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St. Anthony was born into this old world with a fervor to obtain heaven. His ancestors were knights and crusaders. Promises and messengers from heaven have favored his country, Portugal. He lived during the time of St. Frances of Assisi and St. Dominic of the rosary. As a teenager, St. Anthony prepared to become a knight. It was his heart's desire. This dream along with his wealthy lifestyle and great earthly inheritance were all traded to become a monk. St. Anthony was devoted to the Child Jesus. The saint possessed a captivating voice and charisma that greatly affected audiences whenever he spoke publicly. He had been well educated since childhood; first preparing to become a knight then as a monk in the Lisbon cathedral. St. Anthony received a lot of attention being a monk in Lisbon. People were aware that he was the only son of an influential family. He moved to Coîmbra to escape attention. In Coîmbra he studied with teachers from Montpellier, Toulouse, and Paris. He was taught scriptures and technique to disarm heretics. He was ordained in 1219. When St. Anthony was 25 years old, he heard about St Francis of Assisi. Five monks traveling from Assisi to Morocco stopped in Coîmbra. St. Anthony was deeply affected by these men who imitated Christ. Their humble attitudes, their devotion to serve God and their worldly poverty astounded St Anthony. These same five Franciscans were martyred while converting Moors to Christianity. Their deaths renewed St Anthony's old determination to be a crusader. He decided to confront heretics as a missionary, and he obtained permission to become a Franciscan. He sailed to Morocco intending to convert Islamics. He became so ill that without much ado other than attempting to recover from infection. St Anthony was sent back to Portugal by ship. A storm deterred the ship from its course and it was forced ashore on the coast of Sicily. Due to this circumstance St Anthony was in the right place at the right time to attend a meeting of all Franciscans in Assisi. It was here the two saints saw one another. St Anthony was placed in a rural hospice outside Bologna and there put to work along side untutored monks. St Anthony's talents were ignored, and in the mean time he was obtaining the most treasured of graces-humility. An occasion arose that surrounded St Anthony in the middle of a great number of Dominicans renowned for their speaking abilities. The saint was unexpectedly requested to address the Dominicans. Obediently St Anthony complied, hoping for the best. The Dominicans were unexpectedly surrounded and overwhelmed by this saint's powerful presentation. St. Anthony became known as the hammer of heretics because of the effect his sermons. He was commissioned to produce "Sermons for Feast Days". He wrote "Sermons for Sundays" and sermons on the saints. When near death, St Anthony retreated to a shelter under a walnut tree. He firmly upheld the austerities practiced by St. Francis until his last day of life. St. Anthony was buried in Our Lady's Church at Padua. In 1981 his tomb was opened and the relics examined. His bones indicated a poor diet due to his many fasts and fatigue due to long journeys on foot. In art St Anthony may be shown preaching to fish. This is an illustration of a sermon he preached in Rimini. The heretics there turned him away until they noticed that even the fish listened when he spoke. Often St Anthony is portrayed as a Franciscan holding the Child Jesus. This is from an incident at a castle where St Anthony was an overnight guest. Light shining from the room he was in and illuminating a staircase, caused an investigation that led to the source of the remarkable occurrence. The saint standing in the room holding the Child Jesus. St Anthony is often invoked to help find lost objects. One of the saint's own manuscripts was stolen and the thief intended to claim the work for his own. St Anthony prayed for the thief to repent and for the return of the manuscript. Both of which occurred. St Anthony placed himself as tutor to the penitent. In this way the saint offered the trespasser all of his expertise. Perhaps with St Anthony's help we may find humility and charity such as he found and perhaps devotion to the Child Jesus such as he has. St. Anthony servant of God A prayer of request to Saint Anthony:O holy Saint Anthony, gentlest of Saints, thy love for God and charity for His creatures made thee worthy when on earth to possess miraculous powers. Miracles waited on thy word, which thou wert ever ready to speak for those in trouble and anxiety. Encouraged by this thought, I implore thee to obtain for me...... The answer to my prayer may require a miracle; even so, thou art the Saint of Miracles. O gentle and loving Saint Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in thy arms, and the gratitude of my heart will ever be thine. Amen.
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