Yesterday was a very intense and well-attended Sunday in the Basilica del Santo, in Padua, with a large turnout of faithful at all the masses, in particular at the liturgy dedicated to the Communion and Liberation Movement and the Community of Sant’Egidio presided over by Card. Matteo Maria Zuppi, president of the CEI, at his fifth presence for the celebrations of the Tredicina di Sant’Antonio. Yesterday 3,293 pilgrims marched in front of the relics.
Regarding this year’s theme “Antonio, a man of peace against violence”, the cardinal commented: “It is a topical theme. Antonio once again is a man of our times both because he shows us the way to fight violence which, it is worth repeating, first of all it is not violence against violence, it is not an eye for an eye, unfortunately it is not fighting war with war and insults with insults. This is always a deterioration and breakdown of coexistence. Saint Anthony teaches us to fight all deformations of the heart to learn how to live together with others, not without others or against others”. And also during the homily, dedicated to Corpus Domini, he then dedicated a reflection to Saint Anthony as “he who takes us by the hand and guides us”, invoking him to “teach us to be peacemakers by making us feel the presence of God in our lives.”
Tomorrow evening the “Night of Miracles” returns, an event born many years ago but which has immediately become an eagerly awaited and participated tradition. In the Basilica it is the young people who animate this evening, inviting people to enter or to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation, for a moment of prayer, or even just for the desire to be together and get to know each other.
“The Basilica will remain open from 9pm to midnight – anticipates Brother Giambattista Scalabrin of the Franciscan Youth Center, who coordinates the initiative with Brother Nico Melato and Brother Fabio Turrisendo –, it will be an evening for young people, animated by young people, but obviously open to anyone who wishes to come. In fact, there will be around sixty young people, including volunteers, young friars from the Sant’Antonio Doctor Theological Institute, clerics and novices who have arrived from Assisi in recent days, who will open the doors of our Basilica to enliven the evening with songs, prayer, dialogue, hospitality even outside, in the churchyard, as well as going through the city streets to invite people to come in. For everyone, however, a moment of meeting in the suggestive silence of the Basilica illuminated by candles”. The proposed program will give the opportunity to personally experience a small prayer journey, pray at the tomb of Saint Anthony, receive a special personal blessing, pause in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, have a dialogue with a friar, experience the sacrament of reconciliation.
