St. Anthony, Help Me Find…

Shortly before our vacation, someone I follow on Instagram posted a photo of St. Anthony with a caption that suggested asking this great saint to find more for us then our car keys. (I still can’t figure out who originally posted the idea, so I’m unable to give credit where it’s due.)

A great doctor of the church, miracle worker and hammer of the heretics, St. Anthony, preached to the fishes, brought a starving horse to his knees before the Blessed Sacrament and held the Christ child in his arms. Yet, in today’s world, he seems best known as the patron of misplaced cell phones. “Tony, Tony come around. Somethings lost and must be found.”

Poor St. Anthony; while I’m sure he’s happy to intercede for us whenever he’s needed, I can’t help but think he’d love the opportunity to pull out the big guns and work some miracles in our lives. Inspired by the above mentioned Insty photo, I wrote the following personal prayer to St. Anthony.

“St Anthony, help me find more patience with my children, more self-control regarding sweets and social media and more strength to resist the urge to do what I want, and instead to find the will do what needs to get done. Help me find the ability to offer it all up.”

Is there anything you need in your life? Here’s seven things to consider asking St. Anthony to locate.

1. St. Anthony, help me find the patience I need to….

Is there anyone who doesn’t need more patience? People tell me that to homeschool and care for Fulton, I must have patience by the bucket load. Nothing could be further from the truth, thus the inclusion in my own prayer. And since patience is something I want to instill so badly in my own children, I know I’ll need divine intervention to make it a reality.

2. St. Anthony, help me find self-control in regards to…

For me, its social media and the oh so frequent habit of substituting GF cookies or nachos for a real meal. And all you other NFP families out there know what I’m talking about when I say “self-control” with air quotes and a wink, wink.

3. St. Anthony, help my Protestant/ Atheist/ non-practicing Catholic friends and family find their way to the true Church. Help me find the right words to say when someone asks me a question about the faith.

St. Anthony loved the Church, as do I. If my prayers, humble example and the intercession of this miracle worker can help anyone to make their way ‘home’ I’d be ecstatic. Saving lost souls deserves much higher priority than finding my sunglasses for the 24th time.

4. St. Anthony, help me find peace, comfort, and strength during this time of trial and suffering.

When a situation defies our understanding, sometimes all we can do is pray for the ability to just get through each day. You’ve rallied your Facebook community around you; why not call upon the heavenly community as well?

(I think a variation on this would be good for kids who are having trouble falling asleep due to previous bad dreams or other negative stimulation/ restless thinking. Currently, my kids ask for the intercession of St. Giles and St. Michael the Archangel, but it seems a good idea to ask St. Anthony to find peaceful thoughts and a good nights sleep.)

5. St. Anthony, help me find the time to….

Pray more, clean the bathroom regularly, read aloud to the littlest ones, talk to my husband before falling asleep at night….the list could go on and on. Time, like patience, always seems to be in short supply around here.

6. St. Anthony, help me find the silver lining, or at least my sense of humor.

From the annoying coworker, nagging mother-in-law to the bumper to bumper traffic, there’s a silver lining somewhere, and you have to be able to find it to save your sanity. For example, survival mode is brutal but thankfully, it’s temporary, plus it makes hysterical blogging material.

When faced with fisherman unwilling to hear his message, St. Anthony turned to the sea, preached the Gospel without reserve, gained the full attention of the fishes and ultimately converted many human souls. That’s a man who knows how to work a crowd! Let him help you find that half full glass.

7. St. Anthony, help me find..

Fortitude, temperance, a miracle, charity, understanding, compassion, the courage to go to confession for the first time in four years…there is no end to the list of things St. Anthony can help you find if you just ask.

So next time you’re frantically tearing apart the kitchen looking for that one ingredient and think of St. Anthony, remember to include those larger items that you’re unlikely to find hidden at the back of the refrigerator in your prayer as well. (Although I’d love to find a half-gallon of sympathy buried back there next to last month’s leftovers.)