“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11)

In 1222 St. Anthony of Padua was asked to move from his rural hermitage to Bologna, to teach theology and canon law to young Franciscans studying for the priesthood and lay university students. Anthony was well aware of the emphasis St. Francis placed on humility. Francis knew that intellectual pride or an overzealous pursuit of higher learning could become a threat to humility, causing some friars to drift from the simple gospel life of love and poverty they had vowed to live. Continue reading →