Good Saint Anthony

"Good Saint Anthony, rally round; something's lost that must be found."

Our homestead is named in honor of St. Anthony of Padua, a man from a wealthy background who gave up family and a comfortable life in favor of becoming a Franciscan priest and missionary. He is known as "the Miracle Worker", and popular belief says that he was graced with visits from the Christ Child. I am blessed to feel his presence in our lives.

Since we are constantly losing things, I found myself praying to St. Anthony quite often. I am not always praying to find whatever-it-is so much as praying that my frustration would be calmed and I wouldn't do or say anything I'd regret. Usually it works, although I never did recover an anniversary band that disappeared off the kitchen counter back in Alabama. That's okay, Brother Anthony; I don't hold it against you!

So St. Anthony and I were already friendly when, back in April, a solicitation from a Catholic organization placed his medal and a novena prayer in our mail box. At the time we were praying and hoping to be able to move over the summer. Chuck's situation at work was on the verge of unbearable, and his stress affected us all. We were, in a word, miserable. I began the novena that very day and wore the medal throughout, praying that St. Anthony would help us find our way. We felt that we were truly lost.

A few days after the novena ended, a way for us to move to the UP was opened. As certain arrangments fell into place we decided we would move in mid-June. I thought that Tuesday would be the best day; we would be able to attend Mass and rest on Sunday, pick up the U-Haul and pack on Monday, and leave early Tuesday. That schedule would also get us to Michigan before the next weekend, and our first Sunday there would be Father's Day. Without consulting a calendar I presented this plan to Chuck, and he agreed that it seemed perfect. Imagine how we felt to discover that the move date we had selected- the Tuesday in the middle of June- was the feast day of St. Anthony! We were (and still are!) very grateful that God sent us this bit of confirmation.

For my birthday this November (the big three-oh) Chuck bought me a St. Anthony relic locket from the Cukierski Family Apostolate. Inside this locket is a very small piece of grey felt that has been touched to the first-class relics of St. Anthony. One Sunday, I noticed that the locket had come open, and the relic was missing! Oh, I was so sad that I had lost it, and really dreading having to tell Chuck it was gone. The children and I looked everywhere in the house, but I didn't really hope to find it. Still, I said a prayer to St. Anthony, hoping that it had dropped in a place where it would rest safely. Later in the afternoon the kids and I were sweeping out the garage. Daniel was using the dustpan and a little broom when he cried out "There it is!" And surely enough, he had found my little tiny relic (which is now secured in the locket with a bit of thread). That isn't exactly miraculous, I know. But it still makes me believe that St. Anthony is with us in a special way.

St. Anthony, pray for us!

God bless!