Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church ~ 13 June 2016

Saint Anthony of Padua was born on 15 August, 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal and given the name of Fernando at Baptism. He was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. He died at the 36 years old on 13 June, 1231 in Padua, Italy and was canonized saint less than one year later by Pope Gregory IX. He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 16 January 1946.

Saint Anthony of Padua is patron saint of lost and stolen articles, was a powerful Franciscan preacher and teacher. He is beloved throughout the world and is responsive to all people and all needs. His intercessory powers before our God are awesome.

Almighty ever-living God, who gave Saint Anthony of Padua to your people as an outstanding preacher and an intercessor in their need, grant that, with his assistance, as we follow the teachings of the Christian life, we may know your help in every trial. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading 1

1 Kings 21:1-16
Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel
next to the palace of Ahab, king of Samaria.
Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard to be my vegetable garden,
since it is close by, next to my house.
I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or,
if you prefer, I will give you its value in money.”
Naboth answered him, “The LORD forbid
that I should give you my ancestral heritage.”
Ahab went home disturbed and angry at the answer
Naboth the Jezreelite had made to him:
“I will not give you my ancestral heritage.”
Lying down on his bed, he turned away from food and would not eat.

His wife Jezebel came to him and said to him,
“Why are you so angry that you will not eat?”
He answered her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite
and said to him, ‘Sell me your vineyard, or,
if you prefer, I will give you a vineyard in exchange.’
But he refused to let me have his vineyard.”
His wife Jezebel said to him,
“A fine ruler over Israel you are indeed!
Get up.
Eat and be cheerful.
I will obtain the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite for you.”

So she wrote letters in Ahab’s name and,
having sealed them with his seal,
sent them to the elders and to the nobles
who lived in the same city with Naboth.
This is what she wrote in the letters:
“Proclaim a fast and set Naboth at the head of the people.
Next, get two scoundrels to face him
and accuse him of having cursed God and king.
Then take him out and stone him to death.”
His fellow citizens—the elders and nobles who dwelt in his city—
did as Jezebel had ordered them in writing,
through the letters she had sent them.
They proclaimed a fast and placed Naboth at the head of the people.
Two scoundrels came in and confronted him with the accusation,
“Naboth has cursed God and king.”
And they led him out of the city and stoned him to death.
Then they sent the information to Jezebel
that Naboth had been stoned to death.

When Jezebel learned that Naboth had been stoned to death,
she said to Ahab,
“Go on, take possession of the vineyard
of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you,
because Naboth is not alive, but dead.”
On hearing that Naboth was dead, Ahab started off on his way
down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite,
to take possession of it.


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 5:2-3ab, 4b-6a, 6b-7
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
Hearken to my words, O LORD,
attend to my sighing.
Heed my call for help,
my king and my God!
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
At dawn I bring my plea expectantly before you.
For you, O God, delight not in wickedness;
no evil man remains with you;
the arrogant may not stand in your sight.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.
You hate all evildoers.
You destroy all who speak falsehood;
The bloodthirsty and the deceitful
the LORD abhors.
R. Lord, listen to my groaning.


Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel

Matthew 5:38-42

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one to him as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand him your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go with him for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.”

Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church ~ 28 January 2016

Thomas Aquinas was born in 1225 (towards the end of 1225) at Aquino, Naples, Italy. Thomas Aquinas was educated by the Benedictine monks. Later he rejected his parents’ objections and joined the mendicant Dominican order (friars) in 1244. Studied in Paris from 1245 to 1248 and was ordained in 1250. In 1252, he begin to teach in the University of Paris. 

He is best known for his Summa Theologica (Sum of Theology) that explores all aspects of creation including the role of God, angels, and human being. Aquinas felt that God is neither self-evident nor beyond proof. In the Summa Theologica, he laid out five proofs for God’s existence. These are widely known as the "Five Ways."

• God is simple, without parts such as body and soul or matter and form
• God is perfect
• God is infinite
• God is incapable of change on the levels of His essence and character.
• God is one, without diversification within God's self.

His writings continued until he had a mystical experience at the end of his life that made him think that all he had done as "mere straw." Several times, he beheld Jesus speaking to him from a vision, saying, “You have written well of me, Thomas; what reward would you have?” Thomas would reply, “Nothing but yourself, Lord.”

He died at the Cistercian monastery of Fossa Nuova, Lazio, Italy on 7 March 1274 and was canonized by Pope John XXII on 18 July 1323. Saint Thomas was made a doctor of the Church at the First Vatican Council (1869-1870). St.Thomas Aquinas was one of the greatest writers and theologians of all time. Patron saint of against thunderstorms and lightning, sudden death, .academics, Catholic academies; Catholic schools; Catholic universities, philosophers; and theologians.

"Believing is an act of the intellect assenting 

to the divine truth by command of the will 

moved by God through grace." 

~ St.Thomas Aquinas ~

O God, who made Saint Thomas Aquinas outstanding in his zeal for holiness and his study of sacred doctrine, grant us, we pray, that we may understand what he taught and imitate what he accomplished. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Reading 1

2 Samuel 7:18-19, 24-29
After Nathan had spoken to King David,
the king went in and sat before the LORD and said,
“Who am I, Lord GOD, and who are the members of my house,
that you have brought me to this point?
Yet even this you see as too little, Lord GOD;
you have also spoken of the house of your servant
for a long time to come:
this too you have shown to man, Lord GOD!

“You have established for yourself your people Israel as yours forever,
and you, LORD, have become their God.
And now, LORD God, confirm for all time the prophecy you have made
concerning your servant and his house,
and do as you have promised.
Your name will be forever great, when men say,
‘The LORD of hosts is God of Israel,’
and the house of your servant David stands firm before you.
It is you, LORD of hosts, God of Israel,
who said in a revelation to your servant,
‘I will build a house for you.’
Therefore your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer to you.
And now, Lord GOD, you are God and your words are truth;
you have made this generous promise to your servant.
Do, then, bless the house of your servant
that it may be before you forever;
for you, Lord GOD, have promised,
and by your blessing the house of your servant
shall be blessed forever.”


Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 132:1-2, 3-5, 11, 12, 13-14
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
LORD, remember David
and all his anxious care;
How he swore an oath to the LORD,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob.
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
“I will not enter the house where I live,
nor lie on the couch where I sleep;
I will give my eyes no sleep,
my eyelids no rest,
Till I find a home for the LORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
The LORD swore an oath to David
a firm promise from which he will not withdraw:
“Your own offspring
I will set upon your throne.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
“If your sons keep my covenant,
and the decrees which I shall teach them,
Their sons, too, forever
shall sit upon your throne.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.
For the LORD has chosen Zion,
he prefers her for his dwelling:
“Zion is my resting place forever;
in her I will dwell, for I prefer her.”
R. The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father.


Alleluia

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.


Gospel

Mark 4:21-25
Jesus said to his disciples,
“Is a lamp brought in to be placed under a bushel basket
or under a bed,
and not to be placed on a lampstand?
For there is nothing hidden except to be made visible;
nothing is secret except to come to light.
Anyone who has ears to hear ought to hear.”
He also told them, “Take care what you hear.
The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you,
and still more will be given to you.
To the one who has, more will be given;
from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

St. John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Memorial) ~ 14 December

"With what procrastinations do you wait, 

since from this very moment 

you can love God in your heart?"

~ St. John of the Cross ~

St. John on the Cross (San Juan de la Cruz) was named Juan de Yepes at his bith in June, 1542 and was the Castilian son of a poor silk weaver of Fontiberos, Toledo, Spain.

St. John in 1563 he offered himself as a lay brother to the Carmelite friars, who, however, perceiving his unusual talents, ordained him in 1567 as a Carmelite priest at 25, he met St.Teresa of Jesus (St.Teresa of Avila) at the Carmelite priory of Medina and like her vowed himself to the primitive rule of the Carmelites. John is a saint because his life was a heroic effort to live up to his name: “of the Cross.” where “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34), and the Way of the Cross is the story of John’s life. He had a great devotion to Our Lord's Passion and voluntarily sought out humiliations. When Our Lord asked him what reward he would ask for his labors, John answered: "To suffer and to be despised for Thee." In April, 1571, John was appointed rector of a Discalced Carmelite college at the university of Alcalá near Madrid. In September, 1572, John was brought by Teresa to serve for the next five years as a confessor and spiritual director, along with another friar, for the 130 nuns at the Convent of the Incarnation in Ávila. One day at some point between 1574 and 1577, while praying in the Monastery of the Incarnation in Ávila, in a loft overlooking the sanctuary, John had a vision of the crucified Christ, which led him to create his famous drawing of Christ "from above". In 1641, this drawing was placed in a smallmonstrance and kept in Ávila.

St. John died in Úbeda, Spain on 14 December, 1591, of erysipelas. he was only beatified in 1675 by Pope Clement X, and was canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726. St. John was a great contemplative and spiritual writer. He was proclaimed Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XI on 24 August, 1926. He is the patron of contemplative life, mystical theology, mystics, and Spanish poets.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, 

You gave Saint John of the Cross 

the grace of complete self-denial 

and an ardent love for the cross of Christ. 

Grant that by following always in his footsteps 

we may come to the eternal vision of Your glory. 

Amen.

O God, who gave the Priest Saint John
an outstanding dedication to perfect self-denial
and love of the Cross,
grant that, by imitating him closely at all times,
we may come to contemplate eternally your glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Saturday, 14 December, 2013 

St. John of the Cross, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

Reading

Sirach 48: 1 - 4, 9 - 11
1	Then the prophet Elijah arose like a fire, and his word burned like a torch.
2	He brought a famine upon them, and by his zeal he made them few in number.
3	By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens, and also three times brought down fire.
4	How glorious you were, O Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! And who has the right to boast which you have?
9	You who were taken up by a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot with horses of fire;
10	you who are ready at the appointed time, it is written, to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury, to turn the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.
11	Blessed are those who saw you, and those who have been adorned in love; for we also shall surely live.

Psalm

Psalms 80: 2 - 3, 15 - 16, 18 - 19
2	before E'phraim and Benjamin and Manas'seh! Stir up thy might, and come to save us!
3	Restore us, O God; let thy face shine, that we may be saved!
15	the stock which thy right hand planted.
16	They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance!
18	Then we will never turn back from thee; give us life, and we will call on thy name!
19	Restore us, O LORD God of hosts! let thy face shine, that we may be saved!

Gospel

Matthew 17: 10 - 13
10	And the disciples asked him, "Then why do the scribes say that first Eli'jah must come?"
11	He replied, "Eli'jah does come, and he is to restore all things;
12	but I tell you that Eli'jah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of man will suffer at their hands."
13	Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

Mine are the heavens 

and mine is the earth. 

Mine are the nations, 

the just are mine 

and mine the sinners. 

The angels are mine, 

and the Mother of God, 

and all things are mine; 

and God himself is mine 

and for me, 

because Christ is mine 

and all for me. 

What do you ask, then, 

and seek my soul? 

Yours is all of this, 

and all is for you. 

Do not engage your self 

in something less 

or pay heed to the crumbs 

that fall from your Father's table. 

Go forth and exult 

in your Glory! 

Hide yourself in it and rejoice, 

and you will obtain 

the supplications of your heart.

~ St. John of the Cross ~

St. Teresa of Jesus (St. Teresa of Avila), Virgin, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

St. Teresa was born in Avila (28 March, 1515) and died in Alba, Spain (1582). In 1533 she entered the Carmelite Order; for eighteen years she suffered physical pain and spiritual dryness. Under divine inspiration and with the approval of Pope Pius IV, she began the work of reforming the Carmelite Order. In spite of heavy opposition and constant difficulties, she founded thirty-two reformed convents. When dying she often repeated the words: "Lord, I am a daughter of the Church!" At the time of her death, a sweet odor pervaded the room in which her body lay; so strong was the odor that it was found necessary to open windows, allowing outside air to dilute the intoxicating fragrance. Her holy body rests upon the high altar of the Carmelite church in Alba, Spain and her heart with its mysterious wound is reserved in a precious reliquary on the Epistle side of the altar. She was canonized by by Pope Gregory XV on 12 March 1622. Pope Paul VI, on September 27, 1970, officially declared the Carmelite nun to be the first woman Doctor of the Church.

Patron of bodily ills, headaches, lacemakers; laceworkers, loss of parents, people in need of grace, people in religious orders, people ridiculed for their piety, sick people, sickness and Spain.

O God, who through your Spirit raised up Saint Teresa of Jesus to show the Church the way to seek perfection, grant that we may always be nourished by the food of her heavenly teaching and fired with longing for true holiness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

Tuesday, 15 October, 2013
St. Teresa of Jesus, Virgin, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

Reading

Romans 1: 16 - 25
16	For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
17	For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "He who through faith is righteous shall live."
18	For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of men who by their wickedness suppress the truth.
19	For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20	Ever since the creation of the world his invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse;
21	for although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.
22	Claiming to be wise, they became fools,
23	and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man or birds or animals or reptiles.
24	Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,
25	because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever! Amen.

Psalm

Psalms 19: 2 - 5
2	Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3	There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4	yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5	which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Gospel

Luke 11: 37 - 41
37	While he was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him; so he went in and sat at table.
38	The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.
39	And the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of extortion and wickedness.
40	You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also?
41	But give for alms those things which are within; and behold, everything is clean for you.

Let nothing affright thee, 

Nothing dismay thee. 

All is passing, 

God ever remains. 

Patience obtains all. 

Whoever possesses God 

Cannot lack anything

God alone suffices.

~ St. Teresa ~

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

Marie Thérèse Martin was born at Alençon, France on 2 January, 1873. At the age of 15, she obtained permission to enter the Carmel of Lisieux. She attained a very high degree of holiness by carrying out her ordinary daily duties with perfect fidelity, having a childlike confidence in God's providence and merciful love and being ready to be at the service of others at all times. She also had a great love of the Church and a zeal for the conversion of souls. She died of consumption on 30 September, 1897, at the age of 24, and was canonized in 1925. She has never ceased to fulfill her promise: "I will pass my heaven in doing good on earth." Although just an obscure cloistered Carmelite nun, she has had universal appeal since her death. St. Thérèse is the patroness of all foreign missions and patroness of France. Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1997.

St. Thérèse is represented in a Carmelite habit holding a bunch of roses in memory of her promise to “let fall a shower of roses” of miracles and other favours. 

Some quotes by St. Thérèse;

• I am a very little soul, who can offer only very little things to the Lord. 
• I will spend my Heaven doing good on earth. 
• After my death I will let fall a shower of roses. 
• While desiring to be a priest, I admire and envy the humility of St. Francis of Assisi and I feel the vocation of imitating him in refusing the sublime dignity of the priesthood.

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus is also known as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and Saint Thérèse of the Holy Face.

O God, who open your Kingdom to those who are humble and to little ones, lead us to follow trustingly in the little way of Saint Therese, so that through her intercession we may see your eternal glory revealed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

Tuesday, 1 October, 2013
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

Reading 

Zechariah 8: 20 - 23
20	"Thus says the LORD of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, even the inhabitants of many cities;
21	the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, `Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the LORD, and to seek the LORD of hosts; I am going.'
22	Many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the favor of the LORD.
23	Thus says the LORD of hosts: In those days ten men from the nations of every tongue shall take hold of the robe of a Jew, saying, `Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'"

Psalm

Psalms 87: 1 - 7
1	On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2	the LORD loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwelling places of Jacob.
3	Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. [Selah]
4	Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia -- "This one was born there," they say.
5	And of Zion it shall be said, "This one and that one were born in her"; for the Most High himself will establish her.
6	The LORD records as he registers the peoples, "This one was born there." [Selah]
7	Singers and dancers alike say, "All my springs are in you."

Gospel

Luke 9: 51 - 56
51	When the days drew near for him to be received up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.
52	And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him;
53	but the people would not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem.
54	And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to bid fire come down from heaven and consume them?"
55	But he turned and rebuked them.
56	And they went on to another village.

St. Gregory the Great, Pope, Doctor of the Church

St. Gregory the Great

Born: 540 in Rome

Died: 12 March, 604 (his body lies at St. Peter's Rome.)

Memorial : 3 September

Gregory abandoned his position in the Roman government to become a monk and used his wealth to form six monasteries while serving as a papal legate to Constantinople. He was elected pope 3 September, 590, the first Benedictine monk to hold this office where he instituted liturgical reforms and organized missions, and missionaries were first sent to England. He was known as Pope Gregory I as he first pope of the name "Gregory". He was given the moniker “Great” seven hundred years later by Pope Boniface VIII and was proclaim the last of the four doctors of the Latin Church after St. Ambrose, St. Augustine and St. Jerome. 

Gregory reformed the liturgy, and it still contains several of his most beautiful prayers. The name "Gregorian chant" recalls this great Pope's work in the development of the Church's music. His commentaries on Holy Scripture exercised a considerable influence on Christian thought in the Middle Ages. Gregory lived at a time of great political and social upheaval and unrest. He was always a practical Pope interested in the social and material needs of the People of God but also concerned self aware of his own weaknesses and shortcomings. He loved and respected the Benedictine monastic life and was a great promoter of the monastic lifestyle and virtues. 

He is the patron saint for choir boys, educators, music, musicians, choirs, singers, teachers, popes, student, scholars, against plague, against gout, against fever, England and West Indies.

Father, you guide your people with kindness and govern us with love. By the prayers of Saint Gregory give the spirit of wisdom to those you have called to lead your Church. May the growth of your people in holiness be the eternal joy of our shepherds. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Tuesday,  3 September, 2013
St. Gregory the Great, Pope, Doctor of the Church (Memorial)

Reading

1 Thessalonians 5: 1 - 6, 9 - 11
1	But as to the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need to have anything written to you.
2	For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
3	When people say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them as travail comes upon a woman with child, and there will be no escape.
4	But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief.
5	For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.
6	So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.
9	For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10	who died for us so that whether we wake or sleep we might live with him.
11	Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

Psalm

Psalms 27: 1, 4, 13 - 14
1	The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
4	One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
13	I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
14	Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; yea, wait for the LORD!

Gospel

Luke 4: 31 - 37
31	And he went down to Caper'na-um, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbath;
32	and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.
33	And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice,
34	"Ah! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God."
35	But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.
36	And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."
37	And reports of him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

Saint Anthony of Padua, OFM, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Feast)

Follow Saint Anthony’s footsteps and help the poor.

Feast Day

13 June

Saint Anthony of Padua, O.F.M, was born in Lisbon as Fernando Martins de Bulhões on 15 August 1195 and is also known as Anthony of Lisbon and Saint Anthony the Wonder-Worker. He was a Portuguese Catholic priest and friar of the Franciscan Order. Saint Anthony of Padua is one of the Catholic Church’s most popular saints. Saint Anthony of Padua, patron saint of lost and stolen articles, He was a powerful Franciscan preacher and teacher. He’s often portrayed holding the child Jesus or a lily in his arms, in honour of an apparition of the Infant Jesus, in which He kissed Saint Anthony and told him He loved him . Many people give alms to Saint Anthony in thanksgiving to God for blessings received through the prayers of Saint Anthony. Saint Anthony's extraordinary love for the poor is portrayed in his actions of feeding the hungry. This act is well-known as Saint Anthony’s Bread for the Poor and is a one of the popular method for people to emulate the spirit of the saint in feeding the hungry.

At 15, he joined the community of Canons Regular of St Augustine in Lisbon and at 17, he was transferred to the Augustinian Monastery of Santa Cruz at Coimbra which was renowned for its biblical scholarship. He then 25, was inspired to die for Christ by the martyrdom of the first Franciscan Friars whose bodies were brought back from Morocco to Coimbra where he was studying. He was deeply affected by their deaths where Berard, Peter and Otto who were priests while Adiuto and Accursio were brothers whom had had tried out of love to convert the Sultan of Morrocco and gave their lives for the sake of the Gospel.

Soon after, he joined the Franciscan Friars taking the name "Anthony" after the patron of the friary at Coimbra called Saint Anthony of the Olives and within a few months he was sailing for Morocco to achieve his dream of martyrdom. This did not last long as God had other plans for Anthony. He became ill with malarial fever and it was necessary for him to return home. On the voyage journey back there was a violent storm causing the ship to turn and run before the wind. They were blown all the way to Sicily where they found safety in the harbour at Messina and here Anthony found a group of Franciscan Friars. On getting to know about a great meeting of the friars at Pentecost, Anthony happily accompanied the friars north to Assisi. On the 23 May 1221, he attended the great Chapter of Mats and was one unknown, new, foreign friar among the thousands gathered at the meeting.

Saint Anthony's preaching came to the attention of Saint Francis, the founder of the Franciscans, who directed him to teach theology to the Franciscan brothers. He preached so strongly against the Cathars and Albigenses which earned him the title "Hammer of the Heretics." During his life, he performed many miracles, including rendering poisoned food innocuous by making the Sign of the Cross over it; bilocating (appearing in two places at one time) so that he could celebrate Mass and sing the Divine Office; and reattaching an amputated foot. His miracles, both during his life and after his death, has made him known as "the Wonder Worker".

Saint Anthony died in Padua on 13 June 1231, , and his feast is celebrated on that day.. St. Anthony's canonization was one of the fastest in history as it took less than 12 months. He was canonised in the town of Spoleto by Pope Gregory IX on the 30 May 1232. When his body was exhumed to be transferred it was found that although his body had disintegrated his tongue was whole, life-like and of a natural colour. St Bonaventure, seeing this miracle cried out, "O blessed tongue, you have always praised the Lord and led others to praise him! Now we can clearly see how great indeed have been your merits before God." He was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church on 16 January 1946.

Patron saint of faith in the Blessed Sacrament, amputees, sailors, elderly people, seekers of lost articles, animals especially horses, expectant mothers and barren women.

“Christians must lean on the Cross of Christ just as travellers lean on a staff when they begin a long journey. They must have the Passion of Christ deeply embedded in their minds and hearts, because only from it can they derive peace, grace, and truth.”

~ St. Anthony of Padua ~

The year 2013 marks the 750th anniversary of the discovery Saint Anthony's relics by Saint Bonaventure and the 782nd anniversary of Saint Anthony's death.

Thursday, June 13, 2013 

St. Anthony of Padua, OFM, Priest, Doctor of the Church (Feast)

Reading 1

Wisdom 7: 7 - 14
7	Therefore I prayed, and understanding was given me; I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
8	I preferred her to scepters and thrones, and I accounted wealth as nothing in comparison with her.
9	Neither did I liken to her any priceless gem, because all gold is but a little sand in her sight, and silver will be accounted as clay before her.
10	I loved her more than health and beauty, and I chose to have her rather than light, because her radiance never ceases.
11	All good things came to me along with her, and in her hands uncounted wealth.
12	I rejoiced in them all, because wisdom leads them; but I did not know that she was their mother.
13	I learned without guile and I impart without grudging; I do not hide her wealth,
14	for it is an unfailing treasure for men; those who get it obtain friendship with God, commended for the gifts that come from instruction.

or

Ephesians 4: 7, 11 - 15
7	But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.
11	And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers,
12	to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
13	until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ;
14	so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles.
15	Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

Psalm

Psalms 40: 3 - 4, 10 - 11, 17
3	He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.
4	Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods!
10	I have not hid thy saving help within my heart, I have spoken of thy faithfulness and thy salvation; I have not concealed thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness from the great congregation.
11	Do not thou, O LORD, withhold thy mercy from me, let thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness ever preserve me!
17	As for me, I am poor and needy; but the Lord takes thought for me. Thou art my help and my deliverer; do not tarry, O my God!

Gospel

Mark 16: 15 - 20
15	And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.
16	He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
17	And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;
18	they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
19	So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.
20	And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.