St. Anthony of Padua
More Than Finder of Lost Things!

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Q U I C K S C A N

How I Found My Baseball Glove
After Praying to St. Anthony
Who Is the Real Anthony?

Readers respond to Friar Jack's musings

June 13 (Sunday) was the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua. Because Anthony's feast fell on a Sunday this year, however, Anthony got bumped from the spotlight by the more prominent feast being celebrated that day: the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ. In this E-spiration, I will try to make up for Anthony's fall from the lineup by sharing some stories about this popular Franciscan saint, whom the whole world knows as the finder of lost objects.

One of the stories about St. Anthony comes from Tony Dardle, a British writer who happened to be with other journalists and me on a trip to Hiroshima, Japan, in 1982. This trip was mentioned briefly at the beginning of my previous E-spiration (May 28). Tony and I became friends during our several days together in Hiroshima. After long hours of intense work as journalists during the day, he and I met each night at the little bar in the hotel where our group was staying. There we shared many a personal conversation over tall bottles of Japanese beer.

One night, Tony, who described himself as an agnostic, told me this rather amusing story about his Catholic mother, his atheist father and St. Anthony of Padua. His mother was a great fan of St. Anthony and she repeatedly petitioned the saint to help her find lost articles. This inevitably annoyed Tony's father who was not a believer.

Whenever Tony's dad would misplace keys or a watch, his mom would pray to St. Anthony, and, sure enough, the lost items would very quickly be found, ticking off his dad in the process. On one occasion his dad could not find his fishing boots. For several days he turned the house and garage inside out trying to find them, but no luck. Then his mom prayed to St. Anthony, and within minutes she found the boots in some unlikely corner. This really threw his dad into a rage! Tony seemed to enjoy recalling these ongoing skirmishes between his mom and his dad.

I lost contact with Tony Dardle over the years, but have often wondered how he's doing. He was undoubtedly named after St. Anthony because of his mother's attachment to the saint. May St. Anthony, his namesake, keep watch over Tony's path!

How I Found My Baseball Glove
After Praying to St. Anthony

From my earliest years, my mom taught me to pray to Anthony when something was lost. Catholic moms seem to have a penchant for this! My most amazing find—at Anthony's behest, I have always firmly believed—had to do with my highly prized baseball glove. I was a 15-year-old student at St. Francis Seminary in Cincinnati and had recently received this beautiful Rawlings "Marty Marion" baseball glove. It was so new it still had that wonderful fresh leather smell. It was a day or two before summer vacation and I was dreaming of playing third base that summer on the Junior American Legion baseball team in my hometown in Southern Indiana.

As I was preparing to leave for the summer and packing my traveling bags with items from my locker, I suddenly noticed in horror that my baseball glove was gone! In a state of panic, I raced all around the building in search of the glove, but to no avail. Desperately, I pleaded with St. Anthony to help me find it. The next day, I was back in the locker room checking my locker one last time. Not a sign of my glove. As I was walking out of the locker room and, indeed, a good distance down the aisle from my locker, I passed another seminarian's traveling bag hanging from his locker.

On a sudden, unexplained impulse, I plunged my arm down into his traveling bag, searching around under sweatshirts, socks and other items. My hand suddenly came into contact with a leather object and pulled it out. It was my Rawlings glove! Apparently, a less-than-saintly fellow seminarian was planning to run off with the thing, the Fifth Commandment notwithstanding. What joy there was in my little "Mudville" that afternoon! And how closely I felt bonded to my wonderworker friend, Anthony of Padua!

Who Is the Real Anthony?

No doubt, many people not familiar with the popularity of St. Anthony among Catholics scratch their heads upon hearing such stories, which are quite commonplace in many Catholic countries around the world. There is something very mundane and "everyday" about these stories. And many outsiders are probably asking themselves: "Gimme a break—is the spirituality of St. Anthony no more profound than this? Do the devotees of St. Anthony have any spiritual concerns more important than finding lost keys, fishing boots or baseball gloves?"

I like to think there is something positive to be learned regarding the "everyday" popularity of St. Anthony. He's not a highfalutin type of saint that ordinary people cannot relate to. We can compare Anthony to our good friends or relatives on this earth. Would they not very likely be concerned and come to our aid if we told them we lost our car keys or beloved baseball glove? So why should we be surprised if a good old down-to-earth saint like Anthony of Padua shows a similar concern to those who seek his aid? Or are we just expected to leave behind our childhood saints—or our belief in the Communion of Saints?

Still, the critics have a point. We should take a closer look at the more serious spiritual qualifications of St. Anthony: at Anthony the great Scripture scholar, for example, or Anthony the great preacher and "Doctor of the Church," or the saint who often sought the face of God in deep contemplative prayer. So let's take a moment to explore a passage or two from his sermons. They will quickly reveal that Anthony was serious about the most profound mysteries and doctrines of the Christian faith. Here's what he once said about how total our love of God should be:

You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart. Notice that Christ says, "Your whole heart." He doesn't say, "Leave a corner of your heart for yourself." Christ bought the whole of you by giving his whole self for you, that he might possess every part of you. Do not try to hold back any part of yourself.…If you really wish to have the whole, then give it all to him, and he will give you all of himself.

In another sermon, Anthony expressed great awe at the totality of God's gift to us. Anthony saw profoundly how—in the mystery of the Incarnation—the God of glory held nothing back from us but stripped away the glory and took the form of a lowly servant ready to give "his all" for us. To use Anthony's deft words and poetic images: "The Lord of the Universe is wrapped in swaddling clothes.…The one whose name is boundless is laid in the narrow manger!"

You can find more about Anthony of Padua by checking our feature Finding the Real St. Anthony. Have a safe summer! May Anthony guide and protect you all.

Would you like to join Friar Jack on a Pilgrimage in the Footsteps of St. Anthony (Padua, Assisi, Lisbon...), September 9-20, 2004? (See "Join FriarJack" ad at top right.)

Friar Jack's Inbox

Readers respond to Friar Jack's musings on "Recognizing Our Capacity for Evil."

Dear Friar Jack: I served in the Air Force and Air National Guard for 12 years. When I read about how the perpetrators of the war crimes were largely from an Army Guard unit in western Maryland operating without adequate supervision I think of Luke 23:34, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." You would not believe the paucity of guidance and life skills some poor souls have at the time they enlist in the Armed forces (I last served in 1992, but I wouldn't think matters would be much better today). Apparently at least several of these individuals sincerely believed they were doing right. I think your closing prayer for your column is really appropriate. Thanks. Bob

Dear Friar Jack: I was very pleased to read your E-spiration . I agree with all you said. It made me stop and think. Yes, we are all capable of sin and evil. I thank you so very much. Pat

Dear Friar Jack: Your reflections—and the prayer ending the article—are clear answers to my prayers. I am appalled at the violence and hatred in the world, and most appalled by their obvious presence in my own heart. The sexual abuse in the Church and the conflicts in the holy lands of the Middle East have been especially troubling. Thank you for presenting a more tempered attitude and hope. Difficult though it may be, His command remains, "Love one another as I have loved you." May God bless you with His peace! Charlene

Response from Friar Jack: Sincere thanks to all who responded to my E-spiration, "Recognizing Our Capacity for Evil." May we all keep working and praying for peace.

You are in my prayers. May the God of peace and love bless you all! Friar Jack

Send your feedback to friarjack@americancatholic.org.

A Message From Friar Jack

Welcome! I hope you'll enjoy all of the news about what's happening at AmericanCatholic.org, as well as my "musings." By the way, I am a real Franciscan friar. You can find out more about me here.

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Go on a "virtual retreat" with the beloved patron of all things lost.
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St. Anthony of Padua Greetings: Click here for a beautiful assortment of free e-greetings.

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Make a Pledge for Peace

People of good will around the globe are turning to prayerful, peaceful, positive responses to violence—people who believe that all of us are called to be peacemakers, especially at this critical moment in human history. Do your part to bring about 1,000 Years of Peace.
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