Saint Anthony (lesson 1)
Who started monastic life and is called the father of monasticism?
St. Anthony
Who are the members of the Holy Family?
baby Jesus, Saint Mary and Saint Joseph
In liturgy, St. Bishoy is called:
The perfect man
What did Saint Bishoy do the first time he saw Jesus?
He washed His feet
Who taught St. Bishoy how to pray?
Abba Bemwa
What major life event happened in Saint Anthony's family when he was young?
His family had lots of money, which they were very generous with. When Saint Anthony was a young boy, both his parents passed away and left him to take care of his sister and all of their money.
Where was the Holy Family's second stop?
Wadi el Natrun, also called Shiheet
What did St. Bishoy love the most?
praying
What does the word Coptic mean?
Egypt or Egyptian
What does Saint Bishoy teach us most? And what 4 ways can we practice that?
- prayer
- Jesus Prayer, Agpeya, Altar Papers, Liturgy
How many years after Jesus was born was St. Anthony born? What year was Saint Anthony born in?
250 years, 251 AD
Who appeared to Saint Joseph in a dream and what did they tell him to do?
An angel, they told Saint Joseph "take baby Jesus and Saint Mary and flee to Egypt"
What did the monks see on the way to the mountain? And who was it really?
A tired old man;
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
How old was St. Beshoy when he became a monk?
20
How long did the Holy Family stay in Egpyt?
3 years
How did St. Anthony’s life change? (Which verse did he hear?) and what did he do after?
One day, he went to church early and attended the Gospel reading. In the Gospel, he heard a verse saying:
“Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” (Matthew 19:21).
Immediately, St. Anthony sold all of his possessions, which, were a lot, and put his sister in a nice Christian home.
How many famous monasteries are in Wadi El Natrun (Shiheet) and what are their names?
4; St. Bishoy Monastery, St. Macarius the Great Monastery, St. Mary's Monastery, El Baramous, St. Mary's Monastery, El Suryan (the Syrian)
Why was Saint Bishoy's mother worried?
He was the smallest and the weakest
Which verse in the Bible inspired St. Bishoy in his prayerful life?
“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6).
What did the other monks do when they saw the elder man? And what was Jesus' promise to Saint Bishoy who did something diifferent?
- The other monks ignored the elder man, in a hurry to see Jesus.
- St. Bishoy was the only one who carried the old man the mountain.
- Jesus promised St. Bishoy's body would never decay.
How did God take care of Saint Anthony in the desert?
When scary beasts came at night to hurt him, God protected him. We are even told that when St. Antony got bored, an angel came and taught him how to make baskets.
Where was the Holy Family's first stop in Egypt and what did they do?
Al Farma, Sinai Desert
Rested from long journey
What did St. Bishoy do to stay up and pray more at night?
In his cell, he added a hook with a rope he used to tie his hair to, so that if he fell asleep, the rope would pull him awake.
What are the monasteries in our diocese?
St. Anthony Monastery, the St. Paul Monastery, and the St. Katherine and St. Verena Convent.
Which prophecy in the Old Testament was related to the Holy Family?
The propechy says, "Out of Egypt I called My Son." Hosea 11:1