The Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua.
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.
Taken from the Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
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 Rimini. 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.
Taken from the Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
The Mule Refuses to Eat!
THERE was a certain heretic at Rimini who refused to believe in the Real Presence. He made this proposition to St. Anthony. The unbelieving heretic would starve his mule for three days. If the hungry animal would prostrate before the monstrance, then the heretic would confess the reality of the Blessed Sacrament.
On the appointed day the heretic appeared in the town square with his beast. St. Anthony approaced from the opposite side with the Sacred Host. A curious group of believers and unbelievers alike watched to see just what would happen. A large pan of oats and a bundle of fragrant hay were placed before the hungry animal. But all this was ignored. Instead, the mule approaced our Saint and fell on her knees before the Blessed Sacrament. True to his promise, the heretic made a profession of faith in the Real Presence.
Taken from the Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
Anthony Dines With Enemies!
CERTAIN heretics of Rimini decided to end the meddlesome interference of Anthony in their sinful lives. His sermons had turned the attention of the people to their sinful excesses and the only solution was to get rid of the friar. Poison was the easiest way. So they invited the Saint to dinner, planning to poison his food. But God revealed their plans to their intended victim.
Anthony still came to dine. Before he sat down at table he told his enemies of their plot. But they only laughed at him, reminding Anthony of Christ's promise to His disciples, "And if they drink of any poisonous drink, it shall not harm them." If he would eat the poisonous food without harm, they would return to the Faith. Anthony blessed the food and ate it without harm. The heretics confessed their sins and made good their promise.
Taken from the Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
In Two Places At One Time!
IN the Church of St. Pierre-du-Queyraix in Limoges, an incident took place which more than ever showed the extraordinary favors granted by Heaven to St. Anthony of Padua. It was Easter and Anthony was preaching the sermon of the day. Suddenly he remembered that he had been appointed to chant the Aleluia at the Convent Mass in the local friary. And he had failed to arrange for a substitute.
Anthony stopped short in his sermon and remained silent for some time. To the congregation it appeared that the preacher was merely gathering his thoughts. What they did not know was that Anthony, during that period of silence, had appeared in the convent choir to fulfill his assignment. A few moments later Anthony took up the thread of his interrupted sermon as if nothing had occured. A miracle of bilocation had been worked in his behalf.
Taken from the Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
A Franciscan Vocation Saved!
THE Provincial Chapter of September 1226 appointed Anthony as Custos of the Province of Limoges. Shortly after taking over his new duties in the Order, it was brought to the attention of Anthony that one of the novices was thinking of leaving the community. God revealed the temptation of the young friar so that Anthony might help him in his hour of need.
The novice was called into the presence of his superior. Anthony first embraced the youth with all the tender affection of a father. Then he revealed all that had been troubling the young Franciscan. When he had finished, Anthony breathed on the novice and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit!" In a moment the troublesome temptation to return to the world had vanished completely. The novice Peter took his vows and presevered in the religious vocation that had been saved for him through the help of St. Anthony.
Taken from the Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
The Devil Tries His Hand!
SOME of the best known miracles of St. Anthony took place in France. At St. Junien in Limoges Anthony was once preaching on an improvised platform in the town square. But before he began his sermon, Anthony paused for a moment to warn his audience, "Whilst I am speaking to you, the devil will cause this platform to collapse. But no one will be injured."
The sermon had hardly begun when Anthony's prediction was fulfilled. With a splintering crash the platform collapsed. Undaunted by his rather embarrassing tumble, Anthony picked himself up, brushed the dirt off his habit, and went on with his sermon. Satan would have to do a great deal more than this to prevent a zealous Franciscan like Anthony of Padua from preaching the word of God.
Taken from the Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
Even Without Her Asking!
A CERTAIN woman of Limoges had planned to hear St. Anthony preach. In her rush to finish the housework she failed to notice what time it was. A neighbor passed by and told her to hurry. Quite foolishly, the woman rushed out of the house, leaving her infant son playing on the floor near the fireplace on which stood a pot of boiling water.
When the sermon was over and the mother had come home, she stopped at the door in utter horror. Her little one was inside the steaming caldron. Her terror turned to joy when she came closer. The baby was standing in the water, laughing and having a grand time. He was not the least bit harmed. Then the careless mother knew that the safety of her child had been assured through the intercession of St. Anthony. The mother's desire to hear the word of God had saved her from being punished as she might have deserved.
Taken from the Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
St. Anthony, Hair Restorer!
BECAUSE his wife was kind to the friars, a jealous husband ordered her to stop giving them alms. The woman knew her husband's orders were unreasonable, so she ignored them. The next time he found she had been giving things to the friars he became quite furious. He laid hands on his wife and beat her unmercifully. He even dragged the poor woman around by the hair so that a good part of it was pulled out by the roots. When the woman saw this, she went to St. Anthony for help.
Anthony asked the rest of the friars to pray with him. By the time their prayers had come to an end, the woman's hair had been restored, even more lovely than before. When the husband saw the miracle worked through St. Anthony, he was throughly ashamed. He begged his wife's forgiveness and never more interfered in her works of charity towards the Franciscan friars.
Taken from the Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
Thy Sins Are Forgiven Thee!
ANTHONY the priest spent long hours in the confessional. There he was brought face to face with strange and sorrowful problems of all kinds. One penitent in particular found that, when he knelt at the feet of this young Franciscan priest, he was unable to confess his sins. The sorrow which filled his heart was so great that he simply could not speak. Anthony read that heart and and knew that it was sincerely penitent. so he said to the man, "Go home, write your sins on a piece of paper, then bring the paper back to me."
The man did so. Anthony bade him read the list. Obediently the penitent started with the first. To his astonishment he saw that, as soon as he had told it, the name of each sin disappeared from the paper. So it went on. When the last sin had been confessed, the paper was perfectly blank.
Taken from the Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
The Miser's Funeral Sermon!
DURING 1228 Anthony was busy in the Province of Venice. It was at this time that a distinguished Florentine gentleman died and his relatives planned an elaborate funeral for the deceased. Anthony was in the neighborhood and was asked to preach the funeral sermon. Little did the mourners know what Anthony's sermon really would be.
As his text Anthony chose, "Where thy treasure is, there is thy heart, also." In the midst of his sermon, he came to an abrupt pause. Then in solemn tones, he went on, "This man is dead, and his soul is buried in hell! Go! Open his coffers, and you will find his heart!" The astonished relatives did as Anthony bade them. The treasure chest was opened. There, in the midst of all the gold pieces, was the heart of the man who, although rich in earthly treasures, had died poor …