17 January 2026
Dear friends, today we celebrate St. Anthony the Abbot, the Father of Monasticism, who heard the Gospel call to radical discipleship. Like Levi the tax collector, Anthony abandoned his comfortable life and possessions to follow Jesus into the desert, seeking God in solitude, prayer, and penance. Jesus declares: “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Anthony knew his own spiritual sickness and fled to the wilderness not to escape people, but to let Christ the Physician heal him deeply. In our busy world, we too are invited to recognize our need for the Divine Doctor. May St. Anthony inspire us to leave behind whatever holds us back and follow Jesus wholeheartedly, trusting His mercy for sinners like us.
