St. Anthony of Padua

The Franciscan preacher whose knowledge of Scripture was so vast that Gregory IX called him "the Ark of the Testament."

The story

An Augustinian canon inspired by the Franciscan martyrs of Morocco, Anthony joined the Friars Minor hoping to die a martyr. Shipwrecked in Sicily instead, he lived hidden as a kitchen brother until an unprepared ordination day revealed his eloquence. He preached across Italy and France, drawing crowds of thirty thousand, and died at thirty-five. He was canonized within a year.

What Anthony teaches

Give your gifts to God and let Him decide when to use them. Anthony hid his learning until obedience revealed it.

Patronage

lost things, the poor, Portugal, Padua.

Prayer

St. Anthony, help us find what we have lost, above all the grace and faith we have let slip away. Amen.