Where your treasure is...

Anthony of Padua (1195 - 1231) preached at the funeral of a money lender. He told his listeners that they should not bury his body in consecrated ground, for his soul was already suffering the torments of hell. He said that the man's heart was no longer in his body, but that the Gospel had been fulfilled. "For where your treasure is, there will be your heart". They opened up the man's side and found that his heart was missing, but they found it when they opened up his treasure chest.

This is one of the reasons why a practice called "St Anthony's bread" is so appropriate. The idea is that one thanks St Anthony for a favour received by giving food to the poor. Our blessings should be shared, and charity to those who are disadvantaged is a sign that we are not thinking only of ourselves. As best as can be discovered, this practice developed from an incident that occurred in France during the 19th century. A baker lost the key to her bakery, and she prayed to St Anthony so that the key might be found. When it was found, she promised to feed the poor with the bread of her bakery in gratitude for the favour received.