Listen, act, be grateful

Yesterday afternoon at 3:00pm, a special Mass was celebrated to commemorate the Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua.  The liturgical observance of this day will actually take place on Thursday of this week, but we have advanced the celebration by a few days in order to permit a suitable cultural observance in honour of this Doctor of the Church who is so important in the faith lives of Portuguese, Italians and many other cultures throughout the world.

The scripture passages chosen for this celebration were Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 10:1-9.  In order to respect the languages used for this homily, and in order to facilitate readership, I have included the original language in which the text was pronounced (in plain text) and the translations where appropriate (in italics).

The Mass was followed by a procession, the blessing of Saint Anthony's Bread, and a meal shared with friends and family.

Homily for the celebration of Mass

commemorating the Feast of Saint Anthony of Padua

Go on your way

Carissimi amici! Sono molto felice di essere qui con voi questo pomeriggio per celebrare un momento molto importante, e per commemorare uno dei Santi, un dottore della Chiesa, che è amato tra la gente di Portogallo, Italia e molti altri paesi in tutto il mondo. Non so se ve ne rendete conto, ma mi chiamo Antonio. Di piu, la famiglia di mia madre è originaria dell'isola di Medeira, quindi c'è il sangue portoghese che scorre nelle mie vene. Qualcuno potrebbe dire che è giusto quindi che fossi chiamato ad offrire queste semplici riflessioni con voi oggi circa Sant'Antonio, che ha concluso la sua vita terrena nella città di Padova, ma che ha iniziato in Lisbona.

Dearest friends!  I am very happy to be here with you this afternoon to celebrate a very important moment, and to commemorate one of the Saints, a Doctor of the Church, who is beloved among the people of Portugal, Italy and many other countries throughout the world.  I’m not sure whether you realize it, but my name is Anthony.  What’s more, my mother’s family is originally from the island of Medeira, so there is Portugese blood flowing in my veins.  Some might say that it is fitting then that I should be called upon to reflect with you today on the life of Saint Anthony, who ended his earthly life in the city of Padua, but who began it in Lisbon.

Throughout the history of the Church, the example of the Saints has provided inspiration for all those who gather around the Lord’s table.  They teach us how to listen, how to act and how to be grateful.

Listen:  Fernando Martins de Bulhoes led a very privileged childhood.  His family was very rich, and a part of the nobility of Portugal.  If they had had their way, Fernando would have been highly educated in the classics and would have led a life of vast luxury, yet young Fernando chose to listen to a different voice.  Perhaps he heard the words of the gospel we have just proclaimed: The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.  These words would have echoed in sharp contrast to the world in which he had grown up, but they would have opened his heart to a special appreciation for the poor, for the less fortunate, for the suffering of so many in the streets of Lisbon.  He could easily have chosen to ignore such realities, and to hide in a much more comfortable world, but for those who the Lord calls, it is increasingly more difficult to ignore the persistent voice that invites us to follow, to become labourers in the midst of the harvest.

Ancora oggi, Dio continua a chiamare e ispirare le persone a seguirlo, ad agire a suo nome. Ancora oggi, ci sono alcuni, forse sono qui in mezzo a noi, che hanno sentito questa chiamata. Ancora oggi, ce ne possono essere che considerano la necessità di rispondere all'invito del Signore.

Even today, God continues to call and to inspire people to follow him, to act on his behalf.  Even today, there are some, perhaps they are here among us, who have heard this call.  Even today, there may be some who are contemplating the necessity of responding to the Lord’s invitation. 

Has the Lord’s call reached your ears?  Is he calling you to be a labourer, to lend your hands, your ears, your eyes, your heart to help with the harvest?  Are you afraid to answer, to accept his invitation?  What are the riches that might have to be left behind?  If the Lord is calling, have the courage to answer, don’t be afraid to follow him, especially if he invites you to look outside your own self and to recognize the poverty that is around us, the needs of brothers and sisters in our midst.

Act:  Much to the dismay of his family, who had hopes and dreams for his future, Fernando Martins entered the community of the Canons Regular and took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience … as well as the religious name Anthony, after the famous Anthony the Great, the third-century Desert Father.  Ever since the time of Jesus, choices to act out of love and not to be swayed by the lure of earthly treasure have been the source of many questions and confusion, especially for those who think according to this world’s ideals, but such choices are also the source of sometimes silent admiration.  Even before he became famous for preaching the word of God, Anthony was speaking though his actions.  His choice to turn away from the lure of earthly treasure and to embrace a life of service and hospitality was born out of a deep understanding of the call first issued by Jesus himself to his disciples: Go on your way.  Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals.  Jesus instructed his disciples to leave everything behind and to set their sights on the proclamation of peace.  Anthony’s desire to respond to this invitation eventually took him to the island of Sicily, to the city of Messina, and to the regions of Tuscany and Romagna where he lived as a hermit, but even there, his quest was not complete.

Tanto i sacerdoti, chiamati a servire il popolo di Dio, che le coppie di sposi, invitati a vivere come segni visibili del dono di sé, l'amore sacrificale di Dio per il suo popolo, o persone singole, ognuno di noi, benedetto con l'apertura del cuore che permette di essere totalmente distaccato dalle tentazioni del mondo, può agire da dentro per amore, come fedele discepolo del Dio amorevole.

Whether we are priests, called to serve the people of God, or married couples, invited to live as visible signs of God’s self-giving, sacrificial love for his people, or as single people, blessed with the openness of heart that allows us to be totally detached from the temptations of the world, each of us has the capacity within us to act out of love, as a faithful disciple of the loving God. 

Have you heard the Lord’s invitation for you to go on your way, to walk in his footsteps, to follow the way of discipleship?  Is there some reticence within you, holding you back from accepting this invitation?  Is it difficult for you to consider the possibility of leaving behind any materials that might weigh you down along this journey?  What are the purses, the bags, the sandals to which we cling, and why is it so difficult for us to let go?

Be grateful:  God works in strange and wonderful ways.  Every day that we spend following in his footsteps prepares us for the days that are yet to come, but we are rarely aware of the formation that is taking place within our hearts, until the talents and gifts are called forward, and put to the test.  Anthony was present at an ordination, in the company of some of his confreres from the Community of Canons Regular as well as many Dominicans, who have been known in the history of the Church to be great preachers.  The last thing he expected was that he would be called upon to speak the word of God, and to interpret it for this gathering of Christ’s disciples, yet that is exactly what happened.  I can imagine that his first words were very likely halting, but as it turned out, his message made a deep impression on his hearers.  His rich voice, his arresting manner, his eloquence and the substance of his reflection held the attention of his hearers, and his reputation as a master preacher was born.  The disciples of Jesus must also have known this kind of trepidation, and yet, Jesus knew that God would inspire their speech, helping them to cure the sick, and say to them ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you’.

Chi è chiamato e mandato nel mondo, anche oggi, è tenuto spesso di parlare della parola di Dio, ma in verità, alla fine, è un grande privilegio di proclamare la buona novella. Ogni volta che entriamo in una nuova città, ci sono persone di fede che ci accolgono, che ci invitano a mangiare con loro, ed è un'esperienza che da umiltà rendersi conto che il lavoro di proclamare questa Buona Novella non è fatto al fine di ottenere per noi qualunque tesoro terreno, ma piuttosto per farci sempre più grato della bontà di Dio, per l’invito che egli ci rivolge e la costante consolazione della sua presenza accanto a noi.

Those who are called and sent into the world, even today, are often tenuous about speaking the word of God, but the truth is that in the end it is a great privilege to proclaim good news.  Whenever we enter a new town, there are people of faith who welcome us, who invite us to eat with them, and it is a very humbling experience to realize that the work of proclaiming this good news is not done in order to gain us any earthly treasure, but rather to make us ever more grateful for the goodness of God, the gentle invitation he issues and the constant consolation of his presence beside us. 

Be not afraid, dear friends, to listen for God’s invitation, to act in his name as living signs of his love and his presence among us, and above all, be grateful every day for the blessings he shares with us.  Be joyful signs of God’s presence in our world, and encourage friends, relatives and all people of faith to open their eyes and to realize that the kingdom of God is in our midst.