Devotion of 13 Tuesdays

Introductory prayer for each day

O almighty and merciful God, who willed to grant to St Anthony the privilege that his devout clients should recover things which they have lost, I offer to you my unbounded thanks for the great favours which you have bestowed upon this glorious saint, and I beseech you through his intercession grant to my soul that heavenly light which will enable me to overcome my inordinate appetite, and to follow your divine inspirations; that I may not lose the precious jewel of your grace, and if perchance I should lose it I may regain it without delay. Amen.

Concluding prayer for each day
O God, who are wonderful in your saints and especially in my protector and advocate St Anthony, grant me through his merits and intercession, the grace I here pray for, the conversion of sinners, perseverance of the just, the salvation of those in agony, and the liberation of the holy souls in purgatory. Grant protection to infants and children, support the weak, defend your church, and protect my native land, that all being your faithful children, and observing your holy law, may obtain eternal life. Amen.

V. Pray for us, O blessed Anthony.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.



Introductory Prayer
Meditation

You seek Miracles
1. One of the most renowned wonder-workers of the Catholic Church is without doubt Saint Anthony of Padua. It is impossible to enumerate the prodigies which God has worked through the intercession and prayers of our Saint. This the faithful know and for this reason they have recourse to him. In this they do well, and it is most desirable that devotion to Saint Anthony should grow day by day.

2. But to have recourse to the Saint for temporal favours and goods it is necessary that it should be done in the proper manner, namely, with faith and confidence, Christian humility and resignation, which does not diminish either with setbacks or delay, and always with proviso that the reception of these temporal favours will be no hindrance to our spiritual welfare.

3. Many have recourse to Saint. Anthony asking him for temporal favours and graces, whereas few ask him for spiritual favours and blessings for the soul, as for example, the conversion of souls, increase of virtues, and final perseverance in grace. Perhaps a person will ask him for a miracle in the temporal order and yet would not ask for one in the supernatural. This is not as it should be, for the soul and its needs should be placed before those of the body, the eternal before temporal, the heavenly before that which is of this earth.

Spend a few moments in reflection and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
Here ask the grace which you desire to receive

Concluding Prayer Introductory Prayer
Meditation
Death flees
1. It pleased God on several occasions to grant to Saint Anthony power over death itself. At the presence of the Saint he was seen to take to flight when his hand was laid upon the dying and there were instances where even those who had departed from this life were recalled to life at the prayer of the Saint.

2. But much more frequent were the instances when it was not a case of death of the body but of the soul, that is to say sin, which fled at the presence of our Saint, and those who were dead to the life of grace returned to that life, and were converted by his sermons; innumerable sinners who had long remained in a state of mortal sin were won back to the supernatural life of grace.

3. Let us never consent to die the life of grace, but let us constantly ask of Saint Anthony, that through his intercession and patronage, we may ever fly from sin and resolve to die a natural death a thousand times rather than yield to the death of our soul.

Spend a few moments in reflection and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
Error flees
1. Truth is the life of the soul and man should love nothing more than he does truth and good. Unhappy is he who nourishes himself upon error and falsehood.

2. Saint Anthony was never tired of preaching the truth, and dissipating the errors of his time. He never betrayed his conscience, nor failed to teach the true doctrine because of the influence of human respect, either to the great or the humble, to the rich or the poor, the powerful or the destitute. His sole endeavour was to please God, and he regarded the applause of the world as nothing.

3. There are some who voluntarily allow themselves to be deceived, so that they may more freely live in error. They fear the light, for they fear that it will reveal that which is forbidden to them. Their ignorance in religious matters is voluntary and they are the more blameworthy. What excuse can they offer before God? Seek the Truth and save the world.

Spend a few moments in reflection and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
Misery flees
1. The world is a valley of tears. And as it has been in the past so will it be in the future. We cannot hope to turn this world into a paradise.

2. Nevertheless, in many cases the miseries and calamities which oppress us can be remedied, and there can be no doubt that Saint Anthony obtains this benefit for his clients: first of all granting them favours in their temporal necessities, and in the second case, what is more important still, giving that peace and resignation which serves to diminish the effect of temporal misfortunes, and makes them more easily endured, and even to be loved as coming from the hand of God, or at least being permitted by Him, that thereby we may be made more conformable to our crucified Lord.

3. Let us learn to realize our pains and misfortunes become more oppressive the more impatient we become, and on the other hand they assuredly become lighter when we strive to bear them in conformity with the will of God. Not a few of our crosses have their origin in our own sin, and the abuse of those faculties which god has bestowed on us in order to attain our salvation. The sinful man cannot enjoy true happiness. All true joy and happiness, which we may possess in this life, comes as a consequence of humility and true righteousness, and it is such souls that Saint Anthony delights to favour and console.

Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be. Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
The devil is put to flight
1. The Saints call the devil the enemy of human nature. The hatred and envy which he has for us ever incite him to wage war on us. Sometimes he combats us in an open manner, at others he precedes in an underhand manner. Sometimes he himself strives against us, at others he uses his satellites, namely men like ourselves who have dedicated themselves to his service, in a manner similar to that in which the Saints have devoted themselves to the service of God.

2. But the devil cannot do us any harm provided that we do not listen to his evil suggestions. No one sins unless he desires to do so. But it is imperative that we maintain a resolute will, and be prudent lest we be ensnared by the wiles of the devil; we must be armed with courage and fortitude, so that we do not yield in the daily conflict.

3. Among the first of those who will com to our aid, if we call upon them with fervour will be the glorious Saint Anthony, who, just as he was in life a source of dread to the demons, now will show us the way in which to gain the palm of victory in our warfare against the devil and his companions. Invoke the Saint with fervour and the devil will flee from you.

Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be. Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
Leprosy flees
1. Few infirmities are as repugnant as leprosy the natural instinct of everyone is to flee from it, and in the Old Testament lepers were driven forth from the cities and towns, and were compelled to live apart and have no communication with the rest of their fellowmen.

2. But far more repugnant than the leprosy of the body is the leprosy of the soul, namely sin. But spiritual lepers are not exiled to the waste parts of the world; they live in the midst of men and in many cases they are a source of grave spiritual evils to those among whom they live.

3. Saint Anthony was the model of compassion not only to those who were lepers in body, but also to those who were spiritually lepers. His ardent zeal cured both kinds of leprosy, and by restoring them to health he once more made them agreeable to behold, both in the eyes of God and men.

Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be. Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
The infirm recover their health
1. It is impossible to enumerate the multitudes of the sick that Saint Anthony restored to health, or who have recovered it through his intercession. There is no kind of sickness which can resist the power of our Saint. It is on this account that the faithful have had, and still have, recourse to him with such confidence, and those who prostrate themselves before his image and pray him to deliver them from their infirmity belong to every class of society.

2. The disorderly passions of our souls, particularly when they reach a certain degree of disorderliness, are indeed spiritual sickness, which at times even have their effect on our bodies. Every unconquered passion tends to become a veritable infirmity of soul. If people would only lead more quiet and moderate lives of supernatural virtue and conformity to the laws of God, there would be less infirmity not only of soul but of body. But this means that ambition must be curbed, and the frenzied rush of modern business must be held in restraint as well as the ceaseless complaining and agitation of the worldly life of today, especially in cities, where people turn night into day, spending their time in riotous pleasures, diversions, feverish excitements, which exhaust their energies and deaden their spirits and leave them wearied on the following morning, when they should be up and about the duties of their state of life.

3. Let us ask Saint Anthony that he may grant us health of body without detriment to our soul, while at the same time we make use of adequate means to preserve the former by living soberly and justly in all our days, maintaining a firm control of the rebellious impulses which surge up to destroy us both body and soul.

Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be. Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
The sea obeys
1. Mariners and those who live on the coast are more frequently exposed to the fury of storms and tempests, which threaten to plunge them and their ships into the watery abyss of the ocean, or destroy their houses that stand in exposed positions on the coasts. It is natural, then, when they see themselves thus menaced to implore the protection of those who are so powerful in heaven, on earth and in the bosom of the deep. The votive offerings of the ship-wrecked and of the sailors show how successful have been their invocation of Saint Anthony in their distress caused by storms.

2. Human life is a kind of sea, subject to storms and tempests, its hidden reefs and dangerous shallows, its corsairs and pirates. The ship sets out from its port, and it knows not whether it will return or not the young man sets out from his paternal home to seek his fortune in the world, and no one knows the unforeseen disasters which will overtake him before he is able to return to the port of eternity.

3. Let us then hasten to invoke the assistance of Saint Anthony, and contemplate and ponder upon the example of his life, like the light-house and the north-star directing us to the port of our eternal home in heaven.

Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
Fetters are broken
1. Great was the compassion of Saint Anthony for those who were in prison. He not only strove to console and comforts them in a thousand ways, but he was frequently the cause of their being freed from their confinement, and released from their fetters. On more than one occasion he worked stupendous miracles in order to obtain the release of the innocent.

2. Many are the bonds and chains which fetter us in our journey through life. Such for instance is human respect which tyrannizes over us; we are bound with the chains of disordered passions, which impede the freedom of our liberty in following the path of virtue; there are the chains of bad companions, who drag us from good and bind us to things which are evil. There are the chains of sins and bad habits, which change us into veritable slaves of vice. And yet we say that we are lovers of liberty, and allow ourselves voluntarily to be kept in bondage by such cruel tyrants.

3. Oh! May Saint Anthony break the degrading bonds of our souls, even as he broke the bonds of those who were imprisoned. How happy we should be! Let us do our part, and we shall gain the victory by the help of Saint Anthony. Where there is spirit of God there is true liberty.

Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father,
Hail Mary and Glory be.
Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
Lifeless limbs you did restore
1. Among the most celebrated miracles which Saint Anthony worked are to be counted those in which by his intercession afflicted persons recovered the use of limbs, such as eyes, hands, feet, etc. During the apostolic ministrations of our Saint men again saw the wonders that were worked in the times of our Lord and the Apostles, the blind saw, the lame walked, the dumb spoke, the deaf heard and the poor had the Gospel preached to them.
2. Let us have recourse to the Saint when we have need of such favours; but let us not forget that there are other kinds of members which we should try to restore when they have lost their use. We are members of society, and especially members of the mystical body of Christ, and we must so conduct ourselves; that no one shall become a diseased member through our fault. We are, as St Paul tells us members of Christ, and we must make every effort lest we become separated from Him and so become dead members and without spiritual life.
3. But those who should be most careful to preserve the fullness of life in these members are those of the same family, fathers and mothers, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters. Thos who do not take care of their servants are guilty before God of a grave fault. Alas! If any one should be lost through my fault! Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
Lost treasures are found again
1. There is another kind of favour and grace which was very frequently obtained through the intercession of the glorious Saint Anthony, and which still more contributed to his renown, namely the recovery of things that were lost. The number of such cases is innumerable.

2. How frequently do we lose or misplace things we are constantly using such as papers, documents, treasured articles, jewels, money, etc. Let us invoke the Saint in all these losses with devotion, simplicity and confidence, and let us not think that in this childlike confidence we are superstitious.

3. But above all let us invoke his aid and with still greater devotion when it is a question of the loss of more important things, especially those which refer to the soul. Why should [we forget him in the things which are transcendental, or consider with indifference that which is spiritual and eternal.

Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
All dangers vanish at your prayer
1. Life, especially in these days, is filled with danger. Assuredly in these modern times we can say with still greater significance with the Apostle that we are surrounded by dangers on the sea, on the land, and in the air, at home and outside, from false brethren, and from servants and relatives; dangers from ourselves, and at times even the dangers which we have voluntarily sought.

2. Who can escape so many dangers and be saved? Only he that shall watch and pray, he that shall mistrust himself and shall have confidence in god and Saints.

3. In all these dangers w can, and should, make use of the intercession of our Lord, our Lady ant the Saints. But God has willed that the clients of Saint Anthony should find in him a most powerful protector, an angel of good council, and in a certain measure a saviour, who in life and death will defend them in all the dangers that arise to body and soul.

Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father,
Hail Mary and Glory be.
Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer
Introductory Prayer
Meditation
Direct need is relieved
1. It is God who moves the hearts of people to have recourse to the Saints, and to urge us to do so he pours out into their hands a veritable stream of graces and benefits, and through them works even the most stupendous miracles. Hence it may be seen that the acclamation of the people of every nation for the works of Saints has its roots in God himself, who desires to be glorified in His Saints, some in a popular and more manifest manner, others in a more silent and hidden way.

2. To Saint Anthony Our Lord desired to give this external glory, which resounded throughout the world, and he is without doubt one of the most popular of the Saints. To this end God made him one of the most admirable wonder-workers, and reliever of every kind necessity. Above all Saint Anthony is the Saint of the needy and the poor, and through him they often receive bread and sustenance of life.

3. Let us follow the inspiration of heaven, and avail ourselves of this heavenly dispensation, which God has so generously bestowed upon our Saint. But let us invoke him not only for our temporal necessities but also for those eternal and spiritual needs of our souls. Let us ask him not only for the bread for our body but also the food for our souls.

Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be.
Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.
Concluding Prayer