Jun 13 – Memorial for St. Anthony of Padua, priest, religious, doctor
St. Anthony’s (1195-1231) wealthy family wanted him to be a great nobleman, but for the sake of Christ he became a poor Franciscan. When the remains of St. Berard and his companions, the first Franciscan martyrs, were brought to be buried in his church, Anthony was moved to leave his order, enter the Friars Minor, and go to Morocco to evangelize.
Shipwrecked at Sicily, he joined some other brothers who were going to Portiuncula. One day when a scheduled speaker failed to appear, the brothers pressed him into speaking. He impressed them so that he was thereafter constantly travelling, evangelizing, preaching, and teaching theology through Italy and France.
A gifted speaker, he attracted crowds everywhere he went, speaking in multiple tongues. Legend says that even the fish loved to listen. He was a wonder worker. As one of the most beloved saints, his images and statues are found everywhere. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1946.
- Patron Saint Index
Isa 61:1-3
Lk 10:1-9
“The kingdom of God is very near to you.”
There is a stereotype that Catholics are embarrassed to share their faith with the people around them. This could be attributed to a fear of being mocked or, perhaps, the need to adhere to a higher standard because of one professing to be a Christian. It is in times like this that the example of St Anthony, whose feast we celebrate today, is important for he showed us the need to stay humble and yet remain bold in proclaiming the Gospel.
We find in today’s Gospel, the urgency of Jesus wanting his seventy-two disciples to proclaim the message of the Good News to all around them. This is seen in the instruction to not carry any personal belongings on them. St Anthony was also very dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel to all the cities he went. This was especially so since he had to fight the Albigensian heresy in his day. Many stories had been shared of his ability to convert the heretics through his preaching and miracles.
St Anthony worked tirelessly to proclaim the Gospel message, regardless of the cost to his life. He would never shy away from an opportunity to share with others the joy of the Gospel. The title “Hammer of the Heretics” is given to him for his zeal to proclaim the Gospel tirelessly to convert the heretics back to the true Faith.
However, his talent was not immediately recognised. The desire to enter into a life of penance and prayer meant that his fellow brothers missed his ability to preach and pray. It took a providential opportunity for his gift as an orator to manifest itself. This is a lesson for all of us — prayer and penance are the two important pillars of the Christian life. In fact, they are the ones that hold every Christian, regardless of their lot in life, grounded in Jesus. St Anthony was known for his prayer life and love for Jesus. As we continue with our daily lives, may we always spend time in prayer, to ask God to give us courage to proclaim the message to those around us courageously and fearlessly.
(Today’s OXYGEN by Nicholas Chia)
Prayer: St Anthony of Padua, pray for us.
Thanksgiving: We give thanks to all who instruct the ignorant in the faith.
OXYGEN 
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