Devotion of 13 Tuesdays in honour of St. Anthony



SEVENTH TUESDAY

Introductory Prayer
Meditation

The infirm recover their health

1. It is impossible to enumerate the multitudes of the sick that Saint Anthony restored to health, or who have recovered it through his intercession. There is no kind of sickness which can resist the power of our Saint. It is on this account that the faithful have had, and still have, recourse to him with such confidence, and those who prostrate themselves before his image and pray him to deliver them from their infirmity belong to every class of society.

2. The disorderly passions of our souls, particularly when they reach a certain degree of disorderliness, are indeed spiritual sickness, which at times even have their effect on our bodies. Every unconquered passion tends to become a veritable infirmity of soul. If people would only lead more quiet and moderate lives of supernatural virtue and conformity to the laws of God, there would be less infirmity not only of soul but of body. But this means that ambition must be curbed, and the frenzied rush of modern business must be held in restraint as well as the ceaseless complaining and agitation of the worldly life of today, especially in cities, where people turn night into day, spending their time in riotous pleasures, diversions, feverish excitements, which exhaust their energies and deaden their spirits and leave them wearied on the following morning, when they should be up and about the duties of their state of life.

3. Let us ask Saint Anthony that he may grant us health of body without detriment to our soul, while at the same time we make use of adequate means to preserve the former by living soberly and justly in all our days, maintaining a firm control of the rebellious impulses which surge up to destroy us both body and soul.

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