Antony Renews His Discipline

Antony, however, as was his custom, went back alone to his own cell. He increased his discipline, and every day he sighed as he thought of the dwelling places in heaven, setting his desire on them and pondering how short a human life is. He used to eat and sleep, and attend to all the body’s other needs, with shame, when he thought of the spiritual faculties of the soul. So often, when he was about to eat with other hermits, he remembered the spiritual food, begged to be excused, and went far away from them, thinking it a shameful thing to be seen eating by others. When he was by himself, though, he ate because the body needed it; and he often ate with the brothers too, covered with shame on these occasions, yet speaking words of help boldly. [b]

He used to say that a person ought to give all his time to his soul rather than his body. He should grant the body a short space for its needs, but give up all the rest the more earnestly to the soul and seek its good, so that the soul would not be dragged down by the pleasures of the body, but, on the contrary, the body would be in subjection to the soul. For this is what the Savior said: “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. And do not seek what you will eat or what you will drink, and do not be of a doubtful mind. For the nations of the world seek after all these things. But your Father knows that you need all these things. Seek his kingdom first, and all these things will be added to you.”