Saint Anthony praised Mary in song

Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) began singing praises to Mary by paraphrasing the common woman in the Gospel who spontaneously blesses Jesus for freeing the possessed from the grip of evil spirits: "Happy! Truly happy is the womb that was worthy enough to carry for nine months the Good, the sovereign Good, the happiness of the angels and Lord of the universe" (Sermon in praise of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

Our saint dedicated seven Sermons to the Virgin, in praise of her virtues, and for the feasts that involve her: the Nativity, the Annunciation, the Purification and the Assumption. Saint Anthony was educated at Lisbon Cathedral, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Having reached his adult age, he always continued the tradition of the Fathers of the Church in maintaining a filial devotion to the Virgin Mary. His Sermons about her echo the most beautiful lines of the Song of Solomon:

- "Your voice is sweet." (2:14)

- "You are beautiful, my love, lovely as Jerusalem." (6:4)

- "How much better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than all kinds of spices! Your lips, my bride, drip honey." (4:10-11)

- "Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death." (8:6)

- "The Son crowned His Mother today with the diadem of heavenly glory." (Saint Anthony’s Sermon for the feast of the Assumption)

Excerpt from the Novena to St Anthony of Padua (Day 9) written for the Marie de Nazareth Association by Brother Valentin Strappazzon, author of Prier avec saint Antoine, Éditions franciscaines, Paris, 2012