St. Anthony Preached To Fishes, Is It Possible?
As we all know, without no doubt, St. Anthony is a powerful saint of wonder worker. He performed many miracles each day and it is said that St. Anthony preached to fishes at the sea. Is it possible to preach to fishes? and is it possible for fishes to understand what St. Anthony preach to them?
How St. Anthony received so much power to perform miracle is what many people want to know.
Before we get into this discussion lets see the real miracle story of St. Anthony, preaching to fishes.
The miracle story of St. Anthony, preaching to fishes at sea shore.
In this way, Saint Anthony traveled to Rimini, where a great number of heretics lived. He wished to bring them back to the way of virtue and to the light of the true faith. He preached to them for many days.
He debated with them about the sacred scriptures; and about their lack of faith in Jesus. But as a stubborn people with hard hearts, they refused to listen.
So by divine inspiration, Saint Anthony walked down the shore which was battered by the sea. He stood on the shoreline between the sea and the river.
Read: Jesus Taught Secret Teachings To Mary Magdalene?
And he spoke to the fish like a preacher who was sent by God himself. Saint Anthony said: “All of you fishes of the sea and the river! Listen to the Word of God, especially since the unbelievers refuse to hear it!” When he said these words, a vast number of fish swam over to be near him.
All of the fish held their heads high above the water. They looked attentively upon the face of the saint; and they saw his abiding peace, gentleness, and serenity.
No one had ever seen so many fish along these shores. They came in all shapes and sizes; and they arranged themselves in order. The smallest fish came closest to him.
Behind them were the fish of moderate size. And behind them, in the deepest waters, were the largest fish. Continue Story
St. Anthony Preached To Fishes, Is It Possible?
The story of St. Anthony preaching to the fishes is a well-known legend. According to tradition, when people in a certain town were not listening to his sermons, St. Anthony is said to have gone to the shore and preached to the fish.
In a literal sense, it’s not possible to preach to fish as they don’t understand human language or religious concepts.
In ordinary sense it is not possible to preach to fishes verbally, but St. Anthony preached to them. Fishes also came around him to listen to St. Anthony and he preached about God.
Many say it is a miracle performed by St. Anthony and some same it is a story of symbol and it reflects many other aspects.
What we are going to see below is the symbolic side of the miracle of St. Anthony.
The Story is Symbolic and Reflects Several Themes:
- Persistence and Faith: Persistent faith is enduring and relentless faith. Even if the situation is adverse, it still pushes forward. It illustrates St. Anthony’s unwavering faith and dedication to spreading the Gospel, even when faced with apparent failure.
- Divine Power: Divine power is beyond all human powers, and powers of nature. The story serves to highlight the miraculous nature of his ministry and how nature itself seemed to respond to his divine message.
-
Symbolic Message: Non verbal and non writing communication that expresses a belief, a belonging to a group, or other message that a communicator wishes to convey. The tale symbolizes the idea that the truth of God’s message is universal and that even the natural world would respond to divine truth if it could.
Such stories are often seen as allegorical, meant to inspire faith and reflect the deep spiritual impact of the saint’s life rather than literal accounts of events.
Read: Ancient Texts On Special knowledge Of Jesus To Mary Magdalene
Conclusion:
Is it possible to preach to fishes? and is it possible for fishes to listen to St. Antony’s preaching? St. Anthony preached to fishes and they also came around him and listen to him. While many say it is a miracle some say it is a symbolic story. However, we need to understand that it is possible beyond human realm and understanding.