Feast of St. Anthony of Padua
Pray and reflect daily with our St. Anthony of Padua novenas starting June 5 through June 13, 2023.
June 13:
Day NINE of the Great Novena
Reflect on St. Anthony, and the great gift God has given to us in this great wonder-worker.
St. Anthony is said to be the second most popular saint after Mary, Our Blessed Mother. For the followers of St. Anthony, he is not only a powerful saint, but a truly good friend who is always with us in joy and in sorrow, in good times and in bad.
Our devotion to our wonder-worker friend is what leads us to Jesus Christ, and helps us to live our daily lives according to the Gospel values of love of God and generosity to others.
St. Anthony is our “go to saint,” the one who we can call on for anything we need, not only lost items, but also lost love, loss of peace of mind, and even a loss of faith. During this novena we
have prayed and reflected on all that is precious to St. Anthony, and the values that he asks us to
follow as followers of Jesus Christ.
Today, as the Great Novena draws to a close, know that all the Friars are rejoicing with you and preparing to celebrate the Great Feast of St. Anthony.
You will be among those the Friars will be praying for in a special way. Pray for us as we pray for you each day, and may our wonder-worker and friend, the great St. Anthony, help make all our prayers come true.
June 12:
Day EIGHT of the Great Novena
Reflect on the mouth of St. Anthony and the words he preached.
Sometimes people ignored the preaching of St. Anthony, and in one instance God intervened to show that he was worthy of respect by giving signs through animals. In the area near Padua, there was once a group of people who criticized and ridiculed his preaching; so, the Saint went to the edge of a river, looked in the distance, and said to the crowd so that everyone would hear: “When you proved yourselves to be unworthy of the Word of the Lord, I turn to the fish, to demonstrate your disbelief.” And, the Saint, filled with the Lord’s spirit, he began to preach to the fish! elaborating on the gifts given to these “animals of the water” by God. St. Anthony spoke about how God had created them, how He was responsible for the purity of the water and how much freedom He had given them, and how they were able to eat without working. The fish began to gather together to listen to this preaching, lifting their heads above the water and looking at him attentively, with their mouths open. As long as it pleased the Saint to talk to them, they stayed there listening attentively, and did not leave their place until they had received his blessing. He who had made the birds listen to the preaching of the most Holy Father Francis, gathered the fish together to listen to the preaching of his son, Anthony. St. Anthony preached the Gospel of Christ not only by his words but also by his daily actions in prayer, in his life with the Friars, and in his work with the poor.Today, consider how you use your words each day.
Do you speak in the same way as St. Anthony, with kindness, care and love? Are your words filled with anger, meanness, and bitterness, or does your speaking with others, calm them, affirm them and show them God’s love? So often our tongue is more damaging and destructive than any weapon. How is your preaching today? Pray this prayer whenever you feel anger rather than love, or bitterness rather than affirmation about to come from your mouth: St. Anthony, hold my tongue, calm my anger and purify my words that I may only preach the love and forgiveness of God by every word that comes from my mouth. Amen.
Please pray the novena on the prayer card.
June 11:
Day SEVEN of the Great Novena
Reflect on the face of St. Anthony
Reflect on the serene face of this great Friend of Christ as he looks at the face of his beloved Jesus. There is a calmness and peace about Anthony that comes from his love of Christ and Mary, his life of prayer, his reading the Scriptures, and devotion to the Eucharist.Today, pray the Hail Mary slowly and lovingly, reflecting on the words as you pray them.
Today, pray this prayer to St. Anthony.
Blessed St. Anthony, to whom God has granted such favors that, through your intercession, lost items are recovered, pray for me, that I may acquire and preserve peace of mind, with light and knowledge to those things that I need not worry about, and have patience about those things that cause me distress. Deliver me, great Wonder Worker, from all anxiety and uneasiness of mind and heart, so I may faithfully serve my God and Savior as you did, with peace of mind, calmness and patience, and trust without worry. I ask all this through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Please pray the novena on the prayer card.
June 10:
Day SIX of the Great Novena
Reflect on the shadow of the Franciscan Cross behind St. Anthony.
The Franciscan Cross, also known as the San Damiano Cross, is a magnificent icon of the Crucified Christ. The San Damiano Cross is the one before which St. Francis was praying when he received the commission from the Lord to rebuild the Church. The original cross presently hangs in the Basilica of St. Clare Church in Assisi, Italy. All Franciscans cherish this cross as the symbol of their mission from God. The cross is called an icon cross. The tradition of such crosses was transported by Serbian monks to the Umbria district of Italy where St. Francis lived. The name of the painter is unknown. The purpose of an icon cross was to teach the meaning of the event depicted and thereby strengthen the faith of the people.
The present Crucifix contains the story of the death, resurrection and ascension into glory. It is not surprising that Saint Francis was attracted to this Icon and that the inspiration for his life came from this Christ who spoke the words to him “Go repair my Church ...”
The central figure of the icon is Christ, not only because of the relative size, but because Christ is a figure of light dominating the scene and giving light to the other figures: “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Christ stands upright, not nailed. The eyes of Jesus are open: He looks out to the world, which He has saved. He is alive; the one who is eternal. From within the semi-circle at the very top of the Icon is the right hand of God with His finger extended symbolizing the Holy Spirit. The Father gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to all because of the merits of the Christ’s Passion.
Today, reflect and pray these words St. Francis and St. Anthony spoke in front of this Cross:
“We adore You O Christ and we bless You, here and in all your churches throughout the world, and we bless you, because by Your Holy Cross, You have redeemed the world.”
Please pray the novena on the prayer card.
June 9:
Day FIVE of the Great Novena
Reflect on the image of the loaves of bread
St. Anthony and bread go together like spaghetti and meatballs! They are meant to be together. Whenever the loaves of bread are brought to an image of the saint, we know we are reflecting on St. Anthony’s Bread for the Poor. He, like St. Francis, loved the poor in a very special way. As members of St. Anthony’s Guild, we are called to that same love for the poor as he had. For St. Anthony, bread symbolizes the great generosity of Christ in the Eucharist and the profound generosity we should have for the poor and desperate who need our help and care.
Today, reflect on these words of Pope Francis regarding the poor and our obligation to help them:
“Those on the margins cry. Those who have fallen by the wayside cry. Those who are discarded cry,” he said. “But those who are living a life that is more or less without need, we don’t know how to cry.” And he added: “There are some realities that you can only see through eyes that have been cleansed by tears.”
Please pray the novena on the prayer card.
June 8:
Day FOUR of the Great Novena
Reflect on the image of the Lily.
The image of the Lily is often used in various portrayals of saints and many feel it epitomizes only chastity. In reality, the lily also symbolizes mercy, compassion, healing, celebration and faithfulness. The leaves of the lily are said to represent humility. As we reflect on this list of meanings attributed to the lily, we can envision the great St. Anthony taking shape before us. His presence certainly signifies chastity, but as we consider the other meaning of this beautiful flower, we can see his life’s work of preaching Christ’s compassion and healing for each of us, as well as the celebration of our salvation and our faithfulness to Gospel values.Today, reflect on what the words represented by the lily mean for you.
Please pray the novena on the prayer card.
June 7:
Day THREE of the Great Novena
Reflect on the image of Mary, Our Blessed Mother
In the upper right-hand corner of the painting, you will see an image of Our Lady. She is beloved by all Franciscans and in a special way, close to the heart of St. Anthony. As a true Franciscan Friar, St. Anthony praised and glorified the Queen of the Angels from the pulpit, where he moved so many to honor the name of Mary. Furthermore, he imitated her with such perfection that he became, as it were, an extension of the Virgin Mother on earth.
“For nine months she carried within her body Total Love—She carried God’s Love Incarnate in Her womb.” As his earthly life was brought to a close, he intoned his favorite hymn, “O Gloriosa Domina...” (O glorious Lady). He lived and died with the Virgin Mary’s name on his lips and in his heart.
Today, pray the Hail Mary slowly and lovingly, reflecting on the words as you pray them.
Please pray the novena on the prayer card.
June 6:
Day TWO of the Great Novena
Reflect on the Book of the Sacred Scriptures
The symbol of the Book reminds us that the Word of God, the Sacred Scriptures were the basis of St. Anthony’s preaching and also part of the symbol of the Infant Jesus resting in his arms. The Word of God comes to life in Jesus and in our service and generosity to others. The Word of God is not only found in the form of a book, but also in the presence of Jesus Christ and in each of us. We become the Word of God when we act as Jesus in generously serving the poor and all those we love.
Today read this passage from St. Paul, Romans 12:10-12
“Love each other as much as brothers and sisters should, and have a profound respect for each other. Work for the Lord with untiring effort and with great earnestness of spirit. If you have hope, this will make you cheerful. Do not give up if trials come; and keep on praying.” Now reflect on what God is trying to communicate to you.
Please pray the novena on the prayer card.
June 5:
Day ONE of the Great Novena
Reflect on the Infant Jesus in the arms of St. Anthony
This touching and beautiful symbol of the Christ Child in the arms of St. Anthony not only reflects the vision of Mary handing over the Child Jesus, but even more strongly the baby in his arms represents the core of our Christian belief—that the Word of God became flesh among us at the Incarnation, the birth of Jesus Christ. God loves us so much and unconditionally, that He gave us his only Son so that we might have life forever.
Let us remember that we have been saved and redeemed by God’s love brought to life in Jesus Christ.
Today, give God thanks for the many gifts you have received.
Please pray the novena on the prayer card.
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Day NINE of the Great Novena
Reflect on St. Anthony, and the great gift God has given to us in this great wonder-worker.
St. Anthony is said to be the second most popular saint after Mary, Our Blessed Mother. For the followers of St. Anthony, he is not only a powerful saint, but a truly good friend who is always with us in joy and in sorrow, in good times and in bad.
Our devotion to our wonder-worker friend is what leads us to Jesus Christ, and helps us to live our daily lives according to the Gospel values of love of God and generosity to others.
St. Anthony is our “go to saint,” the one who we can call on for anything we need, not only lost
items, but also lost love, loss of peace of mind, and even a loss of faith. During this novena we
have prayed and reflected on all that is precious to St. Anthony, and the values that he asks us to
follow as followers of Jesus Christ.
Today, as the Great Novena draws to a close, know that all the Friars are rejoicing with you and preparing to celebrate the Great Feast of St. Anthony tomorrow.
You will be among those the Friars will be praying for in a special way. Pray for us as we pray for you each day, and may our wonder-worker and friend, the great St. Anthony, help make all our prayers come true.
Please pray the novena prayer on the enclosed prayer card.
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