Defies Reason through Faith Essay -- Essays Papers

Defies Reason through Faith St. Anthony was born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1195 A.D. He wanted to live his life above himself as to give meaning to his own life. St. Anthony chose to become a member of the Congregation of Canons Regular of St. Augustine at the age of fifteen. At the congregation, he dedicated his life to the practice of piety in the Monastery at Coimbra. While in the congregation, some of his fellow friars went to Morocco to preach the Gospel of Christ. In Morocco, the friars were brutally tortured for their faith. Christian merchants consummated in recovering the friars’ remains and returned in mastery back to Coimbra. When they returned, St. Anthony was seized with an unwavering desire to suffer martyrdom in a like manner. St. Anthony then desired to be sent to the missions in Africa, and his request was fulfilled. After setting foot on African land he was stricken with a grave illness. Although he recovered from the illness, he was still too weak to go on with his missions. After retirin g to the will of God, he boarded a boat back to Portugal. But, a storm drove him to the coast of Sicily, where he joined a group of friars in Italy. Following his mission work in Italy, he then died in 1231 in Vercelli. During St. Anthony’s lifetime, he performed many miracles and several acts of God. One of these miracles included the resurrection of a fallen man and child. An act of God included the loss of his manuscript and praying to God for its return, and another act was proving to a man the truth of the sacrament by using his horse. Through miracles and acts of God, St. Anthony of Padua defies reason through faith.1 2 One of the miracles that St. Anthony performed was bringing a young man back to life. The young man... ... 6 Stoddard, Charles W., The Wonder-Worker of Padua (Rockford: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1971), 56-57. 7 Habig, Marion A., Everyman's saint: Life, Cult, and Virtues of St. Anthony of Padua (Paterson: St. Anthony Guild Press, 1954) 23-24. Bibliography - Cherance, Father Leopold De. St. Anthony of Padua New York: Burns & Oates, Limited, 1895. - Habig, Marion A. Everyman's saint: Life, Cult, and Virtues of St. Anthony of Padua. Patterson: St. Anthony Guild Press, 1954. - "St. Anthony." 26 January 1997. 25 October 1999 http://www.jump.net/~stanthony/tonylife.html>. - Stoddard, Charles W. The Wonder-Worker of Padua Rockford: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1971. - "The Life of St. Anthony of Padua." 25 October 1999 http://www.stanthonyshrine.org/St_Anthony.html>