Vigilance

The Temptation of St. Anthony -Salvador Dali

One day, a monk named Anthony was sitting in his cave, weaving his baskets, pondering the state of the world. He was thinking about suffering, injustice, and poverty. He started to get bothered and a little bit angry. How can an all-powerful and loving God allow such suffering stain the His beautiful universe? In his righteous irritation, he prayed, "Lord why do some people die as babies, yet others live long lives. Why do some men starve on the street while others eat and drink their fill in palaces? Why does a good man work hard all his life and die penniless while a wicked man gets rich off the labor of his slaves?"

Anthony heard a voice answer him. "Anthony, keep your focus on yourself. All things are according to God's plan, and it will not help you to know the answers to your questions."

The voice did not answer Anthony's concerns. Anthony did not find out why suffering and injustice exists. The answer suggested Anthony should change where his attention was focused. In effect, the voice said "You will never know the answers to your questions, and even if you did, it would not help you. Instead of agonizing over these philosophical dilemmas, be vigilant over your own heart and mind to make sure that you do not become one of those wicked men you're complaining about. 'The good man out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil man out of his evil treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.' (Luke 7.45) If you continue to focus on the evil of other men, you will fill your heart with anger and resentment and risk becoming just like them."

Anthony spent his life watching over his heart and mind. He saw that the mind is nearly continuously presented with opportunities to be angry, hateful, greedy, lustful, proud, judgmental, gluttonous, depressed, and self-absorbed. Even though Anthony had great success in keeping evil thoughts at bay, he was tempted until the day of his death. These temptations did not hinder him from becoming a holy man. Ironically, as we shall see, temptations became the way he acquired holiness.

(Stories taken from Benedicta Ward. Sayings of the Desert Fathers: The Alphabetical Collection. Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1975, pp. 1-9.)