Spirituality: A prayer for St. Anthony.

This note is from the grandson of a friend who was buried the other day. She had a devotion to St. Anthony and her grandson explains the meaning. 

To those who did not know what St. Anthony meant to Nana...

I am not a well-rehearsed religious person, however I have always been able to remember one prayer since I was young, thanks to my Nana and her good friend my Aunt Kathy. The prayer of St. Anthony was taught to me to help me find toys that I had lost when I was young.

The prayer of St. Anthony goes as follows:

Dear St. Anthony, please come around, Something is lost and can’t be found.”

After saying it Nana would make me spin around three times and repeat the prayer. The first time I was taught the St. Anthony prayer, My Aunt Kathy was babysitting me and when she first had me do it I remember thinking it would never work. I’d looked everywhere and nothing was going to change that. But Kathy and Nana both taught me to be patient and trust them, and after completing the prayer Kathy told me to go look once more. Within minutes I had found what I was looking for. It was amazing and this same experience happened once again when I asked Nana in New Hampshire to refresh me in the St. Anthony Prayer. Nana had taught this prayer to many of her grandchildren and extended family and friends.

Looking back now, on Nanas life and the prayer of St. Anthony I have a new perspective on what its true meaning is. St. Anthony, focuses your attention for a moment on something other than your frustration, and anger of something that is lost. It forces you to remember, and rethink things. I believe Nana taught us this prayer since we were young to instill patience in all of us.




Our impatience with things we cannot find causes us to overlook things that are sometimes right in front of us. St. Anthony, I believe, reminds us of the big picture. I believe that my Nana wouldn’t want us to think of her as lost, but if you do find yourself feeling lost, I remind you that although she is no longer with us, Nana would tell you to look to St. Anthony once more. Take a moment and be patient and think for a minute about all that Nana was and I believe you’ll find the mother, sister, wife, friend, grandmother, and strong woman who was always there to support, give advice, laugh with, talk to, and love, will forever be found in all of our hearts.