I first met Ron Anton shortly after former mayor Irene Elia was sworn into office, when he was named the city's corporation counsel. He was always a gentleman, even when the administration and the Niagara Falls Reporter were locked in the throes of what, at times, bordered on open warfare.
Occasionally I'd run into Anton, usually at Eddie Gadawski's restaurant on East Falls Street, where he would invariably be having lunch with his sister. We'd say hello and shake hands, and he often sent drinks over to our table. I thought he had a lot of class, and it never occurred to me to try and put him on the spot.
That continued when Vince Anello was elected and chose to retain his predecessor's counsel. It was a smart move on Anello's part, as Anton seemed to bring a sort of serenity to even the most absurd situations. Finally, though, as the entire Anello administration became an absurd situation, Anton resigned and returned to private practice.
While we continued to be friendly, he himself represented something of enigma to me. The recent publication of his first book, "God's Seven Ways to Ease Suffering" (Xulon Press, $26.99) goes a long way toward solving the riddle. Reading it, I found myself wondering whether Anton ever read "The Art of Worldly Wisdom" by the great Iberian Jesuit writer Baltazar Gracian y Morales.
"Keep the extent of your abilities unknown. The wise person does not allow his knowledge and abilities to be sounded to the bottom if he desires to be honored by all," Morales advised. "He allows you to know him but not to comprehend him. No one must know the extent of a wise person's abilities, lest he be disappointed. No one should ever have an opportunity to fathom him entirely. For guesses and doubts about the extent of his talents arouse more veneration than accurate knowledge of them, be they ever so great."
Quite likely Anton has read Morales. His personal library contains 30,000 volumes, and his large-format tome contains a wealth of Christian wisdom and weighs in at just shy of two pounds.
Anton's spirituality runs deep.
"In the spiritual realm of holiness, there is pain in the process of forsaking the world, the flesh and the devil to become holy," he says. "Just as a Marine endures the rigors of boot camp, or a prizefighter trains to become fit to enter the ring, the quest for righteous perfection inherently inflicts pain as it perfects us for closer intimacy and eventual association with our Heavenly Father."
To be perfectly honest, I'm seeking to put off my eventual association with our Heavenly Father for as long as possible. I figure that, when the time comes, He and I will have all eternity to become acquainted. But while I've always shied away from the dogma of various religions myself, I can certainly recognize the wisdom contained in many religious texts, as well as the often-beautiful prose in which that wisdom comes couched.
In "God's Seven Ways to Ease Suffering," Anton has written a book filled with such wisdom. It's available at The Book Corner here, as well as the online bookstore Amazon.com. It will make the perfect Christmas present for the faithful on your shopping list this holiday season.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | Dec. 11 2007 |