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St. Anthony of Padua - Our Confrere & Patron
Barefoot, clothed only in rags, with bright eyes and burning words, were these men holy or heretics? What was this new Order called the Franciscans to which they belonged? Anthony listened to their story of fellow Franciscans being martyred in Morocco, and he began to believe that he was wasting his life on books. With permission to leave the monastery, Anthony was intent on going directly to Morocco as a Franciscan and to die for the faith. The Franciscans accepted Anthony into their Order knowing he intended to become a martyr as soon as possible. When he landed in Morocco it seemed like everything was finally going as he planned it. But God had other plans. He no sooner got out into the desert than he became so ill that he wasn't even able to get out of bed, let alone walk the street preaching. His attempt at missionary work was such a complete failure that the Franciscans ordered him back to Portugal after only four months. The ship taking him back to Portugal, however, was sent off course by a storm and forced to land in Sicily. As Anthony recovered his health in Italy, he conceived a new plan. He would go to the fourth general chapter meeting of the Franciscans and see St. Francis of Assisi. Surely St. Francis would know what Anthony was supposed to do with the rest of his life. But Francis, close to death, didn't notice Anthony among the three thousand friars who had come to the chapter. However, after his ordination at Forli in 1222, in a sermon on the priesthood, Anthony's gifts were finally discovered. Suddenly recognized as a great preacher, Anthony was given the mission by St. Francis to preach anywhere and everywhere.
What did Anthony preach? He preached the Scripture; it was said of him that he knew the Bible so well, that if some disaster destroyed all copies of it, the Scriptures could still be recovered from what he knew. He probed deep into each passage to find the key message for Christians. Anthony preached peace in a time of feuds, vendettas, and wars, saying, "No more war; no more hatred and bloodshed, but peace. God wills it." Anthony preached a positive message. In a time when heretics were teaching things such as that the flesh was evil and only the soul was created by God, Anthony didn't indulge in attacks of heretics. He spoke of the true beliefs of Christians in such a positive way that he won people back to the Faith. But Anthony believed that preaching was useless -- if one didn't preach by example. "The only ones who preach correctly are those who conform by their actions to what they announce with their mouths." Padua was the place that Anthony had chosen as his home base after he started preaching. And that's where he went after he fell ill in 1231. In order to find a little solitude in the midst of the clamors for his attention, he built a sort of treehouse where he lived until he became too weak. He asked to be taken back to his friary to die but he didn't make it. At a stop at a convent of Poor Clares he said, "I behold my God," and died. It was June 13, 1231; he was only 35 years old.
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Born
in 1195 in Portugal as heir to a noble title and lands, Anthony's future
seemed to be secure and well planned. But he started his restless quest
for God's call early, giving up his inheritance to enter a monastery at
age 15, seeking a life of solitude and devotion. Anthony moved to the
Abbey of Santa Cruz, noted for learning and study, and devoted the next
eight years to studying theology and Scripture. His phenomenal memory
and facility for knowledge made it obvious to everyone that this was the
life he was meant to lead ...until five guests showed up at the monastery.
Suddenly
what looked like failures or misdirections in his life made sense. His
study in the monastery was not a waste of time, but a foundation to preach
on the Scriptures. His travel to Morocco and Italy was not a disaster
but experiences in real life from which to teach. His assignment to a
retreat house in the mountains was not a rejection but a grounding of
his spirit in prayer and meditation to sustain him in the Holy Spirit.
Anthony
is often shown with the Christ Child because of a legend concerning an
event that took place in a monastery where he stayed overnight. When his
host peeked into Anthony's room to see the saint at prayer, he saw that
Anthony was not alone. The Christ Child stood on a table before Anthony,
and Anthony placed his arm gently around the Child, holding him. At times
Anthony is also pictured with the Book of the Scriptures, for he preached
and taught God's Word so eloquently, or with a lily, a sign of his holiness
of life.
