MAY THE LOVE OF JESUS CHRIST, BE ALWAYS IN OUR HEART TO KEEP US HUMBLE, GRATEFUL, MERCIFUL, FORGIVING --- O GOD, BLESS ALL THAT IS COMING FROM YOU AND BREAK ALL THAT IS NOT COMING FROM YOU, AMEN --- This site is just a drop from the immeasurable ocean in JESUS, THE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD, HOLY TRINITY ONE GOD - HE IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE - TEACHER, HEALER, REDEEMER --- The main purpose of this site is to make an easier access to Catholic Religion-related links.
I make up my own mysteries of the rosary. There, I said it. I am a rogue rosary prayer. Each day I pray the rosary when I exercise. However, when it’s a long workout and I forgot my audiobook, I continue saying the Rosary. I have already said the mysteries of that day, so I think about other moments in the life of our Lady and blessed Lord. Some of my favorite meditations are what I call the Mysterious Mysteries. The period between the finding of the child Jesus in the temple until His baptism by St. John is what we call the “hidden life.” It’s the period where Jesus return with His parents to Nazareth and was obedient to them. By my calculation that is 18 years of Jesus’ life that we know nothing about, but we can speculate. I believe that he was experiencing all the normal things that a young man would do, except sin. So from the hidden life of Jesus, I present five of my mysterious mysteries of the holy rosary.
1.Keeps Holy the Sabbath – As good Jews, the Holy Family would have kept holy the Sabbath. They would have walked to temple, worshipped, visited with friends and returned home for a meal together. Mass and a Sunday supper should flow from this mystery. Do the chores on Saturday. After Mass, go ahead and watch the game but turn off the tube when it’s time to have Sunday supper together. Take turns leading the prayers, and don’t forget to tell God what you are most grateful for that week.
2. Hangs out with friends – Imagine having Jesus in your high school math class. He definitely would get the answers right when He was called on, but I am sure that everyone felt better about themselves from hanging out with the Lord. No teenage angst (felt nervous, worried) around Him. Leaving people better from an encounter with you is the blessing to pray for during this mystery. Let people hear a kind word and a compliment, and don’t forget to ask them if there is anything that you can pray for them.
3. Helps the Neighbours – Picture the old lady next door to the Holy Family. I bet you, she never had to drag her trash cans back in after pick-up each week. Be a good neighbour, especially if they are not.
4. Our Lord Does the Dishes – I can picture Jesus, Mary and Joseph outdoing one another in kindness. It was not a showy kind of care, but it was a genuine joy of bringing those we love joy. Pray for the blessing to outdo your family in generosity and goodness. Pray for the blessing of being inconvenienced.
5. Jesus Attends a Wedding at Cana – I know you think this is already covered in the Luminous Mysteries, but that mystery involves the miracle of Jesus’ changing water into wine. I am just meditating on Jesus being at a party. Did he have fun? Absolutley! Did he dance? I bet he did. I can see him in one of those large group dances from Jewish weddings. Did he laugh? Of course. He entered into humanity to help us appreciate not just the great mystery of our salvations, but also he helped us realize the true blessings of our hidden life.
Statue of St Anthony of Padua at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church, St Paul's Bay, Malta
PRAYER TO SAINT ANTHONY
Wondrous Saint Anthony, glorious for the fame of your miracles, you had
the happiness of receiving in your arms our blessed Lord as a little child.
Obtain for me from His mercy this favor that I desire from the bottom of my
heart: (mention your request)
Since you were so gracious to poor sinners, do not regard the lack of
merit on the part of him who calls upon you, but consider the glory of God,
which will by exalted once more through you, by the salvation of my soul and
the granting of the petition that I now earnestly present to you.
As a pledge of my gratitude, I beg you to accept my promise to live
henceforth more faithfully according to the teaching of the Gospel and to be
devoted to the service of the poor whom you ever loved and still love so much.
Bless this my resolution and obtain for me the grace to be faithful to it till
death. Amen.
Padova hi l-isem tal-belt fl-Italja fejn Sant Antnin għex l-aħħar snin ta’ ħajtu. Twieled Lisbona, il-Portugall, fl-1191, minn familja nobbli, u fil-magħmudija semmewh Ferdinandu.
Beda l-iskola fil-Katidral ta’ Lisbona. Ta’ ħmistax-il sena daħal mal-Kanoniċi Regolari ta’ San Wistin, iżda bill kien qed ikollu ħafna żjajjar minn qrabatu u ħbiebu talab biex ibiddel il-monasteru, u ġie mibgħut f’Koimbra. Hawnhekk studja sew l-Iskrittura u s-Santi Padri, u ħa wkoll il-Quddiesa.
Fis-16 ta’ Jannar 1220 ġew maqtula fil-Marokk l-ewwel ħames martri Franġiskani, u f’dik is-sena stess ġabu l-iġsma tagħhom f’Koimbra. Meta Ferdinandu ra l-proċessjoni għaddejja tqanqal ħafna biex jidħol mal-Franġiskani ħalli jkun jista’ jmur il-Missjoni u jmut martri.
Fl-1221, daħal mal-|Franġiskani Minuri u ħa l-isem ta’ Anton. Fil-ħarifa ta’ l-istess sena telaq lejn il-Marokk. Hemmhekk marad, u wara ftit xhur kellu jirritorna lejn pajjiżu, iżda billi l-vapur li kien fuqu ltaqa’ ma’ tempesta, flok il-Portugall sab ruħu Sqallija ġo Messina.
Minn Messina mar assisi fejn kellu jiltaqa’ l-Kapitlu Ġenerali, hawn ra u sama’ lil San Franġisk. Minn hemm mar Montepaulo mal-Provinċjal fejn għex ħajja ta’ ġabra. Darba minnhom ġie mitlub biex jagħmel kelmtejn fil-Katidral ta’ Forli, u tant ippriedka tajjeb li wara, il-Provinċjal talbu biex jagħti ruħu għall-priedki.
Hekk għamel, filwaqt li baqa’ jistudja u ħa d-Dottorat fit-Teoloġija. San Franġisk sama’ b’għerfu u ħatru biex jgħallem it-teoloġija lill-Patrijiet sħabu.
Għamel ħafna ġiri jippriedka fl-Italja, fi Spanja, u fi Franza. Fl-1224 kien Gwardjan, u fl-1226 ġie maħtur Ministru Provinċjal. Fl-1228 mar Ruma fuq xogħol ta’ l-Ordni. Hemm ippriedka quddiem il-Papa Girgor IX, li sejjaħlu ”Arka tat-testment u moħba ta’ l-Iskrittura”.
Fl-1230, fuq talba tiegħu biex ikompli jippriedka, ġie meħlus mill-uffiċċju ta’ Ministru, u mar fil-Kunvent ta’ Padova li kien bena hu nnifsu. Hawn ħadem bla heda speċjalment għall-fqar, li sal-lum għadna nisimgħu bil-”ħobż ta’ San Antnin”.
Fil-priedki tar-Randan ta’ dik is-sena l-folla ta’ nies li marret tisimgħu laħqet it-30,000.
Miet meta kellu 40 sena, fit-13 ta’ Ġunju 1231. Ħdax-il xahar wara, il-Papa Girgor IX iddikjarah Qaddis. Fl-1946 il-Papa Piju XII ipproklamah Duttur tal-Knisja. San Antnin hu meqjum ħafna fil-Bażilika li bnewlu l-Franġiskani Konventwali f’Padova, fejn hemm il-fdal tiegħu.
Ħsieb
Min ikun mimli bl-Ispirtu s-Santu jitkellem b’bosta ilsna. Dawn l-ilsna huma x-xhieda li tingħata lill-Kristu, bħalma huma l-umilta’, il-faqar, is-sabar u l-ubbidjenza li aħna nitkellmu bihom mata nuruhom lill-oħrajn fina nfusna. Għax il-kelma toħroġ ħajja jekk jitkellem l-għemil. Mela ħa jieqaf il-kliem u jitkellem l-għemil. (San Antnin)
The Miracles of Saint Anthony of Padua
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FROM THE BASILICA OF ST ANTHONY IN PADUA, ITALY
ST ANTHONY NOVENA
St. Anthony Novena – Day 1, Singer of the Virgin Mary Thank you for joining us for the first day in our thirteen days of preparation for the Feast of St. Anthony. In this first meditation Fr. Mario asks St. Anthony, who was devoted to the Virgin Mary, to help us to develop a more mature devotion to Jesus’ mother.
St. Anthony Novena – Day 2, Liberator of Prisoners Today’s theme is Anthony, liberator of prisoners. Fr. Mario reminds us that Anthony was really concerned about both real prisoners, victims of unfair laws, and people imprisoned spiritually, enslaved by sin and evil.
St. Anthony Novena – Day 3, Hope for those who are ill The theme of this third meditation is Anthony, hope for those who are ill. St. Anthony was always very concerned about sick people, and many are the miracles he performed to help them. In his Sermons
St. Anthony Novena – Day 4, Friend of the poor Today’s theme is St. Anthony, father of the poor, comforter of the needy. Fr. Mario reminds us that Anthony not only preached about the plight of the poor, he also tried to remedy the situation through tangible works of charity together with his fellow friars.
St. Anthony Novena – Day 5, Preacher of the Word Today Fr. Mario tells us how Anthony’s genius for preaching was discovered almost by chance and how he became one of the most remarkable preachers in Catholic history.
St. Anthony Novena – Day 6, Saint of miracles Today’s theme is Anthony, the saint of miracles. Fr. Mario reminds us that saints do not perform miracles, but they are intimately connected to God, and Anthony is next to Our Father, constantly pulling at God’s sleeve asking Him peace and good for people who need help.
St. Anthony Novena – Day 7, Peacemaker Today Fr. Mario tells us about St. Anthony the peacemaker. He was a true Franciscan, and many people were touched by his peacemaking efforts. He strove to bring peace between person and person and between God and the individual.
St. Anthony Novena – Day 8, Apostle of Forgiveness Our theme today is Anthony, apostle of forgiveness: only God knows how many people came to Anthony for confession, received God’s forgiveness for their sins, and went away forgiven, filled with joy, and ready to make restitution!
St. Anthony Novena – Day 9, Comforter of the Afflicted
Today’s theme is Anthony, comforter of the afflicted. Anthony recognizes that life is a rough journey full of difficulties, but he knows that no human being makes this journey alone: the Holy Spirit is with each one of us.
St. Anthony Novena – Day 10, Life Counsellor Today’s theme is Anthony, life counsellor. According to St. Anthony’s biographers, even if he was a very learned person, he was so good at preaching that even children could understand him. He was the perfect counsellor. His advice was always insightful, Scripture based, unique and practical.
St. Anthony Novena – Day 11, Defender of the Persecuted
Today Fr. Mario reminds us that Anthony was a defender of the persecuted, nowadays we would call him a “human rights defender”. He helped children, elderly people, women and even prisoners. Also from this point of view Anthony is a very modern personality.
St. Anthony Novena – Day 12, Intercessor before God Today the theme is Anthony, Intercessor before God. Fr. Mario is in the Chapel of St. Anthony’s relics, where we can find the reliquary with Anthony’s tongue. The tongue throught which he constantly prayed, interceding for individuals, the Church and the world. Moreover, fr. Mario focuses on the two times Anthony’s tomb was opened, in 1231 and in 1981, and tells us what was found inside of it...
St. Anthony Novena –Day 13, World’s Greatest Saint Welcome back for our last meditation, today’s theme is Anthony, the world’s greatest saint. We are in the Basilica, at the back of the Saint’s Tomb: thousands of people every day touch this stone as they say their prayers to St. Anthony. Almost four million people come every year to Padua to visit his tomb. That’s probably why Anthony is lovingly called the World’s greatest saint, but Fr. Mario is sure the Saint would reject that title, believing others to be holier than himself!
Ahead of the publication of Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment, experts reflect on the history and significance of the church's role in promoting the stewardship of creation.
