Practicing contemplative prayer in our busy lives today can be hard. But perhaps an ancient desert monk can still be our coach in the 21st century! (Part 2)
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(This sermon was given by Fr. Dustin to the Grace Institute at the Shalom Spirituality Center on Sunday, August 7th, 2016. The theme for the retreat was Contemplative Prayer.)
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Our next insight comes from one of the strangest stories of St. Anthony’s life.
In order to pursue the contemplative life more fully, he moves into the graveyard and has a friend seal him into a tomb.
However, this angers Satan, so he also enters into the tomb and, with a number of demons, they start beating on Anthony.
This was no ordinary assault!
“…the pains were so severe as to lead one to say that the blows could not have been delivered by humans, since they caused such agony.”
Yet, the very next sentence gives us hope.
“But by God’s providence (for the Lord does not overlook those who place their hope in him), the friend came the next day bringing him loaves.”
During subsequent attacks, Anthony faced demons in the guise of wild beasts, yet Anthony remained strong in his faith, saying,
“For faith in our Lord is for us a seal and wall of protection.”
What happens next is worth quoting at length.
“…the Lord did not forget the wrestling of Anthony, but came to his aid. For when he looked up he saw…a certain beam of light descending toward him. Suddenly the demons vanished from view, the pain of his body ceased instantly… Anthony entreated the vision that appeared, saying, ‘Where were you? Why didn’t you appear in the beginning, so that you could stop my distresses?’ And a voice came to him: ‘I was here, Anthony, but I waited to watch your struggle. And now, since you persevered and were not defeated, I will be your helper forever, and I will make you famous everywhere.”
Here’s our next insight: We are never alone, Christ is always there with us.
I often think, I’m a Christian, life should be easy for me. But it isn’t. Like everyone else, I struggle. I have bad days and good days, and on the bad days I wonder, is God with me? Why am I sick, in pain, and struggling?
But St. Anthony had the same question, and he discovered that it’s through the ascetical struggle that Christ is with us.
We must be careful, though. St. Anthony’s struggles, or even our own struggles, don’t merit any reward. We don’t earn salvation.
This test was not to see what Anthony could do by himself, but whether he could control his thoughts, and stand firm in his faith: a faith built on Christ, who has already won victory over Satan.
Only by God’s grace does our ascetic struggle bring us closer to Christ. He is always there with us.
Continue to part 3, and the conclusion, by clicking here.
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Bibliography
St. Athanasius, The Life of Antony and the Letter to Marcellinus, translated by Robert C. Gregg (New Jersy: Paulist Press, 1980).