Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church
Today, we celebrate the memorial of St. Anthony, commonly known as St. Anthony of Padua. I once met a Portuguese Jesuit who argued that it is incorrect to refer to him as Anthony of Padua, explaining that he should properly be called Anthony of Lisbon or Anthony of Portugal. Indeed, Anthony was born and grew up in a wealthy family in Lisbon and Portugal. He later became a priest and a member of the Order of Friars Minor. After his ordination, Anthony set out for Morocco to fulfill his new vocation. Unfortunately, he fell seriously ill there and decided to return to Portugal in hopes of regaining his health. During the return voyage, however, the ship was blown off course and ended up in Sicily. From Sicily, he made his way to Tuscany. After several years of dedicated service, he was appointed Provincial Superior for northern Italy, choosing the city of Padua as his base, where he ultimately died.
In his Letter to Corinthians, St. Paul said that we suffer tribulation, but we are not constrained. In this life, we often face tribulations like a traveler who becomes distressed when he cannot find a way. St. Anthony planned to sail back home to Portugal, but he ended up stranded in Sicily; he was not distressed because he trusted in God and had Hope in Christ, and through the help of God, he then spent his ministry in a different country. St. Paul said further that we are perplexed but not destitute. This statement is a reminder that God will never abandon us. Someone who lives without God's help and hope will be destitute even if they are rich. But those who trust and hope in God, no matter how perplexed they are, they won't be destitute. When St. Anthony arrived in Tuscany, he was humiliated and faced difficulties due to his sickly appearance. He was assigned to the rural hermitage due to his poor health. But he was not destitute because he trusted and hoped for Christ. Finally, St. Paul said that we are struck down but not destroyed. This statement is a reminder that we shall not cease doing good despite the trials and tribulations in our lives; we are not destroyed because God will always sustain us.