1. Saint of the Day: Anthony of the Desert
Today’s Saint, also known as “Anthony the Great” and the “Father of all monks,” was so moved by the Gospel passage from Matthew 19: 21, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasures in heaven,” that he gave everything away and began a new life in the desert. Anthony’s story is covered in the Life of Anthony (written by another Saint, Athanasius) and Sayings of the Desert Fathers.
2. Does Disney make a reference to St. Anthony the Abbot in Encanto?
Christianity has always been a source of inspiration for secular storytellers. Even recently, the Faith continues to captivate the mind and heart. There’s an interesting conversation about the character, Antonio, from the wildly popular Encanto movie.
3. Catholic word of the day: cenobite
The word cenobite, comes from the combination of Greek words koinos, which means common, and bios, which means life. These words became koinobion, which became in English, “convent.” A cenobite is one who lives in common in a monastic community (Bonus: the word “monk” comes from monastic).
4. Tempted?
One of the most imaginative and popular presentations of the mechanics of temptation come from C.S. Lewis in his The Screwtape Letters. This collection of fictional letters are full of profound insights on human nature, sin and spirituality. You can find a downloadable PDF here.
5. Not just a book anymore
The Screwtape Letters was recently adapted to a stage production. Here is a behind the scenes video and a documentary about Lewis’s inspiration.