SAINT ANTHONY OF
PADUA
Saint Anthony of Padua lived from 1195 until
1231 AD. He is widely recognized as a miracle
worker. His feast day is June 13, which is
the anniversary of his death.
Throughout my life, Saint Anthony has been
close, warm, responsive, and incredibly helpful.
He is known to help those who have lost items
or had them stolen. Whenever I misplace something,
I hunt for a few minutes, then stop and ask
St. Anthony for his help. Virtually always,
the lost item turns up in very short order.
FINDING LOST OBJECTS
A little while ago, I worked at a gala benefit
for Habitat for Humanity. The event was held
at a local museum. As I was setting up prior
to the arrival of the crowd, one of the museum
staff, knowing that I was a reader, asked
me if I had any idea where she could have
left her keys. She'd been looking for them
for three days, and had been incredibly inconvenienced
by their loss. I asked her if she'd asked
St. Anthony to help her find them. She gave
me a funny look, and said, 'No, I didn't
think of that. My mom would have told me
to do that."
"Do it", I urged her. "St.
Anthony is incredibly good at finding things."
She walked off to continue getting ready for
the event. A couple of minutes later, we heard
a woman shrieking. It was the young lady who'd
lost her keys! She rushed towards me, holding
up a heavy key chain. "I found it!"
She said. She was truly spooked. She had
asked for St. Anthony's help, and as soon
as she had done so, found her keys.
He is very close to us, very kind, and very
willing to help. Try asking for his help the
next time you misplace something you need.
Do so sincerely, and I am sure he will help
you.
There are several little rhymes used to ask
for his help, such as:
"Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please
come down,
My ___ is lost, and must be found."
Call his name, and visualize your lost item,
explain how important it is to you to find
it,
and sincerely ask for his aid. You will find
your missing object.
It is my feeling that when a Saint intercedes
for us and grants our request,
we should give sincere thanks. Everyone appreciates
a thank you, and relationships are not one-sided.
A candle and a vase of flowers are always
appropriate.
FINDING A LOST PERSON
Saint Anthony is also invoked when someone
is lost. As a result, many people call upon
him to help them reconcile with a lost lover.
He is also asked for his help in finding a
mate.
The traditional statue or image of Saint Anthony
shows him wearing brown monk's robes, holding
a bible and a lily, with the infant Jesus
in his arms. His expression is usually very
tender. Some St. Anthony statues are made
so that the infant Jesus is removable. People
have been known to remove the baby from St.
Anthony's arms until he delivers to them the
one they long for.
Because Saint Anthony finds lost people, his
aid can also be requested when praying for
someone who is severely struggling, and who
seems to be a lost soul.
A SAILOR'S SAINT
In some countries, Saint Anthony is prayed
to by travelers and vacationers for a safe
journey, particularly over the sea. He is
the patron saint of sailors and fisherman
in Spain, Italy, France and Portugal. According
to some stories, sailors keep a statue of
Saint Anthony on the mast of the ship, and
appeal to him for safety while at sea. |
