St. Anthony novena book


c4nthony,

JSovena

iBook

For
Nine or Thirteen

Tuesdays

A COLLECTION OF PRAYERS TO
ST. ANTHONY



INDEX

Divine Praises 4

Life of St. Anthony 6

Origin of Novenas 8

How to Make Novenas 9

Novena Prayers 10

Responsory to St. Anthony 12

Nine Greetings to Our Saint 14

Beads of St. Anthony 16

Litany of St. Anthony 18

Meditations for 13 Tuesdays 20

Various Prayers beginning on 32

Mass Prayers in honor of St. Anthony 39

Communion Prayers 47



St Anthony Novena

FRANCISCAN FRIARS OF DUNS SCOTUS COLLEGE

DETROIT, MICHIGAN

“None among the blessed is so blessed,

None among the happy so happy, as he

Who always bears God in his heart”

Compiled by

—St. Anthony of Padua.

Anting
1615 Republic Street

Cincinnati 10, Ohio



Nihil Obstat:

Fr. Sebastian Erbacher, 0. F. M.

Censor Deputatus

Imprimi Potest:

Fr. Urban Freundt, 0. F. M.

Minister Provincial

Imprimatur

:

+ Michael James Gallagher
Bishop of Detroit

March 22, 1933



Painter—Heinrich Told



DIVINE PRAISES

Composed by St. Leonard of Port Maurice, O. F. M.

Blessed be God.

Blessed be His Holy Name.

Blessed be Jesus, true God and true Man.

Blessed be the Name of Jesus.

Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.

Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament

of the Altar.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary

most holy.

Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Concep-

tion.

Blessed be the name of Mary, Virgin and

Mother.

Blessed be Saint Joseph, her most chaste

Spouse.

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His

Saints.

(Indulgence one year each time. Plenary once a
month,

' 1 during a month, on usual conditions,

time publicly recited after Mass
for daily recital during a month, on

usual conditions.

Two years each
Benediction.)

or

NOTE: The name of “Anthony” is always pronounced
as though it were written “Antony,”



FOREWORD
“The Saint of the Whole World”

I
N his celebrated Apostolic Letter, Antoniana
Solemnia, published on the occasion of the

Seventh Centenary of the death of St. Anthony
of Padua, 1931, the Supreme Pontiff, Pius XI,
gave voice to sentiments concerning the “Saint of

the Whole World,” as Pope Leo XIII character-
ized Anthony, which will forever remain memor-
able, and which may serve as a fitting introduc-
tion to this manual of prayers. “Why should We
not cherish the fond hope,” wrote the Holy
Father, “that St. Anthony, whose aid having been
invoked everywhere by universal and earnest
prayer, should increase Christian faith and char-
ity among souls and lead his clients from the
transitory and earthly things of this life to those
which are heavenly and eternal? Why should
We not feel certain that, not only for individuals,
but also for civil society as a whole, many bless-
ings will result from these solemnities? Just as
our Saint, by Christian wisdom, illumined his
stormy age, infected everywhere with immorality,
and imbued it with the sweetness of his virtue,
so it is hoped that, the minds and the hearts of
the people having been touched during these
sacred festivities, our times, too—so often un-
mindful of God and eternal happiness, and con-
stantly tossed about by the desire for pleasures
and craving for unrestrained liberty—will be
moved and attracted by St. Anthony’s example
to those higher and nobler things for which we

—5—



are born and destined. . . . May God grant,
through the intercession and protection of St.
Anthony, this Flower of Sanctity and Jewel of
the Franciscan Order, that these words may be
carefully considered and put into practice.”

LIFE OF ST ANTHONY
Fernando de Bouillon, who later became St.

Anthony of Padua, was born 1195, at Lisbon,
Portugal, of noble parents, a descendant of the

famous Crusader, Godfrey de Bouillon. At the
age of 15 he joined the Canons Regular of St.
Augustine and was sent to Coimbra. Eight years
later, inspired by the sight of five Franciscan
friars martyred in Morocco, he joined the Fran-
ciscans and immediately sailed for Morocco in
the hope of winning the martyr’s crown. Ill
hbalth forced him to return to Spain a year later.
A storm at sea brought him to Italy, where he
lived in retirement, during 1221, at the little Fran-

ciscan hermitage of Monte Paolo, near Forli,
Tuscany. Obedience then sent him to teach
theology for a year at Bologna. From 1225 to
1231 he labored in various parts of France and
Italy with remarkable success as a preacher of
the Word of God, converting multitudes of sin-
ners and working many wonders. Always a
staunch defender of human rights, he unrelent-
ingly championed the cause of the poor and the
oppressed against the tyranny and political abuses
of the 13th century. The memory of Anthony of
Padua will remain immortal as a defender of
oppressed humanity, he having been the first on
record to sponsor and effect a law that forbade
imprisonment for debt.



He died at Padua, June 13, 1231, and he was
canonized, May 30, 1232. He is popularly known
as: The Wonder-Worker; Finder of Lost Ar-

ticles; Jewel of Poverty; Saint of the Whole
World; and, in the words of Pope Pius XI, the

“Gem of the Franciscan Order.”

DEVOTIONS IN HONOR OF
ST. ANTHONY

Note: Those who would understand why St.
Anthony is a real, living personality to the count-

less thousands who confide in his intercessory
powers as implicitly in our own day as did the
Paduans of his own day, must study this universal
veneration in the light of the Church’s teaching

regarding her canonized Saints. The 'basis for
this devotion, the Church teaches, is that all her
members are united with God by faith and love
in a real unity. Far from being merely exalted

patterns of human conduct, the Saints are living
members, constructive powers of the Body of
Christ. Essentially and forever fellow-workers

of Christ, we are confident that they can and
will help us, for God is in them; and where God
is, there is always help. The Saints help only
through God; they accompany the work of our
redemption with their fostering love and inter-
cession to elevate our prayers for aid into the

great unifying prayer of the whole Body of
Christ.

—7—



The Origin of Novenas

The origin of novenas may be traced to the
nine days during which our Lady and the

Apostles remained in prayer in the upper room,

awaiting the coming of the Holy Ghost. No-

venas of prayers, especially efficacious because of

their persevering nature, 'become more efficacious

when we offer them up through our Lady and the

Saints. Hence the popularity of novenas, which

the Church has ever encouraged by attaching to

them rich indulgences.

Tuesday is the day dedicated to St. Anthony of

Padua. He died on Friday, June 13, and was
buried on the following Tuesday, June 17, 1231,

and this day having been a day of astounding

miracles, the clients of the Saint preferred to visit

his tomb and ask favors of him on Tuesday. The

devotion of the nine consecutive Tuesdays was

revealed at Bologna in 1617, to a devout client of

St. Anthony. Nine was the number originally

•given by the Saint himself.

However, thanks to the fervor of the clients of

St. Anthony, the number of Tuesdays gradually

increased to thirteen, in commemoration of the

death of the Saint, June 13, 1231. The devotion

of the Thirteen Tuesdays in honor of St. An-

thony has ever been favored by the Church. Leo

XIII, who left nothing undone to honor the
Wonder-Worker of Padua, showed a preference

for the number of thirteen in fostering devotion to

the Saint. The exercises begin on Tuesday, about

the middle of March, and end on the Tuesday

before June 13. Any other consecutive Tuesdays,
however, may be chosen. The ordinary manner
of making a novena applies to this devotion.

—8—



(A Plenary Indulgence is granted to the faithful on

each day of the consecutive Tuesdays or Sundays, once

only, at any time during the year, on condition that they

spend some time in pious meditation, or vocal prayers,

or any other works of piety, to the glory of God and m
honor of St. Anthony. The usual conditions of Confes-
sion and Communion are required. Leo XIII, March 1,
1898 .)

“If,” says St. Augustine, “he seems deaf to their

cries, it is only to grant their main desire, by

doing what is more expedient for them.” God

alone knows what is good for us: how often is

the refusal of our requests a far greater favor

than would be the grant of them.

Certainly our Divine Master who once said,

“Whatsoever you ask of the Father in My Name
the same shall be given unto you,” will not turn a

deaf ear to your prayers. If, like the Apostles,

you enter the novena with a spirit of reverence,

of perseverance, of resignation to the will of God,

and of repentance, you can rest assured that every

prayer will be granted somehow and at some

time by our dear Lord.

How to Make the Exercises in Honor of
St. Anthony

Visit an altar or shrine of the Saint on nine

consecutive Tuesdays. The public novena to St.

Anthony may be started on any Tuesday; but it

must be continued without interruption for nine

or thirteen Tuesdays or Sundays. Attend the

services
;

receive Holy Communion one or more

times during the novena, either in St. Anthony

Shrine or in any church.

—9—



One of the most acceptable prayers that can be
offered to St. Anthony, to obtain any favor, or in
thanksgiving for a favor received, is the Apostles’

Creed, to which may be added the invocation

:

“St. Anthony, beloved of God and man, pray
for us.”

The feast of St. Anthony is celebrated on the
13th of June; the Translation of his relics on the
15th of February.

NOVENA PRAYERS IN HONOR OF
ST. ANTHONY
*

Acts of Contrition, Faith, Hope and
Charity

(Prayer before the Acts.—St. Francis of Assisi)
O Great and Glorious God, and my Lord Jesus

Christ ! Enlighten, I beseech Thee, the dark-

ness of my mind. Give me a right faith, a certain
hope, and a perfect charity. Grant that I may
know Thee, O Lord ! in order that I may always,
and in all things, act according to Thy most holy
and perfect will. Amen.

m

Acts of St. Leonard, O. F. M.

ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God ! I am sorry I have sinned against
Thee, because Thou art so good. I hate all sin,
and purpose never to sin again.

—10—



ACT OF FAITH

My God, I believe in Thee, and in all Thy
Church teaches, because Thou hast said it, and
Thy word is true.

ACT OF HOPE
My God, I hope in Thee, for grace and for

glory, because of Thy promises, Thy mercy, and
Thy power.

ACT OF CHARITY

My God, because Thou are so good I love Thee
with my whole heart, and for Thy sake I love my
neighbor as myself.

Salutation to St. Anthony

I salute and honor thee—O blessed St. An-
thony—in the most sweet Heart of Jesus—and
I 'thank Him for all the graces—with which He
so abundantly endowed thee—To increase thy
glory—I offer to the Most Holy Trinity for thee
—this Divine Heart—humbly beseeching thee—to
be always my faithful guide—and not to allow me
to die in sin. Amen.

O truest and most loving patron, St. Anthony

—

I implore thee in union with the most loving
Heart of Jesus—which He suffered to be opened
for sinners after His death—show me how great
is thy power before the throne of God—and let
me be comforted in my affliction—with the hope
—that like all who call upon thee in their need

—

I may be able to say with a joyful heart—“God
truly lives and reigns—in His servant St. An-
thony.” Amen.

—11—



The Responsory to St. Anthony

If then you ask for miracles :
Death, error, all calamities,

The leprosy and demons fly,
And health succeeds infirmities.

CHORUS
The sea obeys and fetters break,
And lifeless limbs thou dost restore

;

While treasures lost are found again
When young or old thy aid implore.

All dangers vanish at thy prayer,
And every need doth quickly flee

:

Let those who know thy power tell,
Let Paduans say, “These are of thee.”

The sea obeys and fetters break, etc.

May glory to the Father be,
And to the Son eternally,
And to the Spirit, in essence one,
In Persons three be honor done.

The sea obeys and fetters break, etc.

V. Pray for us, blessed Anthony.
R. That we may be made worthy of the prom-

ises of Christ.

LET’ US PRAY
O God—may the votive commemoration of

Blessed Anthony—Thy Confessor—be a source of
joy to Thy Church—that she may be always for-
tified with spiritual assistance—and deserve to
enjoy eternal rewards—through Jesus Christ Our
Lord. Amen.

—12—



Prayer to St. Anthony

O wonderful St. Anthony—glorious on account
of the fame of thy miracles—and through the
condescension of Jesus1—in coming in the form of
a little child to rest in thy arms—obtain for me
of His 'bounty—the grace which I ardently desire
—from the depths of my heart.—Thou who was
so compassionate towards miserable sinners—re-
gard not the unworthiness of those who pray to
thee—but the glory of God—that it may be once
again magnified—by the particular request which
I now ask for—with persevering earnestness.
May this small offering—which I make to thee

in aid for the poor—be a pledge of my gratitude
—and with them may it one day be granted to
me—through the grace of Jesus Christ and thy
intercession—to possess the kingdom of Heaven.
Amen. (300 davs’ Indulgence, once a day.—Leo
XIII, May 6, 1899.)

Memorare in Honor of St. Anthony

Remember, O thou miracle-working Saint

—

that it never was heard—that thou hast left with-
out help or relief 1—anyone who in his need had
recourse to thee.—Animated with the most lively
confidence—nay, even with full conviction of not
being refused—I fly for refuge to thee—O most
favored and blessed friend of the Infant Jesus!
—Despise not my supplications—but bringing them
before the throne of God—strengthen them by
thy intercession—and obtain for me what I ask—
help and consolation in my need—O most glorious
miracle-working, mighty St. Anthony. Amen.

St. Anthony, loved and honored by the Ch;,d
Jesus, obtain what we ask of thee.

—13—



St. Anthony, powerful in word and work, ob-
tain what we ask of thee.

St. Anthony, generous to those who invoke thee
with confidence, obtain what we ask of thee.

After the blessing with the relic. Our Father, Hail
Mary, Glory (three times).

THE NINE TUESDAYS IN HONOR OF
ST. ANTHONY

Prayer to Be Said Each Day—O gentle and
loving St. Anthony, in whose arms the Infant
Jesus ever loved to rest, intercede for me in my
present need.

First Tuesday—Glorious Saint, in the name of
the Queen of Angels and of all the Heavenly
Choirs, I salute thee, and humbly ask that with
them thou wouldst approach the throne of God,
and lovingly offer my petition, strengthening it
by thine intercession. (Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory.)

Second Tuesday — Blessed Anthony, saluting
thee in the name of the Patriarchs and Prophets,
and thanking God that, like unto them, thou wast
endowed with divine knowledge and foresight, I
beseech thee that with them thou wouldst ap-
proach the throne of God and obtain for me my
petition by your united prayers and merits. (Our
Father, Hail Mary, Glory.)

Third Tuesday—Blessed Anthony, in the name
of all the Holy Apostles and Disciples of Christ,
I salute thee and thank God for having chosen
thee also to proclaim His Gospel and spread the
Faith

;
and beseech thee to unite thy prayers with

theirs that through your united merits my petition
may be granted. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.)

—14—



Fourth Tuesday — Blessed Anthony, who like
unto the Martyrs and Confessors, wert ever ready
to suffer persecution for Christ’s sake, I salute

and beseech thee that with them thou wouldst
approach the throne of God, and obtain for me
my petition by your united prayers and merits.
(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.)

Fifth Tuesday—Blessed St. Anthony, in the
name of all the holy bishops and priests, I humbly
salute thee and thank God through Whose grace
thou didst convert countless numbers to Christ
and salvation by thy preaching and example,
Unite thy prayers with theirs that through your
united prayers and merits my petition may be
granted. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory.)

Sixth Tuesday—-Blessed St. Anthony, I salute
thee and thank God that, like all holy monks and
hermits, thou didst through God’s grace spend

thy life in fasting, watching, praying, and morti-
fying of self. Unite thy prayers with theirs that

through your united prayers and merits my peti-
tion may be granted. (Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory.)

Seventh Tuesday—Blessed St. Anthony, Lily of
Purity, I salute thee in the name of all virgins
and holy Innocents, who like unto thee, preserved
their purity unsullied and overcame the desires
of the flesh. Unite thy prayers with theirs that

through your united prayers and merits my peti-
tion may be granted. (Our Father, Hail Mary,
Glory.)

Eighth Tuesday—Blessed Anthony, I salute
thee in the name of all holy widows and widow-
ers and thank God Who endowed thee with
such great and varied virtues. United thy prayers
with theirs that through your united prayers and

—15—



merits my petition may be granted. (Our Father,
Hail Mary, Glory.)

Ninth Tuesday—Blessed Anthony, I salute thee
in the name of St. Joseph, the chaste Spouse of
Mary, and of all holy souls still living, and thank

God for the graces He bestowed upon thee. 1
humbly beseech thee to plead on my behalf before
the throne of God that my petition may be
granted for His greater honor and glory and for
the comfort of my body and soul. (Our Father,
Hail Mary, Glory.)

BEADS OF ST. ANTHONY
(The Beads of St. Anthony consist of thirteen decades

of
.
three beads each and call for thirteen Our Fathers,

Hail Marys, and Glorys. Conclude the beads with the
Responsory. Recite while meditating on the thirteen
petitions of the responsory composed by St. Bonaventure.)

1. St. Anthony, who raiseth the dead, pray for
those Christians now in their agony, and for our
dear departed relatives and friends.—Our Father,
Hail Mary, Glory.

2. St. Anthony, zealous preacher of the Gospel,

fortify us against the errors of the enemies of

God, and pray for the Pope and the Church.

—

Our Father, etc.

3. St. Anthony, powerful with the heart of Jesus,

preserve us from the calamities which threaten

us on account of our sins.—Our Father, etc.
4. St. Anthony, who drivest away devils, make

us triumph over their snares.—Our Father, etc.
5. St. Anthony, lily of heavenly purity, purify

us from the stains of the soul, and preserve our

bodies from all danger.—Our Father, etc.
—16—



6. St. Anthony, healer of the sick, cure our

diseases and preserve us in health.—Our Father,
etc.

7. St. Anthony, guide of travelers, bring to

safe harbor those who are in danger of perishing,
and calm the troubled waves of passion which

agitate our souls.—Our Father, etc.
8. St. Anthony, chosen vessels of God, aid us

to know our calling in life and obtain for us the
grace to follow it.—Our Father, etc.

9. St. Anthony, who restorest to young and
old the use of their limbs, obtain for us the per-

fect use of the senses of our body, and the facul-

ties of our soul.—Our Father, etc.
10. St. Anthony, finder of lost things, help us

to find all that we have lost in the spiritual and
in the temporal order.—Our Father, etc.

11. St. Anthony, protected by Mary, avert the

dangers which threaten our body and our soul.

—

Our Father, etc.

12. St. Anthony, helper of the poor, help us in

our needs and give bread and work to those who
ask.—Our Father, etc.

13. St. Anthony, we thankfully proclaim thy
miraculous power, and we beseech thee to protect
us all the days of our life.—Our Father, etc.

St. Anthony, loved and honored by the Divine
Child Jesus, obtain what we ask of thee.

St. Anthony, powerful in word and work, ob-
tain what we ask of thee.

St. Anthony, heeding the prayers of those who
invoke thee, obtain what we ask of thee.

-17—



LITANY OF ST. ANTHONY
(For Private Devotion)

Lord, have mercy on us ! Christ, have mercy
on us!

(

Lord, have mercy on us ! Christ, hear us !
Christ, graciously hear us!

Cod, the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us!
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy

on us!

God, the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us!
Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us!
Holy Mary Pray for us!
Holy Father Francis,
St Anthony of Padua,
St. Anthony, glory of the Order of Friars Minor,
St. Anthony, martyr in desiring to die for Christ,

St. Anthony, pillar of the Church,

St. Anthony, worthy priest of God,
St. Anthony, apostolic Preacher,

St. Anthony, teacher of truth,

St. Anthony, hammer of heretics,
St. Anthony, terror of evil spirits,

St. Anthony, comforter of the afflicted,

St. Anthony, helper in necessities,

St. Anthony, deliverer of captives,

St. Anthony, guide of the erring,

St. Anthony, restorer of lost things,

St. Anthony, chosen intercessor,

St. Anthony, continuous worker of miracles,

Be merciful unto us Spare us, O Lord!
Be merciful unto us Hear us, O Lord!
From all evil O Lord, deliver us!
From all sin,
From all dangers of body and soul,
From the snares of the devil,

—ia-



From pestilence, famine and war,
From eternal death,
Through the merits of St. Anthony,

Through his zeal for the conversion of sinners,

Through his desires for the crown of martyrdom,

Through his fatigues and labors,

Through his preaching and teaching,

Through his tears of penance,

Through his patience and humility,

Through his glorious death,

Through the number of his wonderful deeds,

In the day of judgment,

We sinners We beseech Thee, hear us!
That Thou bring us to true penance,

That Thou grant us patience in our trials,

That Thou assist us in our necessities,

That Thou grant our petitions,

That Thou kindle the fire of divine love within us,

That Thou favor us with the protection and
intercession of St. Anthony,

Son, of God,

Lamb of God, who takest away
the sins of the world . . . Spare us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins
of the world . . Graciously hear us, O Lord!

Lamb of God who takest away the sins
of the world . . Have mercy on us, O Lord!

Christ, hear us!

Christ, graciously hear us!

V. Pray for us, blessed Anthony

:

R. That we may be made worthy of the prom-
ises of Christ.

—19—



LET US PRAY
Almighty and eternal God, Who didst glorify

Thy faithful confessor, Anthony, with the per-
petual gift of working miracles, graciously grant
that, what we confidently seek through His merits,
we may surely receive by His intercession.
Through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

St. Anthony’s Prayer Before Preaching

Make, O Lord, my tongue like a swift arrow
to declare Thy marvelous works. Send forth, O
God, Thy Holy Spirit into my heart, that I may
perceive; into my mind, that I may remember,
into my soul, that I may meditate. Inspire me to
speak piety, holiness, tenderness, and mercy.
Teach, guide and direct my thoughts and senses
from the beginning to the end. May Thy grace
ever help and correct me, and may I be strength-
ened now with wisdom from on high, for Thy
infinite mercy’s sake. Amen.

Meditations during the Devotions of
Nine or Thirteen Tuesdays or

Sundays in Honor of
St. Anthony

FIRST WEEK
St. Anthony’s Love of God

The first and the greatest commandment of God
is to love Him with our whole heart, our whole
mind, our whole soul (Mt. 22:37), with all our
powers. Love of God is the bond of all Chris-
tian perfection

;
it is the essence of holiness.

-20-



St. Anthony loved God above all things. This
love was the motive power of all his actions,

thoughts and words. For the love of God he
gave up all and consecrated his life to the Lord

and the salvation of souls.

Pray for an increase of the love of God. This

week make a special effort to make your morn-
ing offering fervently and renew your good in-

tention frequently during the day. My God and
my All

!

SECOND WEEK
St. Anthony’s Love of Neighbor

The second commandment is like to the first:
“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Mt.
22:39). “Thereby shall men know that you are
my disciples that you have love for one another”
(Jn. 13, 35). “Whatsoever you shall have done
to one of these, the least of my brethren, you
shall have done it to Me”- (Mt. 25:40).

Forgetful of self, St. Anthony spent himself
in the service of others. To relieve the needs
of body and soul; to make his fellowmen happy
—that was his one thought.
Pray for greater love of neighbor. Show this

love in some practical manner this week. Begin
at home. Be kind and charitable in thought,
word and deed. Is there no one near you whom
you might help ? A kind inquiry is already a
helpful and welcome act of charity.

THIRD WEEK
St. Anthony’s Love of Poverty

As a religious, Anthony made the vows of pov-
erty, chastity, and obedience. He loved poverty
because Jesus loved it; because it removed still
more the danger of the “root of all evils,” the
desire for money (1 Tim. 6:10). Detachment

—21—



from this earth's goods made him free for the
service of God, a child of God relying entirely
upon His Providence.

Pray for contentment with what you possess.
Do not attach your heart to any creature. Wealth
is not necessary for happiness; often it is the

source of worry and great troubles. He that pos-
sesses God in his heart by a good conscience is
rich; he that has everything that this world can
give, but is a stranger to God and religion, is
truly poor. Did the depression not teach you how
many things there are which you really do not
need? Did it not bring out how little is required
to make you really happy?

FOURTH WEEK
St. Anthony’s Love of Chastity

Anthony is known as “the lily of chastity."
The infant Jesus would certainly not appear to
one whose soul is wallowing in the sins of the
flesh. The chaste soul “thinketh of the things of
God" (1 Cor. 7:34), is not a slave of passion but
free and master of self, “sees God" here in prayer
and contemplation, in all His works, in daily duty,
and will see Him in a special light for all eternity.

Pray for this beautiful virtue and greatest orna-
ment of your soul. You can be sure that your
petitions will be heard more readily if you offer
them with a pure heart through the intercession
of St. Anthony. Your body is a “temple of the
Holy Ghost." Keep it clean and reserve it for
divine service only. God cannot dwell in a heart
that is unclean. You would not invite a distin-
guished guest into a filthy house. Clean house
this week, clean the temple of your body and the
sanctuary of your soul.

—22—



FIFTH WEEK
St. Anthony's Love of Obedience

The great virtue of Jesus was His obedience

to the Will of His Father. He was “obedient
unto death, even unto the death of the cross”

(Phil. 2:8). He had come to earth, not to do His
own will, but the will of Him that had sent Him.
St. Anthony was a perfect religious and there-

fore loved and practiced obedience. Not what he
liked, but what his superiors wanted him to do,

was the rule of his life.

Pray for a love of obedience to the will of

God, to the laws of the Lord, and the command-
ments of the Church. Do you really obey cheer-
fully and promptly? Do you submit your judg-
ment and your will to those whom God has placed
over you? Is it difficult for you to see the will

of God in the commands and ordinances of your
superiors? Perhaps for a long time you have

been disobedient. Why not correct this matter this
week in honor of St. Anthony? It is the prayer,
the petition of an obedient soul that finds a hear-

ing with God. Of this there can be no doubt.

SIXTH WEEK
St. Anthony’s Love of Prayer

Loving converse with God, that is prayer. If

we love God, we love to converse with Him. St.
Anthony loved solitude for this reason : it gave
him time and opportunity to pray. What could
be more ennobling than this constant companion-
ship with God in the deepest recesses of the soul.
Could you be more happy than when enjoying the
intimate friendship of God in prayer?

—23—



Often say to Jesus: “Lord, teach me to pray.”
The time which you devote to prayer is never
lost for your family, your business, your work,
your friends, your many duties. You lose most
valuable time on those days on which you have
failed to pay your respects to God in prayer.
“Without Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15:5), said
the Lord, and St. Paul adds, “I can do all things
in Him who strengtheneth me” (Phil. 4:13).
This week begin to say your morning and eve-

ning prayers with increased fervor. You can find
God everywhere. If you do not meet Him in your
very soul, it is not His fault. “Draw nigh to
God and God will draw nigh to thee” (St. James
4:8). Is there any family trouble in your home?
Would you like a more friendly atmosphere, or
a more cordial relationship between the members
of your household? A wonderful means to unite
the members of your family in true love is family
prayer. If all are on friendly terms with God
in prayer, they cannot be unfriendly toward one
another. “Where two or three are gathered
together in My name, I shall be in their midst”
(Mt. 18:20).

SEVENTH WEEK
St. Anthony’s Love of the Apostolate

Jesus retired into the desert to pray and fast
as a preparation for His public ministry. St.
Anthony spent years in the seclusion of his
monastery cell preparing himself by prayer and
study for the day when God would call him to
go forth into His vineyard, for the salvation of
souls. In prayer we obey the injunction of Jesus:
“Abide in Me” (Jn. 15:4). In our daily life of

-24-



duty we answer His call: “Go ye forth” (Mt.
20:7) and do whatsoever our vocation in life

demands.
Everyone of us can and must preach the Gospel

of Jesus. The most effective sermon is that of
example. Catholic Action, in which the Holy
Father is so much interested, flourished in the
first days of Christianity when the faithful not
only strove after personal holiness hut also en-

deavored in every way to bring others into the
true fold of Christ.

What can you do, and do this week, to bring
some soul to God? Ridding yourself of a certain
fault

;
practicing a certain virtue—might lead

someone nearer to God. Is not some good soul
waiting for you to say the word? Could you
offer some literature that would explain your faith ?
A deed of kindness will open the hardest heart
to the grace of God. Do you ever pray for the
conversion of sinners? Have you never been asked
about some point of Catholic doctrine ? Could
you give a complete and satisfactory answer? You
often meet people who fear to approach a priest.
If you do not make them acquainted with the true
faith, who will?

EIGHTH WEEK
St. Anthony’s Love of Sacrifice

Jesus died for all men that they might have
life eternal. The saints wished to show their
gratitude for such love by offering their lives to
Jesus in return. St. Anthony desired nothing, so
much as to be martyred for his faith, to die for
the love of God. This grace was denied him,
therefore he led a life of mortification, of self-
denial, of sacrifice.

—25—



Jesus tells us : “If any man wish to be My
disciple, let him come after Me, daily take up his
cross and follow Me” (Mt. 16:24). The way to
heaven leads over Olivet and Calvary. We, too,
must bear our dkily cross, our trials and suffer-
ings, patiently, for the love of God, if we wish to
be saved. Your worries and difficulties, the many
disagreeable things of your life, are so many tiny
splinters of the Cross of Christ. They are precious
relics, for they bind you close to Jesus and remind
you that He has not forgotten you.
Conformity with the will of God in your daily

life is real holiness. This week make a special
effort to be patient; to accept gladly all that God
sends you; to be particularly kind to others when
things go wrong with yourself. When Jesus was
crushed with pain and agony on the cross, He
uttered the sweetest and most loving words that
were ever spoken. The more a soul is crushed,
the more does it give forth its interior goodness
and greatness. Is your exterior conduct during
trials and tribulations an index of the contents
of your soul? You cannot give forth what is not
found within.

NINTH WEEK
St. Anthony’s Love of Humility

Humility is the foundation of the spiritual life.
It is so important that Jesus makes it one of the
principal traits of character in a Christian. “Learn
of me, because I am meek and humble of heart”
(Mt. 11:29). For a long time the brilliant talents
and the deep knowledge of Brother Anthony re-
mained a secret to his very companions in the
Order of Friars Minor. Even St. Francis failed
to notice him at the chapter appointments made

—26—



in Assisi in 1221. A kind Provincial took Anthony
with him and assigned him to the little Franciscan
hermitage at Monte Paolo, near Forli, to say Mass

for the lay brothers. Anthony loved to be hidden

and unknown. This seclusion served to bring him

closer to God in prayer and humble obedience. In
God's own good time this bright light was brought
forth from under the bushel and placed upon a
candlestick, whence it was never to be removed.

Pride caused the fall of our first parents. All

their children have inherited a tendency to crave

esteem, to be honored, to be noticed, to be made
over. We do not wish to be ignored, to be un-
appreciated, to occupy a lowly position, to stand

back, to remain hidden. Our inordinate love of
the esteem of others is the cause of many sins.
If, as St. Theresa says, “humility is truth," then

pride must be a lie. We actually desire that our
fellow men consider us to be what we know that
we are not. We are vain; we love attention; we
wish to be flattered.

Make a special effort this week to be truly
humble. Take yourself as you are in the sight
of God. Be patient with your limitations. Cheer-
fully accept the little humiliations of daily life,

such as disappointments, slights, misunderstand-

ings, failures, even insults. Do not nurse a griev-
ance, nor refuse to do your duty because you feel
hurt over something. After all, of what can you
really be proud? St. Paul says: “What hast thou
that thou hast not received? And if thou hast
received, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst
not received it?" (I Cor. 4:7). “Jesus, meek and
humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine."

—27—



TENTH WEEK
St. Anthony and the Blessed Virgin

Like all great servants of God St. Anthony had
a special love for and devotion to the Blessed
Virgin Mary. Herein, too, he was a true Fran-
ciscan, for the Friars Minor have ever proved
themselves the champions of Mary Immaculate.
After he had received the last sacraments in
Arcella, near Padua, Anthony began with marked
fervor his favorite hymn in honor of the Mother
of God: “O gloriosa Domina,” O glorious Lady.
No doubt it was she who interceded for him in
his youthful days, when his heart struggled with
severe temptations against his vocation. In her

honor he always preserved the lily of purity with-
out stain. In death he relied upon her maternal
love and power to assist him in his last combat
with the enemies of salvation. A man who loved
Jesus so much as St. Anthony loved and served
Him in life must indeed have had an extraordinary
love for His holy mother.

Have you a real devotion to Mary, the Immac-
ulate Mother of God? Do you love her as your
spiritual mother? How do you honor Mary ever
a Virgin? It would be impossible for a mere
mortal to pay homage to Mary as her divine Son
has done. Therefore the saints never feared to
go too far in their veneration of her to whom
the archangel Gabriel said: “Hail, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among
women” (Lk. 1:28). Because of her dignity as
Mother of God, and of the part she played in our
redemption, Mary is especially honored by the
Church of Christ. She herself foretold to her
cousin Elizabeth: “for behold, from henceforth all

-28-



generations shall call me blessed” (Lk. 1:48). Do
you live like a child of Mary? Is there anything
in your daily conduct that would show a resem-
blance to your Mother? Which of her virtues
are you trying to imitate? God Himself taught
us how to greet her. The “Hail Mary” came from
heaven. Do you say it often? Devoutly? Ever
linger over its beautiful words while your mind
pictured the fairest of God’s creatures, all fair

and without stain ? Do you merely possess a rosary,
or do you also recite it, often? Perhaps you have
forgotten the Memorare once learned at your
mother’s knee. If you never forget Mary, you will

always be mindful of her Son.

ELEVENTH WEEK
St. Anthony’s Love of the Blessed Sacrament

As a priest St. Anthony was a dispenser of the
mysteries of God. He offered the sacrifice of the
Mass and distributed the Bread of Life to the
faithful. A son of St. Francis, that great lover
of the Eucharistic King, Anthony also had a special
devotion to the Real Presence of Christ in the

tabernacle. He defended this doctrine of the
Church against the heretics of his day who centered
their attacks especially upon it. During the period
of his secluded life in the convent he sought grace
and strength and light for the development of his
soul-life in daily Mass. The mountain hermitage
was not a lonely place, with Jesus so close on the
altar where he could contemplate his divine Master
without disturbance.

Do you sufficiently appreciate the presence of
Jesus on the altar? Do you honestly strive to
requit the love of Jesus for you, which He mani-

—29—



fests in the Blessed Sacrament? Is Holy Mass
really your treasure, not hidden, but known and
drawn upon for the graces of which you daily

stand in need? How often do you receive Holy
Communion? What fruits does it produce in your
life? “For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart

also” (Mt. 6:21). Could you not pay Jesus an

occasional visit? Emanuel, God with us, delights
(Prov. 8:31) to be with the children of men;

therefore it must be the delight of the children

of men to be with their God. Show by your con-
duct in church that you really believe in the pres-

ence of God and that you truly love Him. There
are moments in your life when your soul is sad
and your heart heavy. If you could but unburden

your hidden grief and pour out your feelings to

someone who understands! Your Friend is Jesus,
the Prisoner of love in the tabernacle. He invites
you to see Him. “Come to me, all you that labor,
and are burdened, and I will refresh you” (Mt.

11 :28). Jesus knows you and perfectly understands

your needs
;
He loves you and wishes to help you.

Your attitude toward the Blessed Sacrament, Holy
Mass, and Holy Communion, is a good and reliable

barometer of your love of God.

TWELFTH WEEK
St. Anthony’s Use of the Tongue

When in 1263 the body of St. Anthony was
transferred from its first resting place to the

present glorious tomb in Padua, the tongue of the

saint was found fresh and intact. St. Bonaventure,

the Minister General of the Order, was present

—30—



at the opening of the coffin. He took up the tongue
with reverence and said : “O blessed tongue, which

always blessed the Lord, and made others bless

and praise Him; it is now manifest what great
merits thou dost possess in the sight of God.”

Anthony employed his tongue to sing the praises

of God in prayer; to preach the word of God and
thus to spread the knowledge and the love of God

among men. He never abused his tongue by blas-
phemy, cursing, or any kind of profanity ; by

uncharitable speech or even useless talk.

Have you ever checked up on your sins of the
tongue? Fix your attention on this point during

this week. In what manner are you most prone

to sin by speech? Are you given to profanity?

Do you take God’s holy name in vain? Does it
take more time, or is it more difficult, to breathe

the sweet name of Jesus in a prayer than to utter
it in a curse, an oath, or as a mere filler of your

defective vocabulary? Is gossip your weak or
your strong point? Perhaps you have never slan-

dered your neighbor, but have you never been
guilty of the sin of defraction. Do you know that
we must not only compensate others for the injury
done to their property but also restore a good

name that we may have impaired by our talk?
People generally value their reputation higher

than their money. Control your tongue, and you
will become a saint. St. James says: “If any man
offend not in word, the same is a perfect man”
(3:2). He tells us that this “little member” is
“a fire, a world of iniquity, an unquiet evil full of

—31—



deadly poison. By it we bless God and the Father

:

and by it we curse men, who are made after the
likeness of God” (verses 6, 8-9). If you are a man,
join the Holy Name Society; if you are a woman,
help start a League of Women for the Advance-
ment of Clean Speech.

THIRTEENTH WEEK
St. Anthony’s Perseverance

Like all saints, Anthony realized that salvation
is a matter of good ending and not of excellent

beginning. “He that shall persevere unto the end,
he shall be saved” (Mt. 10:22). So Anthony did
all in his power by his beautiful and holy life to
induce God to give him this greatest of graces

—

one which man cannot strictly merit—the gift of
final perseverance.

The struggle of life for holiness must not dis-
hearten you. Great temptations are no sign that

God has forsaken you; they rather indicate that
the evil spirit is not sure of your possession; they

are really a mark of God’s love. Our souls must
be tried constantly; our virtue must be tested re-

peatedly; there is no other way that leads to per-
fection. Job calls life a “warfare” (Job 7:1) and

St. Paul, speaking of personal experience, refers

to it as a “fight” (2 Tim. 4:7)). Alone we are
helpless; but with God we shall conquer self and
all the enemies of the soul. Having suffered with
Christ, we shall arise with Christ to victory and
eternal glory.

Pray for the grace of final perseverance every

day of your life.

32-



Prayer to St. Anthony for the Recovery
of Lost Graces

O great and faithful friend of the Lord, who
by the holy purity of thy heart and mind, didst

merit to see and converse with Him even in this
life, thou to whom He has granted, according to
the firm belief of the faithful, the gift of recover-

ing for those who invoke thee the precious gifts
which they have lost, obtain for us (or for N.)

by the prayers and merits all the holy friendship

and union with God which should have been ours
if we had always been faithful to Him. Through
Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for Restoration of Things That
Are Lost

O great St. Anthony, who hast received from
God a special power to recover lost things, help
me to find that which I am now seeking. Obtain
for me also an active faith, perfect docility to the
inspirations of grace, indifference to the vain

pleasures of the world, and an ardent desire for

the things of everlasting value. Through Jesus
Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to St. Anthony for Peace of Mind

Most dear and faithful servant of Christ, blessed
Anthony, to whom God has granted such favors
that, through thy intercession, lost temporal goods

are recovered, pray for me a sinner that I may
acquire and preserve peace of mind, with light

and knowledge to discern good from evil and

—33—



truth from error, so that being delivered from all

evils, scruples, darkness, and uneasiness of mind

and conscience, I may, with peace of mind, purity

of conscience, and justice of life, faithfully serve

my God and Savior, Who is worthy of all honor
and glory. Through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for Invalids and Shut-ins.

Dear Jesus, I deeply sympathize with Thee.

I picture Thee bleeding and heart-broken in

Gethsemani’s Garden. Not one friend to comfort

Thee

!

I see Thee stripped of Thy garments, lashed at
the pillar and crowned with thorns.

Thy sweet, tender flesh has been cut into rib-

bons. Every sensitive nerve is made to throb.

Thy cross was Thy bed of suffering. Thy bed

of death. Only vinegar to drink!

Only nails to clasp Thy hands; only curses to

soothe Thy mind

!

As I suffer upon my bed, I love to think that
Thou hast given me the grace to taste even a drop
from Thy cup of sorrow.

With Saint Paul I love to think that my suffer-
ings are only fulfilling and perpetuating Thy

Sacred Passion.

May every pain, every sorrow, every throb of
a fevered heart which I endure, be an act of love

on my part both for Thee and my fellow-man.

34—



O Mary, Mother of sorrows, obtain for me the
grace to keep the sufferings and sorrows of Christ

in perpetual remembrance. Dearest St. Anthony,

pray for me, that I may bear my sufferings in
the spirit of patience and resignation taught us by

the Man of Sorrows. Amen.

Prayer for Direction in Choosing a
State of Life

Dearest St. Anthony, deign to add thy powerful

intercession to my humble petition for divine
guidance in choosing a state of life.

O Almighty God, whose wise and amiable
Providence watches over every human event,
vouchsafe to foe my light and guide in all my
undertakings, especially in the choice of a state

of life. I know that on this important step my
sanctification, peace, and eternal salvation may
depend. I know that I am incapable of discerning
what may be best for me

;
therefore, I cast myself

into Thy arms, beseeching Thee, my God, to direct,
by Thy grace, every moment and action of my
life to the glorious end of my creation. I renounce
most sincerely every other wish, than to fulfill Thy
designs on my soul, whatever they may be; and I
beseech Thee to grant me the grace to qualify
myself for any station Thy adorable Will may
hereafter assign to me. Do Thou be my light and
my counsel and mercifully deign “to make the
way known to me wherein I should walk, for I
have lifted up my soul to Thee.” (Ps. cxlii, 8).
Preserve me from listening to the suggestions of
my self-love, or worldly prudence, contrary to Thy
holy inspirations. “Let Thy good spirit lead me
into the right way” (Ibid. 9) and Thy adorable

—35—



Providence place me, not where I may be happiest
according to the world, but in that state in which
I shall love and serve Thee most perfectly. This
is all I ask of Thee, and all that I desire. Through
Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Prayers for Those in 111 Health

O God, whose property it is always to have
mercy and to spare, graciously receive my prayer,
that I, and this Thy servant, who are bound with
the chain of our sins, may by the compassion of
Thy loving Kindness be graciously absolved. Show
forth upon Thy sick servant the power of Thy
aid, that, by the assistance of Thy loving kindness
and the intercession of St. Anthony, he may be
found worthy to 'be restored in health unto Thy
holy Church. Hear me, Almighty and Eternal
God, the everlasting health of those who believe,
hear me for Thy sick servant, —
for whom I implore the aid of Thy tender mercy,
that, being restored to bodily health, he may give
thanks to Thee in Thy Church. Through Christ
Our Lord. Amen.

Grant, O Lord God, we beseech Thee, that this
Thy servant may enjoy continual health of mind
and body; and through the glorious intercession
of Blessed Mary, ever Virgin, and St. Anthony,
be freed from his present sorrow, and enjoy eter-
nal gladness. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Indulgenced Prayer to St. Anthony

O St. Anthony, powerful worker of miracles,
in whose heart the fire of the love of God and
of God’s poor burned so strongly that you were
privileged to embrace the Child Jesus Who chose
to be born in poverty, I confidently ask you to

—36—



beg our dear Savior to have pity on me in my
present affliction. Obtain for me the grace which
I humbly ask (name it). If you obtain it for me,
I promise thee bread for the poor whom thou
didst so ardently love in life. Amen. (Add one
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory.)

(Indulgence: 100 days, once daily. Leo XIII, May 2,
1897.)

St. Anthony, whom the Infant Jesus loved and
honored, obtain for me what I ask of thee.

Closing Prayer at the End of the Novena
O Blessed St. Anthony, my faithful intercessor,

I have now, through the grace of God, and thy
assistance, finished the pious exercises in thy

honor. I had, indeed, the will and desire to do
all in my power for thy greater honor and glory

:

but thou knowest my weakness and misery, and
want of devotion

;
therefore I beseech thee to make

amends for all my failings, and to offer thy merits
and good works for me, that I may find grace and
a hearing with God. Obtain for me through thy
merits, the blessing of a virtuous life, a true

knowledge of my God and of myself, a perfect
mortification of my senses, and a complete triumph
over all temptations. I place myself under thy
special protection

;
assist me to follow thy example

in life, and come to my aid in death; in that dread
moment let me experience the power of thy help.
Amen.

St. Anthony's Prayer Against Evil Spirits
Behold The Cross ... Of The Lord.

Fly, ye enemies of our Salvation,
The Lion of the Tribe of Juda,

The root of David hath conquered

:

Alleluia ! Alleluia

!

(One hundred days indulgence, once a day.—Leo XIII,
May 21, 1892.)

-37—



St. Anthony Lilies

applied in illness, and worn against vile tempta-
tions are blessed on June 13th each year.

S. A. G.

It is a pious custom to write the letters S. A. G.

(St. Anthony Guide or Guard) in some corner
of letters or parcels, asking the Saint to take

charge of them in transmission through the mails.

Prayer to St. Anthony

Holy St. Anthony, thou comforter of the af-
. dieted, who hast through thy whole life labored

and endured so much for the honor of God, and
even now dost not cease to pray for those that
call upon thee, I come full of confidence to thee,

and recommend all my needs and distresses to
thee. Through thy powerful intercession, thou

great Saint of God, rescue me from all dangers
which menace my soul, that it may not perish
for eternity; help me to be truly sorry for my
sins, to control my passions, to root out all my
evil inclinations, especially this one. . . . Pray

for me that I may be filled with thy holy zeal for
God’s honor, and thy hatred against sin, that I

may imitate thy chaste, loving and humble heart;
if it is for my good, obtain this temporal favor
for me. . . . Bring consolation, rest and peace

unto my soul which sighs under heavy tribulations
and cease not to be unmindful of me at the throne
of God; until together with thee, I will praise
our infinite, kind, and merciful Father for all

eternity. Amen.

—38—



Prayer for Employment

Blessed Anthony, ever mindful of the needs of

the afflicted, consuming thyself in the service of

God and for the good of souls, an enemy of idle-
ness, and a tireless worker in the vineyard of the
Lord, ask God to grant me a suitable occupation
which may procure for me and mine a decent
livelihood, and at the same time be a means of
personal sanctification and of real service to my
fellowman. Amen.

*
PRAYERS AT MASS IN HONOR OF

ST. ANTHONY
Preparatory Prayer

i

O loving father, St. Anthony, who didst always assist
at Mass with such fervor as to excite all present to devo-
tion, I desire to hear this Mass in thy honor, and to offer
it by the hands of my guardian angel to the Holy Trinity.
Obtain for me, therefore, thy love, thy fervor and rever-
ence, that through the merits of the Holy Sacrifice I may
be cleansed from my sins and comforted in my necessities.
My God, I offer Thee all the Masses this day celebrated

throughout the world for sinners in their agony, and for
those who shall be overtaken by death today ! May the
precious blood of Jesus, their Redeemer, obtain for them
mercy.

(Indulgence of 300 days.—Pius X, Dec. 18, 1907.)

At Mass
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the

Holy Ghost. Amen.
(Indulgence of 50 or* vs.)

It is in Thy name, O adorable Trinity! it is to honor
Thee, and to do Thee homage, that I assist at this most
holy and august sacrifice. Permit me, then, O Lord,
to unite my intention with that of Thy minister now at the
altar, in offering up this precious Victim and give me the
same sentiments I ought to have had on Mount Calvary,
had I been an eye-witness to that bloody sacrifice.

—39—



Glorious St. Anthony, offer this divine sacrifice on my
behalf and on behalf of all making this novena, for all our
intentions, for the exaltation of our holy mother the Church,
and her head upon earth, and for the conversion of
sinners. Amen.

AT THE CONFITEOR
I confess, O my God, not only in Thy presence, Who

seest the innermost secrets of my heart,
%
but in the

presence also of all the blessed in heaven and faithful on
earth, that I have often and grievously offended Thee
in thought, word, and deed, through my fault, through my
fault, through my most grievous fault. Yes, Lord, I have
sinned

; I acknowledge to my shame, and with the most
bitter regret, that I have ungratefully abused all Thy
gifts

;
and therefore I humbly beseech you, O Blessed

Virgin Mary, seraphic Father St. Francis, St. Anthony of
Padua, and all ye saints and angels, intercede for me.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to listen to them; grant to the ardor
of their prayers what Thou mayest justly refuse to the
coldness of mine

;
and to their great and glorious merits the

reward from which my offenses should shut me out.

INTROIT
“In the midst of the Church she shall open his mouth,

and shall fill him with the spirit of wisdom and under-
standing, and shall clothe him with the robe of glory.”
(Eccles. XV, 5.)

AT THE KYRIE ELEISON
Have mercy on us, O Lord, and forgive us all our sins.

Have mercy on us. We have done nothing to entitle us
to be heard

;
but Thou didst hear the woman of Cana and

the blind man of Jericho, and we, too, cry aloud: “Jesus,
Son of David, have mercy on us!” Lord, have mercy on us.

AT THE GLORIA
Glory be to God on high, and peace on earth to men

of good will. We praise Thee
;
we bless Thee

;
we adore

Thee
; we glorify Thee ; we give thanks for Thy great

glory, O Lord God, O heavenly King. O God the Father
Almighty! O Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son!
O Lord God! O Lamb of God! O Son of the Father!
O Thou who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy
on us. For Thou alone art holy; Thou alone art Lord;
Thou alone art most high, O Jesus Christ, together with
the Holy Ghost, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

—40—



COLLECT

Grant, O Lord, that the votive solemnity (commemora-
tion) of Saint Anthony, Thy confessor, may give joy to
Thy Church, and that, being continually guarded by
spiritual defenses, it may merit the fruition of eternal joys.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

EPISTLE
(Book of Wisdom VII, 7)

“Wherefore, I wished, and understanding was given
me

;
and I called upon God, and the spirit of wisdom

came upon me
;
and I preferred her before kingdoms and

thrones, and esteemed riches nothing in comparison of her.
Neither did I compare unto her any precious stone

;
for

all gold in comparison of her is as a little sand, and silver
in respect to her shall be counted as clay. I loved her
above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead
of light, for her light cannot be put out. Now, all good
things came to me together with her and innumerable riches
through her hands. And I rejoiced in all these for this
wisdom went before me, and I knew not that she was the
mother of them all. Which I have learned without guile,
and communicate without envy, and her riches I hide not.
For she is an infinite treasure to men; which they that use
become the friends of God, being commended for the gift
of discipline. And God hath given me to speak as I would,
and to conceive thoughts worthy of those things that are
given me, because He is the guide of wisdom and the direc-
tor of the wise.”

GRADUAL
“The mouth of the just shall meditate wisdom and his

tongue shall speak judgment. The law of his God is in
his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted.” (Psalm
XXXVI, 30, 31.)

HOLY GOSPEL
(St. Matthew V, 13, 15)

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt lose its
savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is good for nothing
any more but to be cast out and to be trodden on by men.
You are the light of the world. A city seated on a mountain
cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it
under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may" shine
to all that are in the house.

—41—



THE NICENE CREED
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of

heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of
God, born of the Father before all ages; God of God, Light
of Light, true God of true God; begotten, not made; con-
substantial to the Father, by Whom all things were made.
Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from
heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin
Mary, AND WAS MADE MAN; He was crucified also for
us; suffered under Pontius Pilate; and was buried; the third
day He arose again according to the Scriptures. He ascended
into Heaven, sits on the right hand of the Father, and is to
come again with glory to judge the living and the dead;
of Whose kingdom there shall be no end. And I believe
in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life, Who pro-
ceeds from the Father and the Son; Who together with the
Father and the Son is adored and glorified; Who spake by
the prophets. And One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic
Church. I confess one baptism for the remission of sins;

and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life
of the world to come. Amen.

OFFERTORY
“And my truth and my mercy shall be with him; and

in my name shall his horn be exalted.” (Psalm LXXXVIII,
25 .)

PRAYER
Accept, O Heavenly Father and Eternal God, this offering

of bread and wine which we make to Thee in union with
Thy priest that it may become the Body and Blood of Thy
Divine Son, for Thy greater honor and glory and the salva-
tion of souls. Through the lily of purity with which Thou
didst adorn the soul of Thy servant, Anthony, and which
he hid amidst the thorns of mortification, grant us purity

of soul and body, and through his intercession, by means of
which Thou didst deign to work so many wonders, may our
indifference be transformed into ardent love and our pride

into humble obedience, that by his aid we may be enabled
to overcome our passions and faults, and to return Thee
thanks for Thy mercies in time and eternity. Amen.

-42—



AT THE LAVABO
Thou, O Lord, Who didst vouchsafe to wash the feet

of Thy disciples, before their invitation to Thy holy table,
wash us also, we beseech Thee; and wash not only our feet
and hands, but our hearts, our desires, and our souls, that
we may be wholly innocent and pure.

WHEN THE PRIEST GOES TO THE MIDDLE
OF THE ALTAR

O most holy and adorable Trinity, vouchsafe to receive
this our sacrifice in remembrance of our Savior’s Passion,
Resurrection and glorious Ascension, and grant that we
may die with Him to our sins, rise with Him to a new life,
and ascend with Him to Thee. Let those saints, whose
memory we celebrate on earth, remember us before Thy
throne in heaven, and obtain mercy for us, through the
same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

AT THE ORATE FRATRES
May the Lord receive thi£ sacrifice from thy hands, to

the praise and glory of His own name, for our benefit,
and that of all His Holy Church.

THE SECRET
May this present oblation, O Lord, become salutary to

Thy people, in whose behalf Thou hast deigned to immolate
Thyself before Thy Father, who with the same Father and
Holy Spirit livest and reignest God world without end. Amen.

AT THE PREFACE
It is truly meet, just and right, and available to salvation

that we should praise, bless and glorify Thee, O Lord, at
all times, venerating Thy servant, Anthony, since he bore
in his arms Thine only-begotten Son, was visited by Him
in the hour of death, and now beholds Him face to face
in eternal glory, by whom the angels praise Thy Majesty,
the dominations adore it, the powers tremble before it, the
heavens, the heavenly virtues, and blessed seraphim, with
common jubilee glorify it. Together with whom we beseech
Thee that we may be admitted to join our humble voices,
saying:

AT THE SANCTUS
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. Heaven and

earth are full of Thy Glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed
be He who cometh in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in
the highest.



AT THE CANON
Eternal Father, I offer Thee that immolation of Thy

beloved Son which was once made on the cross, and is
renewed now upon this altar; I offer Thee, in the name of
all creatures, all the Masses that are being celebrated, or
which shall be, in all the world, in order to adore Thee
and render Thee that homage which is Thy due, in thanks-
giving for Thy innumerable benefits, to appease Thy justice
violated by our sins, and to furnish it with the satisfaction
it has a right to expect; finally, to obtain all graces for
myself, for the Church, for the whole world, and for the
dear souls in Purgatory.

(His Holiness Pope Pius IX has granted an Indulgence
of three years to all who, with contrite hearts, shall recite
the above prayer during the holy sacrifice of the Mass. This
indulgence is applicable to the souls in Purgatory.)

AT THE ELEVATION
Hail, O Victim of Salvation! Eternal King! Incarnate

Word! sacrificed for me and all mankind! Hail, precious
body of the Son of God! Hail, sacred flesh torn with nails,
pierced with a lance, and bleeding on a cross for us poor
sinners

!

Hail, Sacred Blood, flowing from the wounds of Jesus
Christ, and washing away the sins of the world! O cleanse,
sanctify, and preserve my soul that nothing in future may
ever separate me from Thee.

AFTER THE ELEVATION
It is now, O Eternal Father, that we truly and really

offer to Thy divine Majesty that pure, holy, and immaculate
Victim which Thou Thyself hast been pleased to grant us,
and of which all other offerings were only the types and
figures. The sacrifices of Abel, Abraham and Melchisedech
were of no value when compared to ours. This glorious
Victim—Thy dear Son Himself, the perfect object of Thy
eternal love, and alone worthy of Thy altar—is an offering
by so much the more precious than theirs, as God is greater
than all creatures.

AT THE MEMENTO FOR THE DEAD
O God, the author of mercy, the lover of the salvation

of mankind, we address Thy clemency in behalf of those
for whom we are bound to pray, our benefactors, and all
those commended to our prayers, who have departed this

44



life, that by the intercession of blessed Mary, ever a Virgin,
St. Anthony of Padua, and of all the saints, Thou wouldst
receive them into the enjoyment of eternal happiness;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

AT THE PATER NOSTER
Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name;

Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in
heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us
our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass againt us.
And lead us not into temptation: but deliver us from evil.
Amen.

AT THE AGNUS DEI
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world,

have mercy on us. Lamb of God, Who takest away the
sins of the world, have mercy on us. Lamb of God, Who
takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

AT THE DOMINE, NON SUM DIGNUS
Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter under

my roof; say but the word, and my soul shall be healed.
(Three times.)

Lord, I am not worthy to receive Thee; Thou must first
prepare my soul; say but the word then, and it shall be
ready for so great a guest; speak, Lord, and I shall be healed.

May the Body and Blood of my Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ be the eternal life of my soul.

THE COMMUNION
“And he that had received the five talents, coming, brought

other five talents, saying: Lord, Thou didst deliver to
me five talents; behold I have gained other five over and
above. His Lord said to Him: Well done, good and faith-
ful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few
things, I will place thee over many things; enter into the
joy of the Lord.” (St. Matthew XXV, 20, 21.)

THE POST COMMUNION
Being filled with divine gifts, we beseech Thee, O Lord,

by the glorious merits of Saint Anthony, Thy confessor,
that we may enjoy the desired effect of this holy sacrifice.

—45—



AT THE BLESSING
Vouchsafe, O Eternal Father, to grant me Thy blessing

for myself and all who are dear to me give me, with it, the
grace to serve Thee faithfully in all things to the end, and
may I be found worthy to share in the benediction reserved
for Thy elect at the last day.

THE LAST GOSPEL
(St. John I, 1.)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. The same was in the begin-
ning with God. All things were made by Him; and without
Him was made nothing that was made. In Him was life,
and the life was the light of men: and the light shineth
in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There
was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man
came for a witness; to give testimony of the Light, that all
men might believe through him. He was not the Light,
but was to give testimony of the Light. That was the true
Light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this
world. He was in the world, and the world was made by
Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His
own, and His own received Him not. But as many as
received Him, He gave them power to be made the sons
of God; to them that believeth in His name, who are born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will
of man, but of God. AND THE WORD WAS MADE
FLESH, and dwelt among us (and we saw His glory, the
glory as it were of the only-begotten of the Father), full
of grace and truth.”

Prayer to St. Anthony Before Holy
Communion

Si Anthony, devoted friend of God, in life thou

didst ever love and praise Our Lord and Savior
with thy whole heart, and to prove His presence

in the Blessed Sacrament didst cause an unreason-

ing animal to kneel in reverence before this

mystery. I beg of thee to have compassion on

me, to destroy all pride in my heart and to adorn

—46—



3 3V??-?';
it with all virtues, that this Holy Communion may

not serve to my condemnation, but to my salvation

;

that it may be the weapon of my faith, the shield
of my good will; that it may avail to purify
me from all sin, to extirpate all evil desires, to
increase in me love of God and my neighbor; to
strengthen me in a life of virtue, and be an invul-
nerable protection against all my enemies. Open
the eyes of my soul, O St. Anthony, that after
this Communion I may ever remain in God’s love,
and never more offend Him. Mindful of my
numerous offenses, I contritely strike my breast
and cry : “O God, be merciful to me a sinner ! 0
Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldst enter
under my roof, say but the word and my soul
shall be healed.” Amen.

Prayer to St. Anthony after Holy
Communion

O St. Anthony, worker of miracles, I now
possess in my heart Him Whom, from thy youth,
thou didst serve so zealously, for Whom thou
didst earnestly long to shed thy blood, Who came
to thee in the form of a most beautiful child, and
lovingly caressed thee. Oh, that He would look
upon me with the pleasure with which He regard-
ed thee, St. Anthony, His most faithful servant,

upon whom He bestowed the richest measure of
grace ! Oh, that He would manifest the same
liberality to me ! But I hardly dare desire such
favors, which alas! I have so ill deserved. Yet
thy intercession is so powerful, St. Anthony, I beg

—47



thee to beseech Him, now that He is united with
me, to give me also His grace, to embrace my
heart, to take my soul unto Him as His friend, to
strengthen me that I may be gloriously victorious
in all the assaults of the world, the flesh, and the
devil. O Jesus, I beg Thee, through St. Anthony,
who was so pleasing to Thee, to have mercy on
me. O St. Anthony, I ask thee, through thy
heavenly joy at the visit of the Infant Jesus, to be
my patron, and to obtain for me from thy dear
Infant Jesus whatsoever is necessary and profitable
for my salvation.

All ye saints of God, I beg ye, through the
fervor with which ye received Jesus in the Blessed
Sacrament, to help me to extol, praise, and thank
Him for all eternity. Amen.