The saint for this month is St. Anthony of Padua, renowned preacher and doctor of the Church. Born in Portugal, St. Anthony started his life with the name of Ferdinand. Pious from youth, he entered an Augustinian monastery and began to study the Scriptures. However, his life was soon to take a radical turn when he had an encounter with the Franciscan protomartyrs’ relics, which were returning from Morocco. Moved by their zeal for the Gospel, he left the Augustinians to join the ragtag band of newly minted Franciscans. He wished to be a humble and unknown brother, but when a disorganized ordination ceremony of both Franciscans and Dominicans was taking place, and between the Order of Preachers and the Friars Minor not a homilist could be found, it was the obedient and humble Anthony who was commanded to preach. His preaching turned out to surpass the wildest expectations of his superiors, and he spent a significant amount of time from that point on preaching and teaching far and wide—and performing many miracles to boot. Two of his more notable miracles include preaching the Gospel to the fishes when he came upon some less than reluctant folks to evangelize, and also a Eucharistic miracle involving a genuflecting donkey.
One thing that I particularly love about St. Anthony of Padua is his humble silence. While he was known as an incredible preacher in his day, the thing he is most known for is nothing remotely scholarly, but as a hero in an area that is one of the most humble and basic in this fallen world: he operates as a finder of lost objects. Chances are, if you know nothing else about St. Anthony, you do know that. His skill is shockingly reliable, and oftentimes I have found that if you don’t find it right away, it’s because he’s working with God’s timing—which sometimes is not ours. Other things that St. Anthony teaches me: patience, yes, and also that even saints have their fun quirks. He had a deep thing for treehouses. Towards the end of his life, he actually lived in one.
St. Anthony also carries the notable honor of being the Franciscan who allowed study to enter the order. St. Francis specifically told him not to let it extinguish the spirit of prayer, but allowed that novelty for the sake of the Gospel and this humble preacher of the Good News. I am so grateful for St. Anthony’s loving witness to the Church, and to the Franciscan Order, especially at a time when the Friars Minor were far more than disorganized. He maintained sanctity and his spirit of prayer, and continues to be a presence in our own day. Especially when something is lost.