Tuesday, September 7, 2010

13 Tuesdays of Prayer to St. Anthony

Short Prayers to St. Anthony for "Thirteen Tuesdays" beginning Tuesday, September 9, 2010

First Tuesday
St. Anthony you found quiet time to retreat into private communion with God to replenish your life with new strength.  Help me in the midst of my busy life to seek the Spirit's guiding presence within my heart.  Thank you.

To be followed by this prayer on each Tuesday
O Holy Saint Anthony, gentlest of saints,
your love for God and charity for
His creatures made you worthy, when
on earth, to possess miraculous powers.
Miracles waited on your words
which were ever ready to speak for those
in trouble or anxiety.  Encouraged by
this thought, I implore you to obtain
for me  (prayer request).  The answer
to my prayer may require a miracle;
even so, you are the Saint of Miracles.
O gentle and loving Saint Anthony,
whose heart was ever full of human
sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears
of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to
folded in your arms, and the gratitude of
my heart will be ever yours.  Amen.

Anthony of Padua was born in 1195 in Lisbon, Portugal, the future St. Anthony of Padua was the son of a knight at the court of King Alfonso II.  He studied as a youth under the priests of the Lisbon cathedral and was ordained in 1219 or 1220.  He joined the Franciscans in 1221.

His sermons, noted for their eloquence, spirit, and persuasiveness, attracted huge crowds everywhere he preached.  His success in rconciling persons alienated from the Church and as a confessor was phenomenal.

He settled in Padua, Italy after 1226, and worked to abolish debtors' prisons, helped the poor, and worked ceaselessly and untiringly to teach authentic Catholic doctrine.

He died in 1231 at the age of thirty-six.  He was canonized a saint the following year and declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius XII in 1946.

Stories of miracles obtained through his intercession and of his preaching prowess are legendary.  He is known as the "Miracle Worker".  He is the patron of the poor and oppressed and is widely invoked for the return of lost articles.  He is often depicted in art with the Infant Jesus in his arms.

Franciscan Friars of the Atonement - Graymoor http://www.atonementfriars.org/

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