St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) was born in Lisbon Portugal. His sermons, noted for their eloquence, fire and persuasiveness, attracted huge crowds everywhere he preached. He was undoubtedly one of the greatest preachers of all times. His contemporaries called him "Hammer of the Heretics" and "Living Ark of the Covenant," and he is known as the "Wonder Worker" for the miracles he wrought. He is the patron of the poor and oppressed and he is widely invoked for the return of lost articles. His depiction in art with the Infant Jesus on his arm is because of an episode in which a visitor reported this happening. (Delaney, 1980) (Pl. 85)

The story on St. Expedito from the Roman Martyrology is that he was one of a group of martyrs who were executed at Militene, Armeniam. However, there is no proof he ever existed. The popular devotion to him may have mistakenly developed when a crate of relics from the Catacombs in Rome being sent to a convent in Paris were mistakenly identified by the recipients as St. Expeditus by the word "expedito" written on the crate. The instruction "expedito" was meant to communicate a sense of urgency to get the package to its destination. They began to propagate devotion to the imagined saint as the saint to be invoked to expedite matters, and the cult soon spread. (Delaney, 1980) (Pl. 85)

While reading the prayers and scripture passages on religious cards and gazing at the images illustrated on them one will find that these cards can speak to us nearly as eloquently as Anthony spoke to his Christian followers. Religious images can bring us closer to God. Expedito reminds us that God created us in his image, yet we are fallibly human. Religious paper is a human invention inspired by our well intentioned devotion to Jesus, Mary and the Saints. Both Expedito and Anthony remind us of the importance of taking the time to carefully label, identify and organize the cards we have, lest we lose them or find our ourselves lost in them. Through the intercession of St. Anthony and St. Expedito may you locate more of those lost religious cards - and soon!
 

"Take heed, and beware of covetnous; for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possetheth."
 
Lk 12:13-21
From The Rich Man's Folly - June 15, 1890,
vol. 2, No. 11, Berean Lesson Pictures