St Anthony of Padua (c.1195–1231)

Patron of the Lost and Found — and Guide to a Life of Holy Clarity

People often become anxious or frustrated when they misplace something important — until they remember St Anthony. The moment they turn to his intercession, something shifts. Calm returns, perspective widens, and what was lost is often found. It is not magic; it is grace. And it reveals something essential about St Anthony himself: he helps us recover not only our belongings, but also our clarity, serenity, and joy.

A deeper insight into his spirit comes from the Divine Office for his Memorial. There we encounter one of his sermons, titled “Actions speak louder than words.” It reveals the heart of his teaching and the fire of his Franciscan soul.

The Teaching of St Anthony: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

1. The Holy Spirit gives many “languages”

St Anthony writes:

“The man who is filled with the Holy Spirit speaks in different languages… humility, poverty, patience, and obedience.”

For him, Pentecost is not merely a miracle of speech, but a miracle of virtue. These are the true “tongues” by which a Christian proclaims Christ. A life shaped by virtue becomes a sermon.

2. Words without deeds are leaves without fruit

Anthony warns that we can become like the barren fig tree — full of leaves (words, knowledge, appearances) but lacking fruit (charity, obedience, integrity).

He quotes St Gregory the Great:

“A law is laid upon the preacher to practise what he preaches.”

For Anthony, hypocrisy is not simply a flaw; it is a contradiction of the Gospel itself.

3. True preaching comes from the Holy Spirit

He continues:

“Happy the man whose words issue from the Holy Spirit and not from himself!”

The apostles spoke as the Spirit gave them speech. So must every Christian: not from self-display, but from the Spirit’s interior fire. Holiness, not eloquence, is the preacher’s authority.

4. A prayer for Pentecost in the heart

Anthony urges us to ask the Spirit:

“That we may bring the day of Pentecost to fulfilment… by using our bodily senses in a perfect manner and by keeping the commandments.”

And again:

“That we may be filled with a keen sense of sorrow and with fiery tongues for confessing the faith.”

His desire is simple and profound: that our lives may burn with the same flame that filled the apostles.

St Anthony’s Life: A Journey Guided by Providence

From Universalis we learn the remarkable path that shaped him:

• He first entered the Augustinian order.

• The martyrdom of five Franciscans in Morocco stirred his heart so deeply that he became a Franciscan friar, longing to preach the Gospel even unto death.

• Illness prevented his mission to Africa, and a storm drove his ship to Sicily, where he unexpectedly met St Francis of Assisi at the General Chapter of 1221.

• His preaching took him through northern Italy and southern France, confronting the Albigensian heresy with clarity and charity.

• He later settled in Padua, becoming an extraordinary preacher and the first Franciscan theologian.

• His sermons combined gentleness with fearless severity, especially toward corrupt clergy and oppressors of the poor.

• His shrine in Padua remains a centre of pilgrimage, and he is beloved as the patron saint of the lost and found.

 

St Anthony was canonized a Saint within a year of his death in 1231 — a sign of the immense impact of his holiness. In 1946, Pope Pius XII proclaimed him Doctor of the Church, the Evangelical Doctor, for the depth, freshness, and biblical richness of his sermons.

 

Collect for the Memorial of St Anthony of Padua

Almighty, ever-living God, you gave Saint Antony of Padua to your people as a preacher of great power and a patron in their needs. Grant that, with his help, we may follow a Christian way of life and feel your aid in all our trials. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.