June 13.  St Anthony of Padua.  Giving names to children is a very cultural thing. They might be names of relatives or just any name that sounds nice. In some cultures the name has significance related to the time of the birth.  At baptism the Church expects babies to have a Christian or saint’s name.  Children might explore who their name saint is. That was what Sibusiso Anthony Moloi did and he studied the life of St Anthony of Padua, remembering a childhood family prayer,  “St. Anthony, please look around; something is lost and must be found.”  The prayer is said to come from an incident when St Anthony himself prayed intensely for an important book he needed that was lost. As a child he was drawn to the religious life and wanted to be a missionary but his health was not good enough. He was shipwrecked and ended up in Italy as a humble Franciscan brother until by chance his preaching skill was discovered and that became his life’s work, turning many people from their sins.  A fellow monk found him one night in his room miraculously holding the baby Jesus. That is the image we see quite often. This intense love for Jesus, like that of St Francis can be a real model for all the Anthonys and Antonettes, Reflect, share, scripture: “The harvest is great but the labourers are few. Luke 10:1-9.  Pope Francis:   Expressions of popular piety are a treasure of spirituality for many families. AL 318.  The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.”  EG 1    ACTION and prayer. Consider the devotion to St Anthony for his love of Jesus as well as the belief in his power to find lost things. (St Anthony is of course my patron saint – Toni)