The Calling of Saint Anthony
After the death of his parents, left alone with his sister still very small, Antonio, at the age of eighteen or twenty years, took care of home and sister. It was not yet six months after the death of his parents, when one day on his way, as was his custom, the celebration of the Eucharist, was reflecting on the reasons which caused the apostles to follow the Savior, having given up everything. Called to mind those men, spoken of in the Acts of the Apostles, who sold their possessions, they brought the proceeds to the apostles' feet, because they were distributed to the poor. He also thought what and how were the goods that they hoped to achieve in the sky.
meditating on these things went into the church, just as we read and heard the gospel that the Lord had said to the rich: "If thou wilt be perfect, 'Go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and come, follow me and you will have treasure in heaven "(Mt 19, 21). Antonio
Then, as if the story of the lives of the saints had been submitted by Providence, and those words were read just for him, went out immediately from the church gave a gift to the villagers that the property he inherited from his family - had In fact, three hundred fertile fields and pleasant - not because they had reason to worry for herself and her sister. Also sold all movable and distributed to the poor, the large sum of money obtained, reserving only a small portion for his sister.
again participating in the liturgical assembly, he felt the words which the Lord says in the Gospel: "There is distressed for the future" (Mt 6, 34). Unable to resist longer, he went out again and also gave what was still left. He entrusted his sister to the virgins consecrated to God and then he dedicated himself near his home to the ascetic life, and began to lead a life with fortitude harsh, without conceding to himself.
He worked with his own hands: it was heard to proclaim: "Who would not work, neither should he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3, 10). With some of the money earned bought bread for themselves, while the rest is donated to the poor.
spent much time in prayer, for he had learned that it was necessary to withdraw and pray without ceasing (see 1 Thessalonians 5, 17). He was so attentive to the reading, he did not miss anything of what was written, but kept everything in the soul so that the memory came to replace the books. All the inhabitants of the country and righteous men, whose goodness was worth it, seeing such a man they called God's friend and some loved him like a son, others as a brother.
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