A thank you to StrictCatholicGirl from the Fisheaters Forum for this amazing story:
In my last computer crash I lost a TON of research, I'm talking hundreds of pages of research for a book I was writing about the stained glass windows in the church of my childhood. It included historical research, technical research, and all the translations of the Latin script in the arch of the windows - not to mention all the bible verses from whence they came. After the crash I abandoned the project, because the thought of going back and redoing all the research was maddening, an impossible feat.
So one day I was praying to St. Anthony to help me find an old photo I had misplaced, and while searching for the photo I came upon a box with a large manila envelope. Inside was a manuscript, THE manuscript with ALL the research. Long ago I had printed a hard copy and had forgotten all about it. You can imagine my elation! Unfortunately, that manuscript did not include the disk of all the photographs of the stained glass windows. And I really needed those photos, with all their glorious details, to write the detailed chapters.
So last week at work I was cleaning out one of my messy desk drawers. The drawer contained dozens of prayer cards and novenas to St. Anthony. I thought to myself, I can't pitch these. I'll keep a few of them and put the rest in the back of church for other people to take. Then, lo and behold, underneath all the holy cards of the Lost-and-Found Saint, I found the disk with the photographs of all the stained glass windows.
So.... the project is back on! And this time I'm backing up my work on a disk. By the way, one of those stained glass windows is of St. Anthony of Padua, the Wonder Worker.
Si quaeris miracula....
If, then, thou seekest miracles....
Ora pro nobis, beate Antoni.
Pray for us, blessed Anthony.
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.
