St. Anthony of Egypt: Hermit Lifestyle

• Religious life began modestly in the second and third centuries.
• Men and women sought meaning in the deserts of Egypt, Palestine, Arabia, and Persia through prayer and penance.
• This began as a hermitage lifestyle.
• St. Anthony is the most well-known of the monks and hermits.

St. Anthony of Egypt

• Born in 250 C.E. near Memphis, Egypt, to wealthy parents.
• Radically followed Jesus' invitation to the rich young man: sell possessions, give to the poor, and follow Him.
• Around 270 C.E., Anthony entered the desert and lived in an empty tomb.
• He went deeper into the desert, living in a deserted fort for twenty years, devoted to prayer and self-denial.
• He rarely left solitude, except to visit and console inmates in nearby prisons.
• His reputation as a man of God spread, and men came to imitate his way of life and seek his advice.
• The growing number of hermits prompted Anthony to move deeper into the desert with two companions.
• He settled in a deserted oasis in Thebes, where he lived until his death at 105 in 355 C.E.
• He left behind the first form of religious community: hermits living alone but near a master or spiritual guide.

Eastern Monasticism

• St. Pachomius and St. Basil brought hermit groups together to live under a common rule in a monastery.
• The rule of St. Basil is still followed in some Eastern Rite Church monasteries today.
• Desert movements became more robust due to a perceived loss of apostolic zeal in the growing Church.
• Hermits were called the martyr’s little brother, indicating a mystical death or total surrender to Christ.
• The movement's success was influenced by:
  • Edict of Milan (313 C.E) by Constantine the Great, ending Christian persecution.
  • Neo-Platonism, emphasizing human nature's invisible, mystical aspects.

Western Monasticism

• St. Athanasius brought word of St. Anthony of Egypt and his way of life to Rome, stimulating monastic life in the West.
• St. Benedict (480 – 547 C.E. approximate date) is the most significant figure in Western monasticism.
• After studying in Rome, he lived as a hermit on Mt. Subiaco in Italy.
• Like Anthony, he was approached by men wanting to imitate his way of life and have him as their spiritual guide.
• As the number of followers grew, he gathered them into monasteries and wrote a rule of life.
• Benedictine monasteries spread throughout Europe.
• In the Dark Ages, Benedictine monasteries became the sole surviving centers of culture and education in the West.
• Monks and monastic life had significant importance and influence in the Church during the Middle Ages.

Principles and Ideals of Early Spiritual Life

• The vows: living like Christ through voluntary poverty, chastity, and obedience.
• Interior transformation: seeking holiness by purifying thoughts and attitudes through prayer, self-denial, and charity.
• Physical separation from secular society: living in isolation as a sign of renouncing false values.
• Life of prayer: dedicating one's life to union with God through meditation and liturgical prayer, believing worship can heal the world's sufferings.