SAINT ANTHONY OF PADOVA

Anthony of Padua wasn't always a Franciscan. His early days in religion
were spent as a Canon Regular of St. Augustine. As guest master in the Abbey of Holy Cross outside Coimbra in Portugal, he met the first Franciscan missionaries who were passing through on their way to Morocco.

The enthusiasm with which the friars spoke of the possibility of martyrdom among the infidels was catching. Anthony, or Ferdinand, as he was then known, would have gone with the missionaries if he could have done so.

The Franciscan missionaries were martyred and their relics brought back to the Abbey of Holy Cross. Ferdinand spent a whole night in prayer before the precious relics of those first martyrs of the Order. In the morning his decision had been made. He too would be a Franciscan. With the consent of his superior Ferdinand the Canon Regular became Anthony the Franciscan.
Francis Blesses the Friars!

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI died the evening of Oct. 3, 1226. But shortly before his death, Francis appeared in silent testimony of the work of his glorious son, Anthony of Padua. During the last days of September the friars had assembled at Arles for a Chapter. Anthony preached, taking as text, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews."

In the midst of Anthony's sermon, one of the friars noticed the presence of St. Francis in the room. The Seraphic Saint, suspended in air, stood with hands raised in blessing over the friars assembled there in solemn session. At that moment all present were filled with a great peace, so that they wondered what had happened.
When the friar told of the vision he had seen, they knew that Francis had come to bless especially the work of Anthony, their conferere. He would truly be the Ark of the Testament and the Hammer of Heretics.

Men Won't Listen, Fishes Will!

EVEN though he was an eloquent preacher, St. Anthony wasn't always able to get an audience. Such was the case one day in Fimini. Undaunted by the refusal of the heretics of Rimini to listen to the word of God, the Saint was determined to preach to those who would listen. So he walked to the seashore and took his stand at the water's edge. As the saintly friar began to preach, the surface of the water was broken by the heads of countless fishes which rose to listen.

St. Anthony preached to the fishes of the glory of God and the goodness of their Creator. He bade them be grateful and thus confound the coldness of the people of Rimini who had no place for the word of God in their hearts. Not a fish moved as St. Anthony went on with his sermon to his quite unusual congregation. When he had finished, the Saint blessed the fish with the Sign of the Cross. Then they left.