May the Lord give you peace. It is on 13th June 2023. We reflect on 2 Cor 1:18-22 and Matthew 5:13-16. We celebrate the memorial of St Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church.
He is known as the hammer of heretics. Once Augustinian Monk was inspired by the martyrs of the Franciscan Order from Morocco who pulled him to become a Franciscan friar.
He wanted to be a martyr for Christ, but his health did not allow him to achieve his vision. He was a priest and Franciscan Friar who was so humble and erudite in the Sacred Scripture. His faithfulness and love towards Jesus brought the Lord to his personal room. He was gifted with bilocation and soul-searching sermons.
A holy friar who held Jesus in his arms, pure like Lily, and lover of the Word of God. My favourite intercessor and the most admired saint in my life. Saint Anthony of Padua was introduced to me by my mother in a young age. St. Anthony is not only a saint who intercedes for the lost material things but an expert in finding lost souls.
I am one of the lost souls found by St. Anthony of Padua. As a young man, I never missed a Tuesday visiting the shrines dedicated to him in my town and praying through St. Anthony of Padua. Universally, Tuesdays are dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. He is very powerful against the power of demons and devils in our life.
A small and powerful prayer left by the Saint for us to recite daily against the demons and satanic intrusions. “Behold, the Cross of the Lord! Begone, all evil powers! The Lion of the tribe of Judah, The Root of David, has conquered! Alleluia, Alleluia!”
St. Anthony’s Bread is distributed to the faithful when someone has received the favour through the intercession of the Saint. His prayers and novenas are truly powerful when it is prayed in faith. Fight against evil and false prophets cannot be done without personal prayer, faithfulness, purity of heart and sufficient knowledge of Scripture.
The responsorial Psalm prays, “Save me, Lord, I take refuge in you.” (Ps.16:1). The Gospel invites us not just to be the experts in interpreting and explaining the commandments of God but rather live and to inspire others by our obedience to the laws and decrees of the Lord.
In the Gospel, Jesus sets a standard for the Christian life by teaching the Beatitudes. It is the counter-culture statements made by Jesus to be realized in our life by being the salt of the earth and the light of the world.
As the salt adds taste and preserves, we need to be with the love and care we show to one another. The influence we all make on the hearts of others is the saltiness of our life. When we lose the flavour of God, we no longer become sensitive to the needs of others.
Failure to do our work, duty, and responsibility entrusted to us as a believer is like flavourless salt and concealed light.
Trusting in God’s care leads us to do most darn actions which we do not do normally.
Love is the salt of our life and charity is its flavour. If our life loses the flavour, love remains next to be useless.
If we have the power to add taste to the community we belong, to through our perspective on life and love, then we truly have the impact, the change, and the churn we ought to be.
To be salt and light around is all about our dignity, identity, mission, and destiny.
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other.” (Rev.3:15)
Can our light reflect God and dispel ignorance?
Being the salt and light is not a favour we do to God, but it is what we need to be and are created for.
In his book, Happiness in This Life: A Passionate Meditation on Earthly Existence, Pope Francis exclaims, “Joy is the salt of the earth and the light of the world. It is the yeast that leavens society as a whole.”
May we have the warmth of God in our aura, and smell of God in our spiritual life. what is hiding our life to shine the light of Christ? We are the reflectors of God’s love here on earth.
Let us stand up for God and Christ by taking a clear stand against the evil perpetrators and the evil itself. “But whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt.5:19).
A saintly living cannot just happen without enormous sacrifice and commitment.
May the Lord help us to be inspired by the intercessions of St. Anthony of Padua. May you all have day filled with the blessings of the Lord through the Saint.