St. Anthony Newsletter
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Volume I, Issue 1 1502–1539 2007 Dear Readers! I thank you for the interest you have shown in spending time read- ing, or perhaps just browsing through our first issue ofAnthony Alive. When I mentioned to a friend of mine the idea of starting a publica- tion on St. Anthony, she posed to me these questions: “Which St. Anthony?” “Why Anthony Alive now in 2007?” “Is there some sort of This Issue anniversary of St. Anthony in the coming months?” And many other April 2007 “whys” and “hows” were asked. INTRODUCTION by Father Robert Kosek, CRSP I must say that these questions were very profitable, in that they helped me formulate in my heart a sound raison d’être of the ST. ANTHONY’S DOCTRINE • The Life of a Saint… publication’s birth. The answer to these questions are found in the • The Spiritual Treasures birth of a noble son, Anthony Zaccaria, many centuries ago, in the • The Teachings on PRAYER city of Cremona in Lombardy, Italy. You are probably wondering • The Famous Sayings • The Constitutions of 1539 what the connection is between what took place in such a remote time and place and my current life. Let me explain. It’s a vital spiritual REFLECTIONS & MEDITATIONS… • Walking with St. Anthony connection. (cont.) by Fr. Tony Sarno • You Could Have a Life… by Mary Grace Jesus is Alive! • Prayer and Suffering… Alleluia! by Fr. Anthony Bianco, CRSP • Prayer Without Ceasing Jesus’ Resurrection is not by Mary Gambino merely a historic event that • Anthony’s Lift to God took place over two thousand by Sr. Rorivic P. Israel, ASP years ago, but is the ever- • Make Your Home in Me… living reality that ought to be by Fr. Speranza • Prayer Is Placing Oneself… experienced in our hearts. by Fr. R. Delzingaro, CRSP In other words, Jesus lived, • Kids Page suffered, died, and was raised by Elizabeth, Peter, & from the dead so that He Matthew Gambino might live forever in the heart of each one of us, and we OUTSTANDING BARNABITES • A Servant of the Orphans: in Him. Yes, He came down Fr. Giovanni Semeria, CRSP from heaven to make us alive • Peace and Peace forever by his eternal life. by Fr. Giovanni M. MAY YOU HAVE A Semeria, CRSP BLESSED EASTER OBLATES OF SAINT PAUL From The Barnabite Fathers and St. James Parish, Oakville, Ont. the Staff of Anthony Alive. St.Introduction Anthony’s Doctrine St.Introduction Anthony’s Doctrine “Do not think that my love for you or the good qualities you are endowed with, may have me desire that you be just little saints. No, I greatly desire that you become great saints, since you are well- equipped to reach this goal, if you will it. All that is required is that you really mean to develop and give back to Jesus Crucified, in a more refined form, the good qualities and graces He has given you.” (Zaccaria, Letter XI) “Love alone is worth everything.” blessing to us! On many occasions we even call this What a bold statement for Saint Anthony Zaccaria person an “angel,” to indicate their heaven-like to make! How does this statement fit today’s so- qualities. The people of Cremona in the 1500’s had ciety where our love for Christ has become some- their own “Angel of God” in the person of Anthony what indifferent—no prayers allowed in schools, Zaccaria. This “Angel of God” was granted a power the commandments taken out of government to bring others to Christ and so empower them to be buildings, people trying to get “In God We Trust” ever alive in God. That “whoever is in Christ is a new off currency, etc., and, many times, it seems as if creation” (2 Cor 5,17). love has lost all its worth. I thought that perhaps now is the time to find once again the love of How and why was Saint Anthony blest with this God, which St. Anthony Zaccaria was so zealous amazing ability to love? about. Can you imagine encountering a person There is a simple and yet profound answer to these who not only made such a statement, but at the queries. Anthony Zaccaria earned his reputation of same time was willing to live by it? I can, because I “Angel of God” by his life-style, and witness to the have known more than one. For instance, a friend love of Christ, in prayer, poverty, preaching, and char- of mine related a story to me recently about a few ity. With time, people realized that his spirit was not incidents which occurred after returning from a of this world. His spirit was much more powerful. It pilgrimage. People would come up to her and ask: “Did you lose weight, or did you do something to your hair? There is something different about you. What is it?” After this happened time and again, she arrived at the fact that nothing physical had changed. So it must be that she fell in love with Jesus in an all-consuming way. She was, and con- tinues to be, on fire with the Spirit. I must admit that she just glows with the light of it as it burns bright within her. Kasia The person who lives by love alone is able to channel to us this power, and such a person is a Image by 2 3 St.Introduction Anthony’s Doctrine St.Introduction Anthony’s Doctrine was the Spirit of the living God which empowered you are endowed with, may have me desire that Zaccaria to make people authentically “alive” in you be just little saints. No, I greatly desire that you Christ. His spirituality was like a magnet, drawing become great saints, since you are well-equipped people towards him to learn how to live by God’s to reach this goal, if you will it. All that is required love while still living in the world. To these faithful is that you really mean to develop and give back to followers his message was very intriguing and, at Jesus Crucified, in a more refined form, the good the same time, very appealing. qualities and graces He has given you” (Letter XI). You may think “That was then, but now it’s a dif- From whom did Anthony Zaccaria, this young ferent story. Let’s face it. I am not as blessed as they holy man, learn to love? were!” Think again. From God. For God “love alone is worth every- thing,” and has always been everything. This is It is true that during his short life Anthony was because “God is LOVE” (1J 4, 16). Love is God’s only able to be present in a limited number of language par excellence, through which He com- places and to talk and write to a restricted num- municates Himself to us. It is God’s desire that we ber of people. Yet, it is hard to believe that despite humans learn His language of love. “That is why these constraints present in the 1500’s, Zaccaria’s God came down from heaven to earth: ... O infinite message surmounted them all, and since then his love! God humbled Himself so much in order that message has been soaring high above any limits of man might love Him back, and through this love time and space reaching people everywhere. This be saved” (Sermon IV). Anthony would continu- publication is clear proof of this unwavering fact. ously teach that “without God’s love nothing can be accomplished, whereas everything depends on It is my wish and prayer that by reading Anthony His love” (ibid.). He was speaking from his experi- Alive, your heart may be enkindled with the flame ence of an ardent life of prayer. It was during these of that blazing holy fire of St. Anthony. May you long hours in the presence of the Divine teacher reach “the peak of holiness to which [God] wants and Friend, Jesus Crucified, that Anthony came to to lead you” (Letter XI) and so become alive in grasp that one’s relationship with Jesus ought to be Christ. characterized by love. However, for Anthony just Yours in Christ, to love God was not enough. For him, it had to be Fr. Robert B. Kosek, CRSP a love to the point of being called “crazy,” – like Holy Thursday, 5 April, 2007 the love of someone who is so madly in love, that it would last until death, death on the cross. Who can love like that? Are all people equipped to love God in such a passionate fashion? Or is this love just for the special elite? In his wisdom, Anthony understood that reaching the summit of love – holiness as the primary object of spiritual life – is not less binding for laity than it is for priests and religious. Moreover, he strongly believed that the laity has been given by God all Kasia that it takes to reach this summit of love. “Do not think that my love for you or the good qualities Image by 2 3 St. Anthony’s Doctrine The Life of a Saint… St. Anthony’s Doctrine The Life of a Saint— Anthony Mary Zaccaria nthony Mary Zaccaria was born in 1502, in Cremona, a city Aof Lombardy, fifty miles southeast of Milan. His patrician family probably originated in Genoa. His father, Lazzaro, died when Anthony Mary was two years old. His mother, Antonia Pescaroli, a widow at eighteen, devoted herself completely to the education of her son. Little is known of Anthony Mary’s childhood.