13 Tuesdays Novena to St.

Anthony (Recite together) Anthony, through your teaching and preaching you bore witness to the loving pres ence 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 Chris t. 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 ex perience 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 F ernando. 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 profoun dly saddened. Their remains were returned to his monastery for burial. The marty rdom 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 th at God was calling him to a Franciscan vocation. He began to visit the nearby ol ive 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 p ermission of the Church, St. Anthony was soon invested as a friar in the habit o f 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 des perately 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. Anthon y s journey of life soon encountered a new challenge. His ship was blown off cours e 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 Fr anciscan 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 Ma ts. 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 throu ghout Italy and southern France. At Rimini he was heckled by a heretic who denie d the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. St. Anthony challenged the hereti c to let his donkey choose between a file of sumptuous animal fodder or the Euch arist. As St. Anthony held the Blessed Sacrament, the donkey approached and knel t 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 oppon ents sometimes prevented people from coming to hear him preach. On one such occa sion in Rimini, St. Anthony looked out to the sea and began preaching to the fis h. Thousands of fish came to the surface, and arranging themselves in rows, eage rly listened. Word of this amazing wonder spread and the people soon came to hea r 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. A nthony s reputation as a healer sometimes thrust him intothe role of peacemaker. T o 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 attr acted to him. At each town and village he used the powerful message of Gospel lo ve to implant a new unity, and to work the miracle of peace. Witnessing the Fran ciscan 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 dist ance from Padua. In his dying hours fortified by the sacraments of the Church, h e prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary, singing the hymn O Gloriosa Domina ( O Glorio us 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.