Fiza Pathan –
Saint Anthony was born on the 15th of August, 1195. It is the same day when we celebrate the Assumption of Mother Mary. But do we usually know this fact as Catholics? We should because it is because of saints like Saint Anthony of Padua that we have the official dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Saint Anthony’s mother, a regal woman of rich heritage, consecrated her son, then named Fernando, to the Blessed Virgin Mary after his birth. From then on, Saint Anthony continued to have deep devotion and trust toward the Mother of God. Through her intercessions, Saint Anthony retained the grace of his Baptism and joined the monastery when he was fifteen years old. He became a Franciscan at the age of twenty-five where it was discovered that he had a powerful oratory voice, as mentioned by his biographers Stoddard, Rengers, and Locatelli. Through the orders of Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Anthony was appointed as preacher to Northern Italy.
Saint Anthony continued to defend the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary during this time. We know this from his sermons which have come down to us through history. Saint Anthony’s sermons were divided into three parts:
- Sermons on the Feasts
- Sunday Sermons
- Sermons in Praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Thus, we see his great devotion to Mary and the championing of her cause to be recognized as the very Ark of the Covenant where our Lord Jesus resided when he took the form of flesh upon this earth, the same Ark which was then lifted up body and soul into heaven. Saint Anthony of Padua continued to praise the virtues of Mother Mary and her Assumption throughout his preaching and teaching ministry as a Franciscan. Thus, he claimed for himself the title of ‘Apostle of Mary’s Assumption’ as stated by his biographers Stoddard as well as Rengers. Where Saint Francis of Assisi was the defender and apostle of Mother Mary’s Immaculate Birth or Conception, Saint Anthony, in his profound humility and devotion, was the Apostle of her Assumption.
It all started one particular eve of the Assumption Feast when Saint Anthony had doubts about attending Mass to celebrate the occasion. He prayed fervently to Our Lady for guidance, and as his biographer, Stoddard, stated, Our Lady appeared to him. She declared to him that she indeed was Assumed or taken up body and soul into heaven and that he should champion this dogma of hers for the salvation of souls. Saint Anthony then, after the vision, never doubted this fact again. He used to preach this doctrine boldly using texts from scripture that he learned verbatim.
Pope Pius XII, in the year 1950, on the 1st of November, as he spoke about the dogma of the Assumption of Our Lady, singled out Saint Anthony from among all theologians and Catholic mystics of his time, saying:
‘Among the holy writers who at that same time employed statements of various images and analogies of Sacred Scripture to illustrate and to confirm the doctrine of the Assumption which (otherwise) was piously believed, the Evangelical Doctor Saint Anthony of Padua holds a special place.’
Pope Pius XII stated in this same message that on the Assumption Feast on one occasion in the past, Saint Anthony mentioned the prophet’s words in the Bible in the book of Isaiah 60: 13 that the Lord would glorify the place of his feet. He felt in that text was the clear indication that the Blessed Virgin had been assumed in her body where was the place of the Lord’s feet. Hence Saint Anthony felt that in this statement, the words of Psalm 132: 8 were also now clear to understand:
‘Arise, O Lord into Thy resting place, Thou and the Ark which Thou hast sanctified.’
Here, the Ark is Mother Mary, whom the Redeemer had bedecked with supreme glory from whom he had received human flesh. Pope Pius XII, while instituting the dogma, indicated several times that it was because of the powerful voices of Saints like Saint Anthony of Padua, Doctor of Mystical theology, that the Church’s otherwise pious view of Mother Mary’s assumption was now a clear-cut dogma. If it were not for Saints like Saint Anthony of Padua, the Assumption of Mary would not be a dogma today.
Saint Anthony loved our Lady till the end. He died singing the Marian hymn ‘O gloriosa Domina’ (O Glorious Lady, Fairest Queen) happily. At the end of the hymn, he saw the Beatific vision of his God and died peacefully at the young age of thirty-six. This teaches us that all those who take recourse to Our Lady will surely be led to her Son, the Redeemer of all the world and his Father in Heaven. This also teaches us the simple humility of Saint Anthony, who never celebrated his birthday and wished to dedicate his birth date to Our Lady’s Assumption both on earth and in heaven. He is successful. We don’t often remember his birthday as we remember Independence Day or the Assumption feast. Let us, this 15th of August, thank the Lord for the gift of His Mother as well as the gift of Saint Anthony, who once stated himself in one of his sermons:
‘Poor sinner, why despair of thy salvation? Behold, the advocates who plead thy cause before the tribunal of Divine Justice: A Redeemer and A Mother – Mary who presents to her son her heart transfixed with the sword of sorrow; Jesus who presents to his Father the wounds in his feet and hands and his heart pierced by the soldier’s lance. Take courage, Divine Mercy can’t reject thee.’
O, Mary! Please send us more Saints like your Holy son Saint Anthony!
Fiza Pathan is an accomplished author of 12 award-winning books and has won a number of international awards. She writes for The Examiner, Mumbai, a Catholic Magazine. She lives with her maternal family in Bandra. Do visit her insightful and lovely blog – insaneowl.com.