Devotion of 13 Tuesdays in honour of St. Anthony



FOURTH TUESDAY

Introductory Prayer
Meditation

Misery flees

1. The world is a valley of tears. And as it has been in the past so will it be in the future. We cannot hope to turn this world into a paradise.

2. Nevertheless, in many cases the miseries and calamities which oppress us can be remedied, and there can be no doubt that Saint Anthony obtains this benefit for his clients: first of all granting them favours in their temporal necessities, and in the second case, what is more important still, giving that peace and resignation which serves to diminish the effect of temporal misfortunes, and makes them more easily endured, and even to be loved as coming from the hand of God, or at least being permitted by Him, that thereby we may be made more conformable to our crucified Lord.

3. Let us learn to realize our pains and misfortunes become more oppressive the more impatient we become, and on the other hand they assuredly become lighter when we strive to bear them in conformity with the will of God. Not a few of our crosses have their origin in our own sin, and the abuse of those faculties which god has bestowed on us in order to attain our salvation. The sinful man cannot enjoy true happiness. All true joy and happiness, which we may possess in this life, comes as a consequence of humility and true righteousness, and it is such souls that Saint Anthony delights to favour and console.

Meditate for a while on these truths and then recite the Our Father,
Hail Mary and Glory be.

Here ask the grace which you desire to receive.

Concluding Prayer