St. Anthony of Padua: A Model of Practical Christian Witnessing

06-23-2024Weekly ReflectionFr. Tony Okolo C.S.Sp., V.F.

Beloved Parishioners,

As an effort to emphasize the importance of holiness of life, robust faith, and spiritual fervor, which are the hallmarks of Christians who are bearing witness to the Gospel message in the modern time, I want to strongly recommend to all of us, the example, patronage, and spirituality of Saint Anthony of Padua. The intercession of this Saint is a special privilege I have enjoyed all my life, most especially in my vocation, and I wish to recommend him to all of us as a model for piety and virtues.

Saint Anthony of Padua is one of the most famous disciples of St. Francis and was popularly known as a wonder worker for the very reason of the potency of his intercession. He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195. From a very tender age, St. Anthony developed special love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. His first recorded miracle occurred when he left the cornfield he was supposed to look after and went to pay a visit to Christ in the Tabernacle of a nearby parish oratory. Surprisingly, the birds he was commissioned to ward off with his presence in the farm all accompanied this little saint to the Church and patiently waited till he was done with his reverential visit to the Lord. Little Anthony was barely seven when this happened. At 15, he entered the Congregation of the Canon Regulars of St. Augustine and devoted himself with great earnestness to study and practice piety in the Monastery of Coimbra, Portugal. However, St. Anthony was soon to join the Order of the Friar Minors which St. Francis founded in 1206, because he was attracted by the heroic martyrdom of some of those Franciscans who in 1219, went to Morocco to preach the gospel wherein they received the martyr’s crown. St. Anthony was desirous of giving his life to Christ in like manner but God had other plans for him.

As a Franciscan, his gifted eloquence in preaching shone so brightly that St. Francis commissioned him preacher to the Patharani heretics in Rimini and later to the Albigensian heretics in France. People from all conditions and walks of life listened to him and when his words could not penetrate some of those obdurate hearts, he worked miracles. At one point he called out fishes to listen to his sermon at the mouth of Marecchia river in the Adriatic; at another point, he was challenged by some heretics about the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Eucharist. St. Anthony made them starve a mule for three days and after, release it before the sight of everyone. As a proof to them that Christ was present in the Eucharist, they were to place some meal for the mule by one end and he, St. Anthony, would bear the Blessed Eucharist in his hand at the other end. To the bewilderment of everyone, the famished mule ignored the meal placed before it and ambulated straight to venerate the Eucharist St. Anthony was carrying in his hand until St. Anthony ordered it to rise. Once in Padua, a man at whose home St. Anthony was spending the night, came upon the saint and found him holding in his arms the Child Jesus. This is the miracle behind the famous depiction of Saint Anthony with the Child Jesus in his hands. He cast out demons in many instances and lost things were recovered through his intercession. Saint Anthony died on June 13, 1231, at the age of 36 and Pope Gregory IX enrolled him among the saints the very next year on account of the many intercessions wrought through his intercession. In 1946, he was declared a Doctor of the Church.

Miracles waited at the words of St. Anthony, and this word he is ever ready to speak at the request of those who in trouble, call upon his intercession. The anxious prayer of bitter trial is never addressed to him in vain, he restores what is lost both spiritually and physically, intercedes for the sick, and has compassion for the poor and forsaken. I am a living witness to the gracious intercessions of this wonderful saint and likewise are many other people I have encountered in my priestly ministry testifying to the greatness of this saint. His legacy continues to inspire many of his devotees like myself and this is why I recommend him to you today.

Dear friends, we have a lot to emulate from this meek and illustrious son of St. Francis. His special love for the Blessed Eucharist and Mary, the mother of God, his desire to give his life for the conversion of sinners, his commitment to preaching the gospel by the actions of his own life and his commitment to humility and learning are virtues and standards he sets before us. It is a reminder also to all of us that we are called to holiness. You and I can be saints like St. Anthony if we make the effort to fashion our lives in the manner of this exemplary saint. I invite us to pray to God through his intercession to grant us a restoration of our piety and fervency in prayer that we tend to lose to the readily available distractions of the modern world.