Let us listen
«A young man, after giving his mother a violent kick, confessed his sin to Anthony . But then, impulsively, he amputated the limb which was “guilty” of this gesture . Upon hearing this, Anthony immediately reached the reckless young man and with a sign of the cross he reattached his foot .”
(From the Book on Saint Anthony’s Miracles)
Let us meditate
Unfortunately, family relationships are often the place where conflicts, sometimes violent, are experienced: physical or verbal aggression, deathly silences or wrench- ing separations. However, relationships, even the most deteriorated ones, can be cured and healed. The remedy does not lie in impulsive gestures or even in brooding over feelings of guilt. Rather, what heals is a sincere repentance and forgiveness that is asked and given. These are difficult processes which we are able to carry out only when we ask the Lord, through prayer, to give us his strength: mercy.
Let us pray
God the Father, make every human family be- come a true sanctuary of life and love for the generations that are always being renewed . Let love prove to be stronger than every weakness and every crisis through which our families sometimes go through. Amen .
(Pope St . John Paul II)
Let us reflect
- What blows have I dealt to the relationships I’m in?
- What feelings of guilt would I like to be freed from?
- Who can I ask for forgiveness or ask if he wishes to receive forgiveness from me?
Prayer to St. Anthony
Dear Saint Anthony, you who even had the gift of reuniting limbs detached from the body, please ask the Lord on our behalf for the gift of his mercy with which to heal the wounds that distance us from one another.