St. Anthony's new umbrella

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Part of The Cross

Title: St. Anthony's new umbrella
extracted text: By A, FIGER VILORIA deeply comforting and reassuring. Because, certainly, they could recover anything lost for Daddy’s dear sake. It was always, nothing short of being mira culous. “I prayed to St. Anthony,” Herman would say. "Me, to the Blessed Virgin Mother”—this would come from the Marian loving Edwin. “I prayed to the Child Jesus,” the girl would chime in. And so I could now give a sigh of relief, light a cigarette at long last and forget the little faithful prayers and their concerted prayers for such a darn thing as a lighter found where it should not be found. Right down in one of the pockets of a pair of pants I had on! How it got there I could never tell. And they would all laugh and crack a joke on their Old Man. Yes, now I could smoke and forget the little miracle while they debated on whose prayer was answered; and I would put an A lost umbrella, an unbelieving father, three prayerful kids, and St. Anthony. St. Anthony’s New Umbrella EVERYTIME I lost or misplaced something and I could not find it, my two boys and my little girl were summoned in to help look in every unlikely nook and cranny for it. Even the old dull cat is asked to clear out of the way. Tables are upturned; books in the small shelf are disassembled one by one; old and yellowing manuscripts that would have served a better cause in the burning of the effigy of a lost cause, are disinter red; the long clothes-line on hangers are disentangled. All this sorry affair of things for the darn elusive thing that could not be found. These long-suffering and patient children knew when my patience was about to disin tegrate: that is, when they were blamed for the disappearance of the safety-razor, or the lighter, or a lecture notebook, or my tooth brush, or even a needle. And the “Not-IDaddy” would then be chorused again, and their “Don’t-You-Worry-We’ll-Find-It” was end to the argument by saying that mine was. Then they would gang up together and take me for their common enemy. But as soon as each one got his nickel for the mira cle prayed for, everyone was happy. At least, they understood it was an implied admis sion that their prayers were answered and not mine. BUT I will always remember best the miracle of St. Anthony of Padua to strength en more and more the children’s faith, on prayer. It was a rainy day when the three of us boys went to a Sunday Mass. My new widespreading umbrella gave us immense com fort out in the rain. Unfortunately, we rushed out after the Mass was over to enjoy a world suddenly full of sunshine. The new umbrella was forgotten. We remembered that we had one when we arrived home. We hurried back for the dear Turn to page 29 Ao CROSS ST. ANTHONY’S .. . From page B thing that was forgotten as fast as we had no more use for it. We collared the church-sweeper over to a dark comer. There were three of us gang ing down at him, shooting questions one after another. He was frightened and cow ering. No, no, he hadn’t seen any new um brella lying around in the fore-pews. To placate us he showed an unclaimed weather beaten old thing that no longer had the semblance of an umbrella. This trick of pinning an innocent man failing, we took to task the truthfulness of the convento’s house-boy, who used to take his beat like a hired cop round and about the church pre cincts. No, he also saw no new umbrella lying around to be claimed after the Mass. Was it green? he wanted to know, and Edwin repeated: Black! Big and wide! Crestfallen, we want home for a belated breakfast. “That’s God’s will, Daddy,” Edwin offered to give me resignation, and added: “Were you very much attached to it?” • "Oh, no! Not Daddy, of course!” Herman offered for a piece of consolation. And mulling over it for sometime when he saw how wrong he was and could be from the cloud of sorrow clouding my face for the loss of the new 15-peso umbrella, he added: “Why don’t we ask St. Anthony to look for it—” “And give it back to us!” Edwin finished. Inside myself I felt as dubious as the veritable heathen and was about to tell them not to ask for the impossible when Edwin reminded me of the incident of the borrowed library book lost in the school’s playground and how two days later he found it in his little' dresser. “That time I prayed to Our Blessed Moth er,” he said. “But let’s remember St An thony this time. We’ve not asked him any thing for a long time.” So in spite of my interior dispositions— worse than the Doubting Thomas’—I joined in the silence of prayer called for by my young teachers of faith. Verily, I told St. Anthony, I would hold nothing against you if you don’t answer our prayer this time. Three days later the matter was forgot ten. At least I did not wish to remind my children that this time they would have to receive their full bread of resignation. Turn to png* 33 HEART TO . -. Fro> png* 23 heart and mind. Tell him that it would be extreme ly difficult to marry and live with someone whom you don’t love. It is usually effective to stop a suitor by telling him immediately after he proposes that you can not love him. I hope that you are really certain and determined about your plan not to marry. Be cause if you are not, and should you in the future discover that this decision is merely the result of a passing fancy, you might find it difficult to at tract any more young men. L. M. Compliments of ST. MARY’S ACADEMY P. Burgos St., Pasay City Complimtnh of* FARMACIA LA QUINTA 402 Echague, Manila Tel. 3-84-19 DR. B. M. VILLAPANDO Physician-Surgeon EYE, EAR, NOSE & THROAT. Emma Bldg. Ill, Evangalitta St, Quiapo, Manila. Office Hri. — 9-12 a.m. —2-5 p.m. April, I9R “TINIG NI MANG JUAN” Listen to this radio program over Station DZPI from Monday through Friday, 9:00 to 9:30 a.m. FROM GARBAGE ... From page IS It is not surprising that Panlilio has be come much interested in such a project which will provide the small farmers with cheap fertilizer. A farm owner himself, the architect is one of the old-time directors and at present treasurer of the Columbian Farm ers’ Aid Association, the rural auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus. In between the demands of his profession (he is a govern ment examiner for architecture), he en gages in laudable rural amelioration work. To demonstrate his rural interest, the architect from San Fernando, Pampanga re cently did a little experiment in the back yard of his beautiful home in Quezon City. He planted a few rice plants. But instead of applying fertilizer on the soil and thus indiscriminately fertilizing both rice plants and weeds, he first soaked the seeds in fer tilizer-diluted water. The result was vigor ous rice plants. He has not yet succeeded in making the tenants of his farm follow the method. “I find the farmers suspicious of any new techniques," he says. But as with his other brainstorms, he hopes gradually to convince them of this one. ST. ANTHONY'S ... From pogo 29 Nobody dared mention anything about the new umbrella that was not even a week old with us when it was lost. Yet the three children looked expectant and so hopeful that they almost broke my heart in the dis appointment that was inevitable as it did seem to me. Hopefully they would look up to the hat-rack where it had hung ready for any emergency. And I muttered interiorly a complaint to the mother—long gone to her eternal rest— who taught them this sort of faith. I re membered then how she placed several pieces of candy before the little crucifix of Herman just after the boy had complained to his Lord for my forbidding him to indulge In candles. He was barely two years old arid he was complaining of a toothache. "See, Daddy, what Jesus gave me?” he gloated. “I found them at the foot of the crucifix. I prayed for them.” I was stupefied with the quick answer of his Lord who could not have died on His cross for these few pieces of candy. I looked long and hard at the mother of the boy, who was smiling guiltily over the day’s washing basin. "I could not bear to see his prayer un answered,” she explained when the boy was out of hearing. “And so you answered for God!” “Well, He does need always an instrument to accomplish His will.” “And the pieces of candy were His will?” "Yes. and don’t forget that He’s a most kind Father also! And my conscience doesn’t prick me a whit, either!” I went away, interiorly blazing. Women, I assured myself, they are simply impossible people. Impossible! And so my children were brought up be lieving in daily miracles. What is worse: they were re-educating me in the dark and mysterious way of their impregnable faith. THUS ONE EVENING, as we were all going to the supper table, Edwin cried: "It’s back! It’s back, Daddy. St. An thony’s new umbrella! He’s heard our prayer!” Yes, there it was—the excursioning um brella, hanging securely from the hat-rack. Again I was beaten! The supper was forgotten for a while. The children gambolled and danced around in sheer joy. It was more the joy of having their prayer answered. With their faith they had moved that mountain of a St. An thony! They were children of angelic in nocence—children of simple faith. And in my wondering, I will admit that there were tears of joy in my eyes, too— and of thanksgiving for God’s having given me children from whom to learn and believe. CANNIBALS’ VICTIM A castaway from a wrecked ship was captured by cannibals. Each day, his arm was cut by a dagger and the natives of the island would drink his blood. Finally, one day, he called the king. “You can kill and eat me if you want,” he said, “but I’m getting sick and tired of being stuck for the drinks.” (Illustrated Weekly) April. I9S9
Date: 1959
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