St Anthony the Great

That great dweller in the desert, St Anthony of Egypt, is celebrated today. While I attended and communicated at the Traditional Mass, earlier in the day I heard the start of an ordinary Mass just after I'd been shriven, before I left the church. Anyhow, the proper collect and epistle - Ephesians vi, 10-13. 18 (vide infra) - spoke powerfully of St Antony, his life, and combat against the devils; here are the proper orations, alluding to his wonderful life in the wilderness, serving God, laying aside all things, denying himself, loving God above all things, being rich in God alone, and therefore trampling under foot every hostile power:

Deus, qui beato Antonio abbati tribuisti mira tibi in deserto conversatione servire, eius nobis interventione concede, ut, abnegantes nosmetipsos, te iugiter super omnia diligamus. Per...

Accepta tibi sint, Domine, quaesumus, munera nostrae servitutis, pro beati Antonii commemoratione altari tuo proposita, et concede, ut, a terrenis impedimentis absoluti, te solo divites. Per...

Sacramentis tuis, Domine, salubriter enutritos, cunctas fac nos semper insidias inimici superare, qui beato Antonio dedisti contra potestates tenebrarum claras referre victorias. Per...

(Being people fed, Lord, with Thy sacraments, Who didst give unto blessed Anthony to record illustrious victories over the powers of darkness, make us ever to overcome all the snares of the enemy. Through...)

I was also reminded of once reading St Athanasius' Life of St Anthony. Here is the Douay-Rheims version of the epistle, including the omitted verses 14-17:

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, brethren, be strengthened in the Lord, and in the might of his power. 11 Put you on the armour of God, that you may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil. 12 For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places. 13 Therefore take unto you the armour of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and to stand in all things perfect. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of justice, 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace: 16 In all things taking the shield of faith, wherewith you may be able to extinguish all the fiery darts of the most wicked one. 17 And take unto you the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit (which is the word of God). 18 By all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the spirit; and in the same watching with all instance and supplication for all the saints.

Food for thought: our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual powers of wickedness... (Eph. vi, 12).