Dear Family and Friends,
I lost my wallet a few months ago. It was hard remembering
where, but I assumed it was at a park where I was playing disc golf with some
of my fellow priests. I waited a week hoping someone would find it and return
it, but nothing happened. So I drove an hour to the park, hunted for it, and
came back empty handed. Then I called the park service and asked them to keep
an eye out for it.
All through this time, I had been setting Saint Anthony on
the back burner. Let me explain.
Saint Anthony of Padua was one of the first followers of Saint Francis of Assisi. He was a miracle worker like Saint Francis – for instance, one day he preached to thousands of fish who came up to the surface of the sea together to listen to him when the stubborn citizens of a town wouldn’t.
It’s an old tradition that when you lose something, you
should pray to Saint Anthony, because he’ll help you find it. He keeps working
miracles – especially the lost-and-found kind. Over the years, he has found
many a lost thing for me and others I know. One time he found the wedding ring
of my mom’s friend. Another time he found my stolen bike.
But as far as my wallet goes, I had been giving Anthony the
cold shoulder. To be honest, I did say a quick prayer to him. But I didn’t
plead with him. I searched everywhere. I guess I was trusting in my own
strength. I remember mentioning the lost wallet to a friend, who emphatically
asked me if I had prayed to Saint Anthony. And for a moment I resolved to do
so. I thought, “I should go to my room and pray and Saint Anthony will find it
for me.” But I didn’t. I didn’t let Anthony and his amazing honing ability
guide me.
Anyway, the other day I finally went to get a new driver’s
license. I had given up all hope.
As I walked in the door of our house with my new license that day, I was
met by one of the priests I live with. It turns out that he was looking for
something in my room, when he found my wallet under a stack of papers. It was
in the little shelf on the kneeler – precisely where I would have gone to say
my prayer to Saint Anthony!
Sorry Saint Anthony! Sometimes we can be such knuckleheads!
May this special saint intercede for you!
Father Kevin
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| the frisbee Saint Anthony found! |
Turns out we were playing disc golf again the other day and
lost a disc in a large field. After ten minutes of searching in vain, I
remembered the whole story of the wallet and said a quick prayer to Anthony.
Sure enough, moments later I stumbled across the missing disc! I’m sure Anthony
was laughing!
