"But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them Your words; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. "(John 17:13-36).
In this passage from the holy Gospel according to John our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ calls all those who would accept Him to a life lived in the world without being of the world. The Christian Orthodox believer is called to live a unique and distinctive life in the world. These unique and distinctive qualities of the faithful are shown by their lifestyle and ethical life which must be ideal!
Around the middle of the second century in the early Church, when Christian life reached a low point, some Christians, both men and women, reacted to this by raising their personal standards of austere Christian life. They practiced chastity, celibacy, poverty, prayer and fasting.
These Christian people aspired to live the angelic life. Many of them lived alone or in special houses as a community. By the middle of the third century, they began fleeing the world and going to the desert, where they established permanent habitations, whether by themselves or in small groups. They became known as the "anchorites" (from ἀναχώρησις: [anaho΄risis] departure, flight); the hermits (from ἔρημος: [e΄rimos] desert); and the monastics (from μοναχός: [monahos΄] alone; for a monastic who "lives in the presence of God alone"). The one who exemplifies the finest example of this type of commitment is the Desert Father, St. Anthony the Great.
St. Anthony was born into a wealthy family. When his parents died, he and his sister shared their wealth. Since the sister was a minor, he made sure she was cared for and then gave away all his portion of the inheritance to the poor and went into the desert to live the life of asceticism. St. Anthony had taken to heart the words of the Lord: "…sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow me" (Mark 10:21).
Many people imitated his example; they went and lived close to him, thus "populating the desert." St. Anthony is considered the Father of Orthodox Monasticism, for his kind of monasticism, that of "living alone with God as his only companion", remained the most cherished monastic ideal for the monks of the Christian Orthodox Church throughout the ages.
Though few of us are called to follow the monastic life, each of is capable of emulating the example of stewardship shown by the life of St. Anthony the Great. In his life we see a person with great faith and the dedication to follow the teachings of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; he is a man who loves, honors, and respects his parents; he shows a loving concern for his sister; we recognize his humility to give all he possesses to help the poor; and we witness a spiritual giant who teaches — "Learn to desire humility, for that will cover your sins. All sin is hateful to God, but the most hateful of all is pride of heart. Do not consider yourself learned or wise, or all your toil will be lost and your ship will arrive empty at the shore…If you have great power, threaten no man with death; know that according to nature you also are subject to death and that each soul takes off its body as its final clothing."
To learn more about the stewardship of the saints, click here.