MIRACLE OF ST. ANTHONY AND THE MULE (June 13th)
One of the reasons why Saint Anthony worked so hard to convert heretics was because he genuinely felt sorry for them. He saw that they were depriving themselves of the Church and the most precious gift to the Church, the Most Holy Eucharist. He truly believed that no one could long survive without this spiritual nourishment.
One day, a heretic told Anthony that he would believe that Christ was truly present in the Eucharist only if his mule bowed down to it.
They established that the test should take place in three days. The heretic starved his mule for the next three days. When the appointed time had arrived, Anthony stood off to one side with the consecrated host in his hands, while the heretic stood to the other holding some fodder for the mule to eat. The mule, ignoring its own extreme hunger, went before the Eucharist and knelt down to adore the Blessed Sacrament.
