You need to listen to the Scripture with your heart

fr. Antonio Ramina

The “nickname” that Pope Gregory IX gave to Saint Anthony of Padua, after hearing him preach, is quite well known: “Ark of the Testament”, which, translated in terms a little closer to us, would mean: “Casket of the Sacred Scriptures”. Usually these words of the pope are commented on by stating that, in fact, our brother Anthony knew the Word of God by heart and for him preaching was an easy, natural activity that drew spontaneously from his impressive memory of the biblical texts. Perhaps there is some truth in this, but the ancient sources add a very precious detail: what aroused wonder in the pontiff was not so much the fact that Anthony had a prodigious memory or a refined rhetorical art, but that his words were profound. It was the depth of his preaching that struck the ears and hearts of his listeners! It seems to be of little importance; in fact, it is a central and enlightening aspect. Anthony of Padua had a relationship with the Word of God not as a “technician”, not as an external connoisseur, as if it were a matter of using it to do a job well, a profession. With Sacred Scripture…