer to overcome. The devil would also physically assault Anthony, and beat him to the point of unconsciousness.  

But through that spiritual battle, learning to rely on the Word of God to be his armor, to be his light, Anthony grew in holiness to a tremendous degree. Many souls would seek out the advice of the Desert Abbot St. Anthony. St. Athanasius, Anthony’s biographer, even writes how the emperor Constantine, sought out Anthony’s advice on the administration of the Roman Empire.

Anthony wrote back to Constantine, advising him “not to think much of the present, but rather to remember the judgment that is coming, and to know that Christ alone was the true and Eternal King.”

Our seminary spiritual director would often tell us: each of us needs a regular retreat to encounter God—one hour per day, one day per week, one week per year. We ignore this advice to our own peril and the peril of those we are called to serve.

May we take the time we need to focus our minds and hearts on God, to seek that encounter with Christ in the desert, where he is waiting to meet us, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our heart for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her.

For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may preserve harmony among us.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may grant them relief and move Christians to come to the aid of the suffering.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for all monastics and hermits, and that all Christians may seek the perfection for which they were made.

For our beloved dead, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered.

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

January 17 2023 - St. Anthony Abbot - Armor of God vs. the Devil's Tactics

 Around the age of 19, a young man named Anthony, the son of two wealthy Egyptian parents, was attending Mass one day. He heard the Gospel of the Lord telling the rich young man, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor.  You will then have treasure in heaven.” Anthony felt as if the Lord were speaking these words directly to him.

His parents, having recently died, Anthony gave away some of the family estate to his neighbors, sold the remaining property, donated the funds to the poor, placed his sister with a group of Christian virgins for her education, and became the disciple of a local hermit in the desert, and devoted himself to God.   This first period in the desert lasted around 13 years.  Though he had not sought it, a group of hermits grew around him, and he became their spiritual father, or an “abbot”, thus beginning monasticism as it is known today.

He went to the desert because it is a place without material attachments and earthly pleasures. And yet, like Christ, in the desert, Anthony also encountered the devil. The devil would send Anthony great temptations which took great effort and prayer to overcome. The devil would also physically assault Anthony, and beat him to the point of unconsciousness.  

But another scripture passage that Anthony took quite seriously was our epistle this morning: “Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the Devil.”

The Devil hates when any soul endeavors to grow in holiness. The Devil likes us complacent and sleepy; he likes us attached to modern conveniences. He likes us soft and vulnerable and ill-equipped. 

One of the weapons that Anthony and the desert hermits would wield is the Word of God. They would memorize the Gospels and memorize the Psalms so that when the devil came with his temptations, they had the guidance necessary to see through his lies. The Lord himself utilized this tactic. Remember, when the devil said, “turn these stones into bread”, the Lord retorted with a line from scripture, “man does not live on bread alone, but by every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”

Due to his holiness and wisdom, many souls would seek out the advice of the Desert Abbot St. Anthony. St. Athanasius, Anthony’s biographer, even writes how the emperor Constantine, sought out Anthony’s advice on the administration of an empire that was now officially Christian.

Anthony wrote back to Constantine, advising him “not to think much of the present, but rather to remember the judgment that is coming, and to know that Christ alone was the true and Eternal King.”

May Anthony Abbot through his heavenly intercession and holy example assist us in detaching from the things of the world, seeking the perfection of Christ, putting on the Armor of God against the wiles of the Devil, and living in expectation of our own judgment in hopes of living eternally with Christ the King, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our heart for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her.

For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may preserve harmony among us.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may grant them relief and move Christians to come to the aid of the suffering.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for all monastics and hermits, and that all Christians may seek the perfection for which they were made.

For our beloved dead, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered.

O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

January 17 2020 - St. Anthony of the Desert - "Do you wish to be perfect?"

Most of what is known about the life of Anthony is from his biography written by St. Athanasius. Anthony was born in the year 251 in upper Egypt to wealthy parents.  Attending Mass one day he heard the words of the Gospel, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor.  You will then have treasure in heaven” Anthony told his disciples in later years, that it was as though Christ had spoken the words directly to him.  For he was inspired to take these words quite literally.

Anthony gave away some of the family estate to his neighbors, sold the remaining property, donated the funds to the poor, placed his sister with a group of Christian virgins for her education, and became the disciple of a local hermit in the desert, and devoted himself to God.   Though he had not sought it, a group of hermits grew around him, and he became their spiritual father, or an “abbot”, thus beginning monasticism as it is known today.

“Do you wish to be perfect?” That’s a question which reaches down to the root of our existence, doesn’t it? It’s a question every human person is faced with. Do I wish to be perfect and will I do what needs to be done in order to achieve perfection. For some people the answer is no. They don’t care perfect, they don’t want anyone telling them their not already perfect. They don’t want to give up their moral imperfections because of the effort involved, they don’t want to exert themselves to grow in virtue or to nurture spiritual gifts.

For Christians however, the answer must always be yes. I do wish to be perfect, Jesus show me the way. For many Christians, the way of perfection lies in putting our faith into practice in our private life, in our family life, and in our social life. We practice patience at work, and forgiveness, and even learn to embrace our sufferings in union with the Lord.

For some Christians, the way of perfection leads them to the desert, or to the monastery. Perfection leads them to an intense prayer and mortification and detachment from earthly pleasures—what the world considers important.

Not all of us can or should go out to the physical desert, but there certainly needs to be something of that openness to the desert in each of us, that detachment, even mistrust of material comforts, and the willingness to overcome all weakness of the flesh by learning strength of the spirit in deep communion with God.

May St. Anthony inspire us and aid us with his heavenly intercession in seeking the perfection for which we were made, in uniting our lives ever more fully to Christ for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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To God the Father Almighty we direct the prayers of our heart for the needs and salvation of humanity and the good of His faithful ones.

For the holy Church of God, that the Lord may graciously watch over her and care for her.

For the peoples of the world, that the Lord may preserve harmony among us.

For all who are oppressed by any kind of need, that the Lord may grant them relief and move Christians to come to the aid of the suffering.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life, for all monastics and hermits, and that all Christians may seek the perfection for which they were made.

For our beloved dead, for the poor souls in purgatory, and for X, for whom this Mass is offered.
O God, our refuge and our strength, hear the prayers of your Church, for you yourself are the source of all devotion, and grant, we pray, that what we ask in faith we may truly obtain. Through Christ our Lord.

Homily: Jan 17 2017 - St. Anthony, Abbot - "If you wish to be perfect..."

Most of what is known about the life of Anthony is from his biography written by St. Athanasius. St. Anthony was born in Egypt around 251, to wealthy parents who owned land near present-day Cairo. During this time, the Christian faith was rapidly spreading throughout the vast expanses of the Roman empire, though the empire remained officially pagan for another 80 years.

Around the year 270, his parents died and he inherited their sizable wealth. But shortly after, while attending Mass he heard Jesus' exhortation to the rich young man: “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” Anthony told his disciples in later years, that it was as though Christ has spoken those words to him directly.

The words of Christ, striking him to the heart, Anthony gave away some of the family estate to his neighbors, sold the remaining property, donated the funds to the poor, placed his sister with a group of Christian virgins for her education, and became a desert hermit.

He sought detachment from material goods and earthly pleasures and sought his riches in God alone. His holiness soon attracted the attention of others; a group of hermits grew around him, and he became their spiritual father, or an “abbot”, thus beginning monasticism as it is known today.

God continues to call men and women to the monastic life; in fact, there seems to be a resurgence in monasticism in some places. Perhaps, due to all the chaos and hatred in the world, the monastics seek a desert place to focus on what really matters, the only thing that really matters in the end.

The monastics remind the whole Church not to become too wrapped up in the affairs and trappings of the world, to seek out the desert places from time to time, to become quiet enough to hear the silent Word of God speaking to our hearts, and to strive after the Christian perfection to which we are called.

On this feast of St. Anthony, we are reminded of the invitation to embrace the Gospel with ever greater devotion and commitment.  Inspired by grace to follow Christ with a free and pure heart, Anthony gave away all his possessions to the poor, and overcoming the weakness of the flesh by the strength of the spirit, he lived in deep communion with God in the austere solitude of the desert for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

That all Christians may seek detachment from the things of the world to focus more deeply on the things of God.

For an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, and for the sanctification of those in the monastic orders.

For St. Anthony’s protection against all the wickedness and snares of the devil.

That the wealthy might use their earthly treasures to gain treasure in heaven by coming to the aid of the poor and helpless.

For the needs of the sick and suffering…

For the dead.