Oh boy, here we go again… Now people at this California church are praying to the patron saint of lost items so that the missing religious relic is returned.
Here are the two most likely scenarios to follow: 1) the stolen (or missing) relic is found and religious people will say that their prayers were answered; 2) the item is never recovered and that will be the end of that. What will NOT happen, should the missing relic never be recovered, is people admitting that their prayers were not answered. One never hears religious people say this.
My question to the faithful is, why did you get the police involved? Isn’t your faith in the patron saint enough? If you believe in the “power” of prayer; just pray.
This reminds me of when people are ill or have an accident and the entire family talks about praying for the individual’s speedy recovery, while the ailing individual is being treated by a team of doctors. Then when the person recovers family members promptly thank God, as if he miraculously intervened in the person’s cure and the doctors were there just for show. It never occurs to these people to ask themselves why God “allowed” the person to be in such dire need of medical attention in the first place. I say, if you believe that God will answer your prayers; just pray and don’t have science intervene. Then and only then will one truly know if prayer works.
As usual, the lack of reason and common sense of religious people never ceases to amaze… TGO
Refer to story below. Source: Associated Press
LOS ANGELES – A 780-year-old religious relic of St. Anthony of Padua has been stolen, and parishioners at a Southern California Catholic church are praying to the patron saint of lost items and missing persons for its speedy return.
The relic was stolen from inside a cabinet beside the altar at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Long Beach on Monday, the feast day of the church’s namesake.
The Rev. Jose Magana said he decided to bring out the relic this year, on the 780th anniversary of the death of St. Anthony, because many of his parishioners have lost hope in the rough economy.
Magana said the relic is invaluable and deeply symbolic to his parish.
“It’s our history, so it’s irreplaceable,” Magana said. “It belongs to the church, not just the church here in Long Beach, but the entire Catholic church.”
The church opened at 6 a.m., and when Magana turned to the relic during the 9 a.m. Mass, it had disappeared. Magana could hear his parishioners gasp when they realized it was gone, but he continued with the service and called police immediately afterward.
Long Beach police Lt. Paul Arcala said the relic is housed in a 16-inch tall reliquary case with angel-shaped handles made of gold and silver on either side. He declined to describe it further because that might jeopardize the investigation.
The last time it was on view was eight years ago, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the parish. In Catholicism, relics are usually part of a saint’s body or clothes and revered as a physical connection to the saint.
While church members are upset that someone would steal a holy object, their faith is still strong.
“They said, `Father, he’s the patron saint of lost causes, so he’ll come home,'” Magana said.
Police were looking for a person who was seen at all five Masses on Sunday and was unusually curious about the relic, Arcala said. Witnesses said she got too close and had to be asked to step away. The woman was in her late 30s and was short and heavyset with wavy, shoulder-length black hair.
“I’m hoping we’ve got some higher sources who’ve got our backs here and we can get it back,” Magana said. “People here are pretty upset but they’re praying. They’re praying to St. Anthony for the return of his own object.”
