He is one of the great saints of the Catholic Church, and one of the beloved--even far beyond Catholics themselves. Untold numbers of people turn to him, still, when there is loss. And strangely--at least strangely in the usual ways of the world--those things often quickly turn up. And often they turn up in the most unexpected--even seemingly miraculous ways. Let the stories begin.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
When So Many Have Lost So Much
When so many have lost so much... The widely publicized theft of the relic of St. Anthony from a church named for him in Southern California continues to affect people in profound ways. The saints so often experienced in their lives how seamlessly God can bring good out of evil, how we have all lost something precious and how much we need divine work if it is to be found again: Here is what one woman wrote: “Thank you for the blog and prayers to St. Anthony. I pray to a group of saints everyday, and it occurred to me recently that, except for St. Joseph and St. Padre Pio, they are all female. I was wondering which male saint, if any, I should add to my regular prayer requests for intercession. Reading your blog and the St. Anthony prayer made me realize that I should be praying to St. Anthony for something I lost 30 years ago and have only recently begun to realize is missing. As we know, God can take any thing--good or evil--and turn it to His purposes, even something as unimaginable as the theft of a sacred relic. The theft is shining new light on St. Anthony and his intercession at a time when so many have lost so much, including faith. God Bless and keep up the good work. Peggy
