Fellow Anthonians and Catholics,today is the feast of St Anthony.He is a saint and doctor of the church who lived a life of emulation.He died on 13th june 1231 in the small town of Padua.I won't say much about him because i want this thread to be interactive.so let me see what you know about this great servant of God.Anthoo....Padua!!!

He is a great saint. Even though he was born into a wealthy family, he abandoned wealth and chose God. God blessed him with the gift of miracles. He once preached to the fishes when the people refused to listen to him.

Saint Anthony is one of most loved and admired saint in the catholic church. Patron of lost things and missing persons, Doctor of the church, held the child Jesus in his arm, performed many miracles, during his life time, also good preacher, happens to be my patron saint and was born on August which is same with me. Buy Saint Anthony's prayer book, and pray with it whenever you lost anything, don't forget to write your testimony here

I do know that he was born in 1195, died in 1231 at the age of 36. He was particularly devoted to the Infant Jesus and Our Blessed Mother. One day while bearing the Blessed Sacrament to a sick person, he met on his way a man with his donkey (I think) and the animal got on his and bowed before its creator, Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
I do know that 12yrs ago thru his powerful intercession my niece, Antoinette, was delivered after a particularly difficult labor.
He is my Patron Saint, and he's been known to help me find stuff I misplaced.
One of the greatest saints ever. He died pure, a virgin and he never uttered a harsh or sinful word.
His holy tongue still lives.

i just love him. I pray God to give me grace to live a holy life like st anthony of padua amen. Anthooooo padua!!

He went to river to preach to fish and they stood up to listen to him.

Sal C: He is a great saint. Even though he was born into a wealthy family, he abandoned wealth and chose God. God blessed him with the gift of miracles. He once preached to the fishes when the people refused to listen to him.

mumumugu: He went to river to preach to fish and they stood up to listen to him.

I am sure those fishes are now spending eternity with Jesus. I wonder if he is multiplying them and serving them to angels, with bread and wine of course.

St Anthony remains one of the most spiritually gifted men ever to live on this earth.God really used him to work even the strangest of miracles.Almost 1000 years after his death,records of his several posthumous miraculous interventions still abound especially in the recovery of lost items.

I often pause to wonder why he was so gifted.Why do you think st Anthony of padua was so much gifted with the power to perform miracles?

From "The Little Flowers of St. Francis of Assisi," 1476

 
Christ, the blessed one, was pleased to show forth the great sanctity of his most faithful servant St Anthony, and how men ought devoutly to listen to his preaching, be means of creatures without reason. On one occasion, amongst others, he made use of fish to reprove the folly of faithless heretics: even as we read in the Old Testament that in ancient times he reproved the ignorance of Balaam by the mouth of an ass.

St Anthony being at one time at Rimini, where there were a great number of heretics, and wishing to lead them by the light of faith into the way of truth, preached to them for several days, and reasoned with them on the faith of Christ and on the Holy Scriptures. They not only resisted his words, but were hardened and obstinate, refusing to listen to him.

At last St Anthony, inspired by God, went down to the sea-shore, where the river runs into the sea, and having placed himself on a bank between the river and the sea, he began to speak to the fishes as if the Lord had sent him to preach to them, and said: "Listen to the word of God, O ye fishes of the sea and of the river, seeing that the faithless heretics refuse to do so."

No sooner had he spoken these words than suddenly so great a multitude of fishes, both small and great, approached the bank on which he stood, that never before had so many been seen in the sea or the river. All kept their heads out of the water, and seemed to be looking attentively on St Anthony's face; all were ranged in perfect order and most peacefully, the smaller ones in front near the bank, after them came those a little bigger, and last of all, were the water was deeper, the largest.

When they had placed themselves in this order, St Anthony began to preach to them most solemnly, saying: "My brothers the fishes, you are bound, as much as is in your power, to return thanks to your Creator, who has given you so noble an element for your dwelling; for you have at your choice both sweet water and salt; you have many places of refuge from the tempest; you have likewise a pure and transparent element for your nourishment. God, your bountiful and kind Creator, when he made you, ordered you to increase and multiply, and gave you his blessing. In the universal deluge, all other creatures perished; you alone did God preserve from all harm. He has given you fins to enable you to go where you will. To you was it granted, according to the commandment of God, to keep the prophet Jonas, and after three days to throw him safe and sound on dry land. You it was who gave the tribute-money to our Saviour Jesus Christ, when, through his poverty, he had not wherewith to pay. By a singular mystery you were the nourishment of the eternal King, Jesus Christ, before and after his resurrection. Because of all these things you are bound to praise and bless the Lord, who has given you blessings so many and so much greater than to other creatures."

At these words the fish began to open their mouths, and bow their heads, endeavouring as much as was in their power to express their reverence and show forth their praise.

St Anthony, seeing the reverence of the fish towards their Creator, rejoiced greatly in spirit, and said with a loud voice: "Blessed be the eternal God; for the fishes of the sea honour him more than men without faith, and animals without reason listen to his word with greater attention than sinful heretics."

And whilst St Anthony was preaching, the number of fishes increased, and none of them left the place that he had chosen. And the people of the city hearing of the miracle, made haste to go and witness it. With them also came the heretics of whom we have spoken above, who, seeing so wonderful and manifest a miracle, were touched in their hearts; and threw themselves at the feet of St Anthony to hear his words. The saint then began to expound to them the Catholic faith. He preached so eloquently, that all those heretics were converted, and returned to the true faith of Christ; the faithful also were filled with joy, and greatly comforted, being strengthened in the faith.

After this St Anthony sent away the fishes, with the blessing of God; and they all departed, rejoicing as they went, and the people returned to the city. But St Anthony remained at Rimini for several days, preaching and reaping much spiritual fruit in the souls of his hearers.

...and St Anthony was human, just like us.

We can be like him if we flee from sin and do God's will with purity of heart always.

I thank u all for your numerous contributions on the life of the great servant of God,st Anthony.wish we all obtain forgiveness of sins and eternal life through his intercessions.Viva Anthony!!!