On the occasion of the sacred memory of Saint Anthony the Great, the Father and Teacher of the desert, Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa, Theodore II, presided over the Eucharistic celebration at the festal Church of Saint Anthony the Great in Shatby, Alexandria. He was accompanied by Bishop Damaskinos of Mareotis, Patriarchal Exarch of Alexandria.
It is noted that the Church of Saint Anthony the Great was erected in 1955 with the blessing of the late Patriarch of Alexandria Christoforos II.
In his homily, Patriarch Theodore spoke with profound theological insight and deep emotion about the encounter between Saint Paul of Thebes and Saint Anthony the Great, as preserved in the hagiographical tradition of the Church. He emphasized that this meeting of the two great ascetics of Egypt was not merely a historical event, but a revelation of the true measure of authentic ascetic life and genuine holiness.
The Patriarch focused especially on the obedience of Saint Anthony to the divine calling. Despite his advanced age, Saint Anthony disregarded physical fatigue and the hardships of the desert, responding to the will of God with absolute trust. This journey, Patriarch Theodore noted, symbolizes the struggle of every believer to emerge from self-reliance and uncertainty and to seek God where He reveals Himself.
He further underlined that true spiritual progress is not achieved without trial, patience, and a spirit of self-reproach—elements through which divine grace enters and transforms the human person.
Referring to the moving moment of the shared meal of the two saints, during which a raven miraculously brought bread, the Patriarch stressed that divine providence never abandons those who dedicate themselves entirely to God. Hospitality, prayer, and brotherly communion, he noted, have the power to transform even the desert into a place of blessing and joy.
The Patriarch also reflected on the theological significance of the repose of Saint Paul of Thebes, which took place in prayer, and on the vision granted to Saint Anthony, who beheld the soul of the saint being gloriously escorted by angelic and holy powers. He emphasized that the repose of the righteous is not an end, but a passage into eternal life and the glory of God.
Special mention was made of the miraculous burial of Saint Paul by lions—an event which, as Patriarch Theodore explained, reveals that a person reconciled with God restores harmony to the whole of creation, foreshadowing the restoration of all things in Christ.
Concluding his homily, Patriarch Theodore stressed that the example of the two great Fathers of the desert remains a perpetual call to humility, obedience, brotherly love, and absolute trust in divine providence. Through these virtues, the Church continues to bear witness to Christ in the contemporary world as a source of life, peace, and hope.
In closing, the Patriarch expressed his gratitude to the clergy and the parish committee of the church for their excellent preparation of the feast.
Following the Divine Liturgy, a procession with the holy icon of Saint Anthony the Great took place in the courtyard of the church. The celebration concluded with the traditional cutting of the New Year’s Vasilopita at the parish spiritual center.
