St. Anthony of Padua

The popular saint of "lost and found", whose feast day is June 13th, takes a back seat this year to the elventh Sunday in Ordinary Time; however a brief reflection on his life will help us keep this sabbath holy. We might or might not be aware of the stories of his miracles, how he preached a sermon to attentive fish at Rimini, when the people were disinterested, or how a mule knelt before the Blessed Sacrament he was carrying, or how the man who was hosting him in his home saw him in the garden holding the child Jesus in his arms. And, of course, there is the return of the missing Psalter, which has given St. Anthony the enduring reputation of finding lost articles. How many people of all faiths do we know who pray to St. Anthony to find what they've lost? He always comes through.
The lesser known story is how Anthony, a Portuguese by birth, searched and struggled to find his place in God's plan. He originally entered religious life in a "plea bargain" with God to spare the life of his friend, whom he had wounded in a fight. In so doing, he gravely disappointed his family and the young woman who had hoped to marry him. Their relationship haunted him, even after he had take his vows. He was originally a member of the Canons of St. Augustine, but when he saw the relics of five Franciscans who were martyred for preaching to the Muslims, he left the Canons and joined the Franciscans, hoping to finish what the martyrs had left undone. He was shipwrecked and unable to fulfill his dream. What to do? St. Francis himself sanctioned his teaching, but it became evident that his gift of preaching was even greater than his ability to teach at the University of Padua, so he then became a preacher responsible for the conversion of thousands, and for the preservation of the original spirit of the Franciscans. So highly renowned was he, that he was canonized only a year after his death. Called by God, gradually learning how best to serve him, he was not an instant saint. His journey toward holiness remains a model for what we can become if we give ourselves fully to the power of the Holy Spirit living and working within us and are willing to walk our journey with faith, patience, conviction and determination. St. Anthony, pray for us.
Bro. Rene