The previous article talked about the life of St. Antony who founded monastic life which aims to abstinence from this world and unity with God. It alsoreferred to the relation betweenSt. Antony and St. Paul the First Hermit who was born in Alexandria and left this world willingly to go to the wilderness to live the life of prayers, abstinence, devotion and God supported him within.
One day St. Antony felt deep down in his heart that he was the first one to inhabit the desert to worship God but an angel guided him to St. Paul who preceded him in monastic life, and for his prayers God lifts draught from the world and the Nile flood comes in its due course.
St. Antony longed to see the man that heaven witnessed for, so he travelled through the desert guided by God for a whole day until he reached the cave of St. Paul. So it was the meeting of the Father of monks with the First Hermit. St. Paul told his story to St. Antony and they talked for a long time about God, His acts and charities to mankind till sunset then the crow came for St. Paul as it used to with half a loaf of bread but this time it came with a whole one!
Except for this time the bread was whole! Thus St. Paul said: “Now I know that you are the man of God: I spent more than eighty years, and this crow comes everyday with half a loaf of bread only, but now it comeswith a whole one; God has sent your food as well.”At the end of their conversation, St. Paul asked St. Antony to bring him the priestly garment of Pope Athanasius the Apostolic that was given to him as a gift from Constantine the kingbefore his departure.
St. Antony hurried and walked for two days until he reached his cave, took the garment and returned to St. Paul to find him in a kneeling position to God, so he waited him thinking that he was praying, but after a whilehe came closer to find him dead!!
St. Antony cried deeply then he shrouded him with the garment he had asked for, after removing his fiber cloth which he wore. Then he went to bury him but he was very old (almost ninety years old) he can’t dig a grave! While thinking what to do, he saw two lionsin front of him!!
He marked the length of the body and its width on the ground and the two lions dug with its claws exactly as his marking then left!!! He prayed and buried St. Paul in 341 AD.
St. Antony then took that fiber cloth and presented it to Pope Athanasius who was very delighted and wore it in Nativity, Epiphany and Resurrection celebrations. Pope Athanasius tried to find St. Paul’s body to bring him to Alexandria and bury him besides the late Patriarchs but it wasin vain. That was the will of God for his body to remain preserved in its place.
Pope Athanasius the Apostolic
The name of St. Antony was also connected with Pope Athanasius the Apostolic who stayed with him for a long time as his disciple, learnt a lot from him thus deserved to be the Patriarch who wore the monastic outfit by the hands of the Father of monks. He wrote a whole phase of St. Anthony’s life and his qualities: “I saw him many times, benefitedfrom his teachings and accompanied him for a long time. His blessings showered me.”
Also he described him to be: “As a fact, he loved all people without envy. During wakefulness, he used to learn. One may be astonished at his patience in fasting and sleeping on the ground. And be amazed to his endurance, patience and goodness…”
Also Pope Athanasius told us that with his pure life, he drew so many and he urged them to live with morals, devoutness and charity deeds which will precede them to heaven and prepare a place for them there.
Pope Athanasius spent almost three years with St. Antony during which he benefited from his teachings, wisdom and holiness. Moreover he was able to write his two books “Pagans Falseness” and “Oneness of God.”
The most significant action of Pope Athanasius was confronting Arius the heterodoxy and his followers, and his efforts in defending faith against each false teaching, no sooner had St. Antony heard about that than he went to support him: “He came down from the mountain with the bishops and the brethren, entered Alexandria and announcedto the Arians that their teachings were false.”
He taught people to the extent that his teachings had a deep effect on everyone and they kept by his side saying: “We hope to see the man of God!”Then he returned to the wilderness.
Stories about beautiful Egypt never end!
General Bishop,
Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
