Materialisation over a relic in the Basilica of San Antonio
A day of prayer and unexpected grace in Padova — multiple visits to the Basilica of Saint Anthony, and a surprising materialisation over a relic of St Francis of Assisi that caught me completely off guard. (4 min read)
I’ve spent the morning in Padova catching up on this blog and looking too much at the news of the conflict in the Middle East and considering if and when to go home. I’m surprisingly detached from the conflict although I totally blame Israel and am pleased to see karma playing out somewhat. I’m uncertain about how to approach my return to Australia – whether to trust in Etihad when the Australian Government says “do not travel to UAE”, to defer my return until things quieten down, to return now on another airline or return on another airline a little later. There are pros and cons for each of these options. I will be seeking guidance on this throughout the day but I am quite keen to find a way to get to Annecy (which has the shrine of St Francis de Sales), however, it is not so easy to get there.
Today I returned to the Basilica of Saint Anthony three times. I’ve been praying with the chaplet from S. Caterina with the relic on it. I need to be more disciplined because I often forget where I’m at or pray the words without feeling. Despite this, I know I am protected and supported. The Basilica was much quieter today and that suited me. I also wasn’t focused on charging the rosaries.
Yesterday, I was thinking about how nice it would be to have an apparition of S Antonio or S Francis de Sales, but was very surprised and moved to have another materialisation of S Francesco/Jesus on the relic of a piece of his skill in the San Francesco Chapel. The nature of this materialisation is quite different to past ones and the fact that it caught me by surprise means discernment is required. I showed a priest who blessed me but he was non-plused about it… I don’t think he understood what I was saying and merely confirmed the relic was S Francesco. I sent the image to a few people who were astounded but nothing more. Let’s see what happens.
Tomorrow I leave very early for Turin. Right now I am a bit obsessed with how I get to Annecy to the shrine of St Francis de Sales.
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