Franciscan Saints
Saint Anthony of Padua
 In
the year 1220 Anthony joined the Franciscans because he wanted to
be a missionary among the Moslems in North Africa. It was
then he took the name Anthony. He had been baptized Ferdinand
when he was born in Lisbon, Portugal. At an early age, maybe
only 15, he joined the Canon Regulars of St. Augustine at St. Vincent
Monastery. Because of visits from many relatives and friends,
he transferred to what he hoped was a more secluded Monastery in
Coimbra. Zeal for spreading the Gospel and admiration for
the Friars he met before they were martyred in Morocco, inspired
him to join the Friars Minor.
Once
in Africa, Anthony became ill and was never able to actually do
any missionary work. When spring came, he boarded a ship bound
for Portugal but a storm took him to Sicily instead. There
the Friars nursed him back to health and took him to the General
Chapter in 1221, where he saw and heard St. Francis.
As a Friar, he preached throughout Italy and Southern France. Francis,
who was aware of Anthony’s great humility as well as profound knowledge
of Sacred Scripture, commissioned him to teach theology to the young
Friars at Bologna. After Francis’ death in 1226, he was named
Provincial of Northern Italy. Anthony traveled throughout
the entire area caring for the Friars and preaching to the people
(1227-1230).
Unfailing Prayer to Saint Anthony
O holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints,
your love for God and Charity for His
creatures, made you worthy, when on
earth, to possess miraculous powers.
Miracles waited on your word, which you
were ever ready to speak for those in
trouble or anxiety. Encouraged by this
thought I implore you to obtain for
me (request). The answer to my prayer
may require a miracle, even so, you are the
Saint of Miracles. O gentle and loving
St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of
human sympathy, whisper my petition into
the ears of Jesus, who
loved to be folded in your arms; and the
gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. |
During
this time he started writing his book of sermon suggestions. After
his term as Provincial he moved outside the city of Padua, to Camposampiero,
to continue work on his book. During the Lent of 1231, he
preached to enormous crowds in Padua and administered the Sacrament
of Reconciliation until wee hours of the morning. Weakened
by a life of strenuous ministry, he died on June 13, at Aracoeli,
on his way to Padua where he was being taken for medical treatment. He
was canonized on May 30, 1232.
The
examination of his remains in February 1981 revealed that he was
tall for men of that period (5’ 6”) and that he had walked much
and spent long hours on his knees. The cause of his death
seems to have been exhaustion since there is no trace of a disease
or pathological condition. When his tomb was opened in 1261,
his tongue was found preserved. It is still venerated in a
reliquary in his Basilica in Padua, Italy. The most recent
examination showed that his vocal cords are also preserved intact.
Through
the ages people have venerated him as a Wonderworker. Immediately
after his death there was a rash of miracles and that is one reason
for his rapid canonization in less than a year. Even today
he is known as the Saint who always answers.
As brothers of St. Anthony, let us pray for you.
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St. Francis of Assisi
The Prayer before the Crucifix
St. Francis of Assisi (1205/1206)
Most High,
Glorious God,
Enlighten the darkness of my heart
And give me
True faith,
Certain hope,
And perfect charity,
Sense and knowledge,
Lord,
That I may carry out
Your holy and true command.
The Peace Prayer
Attributed to St. Francis of Assisi
Lord, make me an instrument of your
peace;
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light
And where there is sadness, joy.
Grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled
As to console;
To be understood, as to understand,
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive,
It is pardoning that we are pardoned,
And it is in dying
That we are born to eternal life. |
Francis was born in Assisi, Italy, in 1182, the son of a wealthy
cloth merchant. As a young man, he embraced the values of the emerging
middle class: wealth, fine clothes, and parties, with dreams of
knighthood and a noble title.
 One
day Francis happened upon the small, broken-down chapel of San Damiano
near Assisi. Venturing inside, Francis knelt before the now famous
painted crucifix.
He heard the voice of Christ: "Go and repair my house which,
as you see, is falling into ruin." Immediately, Francis embraced
the life of a hermit. His public rejection of his father and his
patrimony marked a shift in his values…Francis would rely on God
alone.
 After rebuilding several churches around Assisi, Francis began
to preach to the people. His message of God's love poured out in
the Crucified Christ moved the hearts of many, including the Bishop
of Assisi.
At this time, Francis began to attract his first brothers, or Friars.
He instructed them in poverty, chastity, and obedience. Loyal to
the Gospel and the Church, the Franciscan movement soon spread beyond
Assisi.
The Church formally recognized the Franciscan community by approving
the Rule written by Francis in 1223.
The final years of Francis' life brought him to an intimate bond
with Christ through suffering. He bore the physical wounds of Christ,
known as the Stigmata. He was physically ill and nearly blind. Years
of penance and fasting had taken their toll.
Francis died at the Portiuncula Chapel near Assisi in 1226. Already
considered as such by the people, Francis was formally declared
a saint by Pope Gregory IX in 1228. The process of his canonization
was one of the briefest in history. He is buried in the Basilica
of Saint Francis in Assisi. His feast day is celebrated on October
4.
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