Dear Faithfull, it is a great joy for the bishop to be with you these days on the occasion of my second pastoral visit. The meaning of the pastoral visit is to confirm you on the path of the Apostolic faith, which began two thousand years ago on the banks of river Jordan and has reached the Arabian Peninsula, even in Ras Al Khaimah. We are therefore part of a great history, the history of the people of God spread throughout the world.
The history of the Church is above all marked by holiness and today we have the joy of celebrating the Patron Saint of this parish, Saint Anthony. A great saint who, in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi, preached the Gospel tirelessly, converted hearts and brought people to Jesus. St. Anthony is one of the most loved saints among the Christian people. The Church proclaimed him in 1946 as the Doctor of the Church. With this title, the Church intends to affirm that this saint possesses the doctrine and wisdom capable of illuminating the mysteries of God and our salvation.
First, it is a beautiful occasion to remember some traits of his holy life. As we know, Antony is the name he received upon entering the Franciscan order. He had already consecrated himself to God at a young age by joining the Augustinian Priests; his name was Fernando of Lisbon. However, he desired to follow a stronger and more radical path to Christ.
He joined St. Francis of Assisi in 1220 following an episode that made a strong impression on him. That year, five Franciscan Friars were martyred in Morocco, and he had the opportunity to see their bodies when they were brought to a nearby convent in Spain. Inspired by the martyrdom of these friars, Saint Antony felt a burning desire to give his life to Jesus and spread the Gospel.
The testimony of the Franciscan martyrs profoundly moved the heart of Saint Anthony to follow Jesus in a more radical way. This episode is also important for us, for this parish. The testimony of the martyrs moves life. Therefore, let us allow our hearts to be touched by the testimony of the saints.
Saint Antony as a Franciscan friar was at first very silent; he was very humble and helpful. He soon adapted to the most modest and hidden services in fraternal life until, almost by chance, one day, he was called to preach on the occasion of the priestly ordination of a confrere. The People and the Friars were amazed at his ability to preach and announce the Gospel, where he showed an extraordinary knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures. Saint Anthony possessed strong and deep wisdom inspired by God. As we heard in the reading of the prophet Isaiah, truly the Spirit of the Lord was upon him and made him a herald of good news to the poor.
Therefore, Saint Anthony was then sent proclaim the Word of God, educate people, and correct the errors on matters of faith. He realized in himself the words of Saint Paul: he was an ambassador of Christ towards sinners. He was a minister of reconciliation and peace.
The many miracles that took place through the intercession of St Antony, brought him great reputation of holiness, and even today, all over the world, the Christian people turn to him in prayer.
St. Anthony’s life was a total response to the invitation of the Lord: ‘The harvest is rich, but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.’ He lived his entire life as a great mission towards the Kingdom of God.
In the light of these episodes in the life of Saint Anthony, we can now ask ourselves: what should our parish be like, having this great saint as its patron?
First, St. Anthony helps us nurture a great desire to follow Jesus and grow in holiness. In fact, with your baptism, you received the vocation to holiness. You are called to be a holy people, consecrated to God.
Furthermore, St. Anthony was a man who passionately lived the fraternal life. He was humble even though he had extraordinary abilities and was a man of great culture and wisdom. We come from many different nations and have different languages and cultures. But following the example of St. Anthony, we are called to passionately live the fraternal relationship. We all have the same dignity of being children of God and brothers and sisters among us. Let no one feel superior to others, rather let us learn to respect each other as children of God. For this, I invite you to be a parish that fosters fraternal life and serene relationships in which we learn to serve one another.
We also learn from St. Anthony the virtue of humility. It has become an unwanted Christian virtue today. We often want to show how important we are in front of others. But arrogance and pride bring division in the community, while humility unites in love. Those humble of heart are similar to Jesus, who, out of love for us, humbled himself to the point of giving his life for us. The humble of heart are builders of fraternal relationships.
Above all, Saint Anthony knew how to respond generously to the Lord's call. This is why I invite you to rediscover your life as a vocation. Each of us is unique and unrepeatable. We are not photocopies, but we are original, each one has a unique gift to share with others. God has a great plan for each of us. Life is a gift and is realized only if we give it for the kingdom of God.
I invite you to respond to the Lord's call and live your vocation to the full. The Lord calls us to follow him in different ways: he may call us to religious life or priesthood, as he did with St. Anthony, or he may call you to the sacrament of marriage and form a beautiful family.
Dear young people do not be afraid accept the Lord's call, do not be afraid to leave everything and to follow him. You will never regret your decision to proclaim the joy of the Gospel to everyone like St. Anthony did. There is nothing more fascinating than meeting Jesus and bringing his gospel to everyone.
Dear parishioners, may your patron help you to be a vibrant parish. Be worthy of your patron saint. Serve one another. May you always live in peace and be witnesses of the Joy of the Gospel. May the Lord bless you and make you grow in love for one another.