Dómine, prævenísti eum in benedictiónibus dulcédinis: posuísti in cápite ejus corónam de lápide pretióso: vitam pétiit a te, et tribuísti ei longitúdinem diérum in sǽculum sǽculi...

Intercéssio nos, quǽsumus, Dómine, beáti Antonii Abbátis 

comméndet: ut, quod nostris méritis non valémus, ejus patrocínio assequámur. Per Dóminum.

"... And he had come to this truly wonderful conclusion, 'that progress in virtue, and retirement from the world for the sake of it, ought not to be measured by time, but by desire and fixity of purpose.' He at least gave no thought to the past, but day by day, as if he were at the beginning of his discipline, applied greater pains for advancement, often repeating to himself the saying of Paul [Philippians 3:14]: 'Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before.' He was also mindful of the words spoken by the prophet Elias [1 Kings 18:15], 'the Lord lives before whose presence I stand today.' For he observed that in saying 'today' the prophet did not compute the time that had gone by: but daily as though ever commencing he eagerly endeavoured to make himself fit to appear before God, being pure in heart and ever ready to submit to His counsel, and to Him alone. And he used to say to himself that from the life of the great Elias the hermit ought to see his own as in a mirror...."

Saint Athanasius in his life of the Holy Patriarch, 7

Today is Friday in the 1st week post Epiphaniam and the feast of the Abbot Saint Antony the Great, Pater monachorum. Have finally undertaken my 'replace Iste Confessor' in feasts of the Confessors et al; I used the sequentia Pia voce praedicemus at Vespers and Matins for Saint Antony since the Venerable Dom Prosper didn't provide any hymns, ahem. Thus far, I've arranged hymns for Saint Hilary (after the feast, alas) and then this sequentia for today. We shall see. There are a couple of mistakes in the text I've got infra-- errors in transcription perhaps and in the division of the strophes, eh, but I'll try to rectify these before next January, ahem (Vespers this afternoon will be of Saint Peter's Chair at Rome, which feast does certainly have proper hymns). 

Pia voce praedicemus,

Et devotis celebremus

Laudibus Antonium.

Dei Sanctus exaltetur,

Et in suis honoretur

Sanctis, auctor omnium.

Hic contempsit mundi florem,

Opes ejus et honorem: 

Parens Evangelio.

Et confugit ad desertum: 

Ut non currat in incertum

In hoc vitae stadio.

Mira fuit ejus vita:

Clarus fulsit eremita.

Sed mox hostis subdoli

Bella perfert: saepe concutitur

Gravi pugna: verum non vincitur

Insultu diaboli.

Ictu crebro flagellatur:

Et a saevis laceratur

Immane daemonibus.

Lux de coelo micuit:

Et clara personuit

Dei vox de nubibus.

Quia fortis in agone

Decertasti: regione

Omni nominaberis: 

Te clamabit totus orbis.

Pro pellendis item morbis

Ignis, invocaberis

Id, Antoni, nunc impletum

Conspicamur, et repletum

Mundum tuo nomine.

Hoc implorat gens devota;

Tibi pia defert vota

Pro tuo munimine.

Nunc in forma speciosae

Mulieris: pretiosae

Nunc in massae specie,

Daemon struit illi fraudes;

Sed, qui tanta, vafer, audes,

Succumbis in acie.

Mille fraudes, mille doli

Sunt inanes: illi soli 

Cedit orcus ingemens,

Militem hunc veneratum,

Et robustam ejus manum

Horret hostis infremens.

Non lorica corporali

Fultus, inimico tali 

Hic athleta restitit. 

Aqua potus, terra lectus

Illi fuit: his protectus

Armis, victor exstitit.

Herba fuit illi victus: 

Palmae frondes et amictus,

Ac cum bestiis conflictus,

Intra solitudinem.

Precum assiduitate.

Operandi crebritate,

Atque somni parcitate

Restinxit libidinem.

Confutatis Arianis,

Et philosophis profanis,

Paulum visit, nec inanis

Fit via, nec irrita. 

Nam convenit hunc viventem,

Inde sanctam ejus mentem

Coelos vidit ascendentem,

Carne terrae reddita.

O Antoni, cum beatis

Nunc in regno claritatis 

Gloriaris; hic gravatia

Mole carnis, pietatis

Tuae pande viscera.

Ne nos rapiat tremendae

Mors gehennae, manum tende.

Nos a morbido defende

Igne, nobis et impende

Gloriam post funera.

Amen.

From the 6th lesson at Matins.

Mihi credite, dicebat, fratres, pertimescit sátanas piórum vigílias, oratiónes, jejunia, voluntáriam paupertátem, misericórdiam et humilitátem, maxime vero ardentem amórem in Christum Dóminum, cujus único sanctíssimæ crucis signo debilitátus áufugit.

Introitus. Ps. 36, 30-31. Os justi meditábitur sapiéntiam, et lingua ejus loquétur judícium: lex Dei ejus in corde ipsíus. Ps. ibid., 1. Noli æmulári in malignántibus: neque zeláveris faciéntes iniquitátem. ℣. Glória Patri.

Kyrie, Gloria.

Oratio. Intercéssio nos, quǽsumus, Dómine, beáti Antonii Abbatis comméndet: ut, quod nostris méritis non valémus, ejus patrocínio assequámur. Per Dóminum.

Léctio libri Sapientiæ.

Eccli. 45, 1-6.

Diléctus Deo et homínibus, cujus memória in benedictióne est. Símilem illum fecit in glória sanctórum, et magnificávit eum in timóre inimicórum, et in verbis suis monstra placávit. Gloríficávit illum in conspéctu regum, et jussit illi coram pópulo suo, et osténdit illi glóriam suam. In fide et lenitáte ipsíus sanctum fecit illum, et elégit eum; ex omni carne. Audívit enim eum et vocem ipsíus, et indúxit illum in nubem. Et dedit illi coram præcépta, et legem vitæ et disciplínæ.

Graduale. Ps. 20, 4-5. Dómine, prævenísti eum in benedictiónibus dulcédinis: posuísti in cápite ejus corónam de lápide pretióso. ℣. Vitam pétiit a te, et tribuísti ei longitúdinem diérum in sǽculum sǽculi.

Allelúja, allelúja. ℣. Ps. 91, 13. Justus ut palma florébit: sicut cedrus Líbani multiplicábitur. Allelúja.

✠ Sequéntia sancti Evangélii secúndum Lucam.

Luc. 12, 35-40.

In illo témpore: Dixit Jesus discípulis suis: Sint lumbi vestri præcíncti, et lucernæ ardéntes in mánibus vestris, et vos símiles homínibus exspectántibus dóminum suum, quando revertátur a núptiis: ut, cum vénerit et pulsáverit, conféstim apériant ei. Beáti servi illi, quos, cum vénerit dóminus, invénerit vigilántes: amen, dico vobis, quod præcínget se, et fáciet illos discúmbere, et transiens ministrábit illis. Et si vénerit in secúnda vigília, et si in tértia vigília vénerit, et ita invénerit, beáti sunt servi illi. Hoc autem scitóte, quóniam, si sciret paterfamílias, qua hora fur veníret, vigiláret útique, et non síneret pérfodi domum suam. Et vos estóte paráti, quia, qua hora non putátis, Fílius hóminis véniet.

Offertorium. Ps. 20, 3 et 4. Desidérium ánimæ ejus tribuísti ei, Dómine, et voluntáte labiórum ejus non fraudásti eum: posuísti in cápite ejus corónam de lápide pretióso.

Secreta. Sacris altáribus, Dómine, hóstias superpósitas sanctus Antonius Abbas, quǽsumus, in salútem nobis proveníre depóscat. Per Dóminum.

Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei.

Communio. Luc. 12, 42. Fidélis servus et prudens, quem constítuit dóminus super famíliam suam: ut det illis in témpore trítici mensúram. 

Postcommunio. Prótegat nos, Dómine, cum tui perceptióne sacraménti beátus Antonius Abbas, pro nobis intercedéndo: ut et conversatiónis ejus experiámur insígnia, et intercessiónis percipiámus suffrágia. Per Dóminum.

From the Venerable Dom Prosper's Liturgical Year today:

... How sublime a life was thine, and how rich in fruit were thy works! Verily, thou art the Father of a great people, and one of the most powerful auxiliaries of the Church of God. We beseech thee, therefore, pray for the Monastic Order, that it may re-appear in all its ancient fervour; and pray for each member of the great Family. 

Fevers of the body have been often allayed by thy intercession, and we beg for a continuance of this thy compassionate aid-- but the fevers of our soul are more dangerous, and we beg thy pity and prayers that we may be delivered from them. Watch over us, in temptations, which the enemy is unceasingly putting in our way; pray for us, that we may be vigilant in the combat, prudent in avoiding dangerous occasions, courageous in the trial, and humble in our victory. 

The angel of darkness appeared to thee in a visible shape; but he hides himself, and his plots from us; here again, we beg thy prayers, that we be not deceived by his craft. May the fear of God's judgments, and the thought of eternity, penetrate into the depth of our souls. May prayer be our refuge in every necessity, and Penance our safe-guard against sin. 

But above all, pray that we may have that, which thou didst counsel above all: the Love of Jesus, of that Jesus, who, for love of us, deigned to be born into this world, that so he might merit for us the graces wherewith we might triumph, of that Jesus, who humbled himself even so far as to suffer temptation, that so he might show us how we were to resist and fight....

✠  ✠  ✠

Deus, a quo sancta desidéria, recta consília, et justa sunt ópera: da servis tuis illam, quam mundus dare non potest, pacem; ut et corda nostra mandátis tuis dédita, et hóstium subláta formídine, témpora sint tua protectióne tranquílla. Per Dóminum.

Deus, qui caritátis dona per grátiam Sancti Spíritus tuórum fidélium córdibus infudísti: da fámulis et famulábus tuis, pro quibus tuam deprecámur cleméntiam, salútem mentis et córporis; ut te tota virtúte díligant, et quæ tibi plácita sunt, tota dilectióne perfíciant. Per Dóminum.

Laus Deo Virginique Matri