St. Anthony of Padua, whose feast we celebrate on 13th June, is one of the most popular saints of the Catholic Church, and a member of the Franciscan Order. Anthony was born in 1195 (13 years after St. Francis) in Lisbon, Portugal and given the name of Fernando at Baptism. His parents, Martin and Mary Bulhom, belonged to one of the prominent families of the city.
St. Anthony died in Padua, Italy on 13th June 1231. He was only 35 years of age when he died. He was one of the most quickly canonized saints in the Church History, being canonized by Pope Gregory IX, less than a year after his death. He was proclaimed ‘Doctor of the Church’ by Pope Pius XII on 16th January 1946. He was well-known for his powerful preaching, teaching, knowledge of Scripture and immense love for the poor and the sick. His body was exhumed 32 years after his death. It was found to be corrupted, yet his tongue was totally incorrupt; so perfect were the teachings that had been formed upon it.
St. Anthony is portrayed holding the Child Jesus or a lily or a book or all three in his arms. He is especially invoked and venerated all over the world as the Patron Saint for the recovery of lost items and is credited with many miracles involving lost people, lost things and even lost spiritual goods.
The reasons for invoking St. Anthony’s help to find lost and stolen things is traced to an incident in his life. St. Antony had a Book of Psalms (Psalter) that was very important to him. It had notes and comments made by him to use in teaching students in the Franciscan Order. A novice who had grown tired of religious life decided to leave. He took that Psalter when leaving. On finding it missing, Anthony prayed it would be found or returned to him. After his prayer, the novice was moved to return the book and also return to the Order which accepted him back. Shortly after the death of St. Anthony people began to pray through St. Anthony to find or recover lost and stolen articles. St. Anthony is well-known in Portugal, Spain and Brazil as a Marriage Saint, because he has been known for reconciling couples. His feast day, 13th June is Lisbon’s Municipal holiday, celebrated with parades and marriages. He is one of the saints celebrated in Brazil’s Festas Juninas (June festivals) along with John the Baptist and Saint Peter. There are novenas around him known as Trezena de Junho or 13 days of June leading to his feast. St. Anthony is the Patron Saint of at least 105 cities in Brazil, being one of the most venerated saints in the country. St. Anthony’s Bread is a term used for offerings made in thanksgiving to God for blessings received through the prayers of St. Anthony. Sometimes the alms are given for the education of priests. In some places, parents also make a gift for the poor after placing a newborn child under the protection of St. Anthony. It is a practice in some churches to bless small loaves of bread on the feast of the Saint and give them to those who want them.
St. Anthony was a simple and humble friar who preached the Gospel lovingly and courageously. He was a man of great penance. For Anthony, like St. Francis, poverty was a way of imitating Jesus who was born in a stable and would have no place to lay his head. Anthony was an apostle of great zeal and mainly a saint of the people. His life was of steady courage to face ups and downs; to love, to forgive and be concerned for the needs of others. In dealing with crises, great or small, he was totally dependent on God. People were moved by who he was, more than what he said. Despite all his efforts, not everyone listened to him. There is a legend that one day, faced with deaf ears, Anthony went to the river and preached to the fishes. That got everyone’s attention! Anthony wanted to win people over to the wonder of reconciliation with a loving God.
The Church wants us especially to imitate St. Anthony in his love for the Word of God, and his prayerful efforts to understand and apply God’s Word to the situations of everyday life. The Church wants us to learn from St. Anthony, the Teacher, the meaning of true wisdom and what it means to become like Jesus who humbled and emptied Himself for our sakes and went about doing good.
It is June. The residents of Aquem will surely be present in large numbers at the Chapel for the 13-day trezen to St. Anthony. Among your petitions do pray for help to St. Anthony to find your Bible and read God’s Word daily, even after the trezen/feast. Pray for Wisdom to understand what God is speaking to you, and how to apply God’s Word to the various situations you face. Even more pray for Grace to know Jesus, love Him daily more and more, that you may be happy with Him one day in heaven.
I wish you and your family the protection of St. Anthony. Stay Blessed.
– J Rodrigues