June 13th
St Anthony of Padua (1195-1231), Priest, Confessor; Lisbon, Portugal; Feast day June 13th

"Behold the Cross of the Lord!
Be gone all evil powers!
The Lion of the tribe of Judah,
The root of David has conquered! Alleluia!"

"Solicitude for material things distracts the soul and divides it.  The devil seizes the divided soul and drags it to hell."

"The saints are like the stars.  In His providence, Christ conceals them in a hidden place that they may not shine before others when they might wish to do so.  Yet they are always ready to exchange the quiet of contemplation for the works of mercy as soon as they perceive in their heart the invitation of Christ."

"Anyone who desires to live chastely in Christ Jesus, must flee not only the mouse of lust, but even from its very scent."

"The spirit of humility is sweeter than honey, and those who nourish themselves with this honey produce sweet fruit."

"The Glorious Virgin did not have a stain in her birth because she was sanctified in her mother's womb and safeguarded there by angels."

"Christ acts like a loving  mother.  To induce us to follow Him, He gives us Himself as an example and promises us a reward in His Kingdom."

"Attribute to God every good that you have received.  If you take credit for something that does not belong to you, you will be guilty of theft."

"Cursed money!  How many religious did it blind!  How many cloistered religious did it deceive!  Money is the droppings of birds that blinded the eyes of Tobit."

"The life of the body is the soul; the life of the soul is God."

"The greedy and usurers have teeth that are swords and knives which they use to devour the poor and steal their meager possessions.  All of them are children of this world who consider the children of light to be stupid and believe themselves to be the prudent ones.  Their prudence is their death."

"Blessed be the eternal God; for the fishes of the sea honor Him more than men without faith, and animals without reason listen to His word with greater attention than sinful heretics."

"When  it is dark, we do not see how dusty and dirty our house is.  Only when the place is flooded with sunlight do we realize its awful condition.  So we need the light of God's grace to show us the real state of our soul and to induce us to clean up our hearts!"

"The Lord of the universe wrapped in swaddling clothes; the King of angels, lying in a stable; the One whose name is boundless and yet is laid in a narrow manger!"

"Nothing apart from God can satisfy the human heart, which is truly in search of God."

"We, therefore, who call ourselves Christians with the name of Christ, unanimously with devoted minds, pray to the same Son of God, Jesus Christ, and with insistence, we ask that He allow us to pass from the spirit of contrition to the desert of confession so that we can receive forgiveness for our iniquities and, renewed and purified, we deserve to enjoy the joys of His resurrection and to take our place in the glory of eternal beatitude, with the help of His grace.  May He have honor and glory in the centuries.  Amen!"

"What should contrition be like?  Listen to the psalmist, 'A contrite spirit is a sacrifice to God; you, oh God, do not disdain a broken and humiliated heart.'  Expressed in this short verse are the compunction of a spirit that is tormented by its sins, the reconciliation of the sinner, the universal repentance of his sins, and the persevering humiliation of the repentant..  Because the spirit of the penitent, when it is pierced and wounded by pain, is a sacrifice appreciated by God, who makes peace with this sinner, who, in his turn, reconciles with the Lord."

Prayer to St. Anthony:

Good St. Anthony, look around!  Something's lost and must be found.  Please help me find [insert object being sought].

In the Footsteps of St Anthony, Part I, Part II