Our editor at the Saint's Tomb
DEAR Friend,
As March arrives, bringing with it longer days and a gentler light, I find myself pausing for a moment. There is something about this time of year that invites reflection. Nature slowly awakens, and almost without noticing it, we too are encouraged to look again at our own lives with fresh eyes.
This month I celebrate another birthday – a day I have learned to cherish. That is not because it marks the passing of years, but because it reminds me how faithfully God continues to walk with me. Each birthday becomes less a matter of counting time and more an opportunity to recognize how much has been given.
The passing years bring wisdom, but they also bring fragility. My own life bears clear signs of this. Each day includes its limitations, moments of tiredness, and the need for patience. These realities are not always easy, and they remind me that strength cannot be taken for granted.
Therefore, each day becomes an invitation to trust more deeply in the Lord and to accept my limits with humility. I am learning that weakness is not a failure, but a place where grace can quietly enter.
When the body slows down, the heart often becomes more attentive. I notice small things more clearly – a kind word, a quiet moment of prayer, the simple joy of being alive. In these moments I experience God’s love not as something distant, but as something close and constant, gently sustaining me from one day to the next.
Along this journey, I continue to experience the friendship of Saint Anthony. For many years he has been part of my life and ministry, but today I feel his presence in a new way – not only as the saint to whom I pray, but as a companion who walks beside me, reminding me that I am never alone.
I am also deeply aware that God’s love reaches me through people. I feel the closeness of my brother and his wife, the fraternal warmth of the friars of my community, and the faithful presence of friends who remain near with generosity and care.
And I feel, very strongly, the love of you, dear readers. Your letters, messages, and prayers often arrive unexpectedly, yet always at the right moment. They remind me that this mission is never carried forward alone.
Perhaps this is one of the most precious lessons time teaches us: we are not sustained by our own strength, but by the love that surrounds us. Even when health falters, love remains.
The season of Lent accompanies us beautifully in this discovery. It invites us to let go of what weighs us down and to return to what truly matters – a daily movement toward greater trust.
As we walk toward Easter, we are reminded that life is stronger than illness, hope stronger than fear, and love stronger than any limitation. The Cross itself does not end in darkness but opens onto resurrection.
Dear friend, I know that many of you carry heavy burdens – suffering, loneliness, worries for your families, uncertainties about the future. Please know that you are not forgotten. Each day, at the Tomb of Saint Anthony, I place your intentions into his hands, trusting him, our great intercessor, to bring them before the Lord.
Together we continue this pilgrimage of faith, supporting one another in ways both visible and hidden. Each prayer counts. Each act of kindness has eternal value.
Thank you for walking with us, for believing in our mission as friars of the Basilica of St. Anthony, and for being part of our story.
May this Lenten season fill your heart with peace, renew your hope, and remind you that we are always held in God’s loving hands.
With gratitude and prayer,
Updated on February 27 2026