Can’t find your glasses? Don’t remember where you parked your car?

Call on Saint Anthony to help you. Known as the Patron Saint of Lost Articles, Saint Anthony of Padua is our go-to-saint to help us find the things we’ve misplaced. His mission is to remove that stress from our plates.

Born Fernando Martins in Lisbon, Portugal, he entered the Abbey of Santa Cruz at the age of 15. He later left that order to join the Franciscans and changed his name to Anthony. There, Anthony and Francis of Assisi became trusted and respected friends.

Anthony was known for his insightful and moving homilies. He used a hand-written book of psalms with his notes and comments when teaching and preaching. A novice left the hermitage and took Anthony’s prayer book with him. Anthony prayed for the book’s return, and was very grateful when not only did the novice return to the order, he brought the treasured book back as well. This book is said to be preserved in the Franciscan friary in Bologna.

Anthony died from natural causes in 1231 at the young age of 36 years-old. He was canonized less than a year later by Pope Gregory IX. Pope Pius XII declared him a Doctor of the Church in 1946.

We continue to call on Saint Anthony today because we know his prayers are powerful. And keep in mind that this saint can help with more than finding tangible items. Ask him for his prayers in once again finding other things like your sense of humor, patience, good health, and faith.

(Young in the Spirit. $10.95, Paperback, 125 pages. Available from ACTA Publications, Amazon, and my website.)