Saint Anthony the Great and the Demon Who Came To Him in Repentance (St. Justin Popovich)

By St. Justin Popovich

Apart from this Life of Saint Anthony, written by his holy disciple, Saint Athanasius the Great, there is also information contained in books of the Holy Fathers about other miracles and experiences of Saint Anthony. Here we will put forward another of these miraculous experiences of the truly Great Anthony:

Venerable Anthony, great among the perfect, was clairvoyant. Having experienced demonic temptations, he no longer succumbed on their cunning. And many times he saw with his bodily eyes both angels and devils working around people, to draw them each to their side. He was so great and powerful in virtues, that he mocked unclean spirits and ridiculed them. Sometimes he infuriated them, reminding them of how they had been cast out of heaven, and how they had to suffer eternally in the fire.

The Frightening Vision of Saint Anthony the Great

The Vision of Anthony, 16th cent. Russian miniature

When [Anthony] once had a discussion with certain men who had come to him concerning the state of the soul and of what nature its place will be after this life, the following night one from above called him, saying, "Anthony, rise, go out and look." Having gone out therefore (for he knew whom he ought to obey) looking up, he beheld one standing and reaching to the clouds, tall, hideous, and fearful, and others ascending as though they were winged. And the figure stretched forth his hands, and some of those who were ascending were stayed by him, while others flew above, and having escaped heaven-ward, were borne aloft free from care. At such, therefore, the giant gnashed his teeth, but rejoiced over those who fell back. And immediately a voice came to Anthony, "Do you understand what you see?" And his understanding was opened, and he understood that it was the passing of souls, and that the tall being who stood was the enemy who envies the faithful. And those whom he caught and stopped from passing through are accountable to him, while those whom he was unable to hold as they passed upwards had not been subservient to him. So having seen this, and as it were being reminded, he struggled the more daily to advance towards those things which were before. 

From the Life of Anthony by St. Athanasius the Great, Ch. 66.

The Church of Saint Anthony the Great in Melnik, Bulgaria - Popularly Known as the Church of Miracles

They call it the Church of Miracles because it helps those who have lost hope find healing. The church was built in memory of St. Anthony the Great in the small Bulgarian town of Melnik, more famous for its natural surroundings and fine wine than its churches. Yet thousands of pilgrims flock here every year from all over the world, the sick and the healthy, to visit the famed Church of Miracles.

Реорlе ѕееkіng ѕаlvаtіоn frоm еvіl dеmоnѕ аnd vаrіоuѕ аddісtіоnѕ, ѕuсh аѕ аlсоhоl аnd drug аddісtіоn, vіѕіt Меlnіk tо ѕееk hеаlіng from Ѕt. Аnthоnу thе Grеаt.

Тhе еldеrlу оf Меlnіk саn tеll аt lеаѕt а fеw ѕtоrіеѕ оf реорlе whо hаvе lеft healed аftеr hаvіng ѕlерt іn the сhurсh оr рrауеd fеrvеntlу fоr Ѕt. Аnthоnу tо gіvе thеm hеаlth аnd hеаlіng. He especially helps those who suffer from mental illness and demon possession. In the church is a column with heavy chains attached, which is where the unruly possessed would be tied overnight to receive healing, usually attained by morning.

Demonology in the Life of Saint Anthony the Great

By Rosemary Guiley

Anthony (251–356)

Anthony was a Christian saint credited as a founder of monasticism, famous for his temptations by the Devil and his demons. Anthony means “inestimable.” Saint Anthony is also known as Anthony or Antony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, and Anthony the Abbott. The account of his life and demonic torments was recorded by his friend St. Athanasius, Patriarch of the Church at Alexandria, Egypt, in Vita S. Antoni (Life of St. Anthony). The temptations of Anthony were a popular subject for medieval artists.

Saint Anthony's Encounter With the Satyr and the Centaur

In the Life of Paul the Hermit by Saint Jerome, written in the year 374 or 375 during Jerome’s stay in the desert of Syria, we read how Saint Anthony was on a journey in the desert to find Saint Paul of Thebes, who according to his dream was a greater and more perfect desert-dweller than he. Saint Anthony had been under the impression that he was the first person to ever dwell in the desert; however, due to the dream, Saint Anthony was called into the desert to find his "better," Saint Paul. On his way there, he ran into two creatures in the forms of a centaur and a satyr, which are considered to have been demonic temptations, although Jerome seems to be open to the possibility that they may have been monstrous creatures of the desert, of which he says that one such creature was seen alive in Alexandria during the reign of Constantine the Great.