St. Anthony and the oppressed

For St. Anthony, as for Christ, love and mercy could never be separated. St. Anthony used a fig tree as a perfect example of these two qualities, which he combined into one called fraternal charity.
The fig has probably been cultivated for more than 5,000 years. St. Anthony, who was born in Portugal and who preached and died in Italy, thus spent most of his life in two countries that today are top producers of figs. The fig, as Anthony notes, is very prolific, producing two or three crops yearly with the fruit coming one after the other on the branches. Thus, while some figs are just sprouting, others are growing fat, and others are ripe for picking.
Anthony saw a moral lesson in this natural growth. He wrote, One of the most fertile of trees is the fig because it produces fruit two or three times a year. As some fruit matures other fruit is already sprouting. The fig thus serves as an excellent symbol of fraternal charity which corrects the wanderer, forgives offences, nourishes the hungry, and, while intent on carrying out one work of mercy, is already preparing another so as not to waste time.
Correcting the wanderer corresponds to the smallest figs, those just sprouting. It takes less charity to correct someone than it does to forgive offences. Thus, forgiveness is a bigger fruit. But the mature fruit is that of nourishing the hungry because this involves almsgiving and giving of self.
St. Anthony also notes that the fig is not content with success; while one fig is nearing ripeness, others are just budding or are growing. Anthony tells us that we must be like that; we must never be content with doing one merciful work and then bragging about it or assuming that we have now done our part; we should always have new works of mercy in the making. By always looking for ways in which to helps others, we will not waste time.

The bonds of oppression

Anthony seems to have never wasted time. His whole life was one of ministry and prayer. Much of that ministry was to the oppressed. Anthony saw oppression as many-pronged - spiritual, emotional, physical, economic, political. Oppression held people bound; Christians were to release the bonds, first from themselves and then from others.
The worst oppression is spiritual. Anthony speaks of demonic taskmasters who are specially delegated to oversee particular vices, and they afflict their slaves with the burdens of these special sins. The demons that beset man and hold him captive impose the heavy yoke on his neck and tug him along with a rope; they drive him like an ox or an ass and give no rest to the wearied one while they drive him from one sin to another. Sin oppresses the sinner; it drives him like an unfeeling master, wearying and defeating him, making a human being no better than a beast. Against this oppression, the Lord has sent the Paraclete, the Spirit of truth. Jesus said, You will know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Anthony released from spiritual oppression a band of twelve robbers. The robbers had come to hear Anthony preach, but they had dispersed among the crowd so as not to be noticed. Anthony’s words so touched them that, after the sermon, each made his way to the saint, only to discover all the others of his band there as well. Anthony heard their confessions and gave each one a penance. Then he admonished them to avoid sinning again, telling them that if they persisted in their conversion, they would go to heaven. If they reverted to their sinful way of life, they would come to a bad end.
Emotional oppression is another type. Many prostitutes who converted at Anthony’s preaching belonged to this group. Current studies show that over ninety percent of prostitutes were sexually abused as children. Having been bodily abused themselves, they become emotionally capable of selling their body to be abused by others. Anthony’s preaching convinced these women of their sinfulness and need, but also of God’s love and mercy. Christ showed mercy to the woman caught in adultery for He did not condemn her but rather admonished her to avoid sinning again. Anthony followed Christ’s example.

Physical oppression
History records instances in which St. Anthony interceded in cases of physical abuse. In one story, a woman used to bring meat to the friars. When her husband discovered this, he was so angry that he beat her and pulled out her hair. Gathering up great clumps of her hair, the woman tearfully went to St. Anthony who restored her locks and her dignity as a woman. No doubt he spoke to her husband as well because the story states that her husband became a supporter of the friars. Hopefully, he never abused his wife again.
In another story, a woman was hurrying to see St. Anthony when she fell into a muddy puddle on the notoriously rutted roads, thereby ruining her new gown. Terribly upset by what her husband would do to her, the woman nevertheless continued on her journey, only to discover, when Anthony’s sermon was over, that her dress was not only dry but also perfectly clean.
In Anthony’s time, economic oppression was common. Loans could carry up to 75% interest so many people fell into horrendous debt. Husbands were jailed until the debts were paid, and women and children were forced to become street beggars. In his last months in Padua, Anthony lobbied for a law to protect debtors from being imprisoned if they forfeited all their goods. This law bore his name and enabled debtors to continue working to assist their families. What misery this humane statute must have prevented!

Opponent of tyranny
Weeks before he died, Anthony undertook another mission of mercy, this one against political oppression. This time he travelled to Verona to confront the tyrant Ezzelino da Romano, a commander in Emperor Frederick II’s army. Ezzelino was so heartless that he had earned the name the Devil of Lombardy. For four years, Ezzelino had held some political prisoners in his dungeon; these men, a boy among them, had the misfortune of not only being among the Pope’s supporters when the emperor was fighting the Church but of also being related to a man who had ravished Ezzelino’s mother. Although Anthony begged for the release of these men, Ezzelino refused. This must have been a great blow to the dying saint. Only after Anthony’s death did his disciple Blessed Luke Belludi obtain the release of these lords.
It is not sufficient merely to read about Anthony’s aid to the oppressed. St. Francis of Assisi admonished us for trying to win honour and glory by recounting and making known what the saints did without doing it ourselves. Jesus told us to not only talk about Him; we must also do what He did.

Cultivating compassion

Anthony uses the parable of the unforgiving servant to illustrate what we should do. In this story, the master forgave a debt of 10,000 talents to a servant who then went out and beat a fellow servant because he could not pay his debt of 100 denarii.
As great as is the difference between the ten thousand talents owed by the servant to his master and the one hundred denarii owed to him by his fellow servant, it is still not as great as the difference between a sin committed against God and a sin which our neighbour might commit against us. If God, the Lord of all creation, forgives us to such a degree, should we not forgive our neighbour’s mere trifles? Those who do not recall the kindness shown toward them will never be able to extend compassion to others.
Compassion toward our neighbour ought to be threefold: if he sins against us, we ought to forgive him. If he strays from the path of rectitude and truth, we should instruct him. If he is in need, we must help him. In this way, we will be ‘compassionate as our Father is compassionate’.
Anthony goes on. Let us soar, high in flight, so that we do not lose sight of the land of our destination, showing the way to those who may not know the route. Let us reprove and encourage those who might grow indolent and half-hearted on the way. Let us-take turns at working and resting, since we cannot persevere without rest. Let us carry on our shoulders anyone who may be weary or tired from the journey. During the night watches, let us be alert in prayer and meditation by clutching with our minds and hearts onto Our Lord’s poverty and humility and onto the bitterness of His passion. Let us warn others whenever any danger of sin approaches them. Finally, let us keep away from the blind vanity of this world.
What does this advice mean for us today? Every reader of this article knows a case of oppression, be it spiritual, emotional, physical, economic, or political. The first step in fighting oppression is to recognise it as oppression, as an injustice against someone. Then pray about how best to combat the injustice. Going about something the wrong way can be more devastating than doing nothing because the wrong techniques can increase oppression, not eliminate it.
Enlist the help of others and support each other in the struggle.
Love, without ceasing, not only those suffering oppression and those fighting it but also, and most especially, those inflicting it. They are oppressed, too, by the greatest oppression, that of deep and often unrecognised sin.
Always show charity in all your dealings with anyone, friend or foe.
Forgive all offences against you and your cause.
Never allow bitterness into your battle.
Continue to pray throughout the process.
Keep working until the injustice is righted.
When you are successful, credit God’s intervention and grace and not your own efforts, for without His help, you would be unable to do anything.