Quote of the Week: St Anthony of Padua
After encouraging people to read St Anthony of Padua for themselves, I thought it just to quote him for this week:
In Syriac, mammon means the riches of wickedness — ‘ill-gotten gains.’ If what is ill-gotten can be well used, and so turned into justice, how much ore can the divine word in which there is no wickedness lift its good dispenser up to heaven? A friend is someone who takes care of you, who loves you. ‘Friendship is a desire for someone’s welfare, simply because one loves them; with a similar return.’ The rich folk of this world, who amass riches with lies, from injustice, have no nearer friends (did they but know it) than the poor hands of those who are Christ’s treasury. St Gregory says: ‘If the rich want to find anything in their hands after death, they have been told in whose hands they should put their riches before death.’ ‘You rich man, give Christ what he has given you. You have had a benefactor, have a debtor, and have someone who has lent to you.’ Stretch out your withered hand, you rich man, I beg you, and what was formerly dried up with avarice will flower with alms.
St. Anthony of Padua, Sermons for Sundays and Festivals. Volume II. trans. Paul Spilsbury (Padua: Edizioni Messaggero Padova, 2007), 231.
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This quote from St Anthony is very core, very central and downright harsh. But it is the truth and frequently truth is harsh.
Much of St Anthony’s sermons contains sentiments such as this quote — if he were alive today, and blogging, I’m sure he would be accused as being a communist ;)