In the region of Tolosa blessed Anthony, having vehemently argued with a hardened heretic about the redeeming sacrament of the Eucharist, had nearly convinced and attracted him to the Catholic faith, except that, after many arguments in which he tried to back out, he added these words: "Let's cut the chat and come to the facts. If you, Anthony, can prove with a miracle that in the Eucharist of believers there is, however hidden it may be, the true body of Christ, I will renounce every heresy and submit myself to the Catholic faith".
The
Lord's servant replied with great faith: "I trust in
my saviour Jesus Christ that, for your conversion and for
that of others, thanks to His mercy I will obtain what you
ask". The heretic stood up and, asking for silence with
a gesture of his hand, said: "I'll keep my beast of burden
locked up for three days and I will starve him. After three
days, in the presence of other people, I'll let him out and
I'll show him some prepared fodder. You, on the other hand
will show him what you believe to be the body of Christ. If
the starving animal, ignoring the fodder, rushes to adore
his God, I will sincerely believe in the faith of the Church".
The saint agreed straight away. The heretic then exclaimed:
"Listen well, everyone!".
Why
delay with many words? The day of the challenge arrived. people
arrived from far and wide and filled up the square. Christ's
servant, Anthony, was present surrounded by a crowd of faithful.
The heretic too, with a number of his accomplices. God's servant
entered a nearby chapel, to perform the rites of the Mass
with great devotion. Once finished, he exited where the people
were waiting, carrying reverently the body of the Lord. The
hungry mule was led out of the stall, and shown appetising
food.
Finally,
asking for silence the man of God said to the animal with
great faith: "In the name of virtue and the Creator,
who I, although unworthy, am carrying in my hands, I ask you,
o beast, and I order to come closer quickly and with humility
and to show just veneration, so that the malevolent heretics
will learn from this gesture that every creature is subject
to the Lord, as held in the hands with priestly dignity on
the altar". God's servant had hardly finished speaking,
when the animal, ignoring the fodder, knelt down and lowered
his head to the floor, thus genuflecting before the living
sacrament of the body of Christ.
The
faithful were filled with uncontrollable joy, the heretics
and non-believers were filled with sadness and humiliation.
God was praised and blessed, the Catholic faith was honoured
and exalted; heretical depravity was shamed and condemned
with everlasting insults. The heretic, renounced the his doctrine
in front of all present, and from then on was obedient to
the precepts of the holy Church (Benignitas 16,6-17).
|
|
St. Clare is the little plant of St. Francis, as she called herself. A blog to my call to become a Poor Clare Colettine. If St. Clare was a "little plant", I am a scraggly weed.
Search This Blog
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
For St. Anthony's Upcoming Feast of June 13th - His Miracles: The Mule
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment