Thought for the Day – 13 June – St Anthony

Thought for the Day – 13 June – Meditations with Antonio Cardinal Bacci (1881-1971)

St Anthony

“On the 13th of June in the year 1231, a crowd of children set out from the nearby Convent of Arcella and entered Padua crying out: “The Saint is dead!”
The entire City was -plunged into mourning because it’s Saint was dead.

Anthony had traversed Italy, converting heretics, recalling innumerous sinners to repentance, working miracles and giving peace to souls and to strife-torn cities.
Soon he had felt that his young life was already running out as the result of these labours and austerities and he had determined to hide himself in a little Franciscan Monastery at Camposampiero near Padua.
In order to shelter himself from the world ,as far as possible, he built a little cell in the bifurcation of the branches of a giant walnut tree.
Here he spent his last days in prayer and contemplation, joining with the birds in their songs of praise to God.
He was no longer a man but an angel in human form.
Crowds of the faithful flocked around the tree to hear, once again, the voice of the Saint calling on them to practise virtue and to follow the road to Heaven.

It was in this little nest, at only thirty six years of age, that his life slowly flickered out, consumed, not so much by disease as by a burning love for God and for his fellowman.

Let us pray that we may obtain a spark of this love, which will detach us from the world, cause us to belong entirely to God and make us generous apostles in our work for the salvation of souls.
Jesus, my God, I love You above all things. Amen.”

Antonio Cardinal Bacci

PART ONE HERE:
https://anastpaul.com/2020/06/13/thought-for-the-day-13-june-st-anthony/