Thirteen Tuesdays In Honor Of St. Anthony

Introduction

St. Anthony died on Friday, June 13th, 1231.His funeral took place on the following Tuesday,
June 17th. On that day the blind, deaf and paralytic implored the aid of the “miracle worker” and all
who touched his humble tomb were delivered from their infirmities. The gratitude of the people dedicated Tuesday to the honor of St. Anthony. This practice, which had spread far and wide, received a new and surprising impetus centuries later. It happened in this way. A noble lady in Bologna
in the year 1617A.D. sought a favor of St. Anthony with much fervor. For twenty-two years she had
vainly desired that her marriage might be blessed with offspring. One night she saw the Saint in a dream. He said to her, “Visit my statue in the Church of the friars for nine Tuesdays and your prayers
will be heard.” The woman hastened to obey the directions of the Saint; and, as a reward for her fidelity and perseverance, she obtained the favor she so ardently desired. This devotion to St. Anthony on Tuesdays was soon spread abroad and practiced by countless people. The fervor of the faithful later extended itself from nine Tuesdays to thirteen, in memory of the date of his death. The devotion continues to this day as away of preparing for the celebration of St. Anthony’s Feast.

First Tuesday: Silence and Solitude
Reading I: A reading from the Book of Lamentations (Lam. 3, 22-26)
The favors of the Lord are not exhausted, his mercies not spent; they are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness. My portion is the Lord, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Good is the Lord to one who waits for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the Lord.
The Word of the Lord.
- Thanks be to God.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
Alas, how many disturbing thoughts go through the heart. As a result we lack the leisure to enjoy
the bread of heavenly delights and to taste the joys of interior contemplation. For that reason the good Master invites us: Come apart from the restless throng into a desert place, into solitude of mind
and body when we withdraw from the turbulence of the world and rest in quiet and solitude, tasting
the bread of tears as we think over our sins, then does the Lord make himself known to us.
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. Come tome, all you that labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
A. Lord, let us see your face and we shall be saved.
L. Give peace, Lord, to those who wait for you.
A. Lord, let us see your face and we shall be saved.
L. Like a deer that longs for running streams, my soul longs for you, O God.
A. Lord, let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Second Tuesday: The Call to Repentance
Reading I: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Mark. (Mk. 1, 14-15)
Glory to you, O Lord.
After John’s arrest, Jesus appeared in Galilee proclaiming the good news of God: “This is the time of fulfillment! The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the gospel.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
- Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
The sinner who has recovered the grace which he has lost has three reasons for being full of joy. He should rejoice that he did not die in his sins and face everlasting punishment. He should be glad because he has been restored to God’s favor though he merited it not. He should rejoice that he will be brought to glory if he perseveres in his new-found friendship. Let him sing then with Isaiah: “I will exult for joy in the Lord; in my God is the joy of my soul.”
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. Hear us, Lord, for you are merciful and kind.
A. In your great compassion, look on us with love.
L. The Lord does not wish the sinner to die, but to turn back to him and live.
A. In your great compassion, look on us with love.
L. In God we find pardon and strength in our time of need.
A. In your great compassion, look on us with love.

Third Tuesday: Facing Our Sins
Reading I: A reading from the letter of Paul to the Colossians. (Col. 3, 8-10)
- Glory to you, O Lord.
You must put aside all that now: all the anger and quick temper, the malice, the insults, the foul language. Stop lying to one another. What you have done is put aside your old self with its past deeds and put on a new person, one who grows in knowledge as you are formed in the image of your Creator.
The Word of the Lord
-Thanks be to God.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
The sinner must unhesitatingly put all works squarely before his mind’s eye and regard them often and attentively with sorrow of heart. In this way he will be able to produce from them the fruit of penance. Were one courageously to set his inner self before his eyes, he would find nothing there but reason for true sorrow of heart and the desire to return to the ways of God.
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will support you.
A. Create a clean heart in me; give me a steadfast spirit.
L. Direct our hearts to better things, O Lord, heal our sin and ignorance.
A. Create a clean heart in me; give me a steadfast spirit.
L. You overlook the sins of all to bring them to repentance.
A. Create a clean heart in me; give me a steadfast spirit.

Fourth Tuesday: The Spirit of Penance
Reading I: A reading from the prophecy of Ezekiel. (Ez. 11, 19-20)
I will give a new heart and put a new spirit within them; so that they will live according to my statutes,and observe and carry out my ordinances; thus they shall be my people and I will be their God.
The Word of the Lord.- Thanks be to God.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
The spirit of penance and contrition of heart, which as a breath of new life God breathes into the sinful soul of man, his image and likeness defiled by sin, becomes in turn a sacrifice the humbled sinner may offer to God to obtain pardon and reconciliation.
For God will not spurn a heart contrite and humbled.
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. My heart prompted me to seek your face; I seek it Lord; do not hide from me.
A. Bless the Lord, my soul, and remember all his kindness.
L. Lord, there is no God to compare with you; you are great and do wonderful things.
A. Bless the Lord, my soul, and remember all his kindness.
L. Let hearts rejoice who search for the Lord; seek always the face of the Lord.
A. Bless the Lord, my soul, and remember all his kindness.

Fifth Tuesday: The Gift of Baptism
Reading I: A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans. (Rom. 6, 3-5)
Are you not aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Through baptism into his death we were buried with him, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might have a new life. If we have been united to him through likeness to his death, so shall we be through likeness to his resurrection.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks Be To God.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
Three things are required to prepare a meal: fire, oil and food in the oil. The fire does not touch the
food directly, and yet it warms, sterilizes, and cooks it. The fire is the Holy Spirit, the body is like
the oil, and the soul is like the food. Just as the food is cooked by means of the oil from the heat of the fire, so the baptismal water, ignited by the Holy Spirit, when it touches the body externally, interiorly purges the soul from all sins. The Holy Spirit descended on Christ as his baptism in the River
Jordan. He also descends in the baptismal font on each Christian, and by his power we become
children of God’s grace. So it was that Christ, both for himself and those baptized into him, heard the words: “This is my beloved son.”
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. Think of how God loves you! He calls you his
own children, and that is what you are.
A. The love of God has been poured into our
hearts.
L. Look up to him with joy and be glad.
A. The love of God has been poured into our
hearts.
L. God has saved us by living water which gives
our lives a fresh beginning.
A. The love of God has been poured into our
hearts.

Sixth Tuesday: The Church
Reading I: A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians. (Eph. 2, 19-22)
This means you are strangers and aliens no longer. No, you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God. You form a building which rises on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is fitted together and takes shape as a holy temple in the Lord; in him you are being built into this temple, to become a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.
The Word of the Lord.
- Thanks be to God.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
Sing this song in the church of God: a strong city have we in Zion, for the Savior has set up walls to
protect us. Zion is the Holy Church, the city of our strength, apart from which there is no salvation.
In her has our Savior been placed as a wall and a rampart, in his divinity and in his humanity. And
thus fortified by the wall of the Incarnate Word, the Church will continue in peace and security until
the end.
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. My dwelling place shall be with them, says the Lord.
A. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts.
L. I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
A. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts.
L. My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
A. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts.

Seventh Tuesday: Christ Acts in His Church
Reading I: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to John. (Jn. 10, 14-15,16b)
-Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me, in the same way
that the Father knows me and I know the Father; for these sheep I will give my life. I will lead them
and they shall hear my voice. There will be one flock then, one shepherd.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
- Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
Christ the Good Shepherd feeds us daily by the teachings of the Gospel and the sacraments of the
Church. The sheep who follow him are the faithful members of the Church who daily offer themselves
at the altar of his Passion and in the sacrifice of a contrite heart as victims who are spotless, holy and pleasing to God.
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. Sing joyfully to the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with
joyful song.
A. We are his people; the sheep of his flock.
L. Know that the Lord is God; he made us, his we are.
A. We are his people; the sheep of his flock.
L. The Lord is good; his kindness endures forever.
A. We are his people; the sheep of his flock.

Eighth Tuesday: Prayer of the Heart
Reading I: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew. (Mt. 7, 7-11)
-Glory to you, O Lord.
Jesus said to his disciples: “Ask, and you will receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened for you. For the one who asks, receives. The one who seeks, finds. The one who knocks, enters. Would one of you hand his son a stone when he asks for a loaf, or a poisonous
snake when he asks for a fish? If you, with all your sins, know how to give your children what is good,
how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to anyone who asks him.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
- Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
We can pray in a threefold way: with our hearts, with our mouths, with our hands. Of the first the wise man says: “The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds and reaches the home of God.”Of the second the psalmist cries: “Let my prayer come to you.”Of the third the Apostle exhorts us: “Pray constantly in the sense that he does not cease to pray who does not cease to do good.”
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. We praise you, God, we acknowledge you as Lord; your Church praises you around the world.
A. I will praise your name forever, Lord.
L. Generation after generation praises your works and proclaims your might.
A. I will praise your name forever, Lord.
L. Let all your works give you thanks, O Lord, and let your faithful ones bless you.
A. I will praise your name forever, Lord.

Ninth Tuesday: Gospel Living - Doing the Will of the Father
Reading I: A reading from the letter of James. (Jas. 2, 14-17)
What good is it to profess faith without practicing it? Such faith has no power to save one, has it? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and no food for the day, and you say to them, “Good-bye and
good luck! Keep warm and well fed”, but do not meet their bodily needs, what good is that? So it is
with faith that does nothing in practice. It is thoroughly lifeless.
The Word of the Lord.
- Thanks be to God.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
To say “Lord, Lord“ in the right sense means to believe with our hearts, praise God with our lips,
and bear witness with our deeds. If one of these is lacking, we are not confessing but denying; if our
life belies our belief, it counts nothing to shout God’s praises.
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. Those who serve me, follow me, says the Lord; and where I am there my servants shall be also.
A. Here am I Lord, I come to do your will.
L. By the love we have for one another, everyone will know that we are his disciples.
A. Here am I Lord, I come to do your will.
L. Those who do the will of God are my brothers, my sisters and my mother.
A. Here am I Lord, I come to do your will.

Tenth Tuesday: The Gift of the Eucharist
Reading I: A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians. (1 Cor. 11, 23-26)
I received from the Lord what I handed on to you, namely, that the Lord Jesus, on the night when he
was betrayed, took bread, and after he had given thanks, broke it and said: “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper, he took the cup, saying: “This is the new Covenant in my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” Every time, then, you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes!
The Word of the Lord.
- Thanks Be To God.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
During the meal, Jesus took bread, blessed it and broke it as a sign that not without his free consent
was his body to be broken in death. The humanity of Christ is like the grape because it was crushed in the wine press of the cross so that his blood flowed forth over the earth. This blood the Lord gave his apostles to drink. “This is the blood of the new Covenant, which shall be shed for many for the forgiveness of sins.” How great is the charity of the beloved! His own blood, which in the future he
was to pour forth for the Church, the spouse of the heavenly Bridegroom, he offered her with his most holy hands.
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. The Lord opened the gates of heaven and rained down manna for them to eat.
A. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
L. I am the living bread that comes down from Heaven.
A. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
L. If anyone eats this bread he will live forever.
A. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Eleventh Tuesday: Mary -Our Mother in Faith
Reading I: A reading from the prophecy of Zechariah, (Zec. 2, 14-17)
Sing and rejoice, O Daughter Zion! I am coming to dwell among you, says the Lord. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day, and they shall be his people, and he will dwell among
you, and you shall see that the Lord of Hosts has sent me to you. The Lord will possess Judah as his
portion of the holy land. Silence, all people, in the presence of the Lord, for he stirs forth from his holy dwelling.
The Word of the Lord.
- Thanks be to God.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.The wise man says that the sun is a thing of wonder, the work of the Most High. The Virgin Mary is an even greater work of wonder, for she was the bridal chamber wherein the Son of God took flesh, the sanctuary of the Spirit, the dwelling of the Most Blessed Trinity. O work, indeed of wonder, for the Son of God made her more beautiful than all other creatures and holier than all the saints, and then in her took on human form and became one of us.
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary; she carried the Son of the eternal Father.
A. Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.
L. You have been blessed, O Virgin Mary, above all other women on earth by the Lord, the Most High.
A. Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.
L. Your praises shall never fade from the mouths of your people.
A. Blessed are they who hear the word of God and keep it.

Twelfth Tuesday: Feeding Christ in the Poor
Reading I: A reading from the prophecy of Isaiah. (Is. 58, 6-8a)
Thus says the Lord: This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those unjustly bound, setting free the oppressed, sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn and your wound shall be quickly healed.
The Word of the Lord.
- Thanks be to God.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
Today Christ stands at our door and knocks in the person of the poor. It is to him that we open when we give aid, when we give ourselves to those in need; for he tells us plainly: “When you did this to one of the least of my brothers or sisters, you did it tome.”
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. Jesus Christ was very rich but became poor, to make you rich out of his poverty.
A. Blessed are they who give to the poor.
L. The poor shall eat and have their fill.
A. Blessed are they who give to the poor.
L. The Lord has satisfied the longing soul, and filled the hungry heart.
A. Blessed are they who give to the poor.

Thirteenth Tuesday: Imitating the Saints
Reading I: A reading from the Epistle to the Hebrews. (Heb. 12, 1-3)
Since we for our part are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every encumbrance of
sin which clings to us and persevere in running the race which lies ahead; let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who inspires and perfects our faith. Remember how he endured the opposition of sinners; hence do not grow despondent or abandon the struggle.
The Word of the Lord.
- Thanks be to God.

Reading II: A reading from the sermons of St. Anthony.
The stonemason and the bricklayer are careful to use measuring lines, pendulums and bobs to make
walls straight. Can’t we say that the virtuous lives of the saints are like measuring lines stretched over souls to make sure our lives take the proper shape and measure up to their good example ?Whenever, then, we celebrate the feast of a saint, let us look to the mass giving us the pattern our lives should take.
Silent Reflection

Responsory
L. Happy are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways.
A. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
L. The kindness of the Lord is from eternity to eternity toward those who fear him.
A. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
L. His justice flows among those who keep his covenant.
A. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.