Friday, 10th Week, June 13: St. St. Anthony of Padua
Jesus died for us; We will be raised like him.
2 Corinthians 4:7-15
***
Sixty-two years before his death, Benjamin Franklin composed
this inscription for his gravestone:
"The body of B. Franklin, Printer; Like the Cover of an
old Book; Its Contents worn out and Stript of the Lettering and Gilding, Lies
here, Food for Worms. But the Work shall not be wholly lost: For it will, as he
believed, appear once more, In a new & more perfect Edition Corrected and
amended By the Author."
Franklin's creative inscription points up how Jesus changed
our lives dramatically by reconciling us to God through his death.
***
How firm is our faith in our own resurrection? "All
mankind is one Author, and is one volume; When one man dies, One chapter is not
torn out of the book, But translated into a better language."
John Donne, Devotions XVII
***
Introduction
Paul experienced in the marrow of his bones the contradiction of the coexistence within himself of the strength of God working in him for the apostolate and his own human weakness. This is also the experience of the whole Church and each of us personally: it may be the experience of married people, of whom absolute fidelity is demanded even though they are weak. For we bear in us both the death and the resurrection of Christ. But God and the grace of Christ are always stronger than our weakness.
Opening
Prayer
Lord our
God, the world speaks of death, your death, the death of humans, the death of
myths and of the sacred. Yet keep us faithful, Lord, to our mission of
announcing life and hope. Help us, sinful as we ourselves are, to speak
of your mercy. Though we are neither saints nor heroes, give us the courage to
bear witness to your steadfast loyalty, together with him who was loyal to the
end, Jesus Christ, our Lord forever.
***
Matthew 5:27-32: Human dignity restored by Christ
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks with a truth that pierces
our modern hearts: “Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already
committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Mt 5:28) These are not
merely words about personal morality. They are a call to dignity and justice,
especially for women who, even today, are so often reduced to objects and cast
aside when no longer “useful.”
From the beginning, God created man and woman together in
His image. Not one above the other, but side by side. A man without a woman at
his side—whether as mother, sister, wife, or friend—is incomplete in reflecting
God’s image. This is the truth Jesus reveals in His radical treatment of women.
He speaks to them, defends them, heals them, and restores their dignity.
Yet today, so often women are reduced to objects—used in
advertising, exploited on the streets, treated as disposable. This exploitation
is not far away; it happens in our own cities, in our neighbourhood. Women,
especially the poor and migrant women, are trafficked and humiliated. Many have
never known the joy of being a mother, the warmth of a home, or the dignity of
being seen as a person.
This is a sin against the Creator. When we treat women as
less than human, we reject the image of God. We must reflect: How do we speak
about women? How do we see them?
The Gospel calls us to look at the other with eyes of love
and respect. Let us ask the Lord to purify our hearts and minds, to help us see
every individual as someone sacred. And may Mary, Mother of the Living, teach
us to build a world where every woman is honoured and loved. Amen.
***
Saint Anthony of Padua
The Portuguese saint Anthony of Padua is one of the most venerated saints and possibly the most misused. During his ten years with the Augustinians, he devoted himself to the Scriptures, but was later drawn to the radical evangelical lifestyle of the young Franciscan order. In Italy, he became a very effective popular preacher and dedicated himself to his work with so much ardour that he died at the age of 36 at Padua. He not only preached the gospel but lived it totally.
Opening
Prayer
Lord our God, St. Anthony was so filled with your Son and his gospel that he could not but make people enthusiastic about the good news of Jesus Christ. Let your Son and his word spring to life in us, we pray you, that we may live the life of Jesus and proclaim him to all those around, for he is our Lord for ever. Amen.
