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UNFAILING PRAYER TO ST. ANTHONY

O Holy Sf. Anthony. Gentlest of Saints,
your love for God and charity, for His crea-

tures, made you worthy when on earth to

possess miraculous powers. Miracle waited

on your word, which you were ever ready

to speak for those in trouble or anxiety.

Encouraged by this thought, I implore you

to obtain for me (request).

The answer to my prayer may require a

miracle; even so. you are the Saint of

miracles. O Gentle and Loving St. Anthony,
whose heart was ever full of human sym-

pathy, whisper my petition Into the ears of

the Sweet Infant Jesus, Who loved to be
folded in your arms, and the gratitude of my

heart will ever be yours.

13 Paters, Aves and Glorias.



Prayers to St. Anthony

Miracles

N°,
age in the life of the Church is left

destitute by the Providence of God of

that witness of miraculous power which

Our Lord has so distinctly promised to her,

though there are never wanting, on the

other hand, men who profess to believe in

Him, and yet question the fulfillment of

His promise, arguing, in order to shelter

their own incredulity or principles of rea-

soning which directly tend to contradict,

not only the truth of His recorded words,

but also the veracity of the whole Gospel

history. Catholics are well aware that our

own time forms no exception to the general

rule, either as to the display of miraculous

power on the part of God, working through

His Saints, or the counter display of scof-

fing contradiction on the part of unbe-

lievers, and of unreasonable, though hap-

pily not scoffing, contradiction on the part

of the many who still claim to be Christian.

It is indeed true that the belief in mira-

cles, whether modem or ancient, is fast be-

coming an acknowledged test by which the



4 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

believers in Supernatural Revelation are to

be distinguished from infidels, and we may

hope that this truth may help to open the

eyes of at least some of these excellent

men, who are so vainly trying to defend

Christianity without acknowledging the

Church and the permanence of her note of

Sanctity. Be that as it may, the present is

no time for Catholics to hold back in the

slightest degree from the full avowal of

their belief in the miracles of the Saints.

On the contrary the truest wisdom and

charity seem to require that the marvels of

Gk)d’s power and mercy should be pro-

claimed with even unusual loudness, and

the continual faithfulness of Our Lord to

His promises vindicated more conspicu-

ously, in proportion to the boldness and

unreasonableness with w'hich it is gainsaid.

It would be utterly impossible to com-

press within any reasonable space an ac-

count of the miracles which are recorded as

the fruit of the intercession of St. Anthony

of Padua. It cannot be doubted that the

splendor and number of his miracles, more

than anything else, brought on him the

singular honor of having been canonized

within a year, so that the first anniversary

of his death was observed as the feast of a



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 5

Saint duly raised to the altars of the

Church by the Supreme Pontiff. The

Chronicles of St, Francis tell us that in the

interval between St. Anthony^s death and

canonization as many as forty-five mira-

cles of major character were judically

proved, besides those which took place

while he was alive. St. Anthony has never

been known to refuse prayers offered in

the true spirit of faith and love. Even

today he continues to work miracles for

the benefit of his faithful clients and de-

votion in his honor is widespread through-

out the world, so that the Saint of Padua

is ofttimes called the Saint of the whole

world.

How to Make a Novena to St. Anthony

1. Visit an altar or shrine of the Saint

on nine consecutive Tuesdays.

2. Recite the miraculous ‘‘Responsory”

or other prayers at choice, in honor of St.

Anthony.

3. Go to Confession and Communion on

the nine Tuesdays or at least on the first,

fifth and last Tuesday.

NOTE: Should you prefer to make a Novena of nine
continuous days, recite the prayers daily, receiving Holy
Communion on the first and last days.



6 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

Novena Prayer

We salute thee, St. Anthony, lily of
purity, ornament and glory of Christianity.

We salute thee, great Saint, cherub in wis-

dom and seraph of divine love. We rejoice

at the favors God has so liberally bestowed

on thee. In humility and confidence we

entreat thee to help us, for we know that

God has given thee charity and pity as

well as power. Then behold our distress,

our anxiety, our fears concerning . .
.
(N,).

We ask it of thee by the love thou didst

feel for the divine Child, when He loaded

thee with caresses. Tell Him of our wants.

Remember thy rapture when thou didst

clasp Him to thy heart, when thou didst

press thy cheek to His and didst listen to

His divine whispers. One sigh from thee

whom He honors will crown our success

and fill us with joy. Think of this and

hear our prayer. Obtain for us all that we

desire, and we will publish thy greatness

thereby to glorify Him by Whom thou wert

so highly favored. Amen.

St. Anthony, loved and honored by the

divine Child Jesus, obtain what we ask of

thee.



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 7

St. Anthony, powerful in word and work,

obtain what we ask of thee,

St. Anthony, attentive to those who in-

voke thee, obtain what we ask of thee.

The Miraculous Responsory

{By St. Bonaventure)

If miracles thou fain would see;

Lo, error, death, calamity.

The leprous stain, the demon flies,

From beds of pain the sick arise.

The hungry seas forego their prey,

The prisoner’s cruel chains give way;

While palsied limbs and chattels lost

Both young and old recovered boast.

And perish; plenty’s hoard

Is heaped on hunger’s famished board.

Let those relate who know it well.

Let Padua of her patron tell.

The hungry seas, etc.

To Father, Son, may glory be

And Holy Ghost eternally.

The hungry seas, etc.



8 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

Pray for us Saint Anthony,

That we may be made worthy of the

promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray

O God, let the votive commemoration of

Blessed Anthony, Thy Confessor, be a

source of joy to Thy Church, that she may

always be fortified with spiritual assistance,

and may deserve to possess eternal joy,

through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Thirteen Efficacious Prayers in

Honor of the Blessed Tongue

of St. Anthony of Padua

They can be recited for an exercise of thirteen Tuesdays

in his honor, or during thirteen days in succession, espe-

cially during those which precede the fifteenth of February,

Feast of the Tongue of St. Anthony.

When on the eighth of April, 1263, the tomb

which had enclosed for thirty-two years the

sacred remains of St. Anthony, was opened in

order to transport them into the Basilica erected

in his honor, his tongue was found as fresh and

ruddy as that of a living person, although all the

rest of the body was reduced to a fine dust. At

this spectacle the great Doctor, St. Bonaventure,

Minister General of the Order of Friars Minors,

who presided at the ceremony, took into his hands

the Tongue of St. Anthony, thus miraculously



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 9

preserved, and, showing it to the assembled mul-

titude, cried out, his eyes moistened with tears of

joy:

“O Blessed Tongue,^ which didst always bless

the Lord, and cause others to bless Him, now

does it appear plainly how highly thou wert

esteemed by God.”

I. O marvelous Saint, whose Blessed

Tongue didst always bless the Lord and

cause others to bless Him! To reward

thee God has glorified thy Tongue by

granting to it upon this earth the favor of

incorruptibility which has continued for

seven centuries. I bless thy Tongue, I

praise and venerate it with the same senti-

ments of faith, devotion and love that ani-

mated St. Bonaventure when he kissed it,

praised it, blessed it and venerated it. I

thank the Lord who has sanctified thy

Tongue, rendering it miraculous and glori-

ous on earth, and I beg Him to grant a

true devotion toward thee, that I may

merit thy protection during this life, in all

my spiritual and corporal needs, and merit

also to rise again with all the privileges

of the glorious bodies of the Saints.

iThe Tongue of St. Anthony, still entire, but black-

ened by time, is now preserved in a reliquary, which is

carefully guarded, in the Treasury of the Basilica of Padua.



10 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be to the

Father, etc.

II. O Blessed Tongue, which always

didst bless the Lord, and cause others to

bless Him, now does it appear plainly how

highly thou wert esteemed by God.

O marvelous Saint, whose Blessed

Tongue didst always bless the Lord and

cause others to bless, praise, thank and

pray to Him, I bless, praise and venerate

thee, I thank God who created thy tongue

and sanctified it by His grace, and I im-

plore Him, through thy merits, to purify

and sanctify my tongue, that by it I may

continually praise, bless and thank the

Lord, and never offend Him.

Our Father, etc.

HI. O marvelous Saint, whose Blessed

Tongue didst always bless the Lord, and

cause others to bless Him, without ever of-

fending Him, by words or guilty conversa-

tions, I bless, praise and venerate thee, and

thanking God who preserved thee from all

sins of the tongue implore Him through thy

merits, to preserve my tongue from every

sinful word and discourse.

Our Father, etc.



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 11

IV. O marvelous Saint, whose Blessed

Tongue didst always receive Jesus in His

Sacrament worthily, I bless, praise and

venerate thee, thanking God who has sanc-

tified thee by His graces and His Most

Holy Sacrament, I implore Him to pardon

me for having so often profaned by sin my

tongue, sanctified and consecrated so many

times by contact with the Body and Blood

of Jesus Christ in my communions. O

great Saint, obtain for me the grace to pre-

serve my tongue pure and spotless from

sin, that I may henceforth merit to receive

Jesus Christ worthily in the Sacrament of

His love.

Our Father, etc.

V. 0 marvelous Anthony, whose Blessed

Tongue didst always bless the Lord, pray-

ing and singing to Him with devotion and

attention, I bless, praise and venerate thee.

I thank God for giving thee the spirit of

prayer and gift of contemplation, and

through thy merits, I implore Him to grant

me the grace that all the prayers my

tongue shall recite may spring from an at-

tentive and recollected heart.

Our Father, etc.



12 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

VI. O marvelous Saint, whose Blessed

Tongue didst always bless the Lord, with

whom thou didst hold familiar conversation

when He appeared to thee under the form

of a graceful Child, I bless, praise and ven-

erate thee, and thanking God for the sweet

apparitions and tender conversations with

which He favored thee, I implore thee to

obtain for me the grace to always con-

verse devoutly and affectionately with

Jesus in His Sacrament after Holy Com-

munion.

Our Father, etc.

VII. O marvelous Saint, whose Blessed

Tongue didst always bless the Lord, and

cause others to bless Him, by teaching men

the knowledge of their faith and duties by

converting so many sinners and infidels, I

bless, praise and venerate thee. I thank

God who has given thee so much charity,

wisdom and zeal, and I implore you to ob-

tain from Him the same gifts for me, and

for all, that we may labor, by our examples

and words, to procure the glory of God,

and the conversion of sinners and infidels.

Our Father, etc.

VIII. O marvelous Saint, whose Blessed

Tongue didst always bless the Lord, and



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 13

cause others to bless Him, when in preach-

ing and speaking in one language, thou

wert, by a miracle, heard, at a distance,

and understood by people of every nation

and language, I bless, praise and venerate

thee, and, thanking God for making of

thee such a zealous workman and so ad-

mirable in the conversion of sinners, I im-

plore thee, to attract the blessings of divine

goodness on my tongue, that it may never

do harm, and may always promote the

glory of God and my neighbor’s welfare.

Our Father, etc.

IX. O Marvelou^ Saint, whose Blessed
Tongue didst always bless the Lord, and

cause others to bless Him, when they saw

the fish themselves obey thee, and raise

their heads from the water to listen to thy

words, when they saw a stupid beast pros-

trate itself to adore Jesus Christ in the

Most Holy Sacrament, I bless, praise and

venerate thee, I thank God for having

worked such prodigies to confirm thy faith,

thy sanctity and thy teachings; I implore

thee to obtain for me the grace to hear

with fruit, the word of God, and to be de-

vout to the Holy Sacrament of the altar.

Our Father, e'tc.



14 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

X. O marvelous St. Anthony, whose

Blessed Tongue didst always bless the

Lord, and cause others to bless Him, even

to obliging the infernal spirits to obey

thee, and to quit the bodies which they

possessed, by saying to them, ‘‘Behold the

cross of the Lord! Fly, ye powers of dark-

ness, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the

Root of David, has conquered. Alleluia.”

I bless, praise and venerate thee, and,

thanking God for giving thee such power

over hell, beseech thee to cause me to be

delivered and preserved from the snares

and temptations of the devil, as well as all

those who recite with faith, and carry with

confidence the words pronounced by thy

Tongue.

Our Father, etc.

XI. O wonderful Saint, whose Blessed

Tongue didst always bless the Lord, and

cause all to bless Him, by reconciling ene-

mies, converting malefactors and robbers,

humbling a tyrant at thy feet, and humili-

ating hardened heretics, I bless, praise and

venerate thee, I thank God for giving such

strength and persuasion to thy words, and

I implore thee to obtain for
^

me grace and

zeal to exercise fraternal correction without



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 15

human respect, but with prudence and

meekness, so as to prevent evil and effect

good.

Our Father, etc.

XII. O marvelous Saint, whose Blessed

Tongue didst always bless the Lord, and

cause others to bless Him, who hast com-

manded with authority and faith, the un-

chained elements, disease and death itself,

while God has worked through your in-

strumentality so many astounding prodi-

gies, prodigies which He still continues

from day to day, I bless, praise and vener-

ate thee. I thank God for granting thee

the privilege of distributing so many graces

and working such wondrous miracles, and

I implore thee to use it in my favor, and

in favor of all those who have devotion to

thee.

Our Father, etc.

XIII. O marvelous St. Anthony, whose

Blessed Tongue didst always bless the

Lord, and cause others to bless Him,

thanks to all thy prerogatives, thanks to

the veneration in which thou hast ever been

held, thanks to thy powerful intercession,

all can clearly see how great is thy merit



16 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

before God, who gives thee such glory in

heaven, so much power and veneration on

earth, I rejoice with thee, I praise and

venerate thee, and, thanking God for all

thy virtues, merits and the glory which He

gives thee, and will give thee in heaven and

on earth, I promise to be truly devout to

thee by imitating thy virtues as far as I

am able, especially by keeping my tongue

from sin, by employing it in praising and

thanking God, and praying never more to

offend Him. Obtain for me from Our

Lord, with the pardon of all the faults

which my tongue has committed, or made

others commit, the grace never more to

make use of it to offend Him. For this in-

tention, I will recite every day, or at least

every Tuesday, the Our Father, Hail Mary

and Glory be to the Father, thirteen times,

to thank the Most Holy Trinity for the

graces, glory and thirteen privileges which

have been granted to thee, in order to be

worthy of thy protection during this life, of

thy assistance at the hour of my death, and

of thy blessed company in heaven. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

Plenary Indulgence granted to this devotion to all mem-

bers of the Universal Association of St. Anthony, 300 days

each day of the exercise, applicable to the souls in Purga-

tory. (Leo XIII, 18th May, 1888.)



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 17

Litany of St. Anthony

(For private devotion)

Lord, have mercy on usi

Christ, have mercy on us!

Lord, have mercy on us!

Christ, hear us!

Christ, graciously hear us!

God, 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,
^

Holy Mother of God,

Holy Virgin of Virgins,

St. Anthony of Padua,

St. Anthony, glory of Friars Minor,

St. Anthony, lily of virginity,

St. Anthony, gem of poverty,

St. Anthony, example of obedience,

St. Anthony, mirror of abstinence,

St. Anthony, vessel of purity,

St. Anthony, star of sanctity,

St. Anthony, model of conduct,

St. Anthony, beauty of paradise,

St. Anthony, ark of the testament.

Pray

for



18 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

St. Anthony, keeper of the Scriptures,

St. Anthony, teacher of the truth,

St. Anthony, preacher of grace,

St. Anthony, exterminator of vices,

St. Anthony, planter of virtues,

St. Anthony, conqueror of heretics,

St. Anthony, terror of infidels,

St. Anthony, consoler of the afflicted,

St. Anthony, searcher of consciences,

St. Anthony, martyr in desire,

St. Anthony, terror of the devils,

St. Anthony, horror of hell,

St. Anthony, performer of miracles,

St. Anthony, restorer of lost things,

St. Anthony, helper in need,

St. Anthony Purveyor for God^s Poor,

s

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!

V. Pray for us. Blessed Anthony,

/?, That we may be made worthy of the

promises of Christ.

Pray

ft



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 19

SPECIAL PRAYERS

Prayer for Recovery of Lost Articles

O Glorious St. Anthony, since God has

given thee the power of miracles, a power

thou hast exercised for centuries and since

He has given thee in particular the power

of finding that which has been lost, I come

to thee with the confidence of a child to the

best of fathers. Grant me above all to

find the grace of God, if I have had the

misfortune to lose it. Grant me to find

also my former fervor in the service of God

and in the practice of virtue; and as a

pledge of these graces so important for my

eternal salvation, grant me to find also the

things I have lost. Thus thou shalt make

me experience the presence of thy goodness

and thou wilt increase my confidence and

my love for thee. (Our Father.)

The Miraculous Responsory is also said when the aid of
St. Anthony is sought in locating lost things. (See Page 7.)

Prayer to the Infant Jesus in the Arms

of St. Anthony

O sweet Jesus, Thou best and only hope
of afflicted souls, I prostrate myself at Thy

Feet, and beseech Thee, through the im-



20 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

measurable love and grace with which

Thou didst visit Thy blessed servant, St.

Anthony, when Thou didst comfort and

embrace him, to come to me at his inter-

cession and let me taste how sweet Thy

presence is in the souls that trust in Thee.

Amen.

Prayer to St. Anthony for Peace

of Mind

Most dear and faithful servant of Christ,

blessed St. Anthony to whom God has

granted such favors that through thy in-

tercession, lost temporal goods are re-

covered, pray for me a sinner that I may

acquire and preserve peace of mind, with

light and knowledge to discern good from

evil and truth from error. So that being

delivered from all evil scruples, darkness

and uneasiness of mind and conscience, I

may faithfully serve my God and Savior,

who is worthy of all honor and glory, with

peace of mind, purity of conscience and

justice of life, through Jesus Christ our

Lord. Amen.



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 21

Prayer of St. Anthony to the

Blessed Virgin

O Mary, Virgin before the Divine Birth,

guard my body and soul. Hail Mary,

etc.

O Mary, Virgin during the Divine Birth,

guard my body and soul. Hail Mary, etc.

O Mary, Virgin after the Divine Birth,

guard my body and soul. Hail Mary, etc.

(Indulgence, 100 days. Sacred Congregation, 1895.)

O Gloriosa Domina

(Favorite Hymn of St. Anthony in honor of the Blessed
Virgin.)

O glorious Lady ever blest.

Exalted high the stars above,

Who gavest nurture from thy breast

To God with pure maternal love.

What we have lost through sinful Eve

The blossom sprung from thee restores.

And granting bliss to souls that grieve.

Unbars the everlasting doors.

O Gate, through which hath passed the
King!

O Hall, whence light shone through the
gloom I



22 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

The ransomed nations praise and sing

The offspring of thy virgin womb!

Praise from mankind and Heaven’s Host,

To Jesus of a Virgin sprung,

To Father and to Holy Ghost

Be equal glory ever sung.

Prayer Before Study by St. Anthony

O Light of the world. Infinite God, Fa-

ther of eternity. Giver of wisdom and

knowledge, and ineffable Dispenser of

every spiritual grace, who knowest all

things before they are made, who makest

the darkness and the light, stretch forth

Thy hand and put Thy spirit, O Lord, in

my heart, that I may understand and re-

tain what I learn and meditate on it in my

heart. Do Thou lovingly, holily, merci-

fully, clemently and gently inspire me with

Thy grace. Do Thou teach, guide and

strengthen the thoughts of my mind to let

Thy discipline instruct me to the end and

the counsel of the Most High help me,

through Thy infinite wisdom and mercy.

Amen.



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 23

Five Brief Prayers to St. Anthony
1.

Glorious St. Anthony, who from your

earliest years wast consecrated to the serv-

ice of God, and practised the greatest aus-

terities, and devoured with zeal for justice,

caused yourself to be conveyed to the coast

of Africa that you might preach the Gospel

to the Saracens; obtain for us the grace to

apply ourselves continually to the service

of God, to our personal mortification and

the salvation of our brethren, that we may

thus become true disciples and faithful

imitators of Jesus Christ. Glory be to the

Father, etc.

2.

Glorious St. Anthony, who hid your

rare talents with the greatest care and pa-

tiently suffered the contempt of men, ob-

tain for us grace to despise the esteem of

men and the honors of the world, and al-

ways increase in merit before God. Glory

be, etc..

3.

Glorious St. Anthony, who by your

sanctity and your eloquence triumphed

over the hardest heart, obtain for us the

grace so faithfully to follow the Divine



24 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

call, that we may attain the blessedness

promised to those who faithfully keep the

Divine word. Glory be, etc.

4. Glorious St. Anthony, who wast so

frequently glorified by the most wonder-

ful miracles, obtain for us the grace so to

live, as to merit from the Most High His

choicest favors. Glory be, etc.

5. Glorious St. Anthony, who from the

tender devotion which you always showed

to Jesus, merited to receive the holy Infant

in your arms, and also to be visited and

consoled by Him in your agony, obtain for

us the grace to walk in holiness and justice

all the days of our life and to enjoy at our

death the consolation of the just and the

glory of the blessed in eternity. Glory be,

etc.

Prayer to Obtain a Good Death

Great St. Anthony of Padua, sweet hope

of all who implore thee, I prostrate myself

humbly at thy feet to obtain by thy power-

ful intercession the greatest of all blessings,



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 25

the grace of dying well. Do not allow, I

entreat thee, by the pierced Heart of Jesus,

that I be suddenly seized by death in the

deplorable state of mortal sin; grant that

at that last moment I may experience the

most profound sorrow for the sins of my

whole life, that I may be penetrated with

love for Jesus, and full of confidence in the

power of His Blood which was shed for

me; that the last movements of my hands

may be to carry the crucifix to my lips,

and my last words the holy names of Jesus

and Mary. In short, that, expiring in the

embraces of my sweet Redeemer, I may

have the happiness to see Him, to love Him

and to possess Him with thee for all eter-

nity. Obtain this grace also for my parents,

my friends, my benefactors and for all who

are dear to me in our Lord Jesus Christ, to

whom be honor and glory with the Fa-

ther, in the unity of the Holy Spirit for-

ever and ever. Amen.



SAYINGS OF ST. ANTHONY

How many Christians weep over tem-

poral misfortunes, and are insensible to the

loss of their souls? One is horrified on

finding himself near a dead body, yet de-

lights daily in the society of sinners.

God sends us afflictions for various rea-

sons: 1st, to increase our merits; 2d, to pre-

serve in us the grace of God; 3d, to punish

us for our sins; 4th, to show forth His

glory and other attributes.

We must not fear corrections we receive

here below, but it is well to think often of

the accusations that will be brought against

us on the day of judgment.

God loves to come into humble and com-

passionate souls, into souls that are full of

discretion, that are penitent and devout;

but He abandons cold and callous hearts,

hearts that seek their own ease, that shrink

from the smallest sacrifice, that show no

love for prayer or meditation.

26



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 27

However wise a man may be, he ought

to seek counsel and direction from the min-

isters of God.

Use your ears oftener than your tongue.

One often repents of having spoken and

scarcely ever of having been silent.

Charity is a fire; but three things can

extinguish it, the wind of pride, the water

of gluttony and luxury and the thick smoke

of avarice.

Nothing is more certain than death,

nothing more uncertain than the day and

hour of our death.

The great folly of worldings consists in

putting the thought of death far from

them, and acting as though they were to

live forever.

Envy is a very fatal evil; when it has

possession of a soul it troubles it, blinds

it and carries it into all kinds of excesses.



28 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

Self-love is the mother of envy and love of

our neighbor combats and destroys it.

When man follows the inspirations of

grace he finds liberty and peace. In this

state we may say that fear renders him free

and that love enslaves him.

The sinner uses all his senses to offer

sacrifices to the devil. He must purify

them in the bitterness of penance if he

wishes to be restored to God^s favor.

Penance is the myrrh which uproots bad

habits and preserves us from spiritual cor-

ruption.

None among the blessed is so blessed,

none among the happy, so happy, as he who

always bears God in his heart.



BRIEF SKETCH OF THE LIFE OF

ST. ANTHONY

Padua boasts of having begotten An-

thony to the heavenly life, but his earthly

birthplace was in another land. It was in

Portugal, towards the close of the twelfth

century, that St. Anthony first saw the light

of the world.

Anthony was born at Lisbon on August

IS, 1195, the son of Martin de Bouillon and

Teresa Tavera, whose marriage had united

two families of ancient lineage. He was

baptized Fernando.

At the age of fifteen the religious life

appealed to Fernando as the most marvel-

ous creation of the Gospel, the ideal of

perfection. His parents placed no hin-

drance in the way of his vocation and he

was clothed in the white robe of the Canons

Regular of St. Augustine. The monastery

was close to Lisbon and the friends of the

young monk paid him frequent visits, and

spared nothing which affection could sug-

gest to withdraw him from the cloister.

Greatly disturbed, Fernando obtained the

permission of his superiors, and in order to

avoid these interferences with his religious

29



30 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

life entered the monastery of Santa Cruz

at Combra.

While there he saw five zealous Fran-

ciscans, poor men, unknown and despised,

set out for Morocco. Some weeks later the

bodies of these men, mart3rrs to the faith,

were brought back for burial. The desire

to follow in their footsteps took possession

of Fernando. With the sanction of his

Prior, he exchanged the white robe of the

Augustinian Canon for the coarse habit

of St. Francis and took the name An-

thony. Having made his profession, he

bade farewell to the Hermitage of Olivarez,

to his country and friends, and embarked

for Morocco. His desire of martyrdom

was to remain unfulfilled. The change of

climate brought on a fever, as the result of

which Anthony had to return from his

mission.

It was in Ember Week, 1222, that the

ceremony of Ordination brought to Forli

several religious to receive Holy Orders.

Anthony was asked to deliver to the candi-

dates the customary address on the sub-

limity of the priestly office. The success

of the sermon brought to Anthony a change

in his career, for he was granted the license

to preach the word of God and was em-



PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY 31

ployed by his superiors in giving popular

missions.

Everywhere in towns and villages the

wonderful deeds of the indomitable cham-

pion of the cause of God called forth uni-

versal admiration. All ranks of society had

recourse to him. Every kind of misery,

physical and moral, had claim upon him.

The poor, the afflicted, the sinful and the

sorrow-stricken held him in benediction.

Men and women crowded round his pulpit

eager to hear his words, to follow his in-

structions in the path of right, justice and

salvation. In return he consoled them in

their troubles, raised them from despond-

ency, blessed their little ones and performed

in their behalf the most touching miracles.

How many lost sheep he bore on his

shoulders! How many souls made to the

likeness of their Creator have been recov-

ered by the Church through the interces-

sion of this shining light. For ten years

Europe was enlightened by his fervor and

moved by his eloquence.

His labor finished, St. Anthony was

called to his eternal reward June 13, 1231.

The funeral took place the Tuesday after

his death, June 17. The Mass was cele-

brated in the chapel of the Friars Minor,



32 PRAYERS TO ST. ANTHONY

where the remains of the Saint first rested.

Hardly had the tomb been closed when

it became the centre of pilgrimage and the

scene of so many wonderful manifestations

that the Bishop of Padua immediately pe-

titioned the Holy See to confer on the

Wonder-worker the Honor of Canonization.

The inquiry lasted six months and by an

exception, unique perhaps in Church His-

tory, less than a year after his death the

decree of Canonization was pronounced on

May 30, 1232, by the Holy Father at

Spoleto.

Nihil Obstat:

Arthur J. Scanlan, S.T.D.,

Censor Librorum.

Imprimatur:

Patrick Cardinal Hayes,

Archbishop of New York

New York, January 21, 1929.

PRINTED AND PUBLISKED IN THE U. S. A.

BY THE PAULIST PRESS, NEW YORK, N. V.



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