Δευτέρα 16 Ιανουαρίου 2023

Feast Day of Agios Antonios

Ἔχει τι μεῖζον οὐρανὸς καὶ τῶν Νόων,
Ἔξαρχον Ἀντώνιον Ἀσκητῶν ἔχων.
Ἑβδομάτῃ δεκάτῃ Ἀντώνιον ἔνθεν ἄειραν.
On January 17 the Greek Orthodox Church celebrates the Feast Day of Agios Antonios.

Saint Anthony, the Father of monks, was born in Egypt in 251 of pious parents who departed this life while he was yet young. On hearing the words of the Gospel: "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell what thou hast, and give to the poor" (Matt. 19:21), he immediately put it into action. Distributing to the poor all he had, and fleeing from all the turmoil of the world, he departed to the desert. The manifold temptations he endured continually for the span of twenty years are incredible. His ascetic struggles by day and by night, whereby he mortified the uprisings of the passions and attained to the height of dispassion, surpass the bounds of nature; and the report of his deeds of virtue drew such a multitude to follow him that the desert was transformed into a city, while he became, so to speak, the governor, lawgiver, and master-trainer of all the citizens of this newly-formed city.

Άγιος Αντώνιος ο Μέγας - άγνωστος ζωγράφος κρητικού εργαστηρίου, τέλη 16ου - αρχές 17ου αιώνα μ.Χ.
The cities of the world also enjoyed the fruit of his virtue. When the Christians were being persecuted and put to death under Maximinus in 312, he hastened to their aid and consolation. When the Church was troubled by the Arians, he went with zeal to Alexandria in 335 and struggled against them in behalf of Orthodoxy. During this time, by the grace of his words, he also turned many unbelievers to Christ.
Άγιος Αντώνιος ο Μέγας - 17ος αι. μ.Χ. - Mονή Διονυσίου, Άγιον Όρος

Saint Anthony began his ascetic life outside his village of Coma in Upper Egypt, studying the ways of the ascetics and holy men there, and perfecting himself in the virtues of each until he surpassed them all. Desiring to increase his labors, he departed into the desert, and finding an abandoned fortress in the mountain, he made his dwelling in it, training himself in extreme fasting, unceasing prayer, and fierce conflicts with the demons. Here he remained, as mentioned above, about twenty years. Saint Athanasius the Great, who knew him personally and wrote his life, says that he came forth from that fortress "initiated in the mysteries and filled with the Spirit of God." Afterwards, because of the press of the faithful, who deprived him of his solitude, he was enlightened by God to journey with certain Bedouins, until he came to a mountain in the desert near the Red Sea, where he passed the remaining part of his life.
Άγιος Aντώνιος και Άγιος Παύλος ο Θηβαίος - β'μισό του 17ου αι. μ.Χ. - Mονή Ξηροποτάμου, Άγιον Όρος

Saint Athanasius says of him that "his countenance had a great and wonderful grace. This gift also he had from the Saviour. For if he were present in a great company of monks, and anyone who did not know him previously wished to see him, immediately coming forward he passed by the rest, and hurried to Anthony, as though attracted by his appearance. 
Ο Αντώνιος ησυχάζων εκτός πόλης

Yet neither in height nor breadth was he conspicuous above others, but in the serenity of his manner and the purity of his soul." So Passing his life, and becoming an example of virtue and a rule for monastics, he reposed on January 17 in the year 356, having lived altogether some 105 years.
Ο άγιος Αντώνιος και ο προφήτης Ηλίας. Εικόνα δια χειρός Φίκου

Today is also the Name Day of Antonios, Antonia, Theodosios, Theodosia.

Απολυτίκιο (Ἦχος δ')
Τὸν ζηλωτὴν Ἠλίαν τοῖς τρόποις μιμούμενος,
τῷ Βαπτιστῇ εὐθείαις ταῖς τρίβοις ἑπόμενος,
Πάτερ Ἀντώνιε, τῆς ἐρήμου γέγονας οἰκιστής,
καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐστήριξας εὐχαῖς σου·
Διὸ πρέσβευε Χριστῷ τῶ Θεῷ,
σωθῆναι τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν.

Κοντάκιο (Ἦχος β')
Τους βιοτικούς θορύβους απωσάμενος
ησυχαστικώς τον βίον εξετέλεσας,
τον Βαπτιστήν μιμούμενος,
κατά πάντα τρόπον, Οσιώτατε.
Συν αυτώ, ουν σε γεραίρομεν,
Αντώνιε Πάτερ, των Πατέρων κρηπίς
Μεγαλυνάρια
Τον των μοναζόντων υπογραμμόν
και τον της ερήμου πολιούχον και οικιστήν,
στήλην σωφροσύνης, Οσίων τε το κλέος,
Αντώνιον τον Μέγα, ανευφημήσωμεν.
Χαίροις των Οσίων ο αρχηγός
και της ισαγγέλλου, πολιτείας καθηγητής
Χαίροις της ερήμου, στυλοειδής νεφέλη,
Αντώνιε παμμάκαρ, Πατέρων καύχημα.