I heard it as a bit of an indictment. That thought came to me as I was considering St. Anthony and saints in general and how the world comes to know them. Growing up visiting churches, there was always the adventure of figuring out who the statues represented, and this was usually accomplished by looking at what they were holding in their hands.
Most were easy Peter had Keys to the Kingdom, St. Paul a sword as a reminder of his martyrdom. But then you would see a statue wearing a brown robe, looking like a Franciscan. Was it St. Francis or Anthony? Mother quickly pointed out that Francis usually had a dove or a cross, and Anthony would have the Bible and often the child Jesus along with a lily. However, without those prompts, who could tell the difference?
Today, we celebrate St. Anthony, and I want to highlight three things that I believe are important to embrace as we remember St. Have courage, trusting in the power of the moment. Anthony is one of the best examples of taking each moment for what it is.
Anthony embraced each moment of his life as an opportunity to deepen his relationship with God, and in every unexpected thing life presented, he responded with love. In his willingness to say yes, he was successful in dedicating his life to following Christ, being an example of the discipline of courage, trust, and a humble love of God. Be concerned with the needs of others. However, God re-directed him out of hardships and illness, understanding that God had plans for him.
Through his submission to the Lord, Anthony became a vessel to save thousands of people as a missionary for Christ, giving us the example and plan for our lives and such that when we shift our focus to things that really matter, it has implications beyond our comfort or vanity.
