Anthony the Great quotes

Anthony the Great was an Egyptian Christian monk, regarded as the founder of Christian monasticism. His ascetic life in the desert inspired countless followers and shaped the monastic tradition. He is venerated as a saint in many Christian denominations. Here are 28 of his quotes:

The truly blessed are not the ones who can work miracles or see angels; the truly blessed are the ones who can see their own sins. (Anthony the Great)
When you lie down on your bed to sleep, remember with thanksgiving the blessings and the providence of God. View quote
Anthony the Great
You should know that there is present with you the angel whom God has appointed for each man... This angel, who is sleepless and cannot be deceived, is always present with you; he sees all things and is not hindered by darkness. You should know, too, that with him is God. View quote
Anthony the Great
There are three traps of Satan that steal joy and peace: - Regretting about the past - Fear for the future - Ingratitude for the present. View quote
Anthony the Great
The person who abides in solitude and quiet is delivered from fighting three battles: hearing, speech, and sight. Then there remains one battle to fight-the battle of the heart. View quote
Anthony the Great
Death, when understood by men, is deathlessness: but, when not understood by the foolish, it is death. It is not this death that must be feared, but the loss of the soul, which is ignorance of God. View quote
Anthony the Great
Expect temptation to your last breath. View quote
Anthony the Great
Whoever hammers a lump of iron, first decides what he is going to make of it, a scythe, a sword, or an axe. Even so we ought to make up our minds what kind of virtue we want to forge or we labour in vain. View quote
Anthony the Great
I saw the snares that the enemy spreads out over the world and I said groaning, "What can get through from such snares?" Then I heard a voice saying to me, "Humility. View quote
Anthony the Great
Abba Anthony said, "A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him saying, 'You are mad, you are not like us.'" View quote
Anthony the Great
All sins are abominable before God, but most abominable of all is the pride of the heart. (Anthony the Great)
To say that God turns away from the sinful is like saying that the sun hides from the blind. View quote
Anthony the Great
One should not say that it is impossible to reach a virtuous life; but one should say that it is not easy. Nor do those who have reached it find it easy to maintain. View quote
Anthony the Great
Regard as free not those whose status makes them outwardly free, but those who are free in their character and conduct. For we should not call men truly free when they are wicked and dissolute, since they are slaves to worldly passions. Freedom and happiness of soul consist in genuine purity and detachment from transitory things. View quote
Anthony the Great
Whoever you may be, always have God before your eyes; whatever you do, do it according to the testimony of the holy Scriptures; in whatever place you live, do not easily leave it. Keep these three precepts and you will be saved. View quote
Anthony the Great
Intelligent men have no need to listen to much talk, but should attend only to that which is profitable and guided by God's will. View quote
Anthony the Great
The fruits of the earth are not brought to perfection immediately, but by time, rain and care; similarly, the fruits of men ripen through ascetic practice, study, time, perseverance, self-control and patience. View quote
Anthony the Great
Our life and our death is with our neighbor. If we gain our brother, we have gained God, but if we scandalize our brother, we have sinned against Christ. View quote
Anthony the Great
When Abba Anthony thought about the depths of the judgments of God, he asked, 'Lord, how is it that some die when they are young, while others drag on to extreme old age? Why are there those who are poor and those who are rich? Why do wicked men prosper and why are the just in need?' He heard a voice answering him, 'Antony, keep your attention on yourself; these things are according to the judgment of God, and it is not to your advantage to know anything about them.' View quote
Anthony the Great
This is the great work of a man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God, and toexpect temptation to his last breath. View quote
Anthony the Great
Just as fish die if they stay too long out of water, so the monks who loiter outside their cells or pass their time with men of the world lose the intensity of inner peace. So like a fish going towards the sea, we must hurry to reach our cell, for fear that if we delay outside, we will lose our interior watchfulness. (Anthony the Great)
My son! Do not multiply words; excessive talk will drive away the Spirit of God from you. View quote
Anthony the Great
Hate the world and all that is in it. Hate all peace that comes from the flesh. Renounce this life, so that you may be alive to God. View quote
Anthony the Great
If we would despise the enemy, our thoughts must always be of God and our souls always glad with hope. View quote
Anthony the Great
God's Providence controls the universe. It is present everywhere. Providence is the sovereign Logos of God, imprinting form on the unformed materiality of the world, making and fashioning all things. Matter could not have acquired an articulated structure were it not for the directing power of the Logos Who is the Image, Intellect, Wisdom, and Providence of God. View quote
Anthony the Great