01 June 2019

Miracles of St. Anthony of Padua - Family discord resolved

A most unhappy family lived in one of the small villages of Portugal. The husband had fallen into bad company and would return home late at night and abuse his wife physically and verbally. The poor woman despaired that her husband would abandon her. One night, she decided to take her life and put an end to her misery. When her husband left home for his usual jaunts, she was about to fetch a rope to hang herself to death. Just then she heard a knock on the door. On opening it, she found two Franciscan Fathers standing at the door asking her for a shelter that night saying “We have come from a great distance and are called Francis and Anthony.” On hearing the names, the poor woman exclaimed “Oh what beautiful names! They are the names of two saints I love very dearly. Do come in Reverend Fathers; you are indeed welcome.” She at once set everything ready and made them as comfortable as possible. While listening to their conversation about heavenly things, at supper, all thoughts of despair and suicide vanished, a feeling of peace and gratitude stole over her heart, making her thank God for having sent her such guests. As soon as the strangers seemed to be preparing to retire to rest, she withdrew to a little room and falling on her knees she humbly implored God’s forgiveness, promising Him that she would never in the future yield to despair. Because she was now certain that God was watching over those who place their whole trust in Him and that He will never permit anything to happen to them unless it is for their greater good.

While still on her knees, she heard her husband enter the house. Instead of beginning to curse her, as soon as he saw her, he fell at her feet and with tears streaming down his face begged pardon for his past behaviour. He then told his wife that immediately after she had left the Fathers, they appeared to the cruel husband and sternly reproached him for his cruelties and threatened him eternal damnation if he did not amend his ways. They told him “Richly, indeed, do you deserve to be among the damned, after committing crime upon crime. You will certainly be cast into hell in three days if you do not at once quit this place. Repent for your sins, confess and do penance for them. Hasten home to your wife, ask her for the cord with which she was about to destroy herself and beg her to forgive you. Tell her the two monks she received and welcomed into her house are no other than Saint Francis and Saint Anthony.”

Thus the couple were delivered from discord in their family life. With great joy and gratitude towards the two saints whom God had sent to restore their life they approached the Sacraments of Penance and were reconciled to God and to each other for the rest of their lives.