Saint of the Week: St. Anthony of Padua
Our Saint of the Week this week, in celebration of the diocesan Year of the Eucharist, is one who is not necessarily known specifically for his devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, but there is a powerful Eucharistic miracle attributed to him that enshrines him in the hearts of many as a Eucharistic saint: the Franciscan priest, Saint Anthony of Padua.
First, a brief biography; then, the story of his Eucharistic miracle.
Saint Anthony was born in 1195 (thirteen years after Saint Francis was born in Assisi). He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, and at his Baptism was given the name Fernando. His parents belonged to one of the prominent families of the city, and so he was raised in an environment of wealth and comfort.
At the age of fifteen, he entered the religious order of Saint Augustine. But sadly, monastery life was hardly peaceful for young Fernando, nor conducive to prayer and study, because of old friends who would visit frequently and engage in vehement political discussions.
After two years, he was sent to Coimbra. There, he began nine years of intense study, learning the Augustinian theology that he would later combine with the Franciscan vision. He was probably ordained a priest during this time.
The life of this young priest took a crucial turn when the bodies of the first five Franciscan martyrs were returned from Morocco. Previously, they had preached in the mosque in Seville, almost being martyred at the outset, but the sultan allowed them to pass on to Morocco, where, after continuing to preach Christ despite repeated warnings, they were tortured and beheaded. Now in the presence of the queen and a huge crowd, their remains were carried in solemn procession to the monastery.
Fernando was overjoyed and inspired to a momentous decision. He went to the little friary in that city and said, “Brother, I would gladly put on the habit of your Order if you would promise to send me as soon as possible to the land of the Saracens, that I may gain the crown of the holy martyrs.”
After some challenges from the prior of the Augustinians, he was allowed to leave that priory and receive the Franciscan habit, and it was at this time that he took the name Anthony. True to their promise, the Franciscans allowed Saint Anthony to go to Morocco to be a witness for Jesus and a martyr as well. But he became seriously ill, and after several months realized he had to go home; yet he never arrived. His ship ran into storms and was blown east across the Mediterranean. Months later, he arrived on the east coast of Sicily. The friars at nearby Messina welcomed him and began nursing him back to health.
It was during his convalescence in Sicily that Saint Anthony was fully instructed in Franciscan life and spirituality, and also where he began to be renowned for his preaching, for which he would be famous for the rest of his and through the centuries even unto our own day and age; it is primarily because of his preaching that he was named a Doctor of the Church.
He spent the rest of his short life (he died in 1231 at the young age of thirty-six) preaching all over northern Italy, traveling many thousands of miles in that time.
There is a legendary incident in those years of his preaching that culminates in the aforementioned Eucharistic miracle. When Saint Anthony was preaching in a town called Rimini, there was a man there who did not believe in the Real Presence and, in fact, openly mocked anybody who did have that belief. Saint Anthony tried very hard to convince him with proofs in Sacred Scripture and by philosophical argument, but to no avail; the man was “as stubborn as a mule” as they say.
Then Saint Anthony was given an inspiration. He challenged the man, “If the mule you ride adored the Body of Christ in the Eucharist, would you believe in the truth of the Blessed Sacrament?” The man agreed but decided to raise the stakes; he would starve his mule for three days and then bring it to the town square. Saint Anthony would bring the Blessed Sacrament to that same square, and the whole town would be invited to observe what would happen. The mule then would be put in front of a pile of hay and Saint Anthony would stand a few yards away with the Blessed Sacrament. What happened next would decide the victor.
To prepare for the event, Saint Anthony fasted for three days, and of course the man was convinced that the mule would think nothing of the Eucharist and ravenously eat the pile of hay.
On the day of the test, the mule was led in, and hay was held under its nose. Saint Anthony came and stood a distance away with the Holy Eucharist. Defying all odds, the mule turned his head and walked over to Saint Anthony. When the mule was close, the animal bent his front legs and knelt in adoration! When the man saw this miraculous change of events, he too immediately fell on bended knee and professed his belief in the truth of the Real Presence.
What this short story tells us is that the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist is something miraculous and supernatural. It is a gift which the Lord gave to His Church, one that reason alone cannot explain. Faith is required to hold to such a fantastic belief, and this story should remind us that what we witness each Sunday (and every single day) is beyond our understanding.
Saint Anthony of Padua…pray for us.
~ Fr. Lewis