Saint Anthony is also a mystic. He is not only the best-loved saint, the great preacher, the writer of the Sermones, the Franciscan monk. In his writings and, above all, in his life he left traces of his profound relationship with God and of an original mystic doctrine that leads to knowledge of God, starting from the heart, with prayer and love, in silence and solitude, and involving actions as well.

What are the important aspects of his mystic doctrine? What influences of mystic authors can be found in his thought? What does he teach about contemplation, love, faith, prayer, silence and solitude, and the relationship between active and contemplative life?

Saint Anthony was the first teacher authorised by Saint Francis and the first great writer of the Franciscan Order.

His writings were written up in the form of sermons - the Sermones Dominicales, with an appendix of Sermones Mariani and Sermones de Sanctis (these last unfinished). They reflect the doctrinal phase of that which was the first manifestation of Franciscan theology, elaborated while Saint Francis was still alive, not without some worry on his part that study favoured in this way might extinguish the spirit of holy oration.

Saint Anthony defines the philosophy or knowledge of the world "insignificant and insipid." Not because he considers it useless in itself, but because the knowledge of the world limits itself to satisfying human aspirations, the greed for profit and vainglory.

In first place is theology, based on the Holy Scripture. Philosophical knowledge is the handmaid of theology. The saint denounces the scandalous preference that some people gave to philosophy and studies of law at the sacrifice of theology which proposes to save souls. He claims, following the example of Saint Pier Damiani, that to prefer philosophy to theology would be like choosing between God and the Devil.

The saint's knowledge is mostly of a holy nature. The first primitive historians attest to his great theological knowledge, due to his constant and diligent application to the study of the Holy Scripture. According to Anthony, the intelligence of the Scripture (sacer intellectus) is superior to any other science; it is the only one that renders man truly knowledgeable. The saint's attitude towards philosophy is not a refusal of the scientific principles of rational processes or mental technique. In his writings, however, he is careful to make philosophy subordinate to theology.

But Anthony, philosopher, is animated by another more noble ambition, that of the theologian who becomes a contemplative. He writes that contemplation is the most precious of all deeds, and none of the things that one could desire are comparable.

Anthony's life is full of preaching, ecstasy, communication with God and meetings with the people. The saint of the multitudes is, at the same time, the saint of silence and contemplative solitude.

The scientific exams carried out on the bones of Saint Anthony, on the occasion of the recognition of his mortal remains, on January 6, 1981, confirm, from certain marks on his tibia and knees, that he spent many hours on his knees, dedicated to prayer and contemplation.

Saint Anthony's inner life is characterised by his untiring apostolate. His contemplative moments were part of his path. Practically speaking, he was in the service of others. He even, and above all, made his "knees" available to others.

God does not manifest his life, in the most intense way, in his outer deeds (for example, in creation), but in those that theology defines "immanent deeds," or in the ineffable activity that has to do with the eternal generation of the Son and the incessant procession of the Holy Spirit.

Even Anthony of Padua shows his greatness and the wealth of his soul not so much in his suggestive, frank and energetic preaching, nor in his fame as a thaumaturge, as much as in his continuing intimate union with God.

Text by Antonio Giuseppe Nocilli, adapted by Father Paolo Floretta