Saturday, June 13, 2009

St. Anthony of Padua

This is a picture of the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy. My wife & I were blessed to have gone on a pilgrimage there last April. There are countless biographies on the web about St. Anthony. He was a disciple of St. Francis becoming a Franciscan at 26 years old, a Doctor of the Church, a tremendous preacher, who had some remarkable miracles attributed to him. He was so beloved by those that knew him, that he was canonized a saint less than a year after his death. He is the patron saint of "lost articles" At Padua also took place the famous miracle of the amputated foot, which Franciscan writers attribute to St. Anthony. A young man, Leonardo by name, in a fit of anger kicked his own mother. Repentant, he confessed his fault to St. Anthony who said to him: "The foot of him who kicks his mother deserves to be cut off." Leonardo ran home and cut off his foot. Learning of this, St. Anthony took the amputated member of the unfortunate youth and miraculosly rejoined it. At the Basilica there are hundreds of letters posted on a wall thanking St. Anthony for his intercession. They are updated daily. He said "Attribute to God every good that you have received. If you take credit for something that does not belong to you, you will be guilty of theft." God is the source of all goodness. I at times forget that, I at times think that I am responsible for goodness, I at times seek my own glory & honor, not giving it to the rightful owner. St. Anthony, Pray for us.

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