St. Anthony Poverty

Poverty and misfortune are multivalent concepts with several complex meanings that substantively contribute to people's definition and experience of life. It deceptively contributes to people’s assumption of self-worth, their perceived state of being, and quality of living. A person who does not experience a form of poverty or misfortune cannot become a strong and faithful Christian. As demonstrated by the life of St. Anthony, humility, detachment from the world, and devotion through poverty and misfortune on earth, once firmly established, makes a foundation for wisdom that is necessary to live a Christian life focused on the eternal and not the temporal.
As Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan in 313, it granted Christians religious
Anthony was born to a noble family attributed for their great wealth. Although he lived comfortably, he demonstrated humility and modesty in not seeking more than what he needed or the pleasures of food. When he became an adult, his parents died and left him with the care of his unmarried sister. In 285, he decided to follow the words of Christ who had said: “If you would be perfect, go, sell, what you possess and give to the poor, and will have treasure in heaven.” (Matthew 19:21, Athanasius, 3). Anthony gave his wealth to the poor and needy and placed his sister with a group of Christian virgins. He made the desert his home; continually having to overcome great obstacles in his attempt to achieve sainthood. By giving all his wealth to the needy and leaving the world voluntarily, he desired to prove his love to God and his readiness to make every effort to live in unity with God. The life of poverty, he had believed, would assist him to gain a life on earth that is close to the Lord. In his poverty, he drew strength from the teachings of St. Paul “When I am weak, then I am strong.” During which, he said, “the soul’s intensity of strong when the pleasures of the body are weakened” (Athanasius, 6). He believed those who primarily seek pleasure from the world can lose sight of what is eternal. By making oneself more reliant upon God and not the material, one can better live a life centered on a love for Christ alone and disregard for anything that distracts from
A life of poverty and living a life of service to the poor can be done by anyone and does not need to be literal poverty, as there are stories of saints who possessed much material wealth and served the needs of others with this wealth. Those with responsibilities or vocations can live as faithful Christians by focusing on what is eternal and not temporal through detachment and purity. The spiritual deprivation of worldly distractions as well as maintaining a steadfast heart during tribulation is an important component of living as a strong Christian. Athanasius reminds readers “…the Lord, who bore flesh for us, and gave to the body the victory over the devil, so that each of those who truly struggle can say, it is not I; but the grace of God which is in me.” (5) The spirituality of Anthony emphasizes fearlessness before the plans of the devil because the battle has already been won by Christ who conquered death. Trusting in the victory already won by the Lord and not one’s own power, the struggle of a Christian is not waged in fear but in courage and joy. The recognition of the powerlessness of the devil before Christ to overcome all things are an important component of a fortified