Today I engaged in all of the above. When I hit my last stop--the All Saints Thrift Store which benefits the Food Bank--I had an armful of possibilities. Then I looked at my wrist and realized my grandmother Emmie's delicate bracelet--gold with a tiny ruby and even tinier diamonds--was gone. I've had the bracelet for more than 40 years.
I looked around, informed the workers and other shoppers, dropped my armload of possibilities (which were probably responsible for pushing the bracelet from my wrist) and rushed home. I called the other places I had stopped. Then Mr FS and I headed back to the store.
What karmic message was I getting? Was the universe telling me I was wasting too much time at thrift stores? Should I find a worthy pursuit for my off-days?
A shopper was looking at the armload of clothing I had dropped before I rushed out. I told her she could buy what she wanted, but I wanted to check for my bracelet. She told me that she would pray to St Anthony for me. She mentioned that other saints sometimes were effective, but that St Anthony was the classic.
OK. Mr FS and I headed around the corner to look at the housewares. Another shopper held something toward me and said "Is this what you're looking for?" IT WAS. It had broken and fallen off--it is probably 100 years old.
My two benefactresses discussed St Anthony for a while. The finder told me that she had lost a lot of rosaries--several valuable--but through some miracle had recovered all except the one that belonged to her. This thrift store attracts a spiritual--and very low income--crowd. Goodwill, by contrast, attracts mostly dealers. I wonder if any of those shoppers would have turned in my bracelet.
Mr FS and I are not Catholic. This is a very Catholic area, so perhaps there are miracles everywhere, available to everyone. That's what catholic means anyway: including a wide variety of things; all-embracing.
Novena to Saint Anthony to Find a Lost Article
St. Anthony, perfect imitator of Jesus, who received from God the special power of restoring lost things, grant that I may find [name the item] which has been lost. At least restore to me peace and tranquility of mind, the loss of which has afflicted me even more than my material loss. To this favor, I ask another of you: that I may always remain in possession of the true good that is God. Let me rather lose all things than lose God, my supreme good. Let me never suffer the loss of my greatest treasure, eternal life with God. Amen.
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7 comments:
Yikes!!! So glad it was recovered!
My parents were Catholic and between St. Anthony and St. Jude (impossible causes) we got a lot of things back.
It's not part of my personal belief system but I still find myself 'gong there' when I lose something.
So happy you got it back.
Lovely story, glad the bracelet found its way back to you. It's hard to lose sentimental items.
So glad you got your bracelet back, it's very painful to lose things with so much sentiment attached. I tend to stay out of thrift shops when I don't need something specific; I have too much stuff as it is and for me there is nothing frugal about buying something I don't need or really want. I need to get Bill at St. Anthony medallion - he spends his life looking for stuff he's lost. He finds it, and loses it again within a day or two, over and over. I've quit getting upset with him, assuming this is how he amuses himself in retirement.
Our Catholic family doesn't just believe in the God given power of St. Anthony, we rely on him!
We also are on a first name basis--
"Tony, Tony, come around, something's lost and must be found."
He never fails us, or all our friends, many of whom are not Catholic.
BTW, I am a great fan of your blog. It is marvelous.
Our Catholic family doesn't just believe in the God given power of St. Anthony, we rely on him!
We also are on a first name basis--
"Tony, Tony, come around, something's lost and must be found."
He never fails us, or all our friends, many of whom are not Catholic.
BTW, I am a great fan of your blog. It is marvelous.
@Everybody--Thanks for your wonderful comments. I am truly reeling with happiness and amazement.
@MM--Many thanks. I love the TONY.
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