Today is the feast of St. Anthony.
Today we turn our eyes toward the desert of Egypt, where early in the history of the Church many men and women left the crowded realm of social norms and false values and embraced a life of solitude. They got away from it all in order to draw closer to God.
The question for us is Why? Why did they do that? Why did Anthony at age 20 sell everything and enter the desert and stay there for the next 85 years.
The reason behind the madness of devotion and conviction. Anthony took Jesus at his word. He heard the gospel, "If you wish to be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me," and then he followed through on it.
The history of the world is filled with tales of men and women taking God at his word. Anthony was only doing what Mary did when she said yes, what the apostles did when they followed after Christ, what Jesus himself did when after kneeling in agony he rose, "let us rise, and be on our way" and then continued with "take this all of you and eat, this is my body given for you." The courage of the follower is only a mirror of the courage of the one who calls, "come follow me."
Why did Anthony do that? He could do nothing else.
The final question for us is Why don't we? Why don't we?
Are you still lacking?
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