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| Jean Bourdichon, Saint Anthony and the Mule From the Grandes heures d'Anne de Bretagne French (Tours), c. 1503-1508 Paris, Bibliotheque nationale de France MS Latin 9474, fol. 187v |
In this strange year of 2020 we have been confronted by many challenges and many worries. There have also been some strange coincidences. One of these occurs this weekend. June 13 is the feast of Saint Anthony of Padua and also the eve of the great feast of Eucharist, Corpus Christi, which for most of the world falls on Sunday, June 14.1 The coincidence of the dates has reminded me that the two are closely related.
Most Catholics think of Saint Anthony of Padua in somewhat sentimental terms. He’s the saint who finds lost things, he’s the saint so often depicted holding the baby Jesus in his arms. However, Anthony is not the somewhat colorless person I had always subconsciously assumed him to be, but a formidable intellectual and very effective preacher, in addition to apparently being a humble and holy individual.
Unfortunately, not too many Catholics recognize this. A few may be aware that he was an important early Franciscan theologian and preacher and a doctor of the Church. Fewer still probably remember that he was once called the “Hammer of Heretics”.
He was renowned in his lifetime as a preacher, especially a
preacher to the heretics of the Mediterranean region in his own day, the
Albigensians or Cathars and others. Belief
in the reality of Christ present in the consecrated bread and wine has often
been challenged in church history.
Indeed, as John 6:60 points out even some of the disciples who heard the words, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world” (John 6:51) from Christ’s own mouth refused to believe him. So, it is hardly surprising that skeptics
have always been around.
As the story goes, St. Anthony was preaching in a town (variously called Toulouse or Bourges in France or Rimini on the Adriatic coast of Italy) where the Cathars denied that at the Consecration Christ Himself became present in the bread and wine. One of these gentlemen challenged Anthony to a kind of contest. If it was so evident that the bread became Christ’s body at the consecration, how about testing it to see whether a dumb animal would sense God’s presence in the Host and choose it over a good feed of hay and oats. Anthony accepted.
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| The Limbourg Brothers, The Holy Eucharist (Viewing the Mass and the Miracle of the Mule) From the Tres riches heures of Jean de Berry Chantilly, Musée Condé MS 65, fol. 129v |
So, a donkey (or mule or horse) was denied food for three
days to make sure that it would be really hungry on the day appointed for the
test. Then the beast was taken to the
location for the test, usually said to be the town square. Food was offered to the hungry animal. At that point Anthony raised the Host and
prayed “Creature
of God, in His name, I command you to come here to adore Him, so that it will
give truth to all, of the Real Presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of
the Eucharist.” Surprising the unbelievers and the skeptics and even
some of the faithful the animal ignored the food in order to approach Anthony
and kneel before the Host, thus proving that even dumb animals believed in the
transformation of bread into the Body of Christ. The heretic who had challenged Anthony came
to believe through this miracle. 2
 |
| Taddeo Crivelli_Miracle of the Mule From the Gualenghi-d'Este Hours Italian (Ferrara), c. 1469 Los Angeles, J. Paul Getty Museum MS Ludwig IX 13, fol. 93v |
The charm of this story, real or not, lies in the animals
kneeling gesture. As anyone who has
watched an animal in the equine, bovine, ovine or camelid families recline
knows, the gesture of kneeling with the front legs is quickly followed with a
corresponding movement of the hind limbs.
To have an animal kneel and hold that position is rare, though not
unheard of. So, the image gets our
attention and holds it. It has been a
favorite one for many artists through the years.
 |
| Jean Poyer, Saint Anthony and the Miracle of the Mule, Saint Anthony Preaching From the Hours of Henry VIII French (Tours), c. 1495-1505 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS H 8, fol. 186v |
One of the first images that comes to mind is also one of
the most famous. This was an image by
the great Quattrocento sculptor, Donatello, from the monumental altar of St.
Anthony in Padua
In the central arch, in front of what appears to be an
altar, are four figures rather incongruously brought together. They are
 |
| Donatello, Miracle of the Mule of Rimini Italian, c. 1446-1453 Padua, Basilica of Sant Antonio |
St. Anthony dressed in vestments, -
A man with a load of hay or straw over his
shoulder,
-
Another man holding a bowl of some sort and
-
A donkey or mule.
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| Donatello, Miracle of the Mule of Rimini (Detail of the central arch) Italian, c. 1446-1453 Padua, Basilica of Sant Antonio |
However, while the Donatello image is of major importance in
the history of western art, some of the other images are more charming and also
convey more seriously the real importance of the point of the image, the
reality of Christ present in the Holy Eucharist. Which is why the juxtaposition of the feasts of
Saint Anthony and of Corpus Christi in this troubled year is so
fortuitous. No matter what the situation
of the world, Jesus is present among us through the sacrament of his presence.
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| Miracle of Saint Anthony of Padua Flemish, c. 1500 Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado |
 |
| Master of the First Praybook of Maximilian and Workshop, Miracle of the Mule From the Hours of Queen Isabella the Catholic Flemish, c. 1500 Cleveland, Museum of Art Acc. # 1963.256, fol. 187v |
 | ||||||||
| Master of Claude de France, Saint Anthony and the Mule From the Prayer Book of Claude de France French (Tours), c. 1515-1520 New York, Pierpont Morgan Library MS M 1166, fol. 41v
|
 |
| Anthony Van Dyck, Saint Anthony and the Mule Flemish, 1627-1630 Lille, Palais des Beaux-Arts |
It can also remind us that, even though we may not be able
to participate in a live Mass at present, we still have more opportunities to
adore Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, via television or the internet, than our
ancestors did.
 |
| Joseph Heintz the Younger, Miracle of the Mule Swiss, c.1650 Venice, Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo |
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| _Johann Jakob Zeiller, Miracle of the Mule German, c. 1757-1764 Ottobeuren, Monastery Church of Saints Theodore and Alexander |
Let us, therefore, kneel before him in the flesh if we can, or in our
hearts if we cannot, with the same faith as shown by the humble donkey almost 800 years ago.
© M. Duffy, 2021
1. In a few countries
it still falls on its former date, the Thursday following Trinity Sunday, which
this year was June 11.
2. Antony, C.M., Saint
Anthony of Padua, the Miracle Worker (1195-1231), London, Longmans, 1911,
pp. 38-41.
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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