When he is this close to God is it any wonder He hears him?
I sometimes wonder whether Heaven gets irritated by St Anthony of Padua. As patron of lost items, he is often called upon by the Faithful at times when keys are missing, mobile phones are under couches or when people are looking for stuff in general. He has a broad CV of miracles to present before the Throne of God and God is notoriously fond of him and enjoys glorifying him on Earth and in Heaven, for his great virtues. Yesterday, my friend asked me to open his can of spam which he was having difficulty opening. I asked jokingly who the patron saint of can opening was and he didn't know.
I think, in these areas of confusion over which saint intercedes for which necessity, St Anthony seems to be a good and reliable fall back saint. If I don't know who intercedes for something I go with St Anthony because he is a safe bet. He tends not to disappoint.
So, in my heart I said a quick prayer to St Anthony and hey presto the can of spam opened easier than a lid off your tub of margarine. But other saints must get a little irritated that St Anthony is on their turf intercession wise. "That's my speciality!" some other saints must say. "Oi, Anthony! Stick to finding stuff will you!" or "I could have opened that spam if only someone had asked me, but oh no, its Anthony this, Anthony that! I don't know, other than continuously praising, adoring and worshipping the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity I sometimes wonder why I am here. I only get about 50,000 prayer requests a day, whereas he get well over 50 million."
Meanwhile St Anthony stands there smiling saying, "I think I'll handle this...Lord Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Your Heavenly Father rolled away the Tomb at Your Glorious Resurrection. Please now, in Your Great Mercy, do the same for this spam."
Good St Anthony of Padua, pray for us in our needs that we may always rejoice in your holy intercession. The lady in my life is suffering back pain and I have had a scout on the internet for the patron saint of back pain. Is there one listed? No! So, you know who I'm going to pray to for her, don't you? In the absence of anyone else coming forward with a speciality in back pain..."Oi, Anthony..."
4 comments:
St Gemma Galgani?
Will give her a go.
St. Joseph is traditionally seen as the patron of virtually every need:
"I took for my advocate and lord the glorious Saint Joseph and commended myself earnestly to him; and I found that this my father and lord delivered me both from this trouble and also from other and greater troubles concerning my honor and the loss of my soul, and that he gave me greater blessings than I could ask of him. I do not remember even now that I have ever asked anything of him which he has failed to grant. I am astonished at the great favors which God has bestowed on me through this blessed saint, and at the perils from which He has freed me, both in body and in soul. To other saints the Lord seems to have given grace to succor us in some of our necessities but of this glorious saint my experience is that he succors us in them all and that the Lord wishes to teach us that as He was Himself subject to him on earth (for, being His guardian and being called His father, he could command Him) just so in Heaven He still does all that he asks. This has also been the experience of other persons whom I have advised to commend themselves to him; and even to-day there are many who have great devotion to him through having newly experienced this truth."
The Autobiography of St. Teresa, chapter 6
St Gemma Galgani is often invoked for those suffering with back problems. She had spinal meningitis and wore a back brace until she was eventually confined to bed. She was later miraculously cured by Jesus. See www.stgemmagalgani.com
God bless-
Joseph
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