St. Anthony helps Anna Marie more profoundly than expected
Anna Marie's beloved bulldog, Moni, (short for Monarch) because of her amazing transformation from a feeble puppy mill mama who had never seen sunlight or grass, to a strong and beautiful dog who loved everyone she met.
A flurry of kindness through loss
In January, I lost a special ring that “Santa” had just brought me for Christmas, nothing fancy, just pretty and meaningful. I searched everywhere – my purse, school bag, classroom, home, pockets, and car. I even emailed everyone in my wing at the school, thinking maybe I’d left it in the bathroom and someone had found it. Nothing.
Anna Marie's 'St. Anthony' ring
I finally asked St. Anthony to help me, expecting it to eventually show up unexpectedly. Well, it didn’t, and I gave up. Then on Sunday, July 28, the day after our sweet bulldog finally lost her battle with cancer, as I searched for a bag to collect dog poo, I found the ring in a plastic bag that I don’t even remember acquiring or having had with me when I lost the ring. It was very bizarre. I almost used that same plastic bag twice before during that same week.
It seemed crazy. It was like losing our dog was the catalyst for finding that ring, as I’ve been struggling with my faith life for a while now, and going through the loss brought about a flurry of kindness from people, many of whom I’d never even met before. It was eye-opening in that the simplicity of “be kind” really became apparent to me. I remembered a Bible verse I’d read in my “page-a-day” calendar that said, “Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good.”
I now wear that ring every day and refer to it as my “St. Anthony ring.” It to me symbolizes how subtly yet profoundly God is always looking out for us and how I can return the favor by simply being a kinder person. It’s nurturing. In a way, finding that ring helped me find my direction, so St. Anthony did indeed help me, but much, much more profoundly than I’d ever hoped for or anticipated.
Thank you for all that you do, and please use this gift as you see it is most beneficial.
Most sincerely,
Anna Marie
We’d love to hear your St. Anthony story too. Use our Contact Page or Email: shrine@franciscan.org or Call Colleen Cushard at: 513-721-4700. Share your prayers with us and our online community at our Prayer Page. You can donate to St. Anthony Bread or any of our ministries at our Donation Page.
Posted in: Prayer, Saint Anthony
