The Franciscan Friars of the Maltese Province are proudly presenting the volume “Fonti għall-Ħajja ta’ Sant’Antnin ta’ Padova”, the third one in the list of publications regarding biographical Sources for the lives of Franciscan Saints in the 13th century. On the occasion of the opening of the 2000 anniversary celebrations of the birth of Saint Paul (28 June 2008 – 29 June 2009), the Commissariat of the Holy Land in Malta is presenting a volume entitled “San Pawl, il-Ħajja, il-Ħidma u l-Messaġġ tiegħu”, the work of the Franciscan scholar Alfio Marcello Buscemi.
Fonti għall-Ħajja ta’ Sant’Antnin ta’ Padova, Translation from the original Latin version by NOEL MUSCAT OFM and JOSEPH BENEDICT XUEREB OFM, Introductions, Notes and Indexes by N. MUSCAT, Edizzjoni Tau, Franciscan Friars, Malta 2008, pp. 555, ISBN 978-99932-0-595-1, €25,00.
After the publication of the two-volume Sources for the Life of Saint Francis and the one-volume Sources for the Life of Saint Clare, it is now the turn of the popular Saint Anthony of Padua (1195-1231), the Evangelical Doctor. Although well known as a wonder worker, Saint Anthony was a famous preacher of the Word of God, and the first lecturer of theology in the history of the Franciscan Order. His message is expressed through the writings of the various biographers who wrote his life, from the very moment of his canonisation on 30th May 1232, less than one year after his death.
The volume presents the medieval biographies on Saint Anthony written from 1232 until the end of the 14th century, and follows the same methodology of the other volumes in the series. It is enriched with indexes of biblical references, names of persons, names of places, and a thematic index. The volume contains a presentation by Fr. Raymond Camilleri OFM, founder of Edizzjoni TAU in 1982, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of this publishing house of the Maltese Franciscans.
ALFIO MARCELLO BUSCEMI OFM, “San Pawl, il-Ħajja, il-Ħidma u l-Messaġġ tiegħu“, Kummissarjat ta’ l-Art Imqaddsa, Patrijiet Franġiskani, Malta 2008, pp. 136 ISBN 9-789990-948356.
Paul of Tarsus is the most important figure in early Christianity. Although he was not one of the twelve Apostles, Paul was called on the road to Damascus to be changed from a Pharisee who persecuted the followers of Jesus of Nazareth into an Apostle for all gentiles. Born in Tarsus of Cilicia, he learned the Law of Moses at the feet of Rabbi Gamaliel, was converted to Christ in Damascus, and dedicated his whole life to preaching the Gospel, first in Antioch, then in Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, particularly in the great cities of antiquity, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus. Imprisoned in Jerusalem and in Caesarea, and sought by the Jews who wanted to kill him, he appealed to Caesar, and left as a prisoner to Rome. Shipwrecked in Malta, he spent the winter of AD 60 on our islands and then continued to Rome, where he eventually met his martyrdom.
This fascinating story is told by Alfio Marcello Buscemi, a professor of Holy Scripture at the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum of Jerusalem, and a Franciscan of the Sicilian Province of the Holy Name of Jesus. The Maltese version has been prepared by Noel Muscat OFM, who also added notes regarding Paul’s shipwreck and his stay on our islands.
The Commissariat of the Holy Land in Malta presents this publication as a contribution of the Church in Malta for the Pauline bi-millennary celebrations.
