Catholic Fire

January 17, 2014. Horses, cows, pigs and chickens left the country side for a few hours and made it to St. Peter's Square. It's a trip they make every year, on January 17th to mark the Feast Day of St. Anthony Abbot, the patron saint of animals. Despite the cold and rainy weather, farmers made it a point to bring their animals so they could be blessed in the very heart of Rome. "We brought our bull so it could receive a blessing. We're hoping everything goes well with our farm this year. That our livestock will have offspring and just in general that we have a good year at the farm.” For hours, these animals were the center of attention. Since they were the stars of the show, they were covered from the rain and just in case, there were also vets on stand by. . "Precisely to honor the work of St. Anthony Abbot, we've decided to work for free today and offer our services to anyone who wants to have their pets or livestock checked.” And since every c...

St. Anthony of the Desert (c. 251–356), a religious hermit and monk, is known as the founder of monasticism. His rule of order was one of the first to create guidelines for monastic living. He became a monk at age 20 and withdrew into total solitude on a desert mountain near the Nile River. Saint Anthony’s only food was bread and water, which he never tasted before sunset, and sometimes only once in two, three, or four days. He wore sackcloth and sheepskin, and he often knelt in prayer from sunset to sunrise. Here, in the desert, he overcame extreme temptations of the devil, and emerged about 20 years later from total seclusion to instruct nearby hermits in the ways of monasticism. He demonstrated the power of Christ to touch lives by healing the sick, providing spiritual guidance, casting out demons, and preaching. Many were attracted to monasticism by his example. Athanasius's Life of St. Anthony perpetuated his story and inspired waves of monks who civilized and evangeliz...