Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, the great preacher and servant of the poor. At this occasion, the Word of God invites us to reflect on the fragility of our humanity and the transforming power of Divine grace. St. Anthony was a man who understood both the weakness inherent in us and the greatness of the treasure we hold.
The Treasures We Carry
In the Second Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul writes, “We hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.” This treasure is the Gospel, the light of Christ, the power of His resurrection, the joy of salvation. But this divine treasure is placed in weak, fragile, breakable containers, in you and me.
And that is precisely where the beauty lies. God does not wait for perfect instruments. The example of the Apostles speaks volumes in this regard. He does not only choose the strong, the flawless, or the sinless, but He places His light in broken vessels so that when the light shines through, we all know that it is not the vessel, but the Glory of God at work.
The Humility of St Anthony
St Anthony, in his humility, was a man fully aware of his fragility. Though he was a brilliant theologian and preacher, what drew people to him was not just his intellect, but his burning love for Christ and his compassionate heart for the poor and broken. Like Paul, he knew what it meant to be “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair.” He, too, carried within himself the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus could be visible in his words and deeds.
As we meditate today, let us take a moment to ask ourselves some questions. How often do we think that our weaknesses disqualify us from serving God? How often do we hide our struggles, fearing they might make us less worthy? But the Word of God tells us otherwise. God uses the cracks in our clay jars to let the light of His love pour through. The key to this miracle is not in denying our weaknesses, but in surrendering them to the One whose power is made perfect in our vulnerability.
Purity of Heart: Christ’s Radical Invitation
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus speaks directly and incisively. He takes the commandment: “You shall not commit adultery” and challenges us to look deeper, beyond the act itself, to the desires of our hearts. He is not condemning us, but is inviting us toward the journey of purity, integrity, and inner freedom.
Jesus is not simply asking for external compliance. He is inviting us to holiness from the inside out. And he knows that it is not easy. That is why He uses a vivid language: “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out.” While not intended to be taken literally, this statement shows us the urgency and seriousness of sin, and the importance of guarding our hearts.
St Anthony, who is often invoked to help find lost things, also helps us to find something much more important: our lost purity, our lost joy, our lost focus on Christ. He was a man of the Beatitudes, a man of “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” He preached with boldness against hypocrisy and immorality, but always with compassion and mercy. St. Anthony knew that to preach the Gospel is to call hearts back to God, through the promise of grace and transformation.
Our Weakness is Not a Barrier
So, what is the message for us today? First, we should not be discouraged by our weaknesses. Like Paul and St Anthony, we carry a treasure, the presence of God, even if we feel like a cracked pot. Let us allow Him to shine through us.
Second, let us guard our hearts. Jesus calls to radical fidelity to our vows, to our very identity as children of Light. Whether married, single, religious, or laity, we are called to chastity and wholeness, to see others not with desire to possess them, but with love and respect as God’s children.
Third, like St Anthony, let us become living vessels of the Word. He once said, “Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak.” This is the challenge of every Christian life: to let the treasure of God’s Word shape not only our speech, but our entire lives. The purity Jesus calls us for cannot be attained by our own strength, but by remaining in His grace.
