One may find it interesting to look at why God preserved the tongue of Saint Anthony of Padua while the rest of his body turned to dust.

Known as the “Hammer of Heretics,” Saint Anthony was renowned for his ability to explain the Gospels with such clarity that he guided countless souls back to the Catholic faith.

So powerful was his preaching that when his body was exhumed 32 years after his death, it had entirely reduced to dust, yet his tongue was found completely incorrupt, fresh, and lifelike, a miracle that remains visible to this day.

The human tongue is one of the most fragile organs of the body, typically among the very first parts to decay after death.

By miraculously preserving Saint Anthony’s tongue from corruption, God provided a visible sign of His divine approval of the Saint’s mission. It stands as an enduring testament to the holy words, teachings, and praises that were formed upon it during his earthly life.

This divine favor mirrored the extraordinary miracles of his lifetime. On one famous occasion, when Saint Anthony attempted to preach the true faith to hard-hearted heretics in Rimini who refused to listen, he turned away and preached his message to the fish along the shoreline instead.

As the fish gathered in ranks, lifting their heads out of the water to listen, the onlookers were struck with awe. This miracle was not meant for the instruction of the fish, but rather for the glory of God, the delight of the angels, and the conversion of the critics, who realized they too needed to hear what Anthony had to say.