June 13th, The Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, Confessor and Doctor

Today is the feast of the Great St. Anthony of Padua, Confessor and Doctor of the Church.

St. Anothony was born in Lisbon Portugal and given them name of Fernando at his baptism. Some time after joining the Augustinians he subsequently met a group of the newly founded Order of Friars Minor, who were on their way to preach to the Mohammedans in North Africa. Some time later Fernando witnessed the bodies of these same Franciscan missionaries, now martyrs of the Church being brought back to Europe for burial. This filled Fernando with a great desire to become a Martyr himself by preaching the Truth of Christ to the Muslims, and so he joined the Order of Friars Minor.

Martyrdom not being Gods Will for "Anthony", (the religious name he took when he joined the Franciscans) Anthony lived the life a preacher, teacher and Wonder Worker, mostly in Italy.

Many miraculous stories can be told about Anthony's life, perhaps the most famous of all being the miracle of the Holy Eucharist.

At one time there was a famous heretic in the area where Anthony lived who rejected the Church's teaching of the real presence of Christ in Holy Eucharist.

Our Saint challenged the heretic to starve his donkey for three days and bring him to the town square. Where upon Anthony would also be there with the Blessed Sacrament. After three days of prayer and fasting Anthony took the Blessed Sacrament to the town square, meeting the heretic and his starved donkey there. The people put oats before the Donkey and Anthony stood opposite the oats holding the Blessed Sacrament aloft. The starved Donkey, ignoring the oats walk up to the The Holy Sacrament and knelt down in adoration before it. The heretic being converted on the spot.

To read more about this great saint I reccomend this book St. Anthony Wonder Worker

Blessed be God, in His Angels and in His Saints!




DEO GRATIAS!