Aside from remembering the feasts of St. Claude dela Colombiere (the Spiritual Director of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque) and of Blessed Michal Sopocko (the Spiritual Director of St. Faustina), we also remember today the feast of the opening and translation of the relics of St. Anthony, which was led by another Saint and successor of St. Francis, St. Bonaventure. When St. Anthony died on June 13, 1231, his body was buried in the little Franciscan Church of St. Mary in Padua. By 1263, the building of the present great basilica was advanced far enough so that his remains could be placed beneath the high altar. When the coffin was opened on the occasion, it was found that the saint's body had been reduced to ashes except for a few bones, but his tongue was intact and life-like. St. Bonaventure, who was present as minister general of the Friars Minor, took the tongue reverently into his hands and exclaimed, "O blessed tongue, which has always blessed God and caused others to bless Him, now it appears evident how great were your merits before God!" The tongue of St. Anthony was placed in a special reliquary, and can still be seen today in a separate chapel on the epistle side of the basilica. (Today is also called the "Festa del Lingua" of the Saint in Padua.) In 1310, the basilica was almost finished, and the remains of St. Anthony were transferred to a tomb in the middle of the nave. The final transfer of the relics of St. Anthony to their present chapel on the Gospel side of the basilica took place in 1350. It is the latter transfer that is commemorated on February 15. Relics of St. Anthony in the CustodyBy the grace of God, we have 2 relics of St. Anthony currently in our custody. The first relic is from his Franciscan habit (ex indumentis), which is a gift of a prominent relic custodian in the Philippines. The second relic is from the lining of his chasuble (de subsuto casulae), a gift from the Capuchins, which will be then entrusted to the custodian's home parish in the Philippines in a few weeks' time. Prayer in Honor of the Blessed Tongue of St. Anthony of PaduaO Blessed Tongue, which always didst bless the Lord, and cause others to bless Him, now does it appear plainly how highly thou were esteemed by God. O marvelous Saint, whose Blessed Tongue didst always bless the Lord and cause others to bless, praise, thank and pray to Him, I bless, praise and venerate thee, I thank God Who created thy tongue and sanctified it by His grace, and I implore Him, through thy merits, to purify and sanctify my tongue, that by it I may continually praise, bless and thank the Lord, and never offend Him.
Our Father etc. Hail Mary etc. Glory Be to the Father. etc. V. Pray for us, blessed Anthony. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. O God, may the votive commemoration of blessed Anthony, Your confessor and doctor, be a source of joy to Your Church, that she may always be fortified with spiritual assistance and deserve to enjoy eternal rewards. Through Christ our Lord. Amen Comments are closed.
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![]() "All the Saints of God are there to protect me, to sustain me and to carry me. Indeed, the communion of Saints consists not only of the great men and women who went before us and whose names we know. All of us belong to the communion of Saints, we who have been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we who draw life from the gift of Christ’s Body and Blood, through which he transforms us and makes us like himself. Yes, the Church is alive – this is the wonderful experience of these days. "
(Pope Benedict XVI, Homily on the Mass of Inauguration to the Petrine Ministry, 24 April 2005) NOTE:This ministry does not entertain requests nor for information to obtain the relics which appear in this website. Guide For Relic ClassificationWe strive to provide English translations of the terminology used to label relics. However, there may be a need to consult the original term to avoid confusion.
Please go to this page for a short guide to relic classification. Instagram Feed/BlogArchives
August 2019
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