Two months before my twin sister and I graduated from high school, we lost an uncle to lung cancer.

A talented and charismatic musician who seemed larger than life, he was just 43 when he passed. He was the “fun” uncle, the one who’d buy all the cousins hula hoops and take us to see our first-ever “Star Wars” movie. His grueling illness turned him into a shadow of his former self. And he left behind a beautiful wife, his teenage daughter and a nine-year-old son.

His untimely demise was a devastating blow to our big Greek family and my first real introduction to death. Even more painful was that my aunt — a young widow — was forced to navigate the tumult of parenthood single-handedly, while mourning the death of her beloved. My cousins would now grow up without their dad.

I am especially reminded of my uncle Tony this time of year. He was born on the Greek island of Leros in 1939, on the Feast Day of St. Anthony the Great — whose earthly life was also racked by suffering and struggle, albeit of a different nature.

Every year on January 17, St. Anthony is commemorated by millions of Christians worldwide, including the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic. Coptic Christians commemorate St. Anthony on January 31.

St. Anthony was born to wealthy parents, who were landowners in Egypt in 251 A.D. — when Christians were still being persecuted by the Romans. Sadly, by the time he was 18, they had passed away, leaving him to care for his unmarried sister.

According to several accounts, in 285 A.D., on hearing the Gospel of Mathew (19:21) — “If you want to be perfect, go and sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me” — St. Anthony sold his possessions, distributed his wealth to the poor, and withdrew from civilization.

While Christian ascetics of that time were known to retire to locations near the outskirts of cities, St. Anthony took Christian asceticism — from the Greek asketikos, meaning rigorously self-disciplined — to another level altogether.

He was, after all, determined to achieve perfection — godly and spiritual perfection.

St. Anthony worked out his salvation in the alkaline deserts of Egypt, where he fought against spiritual and physical temptations with severe austerity, prayer, and strict fasting. It’s been said that the deeper into the desert St. Anthony traveled, the closer he drew to Christ, at one point even spending 20 years in complete isolation.

Who do you think would win the Presidency?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from LifeZette, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

Ironically, monasticism began to flourish after Constantine the Great legalized Christianity in 313 A.D., eventually becoming the official religion of the Roman Empire — and many early Christians refused to adapt to an established, more worldly church.

Thus, monasticism spread simultaneously throughout the southeast Mediterranean, Egypt, Palestine, Sinai, Syria, and Cyprus, and soon after reached Asia Minor and lastly Europe. During the second millennium, however, Mount Athos, or the Holy Mountain in northeastern Greece, appeared as the center of Orthodox monasticism — and remains still today with more than 20 active monasteries.

Related: One Nun’s Challenge of Decades Ago Rings True Today

Much of what we know about St. Anthony is attributed to the writings of Saint Athanasius, Patriarch of Alexandria, who lived from 296 A.D. to 373 A.D. In fact, “Life of Anthony” helped to spread the ideas of monasticism particularly to Western Europe via Latin translations.

St. Anthony is known by the epithets Anthony of Egypt, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony of the Thebes, and Anthony the Anchorite. As for the moniker “Father of Monasticism,” some say it is somewhat misleading, as Christian monasticism was already an established practice in Egypt during his lifetime. Still, St. Anthony’s mastery of anchoritism — living in solitude — continues to inspire the spread of monasticism even today.

In Florence, Arizona, for example, the Greek Orthodox Monastery of St. Anthony, set along the Gila River in the Sonoran Desert, is dedicated to the third-century anchorite and maintains a coenobitic rule of monastic life — meaning that everything is shared.

Interestingly enough, St. Anthony did not found any monasteries during his lifetime. Yet, many flocked from near and far to seek healing and counsel from him — who sought holiness through solitude and askesis, or spiritual exercise, such as incessant prayer and fasting. And though he never learned to read and write, St. Anthony was a man of divine wisdom and grace, according to St. Athanasius.

St. Anthony was also the most well-known of the Desert Fathers, or early Christian hermits, monks, and ascetics who lived in the desert of Egypt beginning sometime in the third century A.D.

St. Anthony was also the most well-known of the Desert Fathers, or early Christian hermits, monks, and ascetics who lived in the desert of Egypt beginning sometime in the third century A.D. These Desert Fathers (along with Desert Mothers) cultivated the practice of hesychasm — from the Greek word for silence or stillness — which was essential to prayer. To be sure, they significantly influenced the development Christianity in the East and West.

In 356 A.D., St. Anthony died at the age of 105. By now, thousands of monks and nuns had made the desert their home, following in his anchoritic footsteps. “The desert had become a city,” said St. Athanasius.

Elizabeth M. Economou writes about higher education, health and real estate. She is a former adjunct professor and CNBC staff business writer. This article originally appeared in LifeZette last year and has been updated.