St. Anthony de Padua with the Child Jesus by Antonio de Pereda
"Only a soul that prays can make progress in the spiritual life: this is the privileged object of St. Anthony's preaching. He knows well the defects of human nature, the tendency to fall into sin; that is why he constantly exhorts to combat the inclination to covetousness, to pride, to impurity and to practice the virtues of poverty and generosity, of humility and obedience, of chastity and purity. At the beginning of the 13th century, in the context of the rebirth of the cities and the flourishing of trade, there was an increased number of people who were insensitive to the poor. Because of this, Anthony many times invites the faithful to think of true wealth, that of the heart, which, making them good and merciful, makes them accumulate treasures for Heaven. "O rich people," he exhorts, "befriend ... the poor, welcome them in your homes: They will then be the ones who receive you in the eternal tabernacles, where the beauty of peace is, the confidence of security, and the opulent quiet of eternal satiety" (Ibid., p. 29)." - Pope Benedict on St. Anthony given at the Papal Audience on February 10, 2010. More can be read from Zenit.org.
No comments:
Post a Comment