Today (June 13) is the Feast Day of Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) a Franciscan, and a Miracle Worker.
Born to a wealthy family, he declined the life of a nobleman and entered the Augustinian Abbey of St. Vincent – a scholarly order. He immersed himself in study of scripture; the writings of the Holy Fathers; and in prayer.
At one point he met *five Franciscan brothers who were traveling to preach to Muslims in Morocco. He later learned that they were martyred. Hearing the call to give away more of himself to follow Christ, he decided to join the Franciscan order, received approval from his superiors, and joined the Fransicans.
Once, he was he was chosen to give a homily when no one else was available. He was told to just let the Holy Spirit speak for him. He was nervous but the words sprang off his tongue, capturing the hearts and attention of everyone there.
Saint Francis of Assisi himself wrote Saint Anthony and asked him to be in charge of teaching theology to the brothers, who would then go out and preach the gospel to the world. However, he is now better known as an orator, rather than teacher. He spoke loud and clear and in a manner understandable by all people: the poor and the rich, the young and the old, the dull and the wise.
He spoke against heresy and moral duplicity. One time he preached for several days to a group of religious leaders and was welcomed on the last day by an empty room. Undeterred he went down to the seashore, where the river met the sea, and preached his faith to the fish - thousands of fish appeared to listen.
He had great compassion for the poor and oppressed, and many miracles are attributed to him. A few days before Saint Anthony’s death he saw and felt himself holding the baby Jesus. Someone looking through the window at the time indeed saw him with a baby.
Saint Anthony is best known as the Patron Saint of Lost Articles.
Saint Anthony’s life and ministry teach us how to be “Finders”:
- to carry our Faith the way we would hold a baby - firmly but with gentle fingers
- to listen for the call to follow Jesus and always be open for another yet deeper call
- to ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate us through prayer; in studying the Holy Scripture; and in studying the lives of Holy People
- to look for the simple truth in every situation, and
- to seek to taste the simple truth from our own tongue.
Saint Anthony was canonized less than one year after his death. He was made a Doctor of the Church in 1946 by Pope Pius XII.
(* note) The five Franciscan brothers martyred in Morocco were canonized by Sixtus IV in 1481: Saints Berardo, Pietro, Accursio, Adiuto and Ottone.
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