Il Santo, l'amico

Today is the feast of St Anthony of Padua. I was privileged to celebrate the Mass of the feast at the Church of St Francis & St Anthony, Crawley. I was ordained on the Solemnity of Pentecost and celebrated my first Mass the following day fifteen years ago in that church, so today was especially significant. This picture is at the altar of St Anthony. This is an excerpt from the homily at Mass.
How can I tell you about this saint? He was born in Lisbon and became an Augustinian before entering the friars minor. He yearned for mission in Africa but ended up preaching in Italy. But these are simple facts about the saint who is our friend. And a friend both famaliar and attractive. For the people of this parish this saint-friend has shared our tears and joined our happiness. We know his face and have seen him weep with us and laugh with us.  But his attraction is so that we, with our patron, might be attracted to Our Lord himself who springs from Anthony's very life so that: 'It is not I who live, but Christ who lives within me....' Anthony's attractiveness to us becomes our attractiveness to others, in Christ and for Christ.
If you haven't been to Crawley recently do go; the shops and eateries are plentiful, the welcome is warm, the Friary church is beautiful and there is also the lovely, attractive shrine of Anthony of Padua, saint and friend.