Happy Feast Day St. Anthony of Padua (Church Doctor)

Novena sharing on June 9, 2021 San Antonio Parish, Makati Until I was invited to share today, I was unaware that there is such a title as a “Church Doctor” given to select saints. The title “Doctor of the Church” is given to a man or woman who was outstanding in their contribution to the knowledge and understanding of the things of God, especially through their writings. There are 3 criteria which must be met. First, an exemplary record of holiness “even among saints”. Second, an indisputable depth of insight on doctrine. Third, an extensive body of writings that have significant importance to the Catholic faith. Lastly, a candidate must receive official designation from the Pope. It was Pope Pius XII, in 1946, who named our dearest St. Anthony as one of ONLY 36 Doctors of the Church, along side saints Augustine, Gregory the Great, Thomas Aquinas, Teresa of Avila, to name a few. Our beloved Patron Saint, Anthony, was a remarkable theologian and preacher. He was born in Lisbon, Portugal to a wealthy and noble family but chose a life of poverty and service to God, to the dismay of his father. At 15 years old, young Anthony entered the convent and studied intensely. At the young age of 25, he was ordained a priest. At Coimbra, then the capital of Portugal, a life-changing experience occurred. 5 friars who were preaching the word of God in Morocco were tortured and killed. Their remains were taken to the Monastery where Anthony was living. He was so moved and sought permission to go to Morocco to continue their mission. Upon his arrival in Morocco, he fell ill and had to return home. But a storm hit and the ship was blown off course and landed in Sicily in Italy. It was in Italy where Anthony’s missions really gained traction, speaking effectively and connecting to different types of audiences. It was said that thousands would flock to hear him preach! Unfortunately, at the young age of 35, he fell ill and died in Arcella in 1231. In less than a year, he was canonized by Pope Gregory IX, the shortest time for any saint. One time, Pope Gregory invited Anthony to preach to the Curia. The Cardinals were so impressed with his in depth knowledge of Scripture and his persuasive style of preaching, that Pope Gregory himself gave Anthony the title “Ark of the Testament”. I’m sure many of us would agree that one of the most beautiful and important gifts that we’ve received in our life is the gift of faith. Our faith serves as our ultimate compass in the choices we make in life, especially in this fast moving and complicated world. It gives our life meaning and purpose. Without faith, we can easily get lost or feel completely empty. If in science and technology, we have the likes of Einstein, Newton, Da Vinci, Aristotle, whose breakthrough discoveries and research changed the world. In our spiritual life, we have the Church doctors to thank for their contributions in allowing the church to stand the test of time and providing each one of us today a most wonderful gift – our Christian faith, which allows us to love our God more and more by learning more about him each day. St. Anthony’s story is a good call to reflect on our lives. How can we become “Doctors” in our own way? Do we try to gain absolute knowledge and pursue excellence in our vocation or careers? Or are we mediocre? Have we considered documenting our learnings or experiences as business people, civil leaders, athletes, artists, medical practitioners, or even as a parent or spouse? Who knows, perhaps others may be inspired, including future generations to come. I think even if just one person is moved by our work, it is definitely already worth it! Nowadays there are so many platforms to share. We can make use of Blogs, Vlogs, podcast. We have Facebook, Youtube, Spotify, to name a few. St. Anthony passed away so early at 35 years old yet imagine the impact of his work! So it’s never too late. Dearest Lord, we thank you for giving us St. Anthony as our Patron Saint. May his wonderful work continue to bring life and love to the church. Happy Feast Day to all.