Matthew Poozhikunnel: Lenten Meditations with an Icon of St. Anthony

Lent is an auspicious time period that allows the faithful to truly focus their hearts and minds on the Kingdom of God. In that regard, the time of Great Lent holds a particularly significant place amidst the other Lenten seasons in that it helps us to concentrate our attention on Christ’s suffering on the Cross. Some of the more important practices observed during Great Lent are those of intense prayer and dietary restrictions. These particular practices are prominently tied to asceticism and monasticism. The best way to differentiate between these terms is that while all Christians could follow ascetic practices, not all Christians are expected to become monks. Ascetic practices enable one to cultivate virtue, to take up intense prayer, fasting and almsgiving, as well as to do Scriptural and patristic reading and regularly attend services. All these help us to strengthen our souls and aid us in moving closer to the Kingdom of God. To this end, the most prominent saint that can clearly speak to us about the Lenten ascetic struggle is St. Anthony the Great. His vita, which was written by St. Athanasius the Great, is the primary source for the saint’s ascetic feats and monastic lifestyle. It relates the extensive struggles of the saint and his role in founding and guiding early monastic communities, which earned him the title of “Father of Monasticism.”

            In this rather small icon we see St. Anthony in a desert-like setting. How do we know that this is indeed a desert? We do not see plants or water but encounter instead different shades of brown and yellow which indicate sandy surroundings. The full-length figure of the saint is placed prominently on the icon’s foreground; he is still and unmoving. The undisturbed solitude and quietness of the dessert provided an appropriate settings for contemplative hesychia; as stated in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.”  

The iconographer used various shades of brown in order to create a sense of three-dimensionality. Similarly, different shades of brown and black can be seen utilized for St. Anthony’s garment. He thus melds with his environment and yet stands apart from it. The saint’s bushy beard is articulated with energetic brushstrokes which provide a tactile feel; we, the viewers, are left with the feeling of encountering a real, living human figure. There is a contrast between the immobile saint and the undulating enlivened surface of the desert sand. An animating force, the Holy Spirit perhaps, referred to in Syriac as rooho qadisho, seems to be causing it to move.

In the background of the icon, we see a small mountain with a hole in the middle which can be assumed to be the cave which St. Anthony used as his monastic cell. The mountain and the path on which the saint stands are both articulated in lighter brown which resonates with the large amount of gold leaf that fills the halo and the rest of the icon’s background. The image thus is lit from within, the sainted body appears to be the single source of light. In the Coptic synaxarion St Anthony is referred to as the star of the wilderness—just as a star provides light throughout its environment, so does the life of this saint illuminate his surroundings.

While curvilinear horizontal lines characterize the desert creating an impression of boundless spaciousness, rectilinear vertical lines dominate in the figure of St Anthony making him appear imposing and larger-than-life; even though he is clearly static, the organization of the icon’s space indicate that St Anthony is in fact moving in our direction. The saint wears a black robe cinched at the waist with a leather belt and the Coptic monk’s hood known as qalansuwa. The Coptic synaxarion states that it was an angel who showed St. Anthony the garments that are to be worn by monks. The black robe conveys to the people who see the ascetic that he is dead to the world and that his primary focus is on Christ. The belt around the waist of the saint has a cross-shaped buckle; a clear sign that Anthony has chosen to be a Christian ascetic. This particular detail can be seen also as a physical representation of following the commandment of Jesus Christ found in the Gospel of Matthew (16:24-25): “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” The monk’s hood or qalansuwa is a visual indication that a person is following the monastic life. On it we see twelve crosses, six on each side, that represent the twelve Apostles. In addition, one can notice a distinct stitching pattern that runs along the middle of the hood. The story behind this design is that when the devil became furious with the saint for wearing it and tried to remove it but St. Anthony held onto it. The result of this battle was that the qalansuwa was torn in two pieces and the saint had to mend it. The distinct stitching pattern thus is a visual testimony and physical reminder of Anthony’s struggle with the devil. The saint holds a staff in his right hand. While this could be a simple walking stick, it is also a staff of authority intended to associate the saint with Moses; indeed, his vita relates that Anthony cared for his fellow monastics in a way that was similar to how Moses lead the Israelites.

Finally, we should look into the inscriptions on the icon. In the upper section we see the name and title of the saint—Abba or Father Anthony. He supports an unfurled scroll in his left hand inscribed in Arabic with an excerpt from the Gospel of Matthew (19:21) “If you want to be perfect, go, sell all that you have,” an invitation to monks to relinquish their earthly possessions. But these words are directly related to the saint’s biography. Like the rich young man to whom Christ spoke thus St. Anthony was born in a well-to-do family and gave away his fortune in order to devote himself to monastic living.

This rather small painted image is rich in meaning. It conveys messages about asceticism, generosity, and proper living in this world. By being represented walking in our direction, St Anthony invites us to share in the challenges and the joys of Christian life.

How can we relate the icon of St. Anthony to the experience of Lent? It suggests to us that Lent is like being in the desert, in that we are entering an environment that tests our limits physically, mentally, spiritually. The saint appears to invite us to joining him in the journey of salvation and theosis. This journey is one of ascetic struggle to proceed towards Christ. Furthermore, St. Anthony provides us with a model of steadfastness—while isolated and alone in the vast desert landscape, he appears unperturbed by lurking dangers. The desert does not scare him, rather it provides a conducive environment for the display of virtue. It is within this desert of Lent, that we are given the opportunity to retreat from the world in order to recover our relationship with Christ as true believers who are in but not of this world.