Tag: Saint Anthony

Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church

From the responsorial psalm: “You have crowned the year with your bounty, and your paths overflow with a rich harvest; The untilled meadows overflow with it, and rejoicing clothes the hills. It is right to praise you in Zion, O God.”

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 5:20-26)

Jesus said to his disciples: “You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

Jesus goes on to tell the disciples the consequences of not settling quickly resulting from the limitations of human righteousness that the Pharisees exhibited. Addressing unforgiveness, Jesus says: “Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison.” In other words, the bars of unforgiveness that you would have enclose another are the very same bars that you find yourself enclosed in. “Amen, I say to you,” Jesus says, “you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” That is why Jesus tells us first to reconcile with our brothers and sisters before bringing to the altar, to the Eucharistic sacrifice, the gift of self we offer to give glory and praise to God.

God, only you know and have as your being limitless mercy. The day will bring plenty of reconciliations to be worked out, lots of opportunities to work toward forgiveness in some form. Give me the wisdom to know the limits of my ability to forgive; when I stumble, show me the way to become a means of your mercy. Lead me not into the temptation to confine your mercy to my limited understanding but grant me the grace to see your hand at work where it is most needed. Saint Anthony, pray for us!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

“Stretch out your hand.”| Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mk 3:1-6)

He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.

As Jesus encounters a man in the synagogue with a withered hand, the Pharisees watch closely, waiting to see if Jesus will cure on the sabbath. In response to the Pharisees’s question “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath?” they remain silent. Jesus asks the man to stretch out his hand, and he cures him immediately. Mark tells us that the Pharisees “took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death.” In perfect observance of the will of the Father, Jesus accomplishes the work he was sent to do, a model of courage and compassion over legalistic adherence.

God, help me in the spiritual battles of this day, which are certain to come. Two prayers come to mind that will aid me when, by your grace, I need you to deliver me in the midst of struggle: the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel and today’s Psalm. “St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. . . .” From Psalm 144: “Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war. My refuge and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, my shield, in whom I trust, who subdues my people under me. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!”

From the Gospel acclamation: “Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people.” Lord, help me know your will for me today and give me strength to be bold in accomplishing it!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.