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San Antonio de Padua
San Antonio de Padua es uno de los santos más populares, sin embargo, su vida es muy poco conocida, ya que ha quedado como oculta detrás de unas cuantas devociones muy difundidas que, aunque buenas, impiden ver la grandeza de su humildad y la eficacia decisiva de su presencia en los primerísimos tiempos de la Orden franciscana. Dobraczynski nos describe las circunstancias que acompañaron a Antonio cuando, después de haber vivido muchos años sumergido en dudas e inquietudes, llegó a Italia para tomar parte en el Capítulo de Porciúncula. Se encontró allí perplejo e indeciso: él, gran sabio y amante de la ciencia, tenía que presentarse ante el fundador de la Orden, que tenía fama de oponerse a que los hermanos se dedicaran a cultivar la ciencia, incluso teológica. Sin embargo, aquel encuentro no tuvo nada de violento. Antonio fue encargado de dirigir y supervisar la formación intelectual dentro de la Orden. Y, después de la muerte de San Francisco -que llamaba cariñosamente a Antonio "mi obispo"-, fue Antonio quien tuvo el papel decisivo de dar un impulso a la orientación hacia el futuro de la Orden, aunque él personalmente no desempeñara ningún cargo dentro de su jerarquía. San Antonio ocupa un lugar privilegiado entre los grandes predicadores del siglo XIII. Las crónicas antiguas nos hablan no solamente de los diferentes milagros hechos por él, sino también de la influencia prodigiosa de sus palabras, lo cual se debe en gran parte a la fuerte personalidad del santo y a su emocionante humildad.
288 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
2 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Jan Dobraczyński
68 books31 followersJan Dobraczyński (20 April 1910, Warsaw — 5 March 1994, Warsaw) was a Polish writer and publicist. During the Second Polish Republic, he was a supporter of the Stronnictwo Narodowe and Catholic movements. Later he was a soldier of the Polish Army during the Polish Defensive War of 1939, and during World War II a member of Armia Krajowa, which whilst he was part of fought for in the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. After the war he supported the Polish communists. He was a member of Sejms, an activist of the PAX Association and of the Patriotyczny Ruch Odrodzenia Narodowego from 1952 to 1985. He held the rank of general in the Polish military.
During World War II, as the head of the Division for Abandoned Children at the Warsaw municipal welfare department, Jan Dobraczynski helped Żegota activists place Jewish children in convents.[1] He was imprisoned in Bergen-Belsen following the Warsaw Uprising.
In 1985 Dobraczyński was awarded the Cross of Virtuti Militari and in 1993 the title of the Righteous Among the Nations.
During World War II, as the head of the Division for Abandoned Children at the Warsaw municipal welfare department, Jan Dobraczynski helped Żegota activists place Jewish children in convents.[1] He was imprisoned in Bergen-Belsen following the Warsaw Uprising.
In 1985 Dobraczyński was awarded the Cross of Virtuti Militari and in 1993 the title of the Righteous Among the Nations.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 14, 2022
Dedicated to Malgorzata Wolzyck, and her family.
Ladies and gentlemen this is my fourth book written by Jan Dobraczynski along with "Under the Walls of Vienna", "Nicodemus' Letters" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... (perhaps his most famous work which is very interesting to compare with "Mary of Magdala" by Frank G. Slaughter https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ). His other works are "The Shadow of the Father" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2..., and "Under the Walls of Vienna" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... about John III Sobieski, although perhaps he lacked a bit of claw. Jan Dobraczynski is one of the most interesting Polish writers along with the unpublished Zofia Kossak Szucka https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (at least in Spain it has not been published for a long time, despite how famous it was for the rescue, and protection, it offered to the Jews in World War II) (of course inferior to Henryk Sienkiewicz). He is notable for having novelized the lives of characters from the New Testament. I still have to read his novels about St. John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene (which he already outlined in the Gospel of Nicodemus). He is inferior to Louis de Wohl https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., and Mika Waltari https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., but is a great writer imprisoned by the Nazis, and a friend of Cardinal Stefan Wyzinski. However, I have always wished to be more familiar with the figure of St. Anthony of Padua, and to see what Dobraczinski has of the interesting thirteenth century. So when I saw this book in a thrift store I could not miss the opportunity to own it.
As already said I really wanted to read this story, which could be in the middle of "The Merry Beggar" by Louis de Wohl, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1..., and "The Gentle Light" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... also by Louis de Wohl, since it narrates facts in between the two books that were previously cited. Of course all these books were published in Spain by Editorial Palabra. The magnificent Ignatius Press in the United States. Here we are told the story of a very dear saint Saint Anthony of Padua, but of whom not much is known. From the first part of this novel I was surprised by how much Dobraczynski knows about the history of the Reconquista in Spanish-Portuguese, since it begins with the fall of Lisbon at the hands of King Alfonso of Portugal. There will also be talk of the battle of Navas de Tolosa (in which, although Portugal, nor León did not attend, it seems that the first did send crusaders to stop the Almohads led by King Miramamolín). Since the father of San Antonio (who at first is called Fernando, which is his name in the world) went to battle. This beginning is spectacular with a conversation between Ferdinand, and his friend Berardo, who despite the rejection of science that St. Francis of Assisi allegedly feels fascinated by the future St. Francis of Assisi, and this will lead him to join the Order. While Fernando (later Antonio) will challenge his brothers, and will fight to be a monk, and continue with his studies, despite his brother Alonso, and despite being attracted to his cousin Emilia (there are very attractive cousins, but see that episode of The Simpsons ;-)). This will take him, helped by Father Conway (you can see the enormous importance that England had in the Portuguese reconquest, as France had it in the Castilian-Leonese reconquest). He fled to Coimbra where he could profess as a Canon, and devote himself to study. We will be told the story of the creation of Fatima. It will also highlight the photographic memory of the future Saint Anthony, who despite the attraction/repulsion that inspires him will reconnect with those monks so poor, who are described in an almost naturalistic, expressionist way exalting their poverty, their bad smell, and ugliness. He will meet Berardo again, and the fate of this character will influence him a lot. As one of the characters in Georges Bernanos' play "Dialogue of Carmelites" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (although it had previously been written in the form of an epistolary novel by the German writer Gertrude von Le Fort https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... His interesting "The Last of the Scaffold") https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1.... Ferdinand will seek martyrdom as Ramon Llull https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., and preach the gospel in Morocco for this reason he will join the Friars Minor, and adopt the name with which Saint Anthony will go down in history, influenced by the famous Abbot of the fourth century. He will leave for Morocco accompanied by Brother Theophilus, but like St. Charles Foucauld https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... will not convert anyone, having Theophilus more success among the population of Tangier. So he will want to return to Portugal, but like St. Paul, and the Prophet Jonah, Providence has other plans, for him, and it is when he arrives in Sicily where he will have to face the two nemesis, or adversaries of Christianity. The Cathars, who are not precisely those beings of angel, and light that modern historians, and current writers (he included today Arturo Pérez Reverte https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... in his article criticizing the Crusades) see, but are one of the most destructive religious movements, suicides, and nihilists that history has given. Successors of the Manichaeans (persecuted by the Roman Empire, together with the Christians) will foment revolts in Byzantium (Thomas the Slav, and the famous Bogomils), and they will arrive here, and will put in trance not only Catholicism, but the whole world. Had the Catharan heresy triumphed, the human race would most likely have become extinct within a few generations. The second danger will be embodied by Emperor Frederick II Hohestaufen (who unlike the "Merry Beggar", and "The Gentle Light" does not come out directly, but will be a lurking demonic shadow, since he embodies not only the secular ruler enemy of the Church, and defender of the State. The embodiment of this secular world. He will also be a tyrant like Hitler, or Stalin.) A man who oppresses his people for the benefit of the Muslim guards in his service. He embodies the skeptic, who only seeks power. That only someone like Herman von Salza will be able to control momentarily. I like Antonio's dialogue with the Hospitaller, like Catharism, or the Albigensians are beginning to spread among the people. It's very interesting the first time we see San Francisco. Not the first time they coincide (which is what the reader is waiting to see when San Francisco meets, and San Antonio). It is very good to tell us about the division of the Franciscans who want to be poor, and those who bet on property, and on the cultivation of science. The relations between St. Francis, and then St. Dominic de Guzman (who had taken care of the protagonist, who learned from him the recitation of the rosary), as the desire of St. Dominic was to unite the two orders. It is very well described the future Cardinal Hugolino Gregory IX (I almost like this description more than that made by Louis de Wohl, since in my opinion it is much better developed), and also Santa Clara. Elijah will play the role of villain (since he wants the Order to leave poverty, and become more worldly by dedicating himself to the Studio), but he will give the protagonist a chance, who will demonstrate his brilliance for sermons (in one that he has the opportunity to pronounce, almost forced in a friendly duel with the Order of Preachers). Then we will see him in Rimini defeating the Cathars (the sermon of the fishes (he will use another sermon replacing the fish with the pigs to end some disturbances in Bologna, when I called him Father Stazia) is mythical, and thus refutes the errors of Catharism, just as St. Thomas does in "The Gentle Light", since inspired by a turkey that was on a plate manages to develop a method to defeat the Cathars with a King Louis IX taking note of his words). I love the author's description of Bologna, and Dobraczynski's allusions to his beloved Poland in the persons of Woijiech, and St. Ivo bishops of Warsaw, and Krakow (the former is mentioned in a chapter of the Franciscans, when St. Francis of Assisi first appears). As at first the Franciscans were rejected in Germany by taking them for heretics, and as they decide to return. The description of Bologna, the rebuke of St. Francis for excessive pride, but embraced science with charity, since much science brings God closer. We will see the celebration of Bethlehem, the preaching of St. Anthony in France (where he will witness the death of St. Francis of Assisi). There San Antonio does an exemplary job fighting Catharism, but saving the greatest number of people. Far from the Cathar hagiography that Hanny Alders does in "The Lord of the Cathars" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... Dobraczynski tells us everything that has happened since the appearance of heresy. The dissolute behavior of Raymond VI (we see the lords, and the powerful supporting heretical movements against the Church, just as they will do with Luther https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., having more success unfortunately on this occasion). We are told the arrogance, and arrogance of Pedro Valdés. His obsession with condemning all those who did not think like him. Their hatred, not the spirit of charity that the Franciscans possess against the rich, and above all a huge, and excessive ego. We are told the bad example that priests have given. The quote from St. Bernard of Clairvaux is very clear "I found churches without parishioners, parishioners without a pastor, and priests without honor," and since neither he nor Santo de Guzmán could do much to stop the heresy. The brutality of Simon de Monfort's crusaders is condemned, and this method of evangelization is disavowed. In fact, St. Anthony will manage to move the religious with piety. How he must return to resolve the dilemma of the death of St. Francis, and who will succeed him, whether to continue with the spirit of Father Juan Parenzi, or to yield to the world as Elijah wants (one comes to despise the holy simplicitas of St. Junípero, and of Brother Leo whom Elijah punishes without justification), it will also be seen how he will settle in Padua, where he will have to fight against an enemy worse than those who have appeared until then the greed of the merchants, and bourgeois who leads us to the Servile State, or slavery, which Hilaire Belloc already shrewdly described https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... . https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . Perhaps the last part is reminiscent of great stories, or lives of Saints by Lux Vide, and is the least interesting part of the book. It may be missing something, but it is a very worthy read. The ending is eucatastrophic, like the fate of the evil Graziani. My grade is (4/5).
Ladies and gentlemen this is my fourth book written by Jan Dobraczynski along with "Under the Walls of Vienna", "Nicodemus' Letters" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... (perhaps his most famous work which is very interesting to compare with "Mary of Magdala" by Frank G. Slaughter https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... ). His other works are "The Shadow of the Father" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2..., and "Under the Walls of Vienna" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... about John III Sobieski, although perhaps he lacked a bit of claw. Jan Dobraczynski is one of the most interesting Polish writers along with the unpublished Zofia Kossak Szucka https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (at least in Spain it has not been published for a long time, despite how famous it was for the rescue, and protection, it offered to the Jews in World War II) (of course inferior to Henryk Sienkiewicz). He is notable for having novelized the lives of characters from the New Testament. I still have to read his novels about St. John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene (which he already outlined in the Gospel of Nicodemus). He is inferior to Louis de Wohl https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., and Mika Waltari https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., but is a great writer imprisoned by the Nazis, and a friend of Cardinal Stefan Wyzinski. However, I have always wished to be more familiar with the figure of St. Anthony of Padua, and to see what Dobraczinski has of the interesting thirteenth century. So when I saw this book in a thrift store I could not miss the opportunity to own it.
As already said I really wanted to read this story, which could be in the middle of "The Merry Beggar" by Louis de Wohl, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1..., and "The Gentle Light" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5... also by Louis de Wohl, since it narrates facts in between the two books that were previously cited. Of course all these books were published in Spain by Editorial Palabra. The magnificent Ignatius Press in the United States. Here we are told the story of a very dear saint Saint Anthony of Padua, but of whom not much is known. From the first part of this novel I was surprised by how much Dobraczynski knows about the history of the Reconquista in Spanish-Portuguese, since it begins with the fall of Lisbon at the hands of King Alfonso of Portugal. There will also be talk of the battle of Navas de Tolosa (in which, although Portugal, nor León did not attend, it seems that the first did send crusaders to stop the Almohads led by King Miramamolín). Since the father of San Antonio (who at first is called Fernando, which is his name in the world) went to battle. This beginning is spectacular with a conversation between Ferdinand, and his friend Berardo, who despite the rejection of science that St. Francis of Assisi allegedly feels fascinated by the future St. Francis of Assisi, and this will lead him to join the Order. While Fernando (later Antonio) will challenge his brothers, and will fight to be a monk, and continue with his studies, despite his brother Alonso, and despite being attracted to his cousin Emilia (there are very attractive cousins, but see that episode of The Simpsons ;-)). This will take him, helped by Father Conway (you can see the enormous importance that England had in the Portuguese reconquest, as France had it in the Castilian-Leonese reconquest). He fled to Coimbra where he could profess as a Canon, and devote himself to study. We will be told the story of the creation of Fatima. It will also highlight the photographic memory of the future Saint Anthony, who despite the attraction/repulsion that inspires him will reconnect with those monks so poor, who are described in an almost naturalistic, expressionist way exalting their poverty, their bad smell, and ugliness. He will meet Berardo again, and the fate of this character will influence him a lot. As one of the characters in Georges Bernanos' play "Dialogue of Carmelites" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... (although it had previously been written in the form of an epistolary novel by the German writer Gertrude von Le Fort https://www.goodreads.com/author/show.... His interesting "The Last of the Scaffold") https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1.... Ferdinand will seek martyrdom as Ramon Llull https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., and preach the gospel in Morocco for this reason he will join the Friars Minor, and adopt the name with which Saint Anthony will go down in history, influenced by the famous Abbot of the fourth century. He will leave for Morocco accompanied by Brother Theophilus, but like St. Charles Foucauld https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... will not convert anyone, having Theophilus more success among the population of Tangier. So he will want to return to Portugal, but like St. Paul, and the Prophet Jonah, Providence has other plans, for him, and it is when he arrives in Sicily where he will have to face the two nemesis, or adversaries of Christianity. The Cathars, who are not precisely those beings of angel, and light that modern historians, and current writers (he included today Arturo Pérez Reverte https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... in his article criticizing the Crusades) see, but are one of the most destructive religious movements, suicides, and nihilists that history has given. Successors of the Manichaeans (persecuted by the Roman Empire, together with the Christians) will foment revolts in Byzantium (Thomas the Slav, and the famous Bogomils), and they will arrive here, and will put in trance not only Catholicism, but the whole world. Had the Catharan heresy triumphed, the human race would most likely have become extinct within a few generations. The second danger will be embodied by Emperor Frederick II Hohestaufen (who unlike the "Merry Beggar", and "The Gentle Light" does not come out directly, but will be a lurking demonic shadow, since he embodies not only the secular ruler enemy of the Church, and defender of the State. The embodiment of this secular world. He will also be a tyrant like Hitler, or Stalin.) A man who oppresses his people for the benefit of the Muslim guards in his service. He embodies the skeptic, who only seeks power. That only someone like Herman von Salza will be able to control momentarily. I like Antonio's dialogue with the Hospitaller, like Catharism, or the Albigensians are beginning to spread among the people. It's very interesting the first time we see San Francisco. Not the first time they coincide (which is what the reader is waiting to see when San Francisco meets, and San Antonio). It is very good to tell us about the division of the Franciscans who want to be poor, and those who bet on property, and on the cultivation of science. The relations between St. Francis, and then St. Dominic de Guzman (who had taken care of the protagonist, who learned from him the recitation of the rosary), as the desire of St. Dominic was to unite the two orders. It is very well described the future Cardinal Hugolino Gregory IX (I almost like this description more than that made by Louis de Wohl, since in my opinion it is much better developed), and also Santa Clara. Elijah will play the role of villain (since he wants the Order to leave poverty, and become more worldly by dedicating himself to the Studio), but he will give the protagonist a chance, who will demonstrate his brilliance for sermons (in one that he has the opportunity to pronounce, almost forced in a friendly duel with the Order of Preachers). Then we will see him in Rimini defeating the Cathars (the sermon of the fishes (he will use another sermon replacing the fish with the pigs to end some disturbances in Bologna, when I called him Father Stazia) is mythical, and thus refutes the errors of Catharism, just as St. Thomas does in "The Gentle Light", since inspired by a turkey that was on a plate manages to develop a method to defeat the Cathars with a King Louis IX taking note of his words). I love the author's description of Bologna, and Dobraczynski's allusions to his beloved Poland in the persons of Woijiech, and St. Ivo bishops of Warsaw, and Krakow (the former is mentioned in a chapter of the Franciscans, when St. Francis of Assisi first appears). As at first the Franciscans were rejected in Germany by taking them for heretics, and as they decide to return. The description of Bologna, the rebuke of St. Francis for excessive pride, but embraced science with charity, since much science brings God closer. We will see the celebration of Bethlehem, the preaching of St. Anthony in France (where he will witness the death of St. Francis of Assisi). There San Antonio does an exemplary job fighting Catharism, but saving the greatest number of people. Far from the Cathar hagiography that Hanny Alders does in "The Lord of the Cathars" https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3... Dobraczynski tells us everything that has happened since the appearance of heresy. The dissolute behavior of Raymond VI (we see the lords, and the powerful supporting heretical movements against the Church, just as they will do with Luther https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., having more success unfortunately on this occasion). We are told the arrogance, and arrogance of Pedro Valdés. His obsession with condemning all those who did not think like him. Their hatred, not the spirit of charity that the Franciscans possess against the rich, and above all a huge, and excessive ego. We are told the bad example that priests have given. The quote from St. Bernard of Clairvaux is very clear "I found churches without parishioners, parishioners without a pastor, and priests without honor," and since neither he nor Santo de Guzmán could do much to stop the heresy. The brutality of Simon de Monfort's crusaders is condemned, and this method of evangelization is disavowed. In fact, St. Anthony will manage to move the religious with piety. How he must return to resolve the dilemma of the death of St. Francis, and who will succeed him, whether to continue with the spirit of Father Juan Parenzi, or to yield to the world as Elijah wants (one comes to despise the holy simplicitas of St. Junípero, and of Brother Leo whom Elijah punishes without justification), it will also be seen how he will settle in Padua, where he will have to fight against an enemy worse than those who have appeared until then the greed of the merchants, and bourgeois who leads us to the Servile State, or slavery, which Hilaire Belloc already shrewdly described https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1... . https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... . Perhaps the last part is reminiscent of great stories, or lives of Saints by Lux Vide, and is the least interesting part of the book. It may be missing something, but it is a very worthy read. The ending is eucatastrophic, like the fate of the evil Graziani. My grade is (4/5).
May 3, 2020
Historia novelada de un santo muy popular pero muy poco conocido en profundidad. Grato relato para conocer a este gran santo
November 29, 2022
Un libro sobre la vida del Santo. Me gustó porque no lo presenta como tipicamente es representado hagiográficamente sino que lo presenta humano y lleno de dudas.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2023
Odlican roman. Bas sam uzivao.
May 13, 2023
Que increíble historia🥺❤️ me encantó
July 20, 2024
It was a charming novel about a saint whose name I knew very well, but I knew absolutely nothing about his life. Short, cute, I enjoyed it very much. Four stars.
January 7, 2016
Agradable historia novelada de este gran santo, famoso por sus milagros y su gran predicación.
August 5, 2021
Zanimljiv prikaz života svetog Antuna.Ohrabrujući roman.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews