A child gives us back our dignity

suor Anna Maria Borghi

Let us come back in pilgrimage to the Arch of Saint Anthony in the basilica built in his honour in Padua. The walls are lined by nine marble reliefs showing scenes and miracles of Saint Anthony: let us stop before the last high-relief where saint Anthony asks a new born baby to speak to affirms the honesty of his mother who was accused of adultery by her husband: “the child, without babbling as a new born and without moving his little hands as he was swaddled, fixed his eyes in his father’s saying in a voice of ten year old child: ‘this man is my father!’. Then the Saint said: ‘you can take this woman with you she is innocent and she merits your gratitude’”. This miracle was also represented by Donatello in one of the bronze bas-reliefs of the high altar and by Titien in his fresco in the “Scoletta del Santo”. Why has this miracle been represented so often? (continue)

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