Fr. John Joseph praises God for St. Anthony
On May 10th of this year (2018), as I was preparing to leave for a Secular Franciscan Meeting in Uniontown, Pa., I noticed that my wrist watch was not on its familiar place, my wrist.
The Velcro on the band was losing its grip, but not enough for the watch to simply fall off. Perhaps after removing my alb after Mass that morning, I might have jarred it loose. Perhaps it might have happened while removing my habit. I don’t know. All I know is that the wrist watch was missing. After searching everywhere I could have lost it, I could find no trace of it. I therefore continued my trip to Uniontown.
I offered a brief prayer to St. Anthony. I must admit that I thought I would have to buy a new watch. That night, as I was preparing for bed, I noticed something under my desk. I thought it was a wire connected to my computer or printer sticking out toward the front of the desk. I bent down to push it back, as I reached to do so, I was shocked, joyfully so, to see that it was my wrist watch. How it got there I had no idea. There might be a plausible explanation for that, but, for me, it will always be a miracle, for which I will be ever grateful to St. Anthony.
Click photo for link to Fr. J.J.'s story about his lost keys.
Months earlier, a similar situation happened with my house key. I searched diligently, like the woman in the Gospel who lost a coin. A few days passed by. I even stopped looking for it. I trusted that St. Anthony would find it for me. One day as I was in my bedroom I spotted it on the floor at the foot of my bed. It was in plain sight. I know I had thoroughly searched that area previously and saw nothing. Was it a case of having eyes but not seeing? Be that as it may, that was another case of St. Anthony, the Miracle Worker, working a miracle on my behalf.
God be praised for St. Anthony!
Humbly submitted by Fr. John Joseph Gonchar, OFM
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Posted in: Prayer, Saint Anthony, Senior Friars
