Talking about St. Anthony on Morning Air

This week I had the pleasure of joining John Morales and the team on Morning Air on the Feast of St. Anthony to discuss that miraculous saint. You can listen to the audio here, which starts at minute 11:55.

What stands out to me about St. Anthony, as I talked about on the show, is that he is so much more than the patron of lost things (but you should pray to him for lost things, because he will help you). For one thing, he gave his life completely over to God. At one point in his life, after he joined his religious order, he wanted to travel to Morocco, as he felt God calling him there to serve. But, once there, he got terribly sick, had to board a boat back to his native Portugal, but was blown off course and ended up in Sicily. Can you imagine? I mean, that’s it. You live in Italy now whether you like it or not. It’s not like you could just catch the next plane after a nice stay in a comfortable hospital recovering. So, he submitted to God’s will in humility.

We also know him as a great preacher. But, did you know he before he was a great preacher and missionary, he was basically a helper in the kitchen? The first time anyone heard him preach, it was essentially by accident, because no one else had prepared a homily, and his superior called on him. Lo and behold, he had the gift. So, he was not only someone who used his gifts to serve God, but he also waited in obedience until they were called upon. Overall I get the impression he was very humble and patient. St. Anthony, pray for us!

Also, I have a new article up at Catholic Stand, about the new Padre Pio movie, called Deciphering the New Padre Pio Movie. I will dedicate another post to expanding on my thoughts on that movie, which you may have already heard is controversial.

Lastly: tomorrow is the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. John Paul II, a great devotee of the Sacred Heart, said, “This feast reminds us of the mystery of the love of God for the people of all times.” And, this year, the US Bishops are calling on Catholics to pray an act of reparation on this day, by praying the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I recommend not only doing this, but spending time with the words, thinking about what they describe about Jesus and his actions: “source of all consolation,” “aflame with love for us,” “generous to all who turn to you,” and so on. By praying this litany tomorrow, you are, essentially, countering anti-human blasphemy with prayer. Now that’s worth five minutes of your time!