A Comparative and a Synoptic Table of Sayings Attributed to St. Antony the Great
Table 1
A comparative table of sayings attributed to Antony
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AlphAP |
SysAP |
Coptic |
Arabic |
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All the Days of His Life |
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1. When Saint Abba Antony was dwelling in the desert one time, he became dispirited, and his thoughts were extremely dark and gloomy. He was saying to God, “Lord, I want to be saved, and my thoughts won’t leave me alone! Afflicted like this, what will I do? How will I be saved?” A little later, going outside, Antony saw someone like him: he was sitting and working; then he would stand up from his work and pray. Then he would sit down and plait rope; then once again he would stand to pray. It was an angel of the Lord, sent to set Antony right and strengthen him. Antony heard the angel saying, “Do what I am doing, and you will be saved.” Hearing this, he was filled with joy and courage. So, doing what the angel had said, he was saved. |
VII.7. |
32. It was said still further about Abba Antony that when he was dwelling in the desert one time he was astonished and troubled at the crowds of thoughts assaulting him. He entreated God, saying, “My Lord, I want to be saved! Don’t allow these thoughts to harass me! What can I do in such anguish? How will I be able to save myself?” When he had stood for a while on the mountain, he saw someone in human form sitting down, weaving a mat: this person would stand up for a while from doing his handiwork in order to pray, and then he would sit down again and do his work. And there appeared an angel of the Lord, sent to strengthen Antony and help him fight against the evil despondency besieging him. He heard the angel saying to him, “Do just as he is doing and you will be saved.” When he heard this, he thoroughly rejoiced. He received the strength to continue and would do what he saw the man doing all the days of his life. |
55. There is also this story about Abba Antony: One day as he was sitting in his cell, he was lost in his thoughts that had become scattered, and he felt great distress, to the point that he thought he would lose his mind and could endure no longer. So he went out of his cell and found a monk in front of him weaving palm leaves for one hour, then standing up to pray for one hour, all the while remembering death and weeping for himself because one day he would become dust. When Abba Antony saw him, he was amazed. Then he said: “Do as I do, Antony, and you will be saved.” When the saint turned back to look at him, he no longer saw him and so he wondered greatly. Then his thoughts became calm and he carried on doing as he saw him doing. May the blessings of his prayers be with us, Amen. |
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The Depths of God’s Judgments |
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2. The same Abba Antony, intently studying the depths of God’s judgments, wanted an answer, so he said, “Lord, why do certain people live short lives and die while others live to an exceedingly old age? And why are some poor and in need while others get rich? And why do those who are neither righteous nor just get rich while the righteous and just are in need?” A voice came to him, saying, “Antony, pay attention to yourself; to be sure, these are God’s judgments, and it will not do you any good to inquire about these matters.” |
XV.1. |
7. And also when Abba Antony was contemplating the depths of God’s judgments, he said: “Lord, why are there those who die young as little children, and others who die old? And why are there people who are poor and others who are rich?” And he heard a voice saying to him, “Anṭūnah, worry about yourself: these are the judgments of God and to know them would be of no benefit to you.” |
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Do These Three Things |
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3. Someone asked Abba Antony, saying, “What sort of practices do I need to maintain in order to please God?” In reply the elder said, “Practice what I’m prescribing for you: Wherever you go, keep God right before your eyes—always. Whatever you’re doing, hold on to the testimony of the holy scriptures. Wherever you’re living, don’t be in a hurry to move on. Keep these practices and you’ll be saved.” |
I.1. |
44. A brother asked Abba Antony, saying, “My father, what do I need to do to please God?” The elder said to him, “Will you do what I tell you?” The brother said to him, “Yes, my father.” The elder said to him, “Wherever you go, keep God right before your eyes each and every moment; may the holy scriptures bear witness in everything you do; and, further, wherever you are, don’t be in a hurry to leave. Keep a watch on these three things, and you’ll be saved.” |
10. A monk said to our father Abba Antony: “What should I do in order to please God?” He said: “Everywhere you go, always have the fear of God before your eyes, remember the scriptures, and wherever you dwell don’t move from there quickly. Keep these three things and you’ll be comforted.” |
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Courage |
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4. Abba Antony said to Abba Poemen: “This is the greatest work a person can do when he trips up: own his error in God’s presence and to expect temptation until his last breath.” |
XV.2. |
25. Abba Antony said, “Courage consists entirely of this: for a person to always be raising an accusation against himself in God’s presence and to be aware every day that a temptation lurks behind him until his last breath.” |
58. Abba Andūnah said: “The courageous person is the one who resists his desires and is aware that the Tempter is behind him until his last breath.” |
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True Righteousness |
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6. Abba Pambo asked Abba Antony, “What should I do?” The elder said to him, “Don’t be won over by your own righteousness; and don’t feel bad about something you did in the past; and get control of both your tongue and your belly.” |
I.2. |
3. Abba Antony said to Abba Pambo, “Do not insist upon your own righteousness.” |
5. An elder asked Abba Antony what he must do in order to be saved. And the father said to him: “Don’t trust in your own goodness and don’t regret what you don’t have, and control your stomach and your tongue.” |
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Humility and Perseverance |
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7. Abba Antony said, “I saw all the snares of the Enemy stretched out like a net over the earth, and I cried out and said, ‘Who, then, can escape them?!’ And I heard a voice saying to me: ‘Humility.’ ” |
XV.3. |
43. Abba Antony said, “I saw all the snares of the Devil spread out over the whole world and I groaned, saying, ‘Lord, who will be able to escape all these things that hunt humankind?’ A voice came to me, saying, ‘By being humble and sticking with God, a person will overcome all these snares. They will not be able to prevail over the person who possesses humility and perseverance, nor will they be able to inflict any kind of violence on such a person.’ ” |
3. The brothers said that Abba Antony said: “I saw on the ground all the traps of the Devil, and I sighed, thinking, ‘Who can be saved from all these traps?’ And I heard a voice saying ‘Humility will save you from all these.’ ” |
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Far from God |
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8. Again he said: “There are some who’ve worn out their bodies doing ascetic practices and, because of this, they’ve lost the power of discernment and have become far from God.” |
X.1. |
49. He also said: “There are people who torture their bodies through asceticism but they lack discernment, and so they remain far from the way of God.” |
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Death and Life |
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9. Again he said: “We have life and death through our neighbor. If we gain our brother, we gain God, but if we cause our brother to sin we sin against Christ.” |
XVII.2. |
4. Abba Antony said, “A person will bring forth both death and life through his friend. If he does what is evil for the other, he’ll give birth to death. But if he’s done what is good for the other, he’ll give birth to life.” |
63. Abba Andūnah said: “Death and life depend on how we treat our brother. If we win our brother then we win God, but if we cause our brother to stumble then we sin before God.” |
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Monks and Fishes |
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10. Again he said, “Just as fish die if they stay too long on dry land, so too with monks: if they stay away from their cells too long, or spend too much time with those living in the world, they unstring the bow of contemplative quiet and thus lose its tautness. So, then, just as fish need to hurry back to the sea, in the same way we too need to hurry back to our cells so we don’t stay too long outside and forget all about our interior watchfulness.” |
II.1. |
12. Abba Antony said, “It’s like the fish: if they stay where it’s dry too long, they die. It’s like that for monks, too: if they stay outside their cells too long with those living in the world, they stop being monks. It’s right, therefore, that just like the fish in the sea, we monks must ourselves, in the same way, stick with the monastery; otherwise, we stay outside too long and forget about the interior life, that is, persevering in a life with God.” |
1. Abba Antony always taught his disciples, “In the same way that a fish out of water dies, so too will a monk: if he leaves his cell the fear of God dies in his heart.” |
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Wars and the War |
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11. Again he said: “The person who dwells in the desert and practices contemplative quiet frees himself from three wars: hearsay and gossip, chatter, and keeping an eye out for visitors. But really he wages only one war: against sexual sin.” |
II.2. |
40. Abba Antony said, “I wanted to go to Upper Egypt, but I was held back: ‘Don’t go; instead, go to the monastic community. There are three things that belong to the world and do not belong to the community: the eye fights with each person; so do the tongue and the ear. But in the monastic community it is the heart alone that fights with a person. Isn’t that one more valuable than the [three]?’ ” |
34. He also said: “The person who dwells in the wilderness is saved from three warfares: hearing things, gossip, and looking at things that injure the heart.” |
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Truth-telling Demons |
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12. Some brothers approached Abba Antony to let him know about visions they had been seeing and to learn from him whether these visions were true, or came from demons. They had had an ass, and it had died on the way. Antony had anticipated their arrival, and when they came to visit the elder he said to them, “How did the little ass die on the way?” They said to him, “How do you know this, Abba? Where’d you get your information?” He said to them, “The demons pointed it out to me.” They said to him, “Because of what you’re saying, we’ve come to ask you about what happened, because we saw visions, and often they turn out to be true, but we want to know if we’ve been deceived somehow.” The elder demonstrated for them from the example of the ass that such visions come from demons. |
X.2. |
6. Some brothers approached Abba Antony to let him know about visions they had been seeing and to learn from him whether these visions were true or came from demons. They had had an ass, and it had died on the way. Antony had anticipated their arrival. When they reached the elder, he said to them, “How did the little ass die on the road?” They said to him, “How did you know, our father?” He said to them, “The demons informed me.” They in turn said to him, “For our part, we came to ask you about this because we saw something unreal and it’s so happened that they’ve [the demons] told the truth any number of times. We don’t want to be led astray.” The elder agreed that what they had seen came from demons. They left him, giving glory to God. |
49a. It happened one time that brothers came to where Abba Antony was. These brothers used to see visions and they wanted to know if these visions were believable or from the Devil. While they were on their way, their donkey died, and when they reached the elder, he said to them, “How did your donkey die?” They replied, “How did you know, our father?” He said to them, “The demons told me.” They answered him, “We came to you to ask regarding this because sometimes we see visions and sometimes they have loud voices and we fear we’ll be deceived by them.” So the elder told them that the visions are from demons, and he comforted their hearts and rejoiced with them. While he was talking to them, he saw a hunter, and wanting to delight his heart and the hearts of the brothers with him, he spoke to the hunter, “You, hunter, put an arrow in your bow and pull it.” So the hunter pulled it. Once more he said to him, “Pull again,” and the hunter said, “If I pull it more than what’s needed, the bow will break.” So the elder replied, “So it is, too, with the deeds of God. If we exceed the limit and put too much pressure on the brothers, they’ll break quickly; so sometimes it’s necessary to indulge their limitations.” The hunter benefitted from this saying, and the brothers, having been strengthened, returned to their monastery. May their prayers be with us, Amen. |
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The Analogy of the Bow |
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13. There was a certain man, a hunter, who hunted wild animals throughout the wilderness region, and he saw Abba Antony laughing and joking with the brothers. The elder, wanting to assure him, because he needed to accommodate himself from time to time to the level of the brothers, said to him, “Put an arrow in your bow and stretch the bow tight,” and this he did. Antony said to him, “Stretch it tight some more,” and he stretched it some more. Again he said, “Stretch it.” The hunter said to him, “If I stretch it too tight, the bow will break.” The elder said to him, “it’s the same with doing God’s work: with regard to the brothers, if we stretch them too tight, they’ll quickly break into pieces. It’s necessary, then, to come down to the brothers’ level from time to time.” When the hunter heard what Antony was saying, he was deeply moved and, having benefitted greatly from the elder, departed. The brothers, strengthened and feeling supported, withdrew to their monastic settlement. |
X.3 |
7. An elder asked Abba Antony, “Is it OK to meet with the brothers?” and the elder wanted to assure him, saying, “It’s OK occasionally to meet with the brothers.” While he regarded the hunter of wild animals, Antony said to him, “Put an arrow in your bow and stretch the bow back,” and he did so. Once again Antony said to him, “Stretch your bow some more.” The elder said to Antony, “If I stretch it any further, more than I should, the bow will break.” Antony said to him, “It’s the same, then, with doing God’s work: if someone goes too far, in such a way that he strains the abilities of the brothers, they will soon break—but it’s okay to meet with them occasionally.” Through the analogy of the bow, what Antony had said greatly edified the elder, and so he left. |
49b. It happened one time that brothers came to where Abba Antony was. These brothers used to see visions and they wanted to know if these visions were believable or from the Devil. While they were on their way, their donkey died, and when they reached the elder, he said to them, “How did your donkey die?” They replied, “How did you know, our father?” He said to them, “The demons told me.” They answered him, “We came to you to ask regarding this because sometimes we see visions and sometimes they have loud voices and we fear we’ll be deceived by them.” So the elder told them that the visions are from demons, and he comforted their hearts and rejoiced with them. While he was talking to them, he saw a hunter, and wanting to delight his heart and the hearts of the brothers with him, he spoke to the hunter, “You, hunter, put an arrow in your bow and pull it.” So the hunter pulled it. Once more he said to him, “Pull again,” and the hunter said, “If I pull it more than what’s needed, the bow will break.” So the elder replied, “So it is, too, with the deeds of God. If we exceed the limit and put too much pressure on the brothers, they’ll break quickly; so sometimes it’s necessary to indulge their limitations.” The hunter benefitted from this saying, and the brothers, having been strengthened, returned to their monastery. May their prayers be with us, Amen. |
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A Great Pillar Fallen |
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14. Abba Antony heard about a certain young monk who had worked a miracle while on the road: when the young monk saw some elders who were traveling and were wearied by their journey, he ordered wild asses to come and carry the elders until they reached Antony. So the elders informed Abba Antony about what had happened. He said to them, “It seems to me that this monk is a ship filled with goods; I don’t know whether he’s going to make it to shore.” After a while Abba Antony suddenly began to weep and pull out his hair and mourn. His disciples said to him, “Why are you weeping, Abba.” The elder said, “A great pillar of the Church has just now fallen!” (He was talking about the young monk.) “But go,” he said, “until you reach him and see what’s happened.” So the disciples left and found the monk sitting on a mat, weeping over the sin he had committed. When he heard the elder’s disciples, he said, “Tell the elder to implore God to grant me just ten days and I hope to make amends.” And within five days, he died. |
VIII.1. |
15. Abba Antony came to know that a young monk had performed a wondrous sign in the desert. This monk, when he saw some elders exhausted from walking to the monastic community, ordered some wild asses to come and carry the elders. When Abba Antony was informed about him, he said, “This young monk in fact resembles a ship, and although he is laden with goods, I don’t know whether or not he will reach port safely.” After a while Abba Antony began to weep suddenly. He tore out his hair and mourned. His disciples asked him, “Why are you weeping, our father?” The elder said, “A great pillar of the Church has just now fallen!” (He was talking about the young monk.) “But you monks, go, find him, find out what happened to him!” When the disciples went, they found the monk sitting on a mat, weeping on account of the sin he had committed. When the young monk saw the elder’s disciples, he said to them, “Ask the elder to implore God to grant me just ten days and I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to make satisfaction.” Before five days had passed, the young man died. The elders said, “If you see a young monk flying up high to heaven on his own accord, by his own will, grab his feet, force him down. This isn’t good for him.” |
26. One day some brothers were on their way to see Abba Antony. But they lost their way and, from exhaustion, they sat down, having lost any hope of surviving. Suddenly they saw a young man coming out of the wilderness riding a zebra and moving towards them. At the time, there were also zebras grazing nearby and so the young man pointed at the zebras and immediately they came towards him. He commanded them, “Carry these people to where Antony dwells,” and at once the zebras obeyed his command. When the people reached Antony, they told him everything that had happened. But Antony responded, “What a great way to travel! But I don’t know if that monk will be saved, because he’s like a boat carrying lots of goods but it’s not certain that he’ll make it to the port.” Then, sometime later, Antony began to weep and pull at his hair, and so his disciples said to him, “What’s the matter father?” And the elder responded, “A great pillar in the church has fallen at this very hour, and I’m talking about that young man whom the zebras obeyed.” So the elder at once sent his disciples to the young monk and they found him sitting on a mat weeping. When he saw Antony’s disciples he said to them, “Tell the elder to pray to God that God give me ten days to repent.” But within five days he died, and so Antony’s words were fulfilled. |
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Make the Effort |
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16. A brother said to Abba Antony, “Pray for me.” The elder said to him, “Neither I nor God will have mercy on you if you yourself don’t make the effort and ask God.” |
X.4. |
33. They used to tell us that one of the brothers went to Abba Antony and said to him: “Have mercy on me and pray for me, my father!” He replied, “I will not have mercy on you, nor will God have mercy on you until you take pity on yourself.” |
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A Courtyard without a Gate |
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18. Brothers from Scetis were going to visit Abba Antony and, boarding a boat to go see him, they found an elder who also wanted to go there. (The brothers did not know him.) Sitting in the boat, they were talking about the sayings of the fathers and passages from scripture and afterwards they were doing their handiwork. The elder remained silent. After they had entered the harbor, they discovered that the elder had gone off to see Abba Antony. When the brothers reached Abba Antony’s, he said to them, “You found a good companion to voyage with in this elder.” He also said to the elder, “You found good brothers to travel with you, Abba.” The elder said, “They’re good companions but their courtyard doesn’t have a gate, and anyone who wants to can enter the stable and set the ass loose.” He was saying this because the brothers would talk about whatever came into their heads. |
IV.1. |
54. They used to say that some of the brothers from the wilderness of Scetis wanted to go see father Abba Antony. So they got into a boat and found an elder who was also going along with them, but they didn’t know him. When they were in the boat the brothers spoke about monastic things, the work of their hands, as well as things in the scriptures. All the while, the elder listened to them but kept silent. When they got off the boat they realized that the elder was also going to see Abba Antony. When they reached the saint, he looked at the brothers and said, “What a companion you’ve found in this elder!” Then the elder said, “What companions I found in them, father! They’re good, but their house doesn’t have a door, so the person who wants to enter the stable and loosen the donkey and take it can do so with no one to prevent him.” And the meaning behind this response is that they talk too much. |
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You Need Prayers |
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19. Brothers came to visit Abba Antony and said to him, “Tell us: How can we be saved?” The elder said to them, “Have you listened to scripture? You’ll be fine.” But they said, “We also want to hear from you, Father.” The elder said to them, “The Gospel says, ‘If someone strikes you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also.’ ” They said to him, “We can’t do this.” The elder said to them, “If you can’t offer the other cheek, at least patiently endure it when the one is being struck.” They said to him, “We can’t do this, either.” So the elder said, “If you can’t do even this, at least don’t hit back.” And they said, “We can’t do this, either.” The elder said to his disciple, “Make them some hot cereal; they’re weak.” [He says to the monks:] “If you can’t do this, and refuse to do that, what will I be able to do for you? It’s prayers that you need.” |
XVI.1. |
8. They said that some of the brothers went to Abba Antony and said to him: “Tell us something beneficial so we can be saved.” He said to them, “You’ve heard the scriptures; its commandments are enough for you.” They responded, “But we want to hear something from you as well, father.” So the elder said to them, “The Gospel tells the person who is slapped on his right cheek to turn the other also.” And they answered, “This isn’t possible for us to do.” So the elder said to them, “If you can’t turn the other cheek, at least endure one cheek being slapped, and be patient in this regard and take care not to feel vengeful.” They responded, “It isn’t possible for us to be patient regarding this.” So the elder said to his disciple, “Get up, my son, and prepare soup for the brothers because they’re sick in their hearts.” And he turned to them and said, “If you can’t do this and don’t want to do that, then what can I possibly do for you? You need prayers.” |
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Torn to Pieces |
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20. A brother renounced the world and distributed his possessions to the poor, but kept a little for his own needs, and went to visit Abba Antony. When the elder learned about this, he said to him, “If you want to become a monk, leave, and go to this certain village. Buy some meat, and cover your naked body with it. Once you’ve done this, come back here.” When the brother did what Antony had told him, the dogs and the birds tore his body to pieces. When he returned to meet with the elder, Abba Antony inquired of the brother whether he had done what he had advised. When that brother showed Abba Antony his lacerated body, Saint Antony said, “This is the way that demons wage war against those who renounce the world yet want to keep some money: they shred them to pieces.” |
VI.1. |
23. A brother paid a visit to Abba Antony and said to him, “Teach me to be a monk.” The elder said to him, “If you want to be a monk, go, take yourself to such-and-such village, get some meat, and hang it from your naked body. Afterwards, come back and see me.” When the brother did this, the dogs and birds cut him to shreds. When he returned to the elder, the latter asked him, “Did you do what I told you to do?” The brother showed him his body, torn to pieces. Abba Antony said to him, “Those who leave the world behind and yet keep money—just as happened with you, the demons cut them to shreds.” |
72. It’s also written that one day a brother renounced the world and gave his money to the poor, but kept a little aside for his needs. Then he went to see Abba Antony. When the blessed elder heard about what he had done, he said to him, “If you want to become a monk, go to the city, buy some meat, and cover your naked body with it. After you have done this, come back to me.” So when the brother did as Abba Antony instructed him, the dogs and the birds came and tore his body to pieces. Then he went back to see the elder, and Abba Antony asked him, “Did you do what I told you to do?” When the brother showed him how his body was torn to pieces, Abba Antony said, “The demons do the same to those who renounce the world but keep some of their money.” |
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A Ship Shipwrecked on the Ocean |
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21. A brother one time succumbed to temptation in the monastic community of Abba Ēlít. Driven out of the monastery, he left for the monastic settlement of Abba Antony. After the brother had stayed there a while with him, Abba Antony sent him back to the monastic community where he had come from. When the monks there saw him, once again they drove him away. He returned to Abba Antony, saying, “They refused to welcome me back, father.” The elder, then, sent him back, saying, “A ship shipwrecked at sea and lost its cargo; after great hardship, it safely came to shore. You monks, however, want to throw into the sea to drown what has been safely brought to shore.” When they heard that it was Abba Antony who had sent the brother back, they accepted him—immediately. |
IX.1. |
13. A brother was caught up in temptation one time in a monastery of Abba Ēli and, when he was run out of that monastery, he went to where Abba Antony lived in a monastic community. After that brother had been with the brothers a while, Abba Antony sent him back to his monastery, the one that he had been expelled from. But when they saw him again, once again they ran him off and he returned to where Abba Antony lived and said, “They refused to let me stay with them, my father.” Once again Abba Antony sent him back to them, saying, “A ship shipwrecked on the ocean. Its cargo was destroyed and, with great difficulty, the ship made it to shore—and you, who’ve been safely brought to shore, you want it to go back and sink in the water!” When they heard that it was Abba Antony who had sent him, they immediately, with joy, welcomed him back among them. |
32. One day a brother fell into temptation and was thrown out of his monastery. So he went to Abba Andūnah on the mountain and stayed with him for a while until the elder sent him back to his monastery. But they didn’t accept him, and they threw him out again. So the brother went back to Abba Andūnah and said to him, “They refused to accept me, my father!” So again Abba Andūnah sent him back with the following message to them: “A boat sank into the depths and its cargo was ruined and it was with great effort that the boat was saved and returned to land. So how is it that you want to sink him who was saved?” When they knew that Abba Andūnah was the one who sent him back, they received the brother with joy. |
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The Body’s Three Actions |
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22. Abba Antony said, “After reflection, I’ve concluded that the body has a natural movement kneaded in with it, but it isn’t active unless the soul wishes it; it signals in the body only a movement free from sinful emotions. But there is also another movement that nourishes the body and with food and drink causes it to flourish. From these the blood’s heat stimulates the body so it can function. Therefore the Apostle used to say ‘Do not get drunk on wine; this leads to debauchery.’ Additionally, in the Gospel the Lord commands the disciples, saying, ‘Be careful. Don’t let your hearts get weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness.’ “There is a certain other movement for those who spiritually contend; this movement comes upon them because of the plotting and ill-will of the demons. So, then, we need to recognize that the body has three movements: one is natural, one comes about from foods neither good nor bad, but the third comes from the demons.” |
V.1. |
22. Abba Antony said, “The body has an inherent natural action, but has no power to do anything unless the soul is in accord with it: it signals in the body only an action without passion. The other actions in the body, furthermore, come from foods the body needs—there are a lot of them—and an immoderate action is one that causes the blood’s temperature to heat up the body. Look, because of this, the Apostle says ‘Do not get drunk on wine, because that leads to disorder in the body’ and, moreover, in the holy Gospel the Lord commands his holy apostles, saying, ‘Be careful, or your heart will be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness.’ The body has another action coming from those that fight against it, namely, the plots and the envy of the demons. Therefore, we need to realize that the body has three actions: one is natural, another comes from a variety of needs, the third comes from the demons.” |
2. He also said: “I know that within the body there is a natural movement that remains active until the end of our life, and this movement occurs only with the acceptance of the soul. And although existing in the body, it simply moves without urge and it does no harm. There is another movement that originates from too much comfort and too many luxuries and from the pleasure of food and drink so that the body heats up and the blood becomes stirred, and this action causes a movement within the body. That is why the Apostle Paul said: ‘Do not drink until you are drunk because drunkenness is from the Devil.’ And also in the Gospel the Lord commands his disciples: ‘Be on guard so that your hearts aren’t weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness.’ And there is also a movement of warfare resulting from the envy of the Devil and his evil tricks that trouble those who struggle. So, you should be aware that there are three types of bodily heat: one that occurs naturally, and two that occur from time to time, but if we’re willing, we’re able to overcome them.” |
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This feeble Generation |
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23. Again he said, “God doesn’t allow wars against this generation as he did against those who went before; no doubt, he knows that those of this generation are frail and can’t bear them.” |
X.5. |
8. Abba Antony said, “God does not allow such warfare for those of this generation as he did with those of old, knowing that the former are feeble and cannot endure it.” |
27. Our father Abba Antony said: “God doesn’t allow demons to carry out excessive and difficult warfare on this generation because it’s weak.” |
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The Doctor Who Sings with the Angels |
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24. To Abba Antony it was revealed in the desert: In the city there was a certain person like him, a doctor by profession, who gave his excess income to those in need, and every day he would sing the Trisagion with the angels. |
XVIII.1. |
11. It was revealed to Abba Antony in the desert: There is someone in a village, a doctor by profession, who, like you, when he has more than he needs, gives it to those in need and every day he chants the psalms and the Sanctus with the angels. |
74. One day it was revealed to Abba Andūnah in the wilderness that there was a physician in the city who was like him. He was a religious person and the excess of what he had he gave to the poor, and all day long he sang with the angels and the three holy youths. |
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True Insanity |
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25. Abba Antony said: “A time is coming when people will go insane, and when they see someone who’s not insane they’ll rise up against that person, saying, ‘You’re insane, you! You’re not like us!’ ” |
2. Abba Antony said, “There will come a time when people who are insane will see someone who is not insane. They will rise up against him, saying, ‘You are insane!’ because he isn’t like them.” |
47. Abba Antony said: “A time will come when people will become mad and if they see someone who isn’t mad, they’ll attack him saying, ‘You’re mad!’ ” |
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Voices |
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26. Brothers visited Abba Antony and they cited him a verse from Leviticus. Because of this, the elder went out into the desert; Abba Ammonas secretly followed him, knowing his practice. When the elder was quite a distance away, standing in prayer, he cried out in a loud voice, “My God, send Moses, and he will teach me what this verse means!” And a voice came to him and was speaking to him. Abba Ammonas said, “I heard the voice that was speaking to him, but I couldn’t understand the meaning of the words.” |
71. It’s also written that some brothers came to the blessed Antony and asked him to interpret something from the book of Leviticus. So the elder went into the wilderness and cried out with a loud voice, “God! Send me Moses to explain the meaning to me.” |
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Just the Sight of You |
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27. Three of the fathers had the custom to go see the blessed Antony each year. Two of them would ask him about their thoughts and the salvation of their souls, but the one would always remain silent and wouldn’t ask anything. Quite a while later, Abba Antony said to him, “Look, you’ve been coming here all this time, and you never ask me anything.” He responded, saying to him, “It’s enough for me just to see you, father.” |
XVII.5. |
14. Three elders had the custom of visiting blessed Antony each year. Two of them would seek his advice about their thoughts and the salvation of their souls while the other one, for his part, remained silent all the while and did not ask Abba Antony anything. After considerable time had passed, Abba Antony said to him, “Look, you’ve been coming here all this time and you’ve never asked me anything.” The elder said to him, “Just the sight of you—doesn’t that suffice, my father?” |
60. There were three elders who would visit the blessed Abba Antony every year. Two of them would ask him for advice about their thoughts and things concerning the salvation of their souls. But one of them always kept silent. So one day Abba Antony said to him, “You come to me every year but you never ask me anything.” And he responded, “It’s enough for me just to see you, father.” |
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The Parable of the Drowning Man |
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29. A brother in the monastic community was falsely accused of sexual sin and he left and went to see Abba Antony. The brothers from the community came too in order to heal him and seize him. They began to berate him, “You committed sexual sin!” He defended himself: “I did no such thing!” Abba Paphnutius Kephalas happened to be there, and he told this parable: “I saw on the riverbank a person who had been thrown into the mud up to his knees and some people came to give him a hand—and shoved him further down, up to his neck!” Then Abba Antony said this to them about Abba Paphnutius: “Here is a real human being, someone who can heal and save souls.” Stung, therefore, by what the elders had said, the brothers from the community asked the brother for forgiveness. Comforted by the fathers, they took the brother back to the monastic community. |
10. A lie was spoken one time in a monastery concerning a [brother’s] sexual sin; word about it came to where Abba Antony lived. The brothers left their monastery to seize him; they began to beat him, saying, “You did do it!” But he defended himself, “I didn’t do anything of the sort!” Paphnutius Kephalas was himself spending some time there; and spoke a parable in this way: “I saw a person in the Nile, near the shore. He had been thrown down into the muck up to his thighs and some people had come to give him a hand but instead pushed him down into the water and mud up to his shoulders.” When Abba Antony heard what Abba Paphnutius had said, he said, “Here! Truly! Here is a person who has the power to save souls!” When the brothers repented because of what the elders had said, they offered the brother their repentance and brought him back to their monastery. |
56. One day they lied about a brother in a monastery having committed sexual sin. So the brother left his monastery and came to where Abba Antony lived. And the brothers from the brother’s monastery went along as well in order to humiliate the brother. They began to scold him, “You did this and that!” He replied that he didn’t do any of the things they were talking about. It happened that Abba Bebnoda was there as well and he told them a story: “I saw a person on the seashore and some people came and threw him into the mud until it reached his knees, and when others came to help him out, those who had thrown him in pushed him down farther until the mud reached his shoulders.” When Abba Antony heard Abba Bebnoda’s words, he said, “This is a person who can heal and save souls.” Then the brothers regretted what they had done and prostrated themselves before the brother and took him back to his monastery. |
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A Spiritbearer in the World |
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30. Some people were talking about Abba Antony: “He has become a Spiritbearer, but he has refused to speak about people.” It’s a fact: he would reveal what was happening in the world and what was going to happen. |
1. The elders said about Abba Antony that he became a Spiritbearer but he didn’t want to speak because of people: they were in the world. He knew them from a distance and knew what they represented. |
31. The elders said that Abba Antony was spiritual and didn’t desire to converse with anyone in the world because he knew those in the world from afar and their deeds were made manifest to him. |
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Love |
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32. Abba Antony said, “I no longer fear God. No, I love him, because ‘Love casts out fear.’ ” |
XVII.1 |
6. Abba Antony said to his disciples: “I don’t fear God.” They replied, “These words are very harsh, our father.” He answered them, “Yes, my children, it’s because I love him, and love casts out fear.” |
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Imperatives |
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33. He said, “Keep right in front of you at all times the fear of God. Keep in mind the one who causes death and gives life. Hate the world and everything in it. Hate every kind of worldly leisure. Withdraw from this life in order to live for God. Remember what you vowed to God: God will ask you (pl.) about it on the day of judgment. Hunger, thirst, be naked, keep vigil, mourn, weep and wail, sigh deeply within yourselves. Scrutinize whether you’re worthy of God. Despise the flesh in order to save your souls.” |
III.1. |
4. Abba Antony also said: “Wherever you go, the fear of God should always be before your eyes; remember death and reject the world; and avoid all the things that give comfort to your body. Detest this life and all that is in it, and despise the life that is according to the flesh so you can live with God: on the Day of Judgment he will ask us if we suffered hunger or thirst or tiredness or nakedness or were sorrowful or sighed from the depths of our hearts. Have we examined ourselves to see if we are worthy of God? Do we prefer sorrow so we can be saved from the judgment of God? If we despise the body then our souls will be saved.” |
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The Analogy of the Ironsmith |
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35. Abba Antony said, “The person hammering a piece of iron first considers what he’s going to make: scythe, sword, axe. It’s the same with us: we need to consider which of the virtues we’re seeking so we don’t labor in vain.” |
XI.3. |
73. Abba Antony also said: “The person who hammers iron first thinks about what he’s going to make, whether it is a sickle, or a sword, or an axe. So in the same way we should think about what virtues we want to attain, so that we don’t labor in vain.” |
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Obedience and Self-Control |
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36. Again he said: “Obedience with self-control subdues the wild beasts.” |
XIV.1. |
45. Abba Antony also said: “Obedience and self-discipline give a person power over wild animals.” |
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Steps and Drops of Water |
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38. Again he said: “However many steps the monk takes, or however many drops of water he drinks in his cell, he ought, if at all possible, to confide these things to his elders to see if he’s doing wrong by doing them.” |
XI.2. Again he said: However many steps the monk takes, or however many drops of water he drinks in his cell, he ought, if at all possible, to confide these things to his elders to see if he’s doing wrong by doing them. This is because a brother found a place in the desert appropriate for withdrawal from the world and for the practice of contemplative quiet and he entreated his father, saying, “Let me live there: I have hope that through God and through your prayers I will work extremely hard.” The abba did not allow him to go, saying, “I know that you will, in fact, work very hard, but because you will not have an elder you will put your confidence in your work, thinking that it pleases God, and, because of this, be confident that what you’re doing is really and truly monastic, and you’ll destroy the work you’ve done and defeat your purpose.” |
37. Abba Antony said: “The young monk should tell the elders about every step he takes in his cell and what he drinks, because I know monks who fell after much effort because they thought their deeds were pleasing to God.” |
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Hard Work Isn’t Everything |
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Amoun 1 Abba Amoun of Nitria visited Abba Antony and said to him: “I observe that I labor harder than you do, so why is your name held in higher honor among folk than mine?” Abba Antony said to him: “It is because in my case I love God more than you do.” |
XVII.3 Abba Amoun of Nitria visited Abba Antony and said to him, “I see that I work harder than you do. So why is your name held in greater esteem than mine?” Abba Antony said to him, “Because I also love God more than you.” |
9. The brothers said that Abba Amoun, who was chaste, went to Abba Antony and said to him: “I see that I do more good deeds than you, so how is it that your name is more famous among people than mine?” Abba Antony answered, “Because I love God more than you.” |
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Morning Star and Pillar of Light |
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Hilarion Abba Hilarion from Palestine visited Abba Antony at the mountain and Abba Antony said to him: “Welcome, star of the morning, rising at dawn.” “Peace be with you, pillar of light supporting the world,” said Abba Hilarion to him. |
XVII.4. |
5. Abba Hilarion came from Syria to pay a visit to where Abba Antony lived in his monastic community. Abba Antony said to him … “Welcome, star of the morning, rising at dawn.” “Peace be with you, pillar of light supporting the world,” said Abba Hilarion to him. |
14. Abba Hilarion came from Syria to see Abba Antony who, when he saw him, said, “Hail to you, star of the morning!” And Abba Hilarion answered, “Peace to you, pillar of light who enlightens the whole world.” |
Table 1
A comparative table of sayings attributed to Antony (cont.)
|
AlphAP |
SysAP |
Coptic |
Arabic |
|---|---|---|---|
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The Good Deed |
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Nisteros 2 A brother asked an elder: “What good activity is there, that I could practice and live in it?” The elder said: “God knows what is good, but I heard that one of the fathers questioned Abba Nisteros the Great, the friend of Abba Antony, saying to him: ‘What good work is there, that I might do [it]?’ and he said to him: “Are not all undertakings equal? For the Scripture says: ‘Abraham was hospitable and God was with him’; Elijah loved hesychia and God was with him; David was humble and God was with him. So whatever you observe your soul wishing to do for God, do it—and keep a watch on your heart.” |
11. Abba Antony was asked, “What is the good deed?” He said: “There are many good deeds, as we see in the scriptures: Abraham was merciful and hosted strangers and so God was with him, and Elijah dwelled in solitude in the wilderness and God was with him, and King David was humble and God was with him. So whatever your heart desires with regard to these deeds, do it in the fear of God, and guard your heart.” |
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26. Athanasius, Macarius, and Pambo Abba Antony said, “I saw the Spirit of God descending on three persons in this world. It descended upon Athanasius: to him was given the archiepiscopacy. And Abba Macarius: to him was given the grace to heal the sick. And Abba Pambo: to him was given the diaconate.” |
57. Athanasius, Pachomius, and Macarius Abba Andūnah said: “I saw the Spirit of God dwelling in three souls in the world: in Abba Athanasius and he was given the patriarchate, in Abba Pachomius and he was given the headship of the koinonia, and in Abba Macarius who was given the grace of healing.” |
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Table 2
A synoptic table of sayings attributed to Antony
|
Greek AlphAP Antony |
Greek SysAP |
Coptic Antony |
Arabic Antony |
|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
VII.7 |
32 |
55 |
|
2 |
XV.1 |
– |
7 |
|
3 |
I.I |
44 |
10 |
|
4 |
XV.2 |
25 |
58 |
|
6 |
I.2 |
3 |
5 |
|
7 |
XV.3 |
43 |
3 |
|
8 |
X.1 |
– |
49 |
|
9 |
XVII.2 |
4 |
63 |
|
10 |
II.I |
12 |
1 |
|
11 |
II.2 |
40 |
34 |
|
12 |
X.2 |
6 |
49a |
|
13 |
X.3 |
7 |
49b |
|
14 |
VIII.1 |
15 |
26 |
|
16 |
X.4 |
– |
33 |
|
18 |
IV.1 |
– |
54 |
|
19 |
XVI.1 |
– |
8 |
|
20 |
72 |
||
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21 |
IX.1 |
13 |
32 |
|
22 |
V.1 |
22 |
2 |
|
23 |
X.5 |
8 |
27 |
|
24 |
XVIII.1 |
11 |
74 |
|
25 |
– |
2 |
47 |
|
26 |
– |
– |
71 |
|
27 |
XVII.5 |
14 |
60 |
|
29 |
– |
10 |
56 |
|
30 |
– |
1 |
31 |
|
32 |
XVII.1 |
– |
6 |
|
33 |
III.1 |
– |
4 |
|
35 |
XI.3 |
– |
73 |
|
36 |
XIV.1 |
– |
45 |
|
38 |
XI.2 |
– |
37 |
|
AlphAP Amoun 1 |
XVII.3 |
– |
9 |
|
AlphAP Hilarion |
XVII.4 |
5 |
14 |
|
AlphAP Nisteros 2 |
– |
– |
11 |
|
– |
– |
26 |
57 |