On July 5th we commemorate our Venerable Father Athanasius of Mount Athos. He was a monk who founded the monastic community on Mount Athos, which has since evolved into the greatest center of Orthodox Christian monasticism. Having completed his education, he withdrew into the desert of Maleinos near Athos, the Holy Mountain, where he lived the life of an ascetic. Desiring a more difficult life of mortification, Athanasius settled on Holy Mt. Athos to live in silence. But many who were desirous of a life of asceticism began to gather around him and, therefore, he was compelled to build his famous monastery.
The Gospel Reading for his commemoration is Luke 6: 17-23. The reading regarding those who are blessed is as follows: “17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. 20 Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
21 Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
22 Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.” (from Bible Gateway.”
