Saint Anthony, a it is told,
finds lost things when their trail is cold
but he has many tales to tell
besides that, as you'll see.
He had a friend once who, in fact
believed Communion was an act;
he said Our Lord could not be there
because it could not be.
And so, he told our friend the saint,
"I've got a donkey here. He ain't
that much to look at, but he'll help me
prove that I am right.
"I'll starve him for about three days,
and then I'll offer him some hay
while you hold up the Eucharist
plainly within his sight.
"I'll bet you anything," said he,
"my donkey will come straight to me
to eat some hay, although you say
Our Lord is in your hands."
Saint Anthony agreed to this,
although he very dearly wished
the donkey needn't starve for days
although the cause was grand.
Then finally, the day arrived
on which the donkey would contrive
which friend was right regarding
the True Presence of Our Lord.
The donkey was so very thin
that one could see his bones within
his legs were weak and wobbly from
the hunger he'd endured.
He saw his master with the straw,
and with a very faint "hee-haw"
he braced himself to hobble towards
the long-awaited meal.
But something else then caught his eye:
it was the Saint. He lifted high
the Eucharist. The donkey saw,
and then began to kneel.
With total disregard for hay,
the donkey knelt and there he stayed
facing the holy monstrance with
his face bowed to the dust.
And since then, it has come to pass,
the donkey's master comes to Mass
and celebrates the presence of Our Lord
with all his trust.
