Anthony - a Man of things which are worth to find.
On June 13, the Universal Church celebrates the liturgical memorial of St. Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church (1195-1231). Since this year the memory of a Saint fell on a Sunday, which has liturgical precedence, I allowed myself to remember this Saint today.
St. Anthony of Padua said that if anything or any problem is not worth moving heaven and earth, leave it. Give up and forget without regret. Life is a moment. It is a pity to miss it.
There were many saints in Italy, but only one like him. Il Santo - today all Italians know who he is. And although in each region a different Santo is the most important (such as Padre Pio in Apulia) and each city has its patron; great festivities and parades are celebrated in his honor. But every Italian recognizes this Il Santo and in every corner of Italian land we will find his trace.
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Anthony is not only one of the most popular male names, but most of all, he is known to people all over the world. This sentence is quite contradictory - because neither Anthony was particularly happy about it, nor he was interested about popularity in his life.
St. Anthony of Padua - what can I say about him that you do not know yourself. As in the case of St. Catherine of Siena and St. Francis of Assisi, nothing obvious. So, it will not be a curriculum vitae, a lecture, and even a sermon. There will be a question. Who needs a Saint? Will his wisdom be of use to those who do not believe in any life after life, and especially in any communion with saints? I do not know. But I know that not only Italians - one of the most superstitious nations in Europe, but also Americans - remember St. Anthony in one and only one case - when something is lost. In fact, Antoni would not even have to be a human being, for many he could just be an amulet. I touch, I think intensely, a wish comes true. Where did I put these keys, tickets, glasses? He will be remembered immediately. Lost and found. I do not know any shallower thinking than this. But, what is the best - I used it myself many time.
One day during my stay in Padua, the thought of the Father who showed me around the Basilica of St. Anthony struck me like a thunderbolt.
From the moment I entered, he told me one and only one sentence that I would remember for my whole life. Anthony is not a man of finding everything that gets lost. Oh no. That is what GPSs, transmitters, treasure hunters or traditional detectives are for. Antoni is not a transmitter or a Saint of Lost Things. Antoni is primarily a Patron of Things that are worth to find.
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So, if an item or issue is not worth moving heaven and earth to find it, leave it behind. Give up and forget without regret. Life is a moment, it is a pity to miss it for something that, in the end, was not worth a gram of attention. But if you feel that you are missing something important, without which life is meaningless - break through, search for it, keep going. Do not count on finding it, because you look up, because you wish for, because you desire it very much. You will find it when you search. When you realize that you care, and you need to act. Perhaps it is thanks to Anthony that you will realize it. Few men in the world were so enlightened as to be able to change the hearts of those who listened in just a few words. How much we could use someone like that today - authentic, intelligent, and penetrating. Who spoke so simply about the most difficult matters. That could not have being easy. And it was surprising that villagers and kings loved him at the same time.
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So, if you are looking for something more in life than lost keys, these words of Saint Anthony are right for you: “Love is the soul of faith. Without love, faith dies." I am sure there is a world beyond our imaginations. And that it can only be reached through love.
Good is much more than the absence of bad. Love is more than not hating, but also the desire to do good to another person. “I don't want to judge this man. Because either I was, or I am, or I can be like him” said St. Anthony.
“I do not judge and do not discipline severely a man who errs, but gently. If you want to save a man stuck in a swamp, so you would not push him deeper, but lift him up." And only then will you help. The trick is not to help someone to get up; the trick is not to let him fall.
And finally, one big plus for which I love this Saint Anthony of Padua - is the best friend of St. Francis of Assisi. For me, this is the best recommendation.
Until Tomorrow
fr. george