St Anthony and the Mass


A merchant challenged St. Anthony to prove the "fable" of the Holy Eucharist and devised a contest. The merchant would starve a donkey for three days, denying it any kind of food. Meanwhile, St. Anthony retreated to the forest where he would fast and pray for three days. At the end of the three days, St. Anthony returned to town, and went to the Church where he obtained the Blessed Sacrament. He then went to the town square where the donkey was. The merchant placed a bale of hay twenty feet from the hungry donkey. The donkey was untied and walked toward the hay. St. Anthony then exposed the Blessed Sacrament and called to the donkey, "Mule, in the name of the Lord our God, I command you to come here and adore your Creator!" The donkey stopped as though someone had pulled him by a bridle, turned, and walked to St. Anthony. The donkey bent his forelegs, bowing to the Blessed Sacrament with his head toward the ground. The merchant was astonished, asked St. Anthony for forgiveness, and converted. These and other miracles during and after St. Anthony’s death merited him the name, "Miracle Worker."
Even a donkey dropped to its knees in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament, so why do so few people genuflect when they should in the modern Church?

Comments