 
Tuesday and Wednesday,
January 16 and 17
Tuesday, January 16, 2001
First Reading: Hebrews 6: 10-20
Psalms: Psalm 111: 1-2, 4-5, 9-10
Gospel Reading: Mark 2: 23-28
Wednesday, January 17, 2001
First Reading: Hebrews 7: 1-3, 15-17
Psalms: Psalm 110: 1-4
Gospel Reading: Mark 3: 1-6
Saint Antony of Egypt, Abbot and Hermit
St. Antony of Egypt was born in the middle of the 3rd Century and decided to become a mendicant hermit after hearing the Gospel reading at Mass: "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast and give to the poor"(Matthew 19: 21). After searching for the perfect way to do this, he opted to serve God in the desert as a hermit. It was here that he was attacked by a legion of from hell as the devils physically wounded him. This happened so often that at one time even the devils thought they had beaten him to death. But his faith and perseverance won out and he grew to fear no one as he said to the avenging devils: "I fear you not; you cannot separate me from the love of Christ." Finally giving up, the legion of demons fled and Jesus Himself appeared to Antony. He was the epitome of what a poor monk should be, wearing sackcloth and sheepskin, eating only bread and water and kneeling in prayer throughout the night. It's interesting here to note how we sometimes complain about kneeling for one hour in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, or that we can't fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays as our Blessed Mother requests. St. Antony attracted countless souls who flocked to him for spiritual direction and finally, after 20 years of seclusion, he knew Our Lord was calling him to teach these eager souls so the Church would flourish in the future. Like Saint Hilary last week, St. Antony's feast has continued on the same date in the Church Calendar for any, many years
January 16, 2001
volume 12, no. 16
DAILY LITURGY
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