The Great Work of a Man

Anthony the Great (coptic icon, 19-20 c., priv. coll)

“Abba Anthony said to Abba Poemen, ‘this is the great work of a man: always to take the blame for his own sins before God and to expect temptation to his last breath.’” -Sayings of the Desert Fathers (Abba Anthony the Great, paragraph 4)

Our society loves to play the victim. Oftentimes we do not take accountability for anything and blame all of the wrongs in our lives on other people. Whether that be regarding our relationships, financial situation, or even sometimes our spiritual life. We might say “Oh, but we live in such a sinful time! How could anyone be virtuous?” We desire to pass all of the blame on to others.

True, there are things in life that we have little to no control over, but specifically regarding our ability to avoid and reject sin, we do have control over that. We are not forced to sin. We choose it. Sin is a voluntary act of the will. We must take responsibility for our sins. If there are things in our lives that make it more difficult to be virtuous, this just means that we must fight and resist all the more.

We also might say, “Oh it would be so much easier to live in the middle of nowhere away from all of this temptation!” This is also false. Sure, on the exterior there might be less external temptations to sin from others, but this physical removal does not protect us from our own sinfulness. We will all be tempted for the entirety of our lives, whether we live in a secluded monastery or in the hustle and bustle of society. In either case, we must always keep our focus on Christ if we desire to grow in virtue and holiness.

Saint Abba Anthony the Great, pray for us!