13 Tuesdays Novena to St. Anthony
(Recite together)
Anthony, through your teaching and preaching you bore witness to the loving presence of God in all of creation. Now that you have come into the fullness of the kingdom, pray for us that our lives might also proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ to all humanity.
Leader: Pray for us, St. Anthony
All: Help us become worthy of the promise of Christ.
Leader: Let us pray.
Almighty, Eternal God, you have given your people St. Anthony as an outstanding preacher and intercessor in times of need.
Grant that with his help we may follow in the example of Christian living and experience your support in all adversities.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
THIRTEEN INVOCATIONS
OF ST. ANTHONY(Recite the petition for the particular week)
WEEK 1
St. Anthony
“Model of Holiness”,
help us to let go of all that stands in the way
of our call to holiness of life.
Like you, help us find joy in a life poured our
in sacrificial giving. {pause}
We are companions
on the journey of life with St. Anthony,
Let us seek the way of holiness
as our God is holy, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Model of Holiness,
pray for us.
Amen
ST. ANTHONY MEETS THE FRANCISCAN FRIARS GOING TO THE MISSIONS
Born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1195, St. Anthony was given the baptismal name of Fernando. At the age of 15, he entered the religious Order of the Canons Regular of St. Augustine. At the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Coimbra, in 1219, he met a group of young Franciscan Friars who were going on a missionary expedition to Morocco. Their zeal for the Gospel impressed him. His holiness touched them.
WEEK 2
St. Anthony,
“Doctor of the Gospels,”
Help us find strength to follow
The Gospel way of life as you did.
Loosen our tongues to proclaim the Good
News of our Lord Jesus Christ to others.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
Doctor of the Gospels:
may we live the values of the Gospel
without compromise, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Doctor of the Gospels,
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY REFLECTS ON THE DEATH OF THE FIRST FRANCISCAN MARTYRS
When news reached Coimbra in 1220 that the five Franciscan missionaries had been brutally tortured and killed by the Muslims in Morocco, St. Anthony was profoundly saddened. Their remains were returned to his monastery for burial. The martyrdom of his friends stirred St. Anthony to search the Scriptures and to reflect even more deeply on the Gospel values of life and love.
WEEK 3
St. Anthony,
“Follower of St. Francis,”
help us to find the courage to build
up the Church through lives of humble service,
loyal obedience, and compassionate love.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
Follower of the poor man of Assisi.
May we recognize “the face of Jesus”
in our sisters and brothers, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Follower of St. Francis,
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY EXPERIENCES THE CALL OF THE FRANCISCAN WAY OF LIFE
Already ordained a priest in the Canons Regular, St. Anthony began to discern that God was calling him to a Franciscan vocation. He began to visit the nearby olive grove where the friars lived in an impoverished hermitage. There St. Anthony came to know the spirit of St. Francis, the “Little Poor Man of Assisi.” With the permission of the Church, St. Anthony was soon invested as a friar in the habit of the Franciscan Order.
WEEK 4
St. Anthony,
“Champion of the Missions,”
help us find the stamina
to be instruments of peace
and seekers of justice in a world
torn apart by division, economic inequity,
and human inequality.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
may we work for peace, seek justice,
and extend forgiveness, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Champion of the Missions,
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY PREPARED TO DEPART FOR THE MISSIONS
Inflamed by the heroic example of the martyrs, St. Anthony requested permission of his Franciscan superiors to go as a missionary to Morocco. His greatest hope was to serve the Lord by preaching the Gospel and offering his life as a martyr.
God would have a different plan. After arriving in Morocco, St. Anthony fell desperately ill, and remained in a semi-conscious state for weeks. He would have to return to Portugal.
WEEK 5
St. Anthony,
“Seeker of the Lost”
help us find what is missing in our lives,
whether it be things lost,
strained relationships,
and for those who have drifted
from the community of the Church.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
may we recognize his gentle guidance
in a deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus
and His bride, the Church, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Seeker of the Lost,
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY’S SHIP IS THROWN OFF COURSE IN A STORM
Having bade farewell to his beloved Africa and his missionary dreams, St. Anthony’s journey of life soon encountered a new challenge. His ship was blown off course by a terrible storm on the Mediterranean. The ailing St. Anthony, lost at sea, found his “anchor” in the Lord. He surrendered himself to the holy will of God.
WEEK 6
St. Anthony,
“Helper of the Poor,”
help us find the presence
of Christ Jesus in the poor,
the suffering, the homeless
and the elderly.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
Helper of the poor:
may we discover the Lord Jesus
in the lepers of our day, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Helper of the Poor,
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY’S SHIPARRIVES IN SICILY
Divine Providence sent St. Anthony’s ship eastward towards Italy. Setting foot on Sicily, St. Anthony felt weak and abandoned. Identifying himself with the hungry and homeless, he reached out to the poor, and determined to persevere in his Franciscan vocation. He made his way northward to Assisi where St. Francis and the friars were convening at their general assembly, known as the 1221 “Chapter of Mats.” A new day was dawning for St. Anthony and the Order.
WEEK 7
St. Anthony,
“Lover of the Eucharist,”
help us find true devotion
in the presence of Christ in the Eucharist
by accepting his invitation to feed his people.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
Lover of the Eucharist:
may we recognize Jesus
“in the breaking of the bread”
and in all people, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Lover of the Eucharist,
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY AND THE EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE WITH THE DONKEY
Though foreign and sickly, St. Anthony soon came to be recognized by the friars as a brilliant theologian and powerful preacher. He was assigned to preach throughout Italy and southern France. At Rimini he was heckled by a heretic who denied the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. St. Anthony challenged the heretic to let his donkey choose between a file of sumptuous animal fodder or the Eucharist. As St. Anthony held the Blessed Sacrament, the donkey approached and knelt in adoration.
WEEK 8
St. Anthony,
“Defender of the Faith,”
help us to find the truth
held in the rich heritage
of our Church’s teachings
and community life.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
Defender of the faith:
may we recommit ourselves
to a deeper appreciation of the gift
of our Catholic Faith and our call
to faithfulness and holiness, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Defender of the Faith,
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY PREACHESTO THE FISH
Known as the “Evangelical Doctor,” St. Anthony defended the teachings of the church through a new evangelization faithful to the Pope and the Magisterium. His opponents sometimes prevented people from coming to hear him preach. On one such occasion in Rimini, St. Anthony looked out to the sea and began preaching to the fish. Thousands of fish came to the surface, and arranging themselves in rows, eagerly listened. Word of this amazing wonder spread and the people soon came to hear and believe.
WEEK 9
St. Anthony,
“Healer of Soul and Body,”
help us find a cure for our suffering
and pain, that we may experience
wholeness and wellness in body, mind
and spirit.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
Healer of soul and body:
Touch and cure, restore and reconcile us
physically, emotionally and spiritually,
we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Healer of Soul and Body
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY THE PEACE MAKER MOVESTOWARD A CITY IN STRIFE
The Italy of St. Anthony’s day was a land of conflict. Political disputes between the Emperor and the Pope divided the people and caused great civil strife. St. Anthony’s reputation as a healer sometimes thrust him intothe role of peacemaker. To tyrants and warring factions he proposed one simple formula for the healing of strife: reconciliation in Christ.
WEEK 10
St. Anthony,
“Miracle Worker,”
help us find a spirit of wonder
for the very miracle of life itself.
May we always open ourselves to
the miraculous presence
of God in our lives.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
Worker of Miracles:
may we walk in faith and in trust
of God’s miraculous power
to hear our needs and answer
them in a mighty way, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Miracle Worker,
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY IS GREETED BY TOWN’S PEOPLE AFTER RESTORING PEACE
Love was the central message of St. Anthony’s life. People instinctively were attracted to him. At each town and village he used the powerful message of Gospel love to implant a new unity, and to work the miracle of peace. Witnessing the Franciscan motto Pax et Bonum (“Peace and Good”), he spread the Kingdom of God.
WEEK 11
St. Anthony,
“Messenger of Mercy,”
help us find the compassion
to forgive ourselves and others
as Jesus forgives us.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
Messenger of Mercy:
may we trust God who loves us unconditionally,
extends endless mercy and forgiveness,
we pray;
O good St. Anthony,
Messenger of Mercy,
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY BLESSES THE CITY OF PADUA
What Assisi was for St. Francis, Padua became for St. Anthony. As a realist, he saw the great problems of secularism and violence corrupting this beautiful city. His final preaching and negotiating would labor for Padua’s radical reform- its call to holiness. His evangelization efforts would succeed in winning for Padua the mercy of God.
WEEK 12
St. Anthony,
“Friend of Mary,”
Help us find the openness to God’s plan
in our lives, as did you and Mary
as you both trusted and risked all.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
Friend of Mary:
May we take seriously our call
to walk in Christian Discipleship
without counting the cost, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Friend of Mary,
pray for us.
Amen.
THE BODY OF ST. ANTHONY IS RETURNED TO PADUA AFTER HIS DEATH
St. Anthony died on the 13th of June 1231 at the friary in Arcella, A short distance from Padua. In his dying hours fortified by the sacraments of the Church, he prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, singing the hymn O Gloriosa Domina (“O Glorious Lady”). His body was returned for burial to the friars’ small chapel of Our Lady in St. Anthony’s beloved Padua.
WEEK 13
St. Anthony,
“Prayerful Intercessor,”
help us find a trusting spirit,
that we may know in the depths
of our being the power of prayer in our lives.
{pause}
We are companions of St. Anthony,
a Prayerful Intercessor:
may we seek his intervention,
trusting that God hears all our prayers
and answers our needs, we pray:
O good St. Anthony,
Prayerful Intercessor,
pray for us.
Amen.
ST. ANTHONY CONTINUES TO INSPIRE IN PADUA AND BEYOND
Less than one year after his death and burial, St. Anthony was canonized a saint on the 30th of May 1232. He remains today a magnet of love, drawing respect from people of all nationalities and religions. Through his prayerful intercession, new generations of friars find courage to follow their vocation. For the whole world, St. Anthony continues to be God’s instrument of love and blessing.
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