Saint Anthony of Padua
The collect for today, the Feast of St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231), Franciscan friar, priest, Doctor of the Church (source):
O God, who by thy Holy Spirit didst give to thy servant Antony a love of the Holy Scriptures, and the gift of expounding them with learning and eloquence, that thereby thy people might be established in sound doctrine and encouraged in the way of righteousness, grant to us always an abundance of such preachers, to the glory of thy Name and the benefit of thy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
The Epistle: 1 Corinthians 4:9b-14
The Gospel: St Luke 12:35-40
Born to a noble family in Lisbon, St Anthony (or Antony) is associated with the city of Padua, Italy, where he resided in the final years of his life and is buried in a magnificent basilica that bears his name. Unimpressive in his appearance, his dynamic and charismatic preaching sparked a spiritual renewal in the church in Europe. He has been called “the Billy Graham of the thirteenth century”. He became one of the most renowned and beloved saints of his time; still today, his life and witness inspire great devotion.
When he was 16, he began studying the Bible, theology, and apologetics under several respected teachers. In 1220, he was admitted to the Order of St Francis and joined a group of Franciscan friars going to Morocco to preach the Gospel among Moors. A serious illness soon forced him to return to Europe, however.
Initially assigned to kitchen duty at a monastery in Forli, Italy, his preaching ability became known when he was asked to speak at an ordination service because no one had prepared a sermon. Told to say whatever the Holy Ghost should put into his mouth, he delivered an address that astonished everyone with its eloquence, passion, and insight.
News of his gift soon reached Franciscan superiors, who called him to preach throughout central Italy. He was also appointed the first teacher of the Franciscan order, reportedly at the behest of St Francis himself, and began to teach theology to the friars in Bologna and Padua. He is credited with introducing Augustinian theology to the Franciscans.
St Anthony was driven by a passion for souls. Thousands came to listen to him speak; spiritual renewal followed wherever he went. Churches were often too small to hold the crowds who wanted to hear him, so he preached in market squares and other open-air locations. His zealous and powerful preaching against the Cathari and Albigensians in Italy and France earned him the title “Hammer of heretics”.
From 1226, he lived in Padua, where the fruits of his ministry were evident in widespread reformation of conduct. His series of Lenten sermons in 1231 saw 30,000 listening to him preach in an open field, and was accompanied by acts of repentance and reconciliation. The ungodly confessed Christ. Thieves and swindlers publicly made restitution. Long-standing feuds were settled and friendships renewed.
St Anthony was canonised by Gregory IX within a year of his death at age 36. His relics are kept in the Basilica of St Anthony, Padua.
Artwork:
Maso di Banco (active 1320-46), St. Anthony of Padua. Tempera on wood with gold ground, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Donatello, Madonna and Child between St Francis and St Anthony, 1448. Bronze, High Altar (detail), Basilica di Sant’Antonio, Padua.