On Friday, January 17, 2025, the church honors the memory of St. Anthony the Great. This is one of the most famous saints, considered the founder of monasticism.

He was born in 251 in Egypt and from childhood he strove for a spiritual life. Once in church I heard words from the Gospel: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the money to the poor.”. These words became a turning point in his life: Anthony sold all his property and went into the desert, choosing the path of prayer and asceticism.

Anthony became a symbol of spiritual struggle and an example for many who decided to devote their lives to God. His harsh life, full of trials and temptations, attracted the attention of numerous followers. St. Anthony's struggle with temptation is often depicted in art and literature as a symbol of victory over human weaknesses. On one of the icons, for example, his words are written: “I saw how the devil’s traps were spread throughout the earth.

.. Who will be saved from such traps? And I heard a voice: humility"

Despite his spiritual achievements, Saint Anthony always remained humble. Legend tells that he considered himself the most holy hermit, but God sent him on a journey to meet another ascetic - St. Paul of Thebes. This meeting became a symbol of the unity of believers and is conveyed not only in icon painting, but also in Western art, for example, in the famous painting by Diego Velazquez.