
St. Anthony, Help Me Find…
We often call on St. Anthony when something is lost—but he was much more than a holy lost-and-found.
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We often call on St. Anthony when something is lost—but he was much more than a holy lost-and-found.

St. Anthony of Padua, that Hammer of Heretics, serves as a model to me that I am to preach against any dualism within myself that blocks an openness to beauty.

Do you ever catch yourself criticizing, cursing, or insulting yourself when you make a mistake, or something doesn’t go your way?

Life can often feel like, in St. Anthony’s words, “choppy water,” and we can indeed lose our sense of bearing when things get chaotic or even hostile.

Upon meeting obstacles, Katharine Drexel remarked that if they weren’t in her plans, they must’ve been in God’s. The next time you encounter a problem adopt her spirit.

One of my favorite stories of St. Anthony is the one about how, during the final years of his life, the friars built Anthony a treehouse in a large walnut tree not far from the friary.

Jesus challenged the man with paralysis with the words, “Pick up your mat and walk” (Jn 5:1–8). To have abundant life, he needed to act.

St. Anthony can, through meditation and prayer, help us find a sense of calm long enough to hear God’s voice.

Many years ago, a priest gave me advice in confession that ruffles my feathers. He told me that I did too much talking to God—and that I needed to shut up and learn to listen better.

St. Anthony’s peaceful way of being still impresses after 800 years.