Devotion to Saint Anthony- The Wonder Worker of Padua
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Devotion to SAINT ANTHONY – The Wonder Worker of Padua
Devotion to the Saints has always been a great characteristic of our Catholic life. These blessed souls have ever had a place in our hearts that is second only to that of God and His Blessed Mother. We have honoured them because they are the heroes and heroines of the Faith and the special friends of Almighty God. We have honoured them too, because we know that in them we have powerful advocates who are ever ready to plead with their Divine Friend on our behalf.
This pamphlet has been compiled in the hope that it will provide a handy source of prayers and devotions for the many lovers of St Anthony of Padua, and also with a view of introducing “the Saint of the world” to the few who may not know him.
Briefly the story of St Anthony’s life is this: He was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in the year 1195. At the age of fifteen he entered the community of the Canons Regular of St Augustine. Two years later he was sent to the convent of the Augustinians in Coimbra. It was there that he met five Franciscans who were destined to become the first martyrs amongst the sons of St Francis of Assisi. They came to the convent one night begging hospitality, and were welcomed by the Canons who were even more kind when they heard that the Friars were on their way to Morocco to preach the Gospel to the Saracens. Anthony listened with rapt attention to the guests, and in his capacity of guest-master, tirelessly ministered to their every need. When they had set out on their journey again, they left behind in the heart of Anthony a great desire to follow them and to give his life to God in the foreign missions. Only five months later the five Friars were martyred and their bodies were brought back to Coimbra. This event decided Anthony and he asked to be allowed to transfer to the Franciscan Order so that he might realize his heroic ambition. This request was granted and a few months later we find him on his way to the Mohammedan Mission of Morocco in quest of souls and martyrdom. However, the hour when he seemed to have reached his goal was the prelude to deep disappointment. No sooner had landed than he was stricken down with fever and there was nothing for him to do but to return home. But God had great works in store for him and gave him, through his superiors, an outlet for his missionary zeal in Italy and France.
Everywhere he went he lit the flame of fervour in the hearts of the thousands of people who flocked to hear him, and very soon his preaching, together with the miracles that he worked constantly, made the name of Anthony a household word. He set himself to combat the heresies of the Manichees and the Albigenses. His success in this conflict was enormous and the heretics returned in great numbers to the Faith, the shackles that bound their souls smashed by this powerful “Hammer of Heresies.”
In 1228 Anthony was sent to Padua – the city which has claimed him as its own and has guarded proudly and affectionately his name and fame. There it was that he spent the last years of his all-too-short life, and there it was that he died on June 13th 1231. Less than a year later, on May 30th 1232, he was solemnly canonized by by Pope Gregory IX, who decreed that his Feast should be celebrated each year on the anniversary of his death.
The eight centuries, almost, have passed since his death have witnessed a remarkable devotion to the glorious saint – so outstanding, indeed, that Pope Leo XIII would have him called “the saint of the whole world.” He has won this honour first of all because of the astonishing way in which God has honoured him and the strong appeal that his beautiful heroic life must make to all who read about him. But he has won this devotion also because of the all-embracing power he has shown to help us in our many needs, both spiritual and temporal. If Anthony was a wonder-worker in life he has earned a far greater right to that title since his entrance to eternal life. It almost seems as though God’s beautiful gesture in coming to rest as the Divine infant in the arms of Anthony was a symbol of the way in which he was to put His choicest gifts and graces into the arms of the saint – ever stretched out through the centuries, pleading in our name. To borrow the words of the Bollandists: “It is impossible to describe adequately the marvels and wonders with which God has deigned to glorify His servant. The miracles of Anthony are so constant and so numerous as to appear to constitute one great unceasing miracle; and it would be a greater miracle still if he ceased to work them. So famous have they rendered him in the eyes of all people that one is often tempted to remark that Almighty God plays with him as he did with his holy father, St Francis, in granting him the power to work wonders, not so much for the needs of souls as for the pleasure it gives Him to rejoice our hearts through His servant, Anthony.”
No plea is too trivial, none too great, when we make it to Anthony of Padua. It may be that we come only to ask him to find some trifle we have lost. Or perhaps we come in great need – whatever our request we can rely on him to help us.
Today, the words of the Responsory attributed to St Bonaventure are being echoed by a worldwide chorus of grateful souls, forever acknowledging to their beloved saint:
Death, error, all calamities,
The demons fly, and leprosy,
And health succeeds infirmities
The sea obeys and fetters break,
And lifeless limbs you do restore,
While treasures lost are found again
When young and old your aid implore.
The Holy Father, Pope Pius XII, raised St Anthony to the dignity of Doctor of the Church under the title of “the Evangelical Doctor” It is not, perhaps, that in these days of great need, when the wants of our troubled hearts are many, Divine Providence would remind us again of this beloved friend, whom He loves to honour by granting requests which we make through his intercession!
In the following pages you will find some ways of honouring this Saint and showing him your gratitude for past favours, and the various devotions and prayers through which to seek his aid in the future.
POPULAR DEVOTIONS IN HONOUR OF ST ANTHONY
The Devotions of the Nine Tuesdays
On the Tuesday following the death of St Anthony the people of Padua carried his body to its last resting place in the Church of Our Blessed Lady, which was attached to the Franciscan Friary at Padua. The occasion was marked by great splendour and enthusiasm, and the cortege moved through the city to the music of bells and joyous hymns. The day was marked, too, by an extraordinary number of miracles. The biographers of the Saint tell us that “the blind regained their sight, the deaf their hearing, and the lame the use of their limbs. Every grace and favour asked for in faith and confidence was granted.” The people were so impressed by the wonderful things they had witnessed that they began to observe Tuesdays as days of special devotion in honour of their saint. However, as time went on, the practice fell into disuse until, in 1616, St Anthony himself revived it in the form of a novena of nine consecutive Tuesdays.
In that year – 1616 – “there lived at Bologna a noble and pious couple who, after twenty two years of married life, were childless. One day the lonely wife, kneeling before the altar of St Anthony in the Franciscan church, laid before the saint the sorrow of her life and begged his intercession. And see! The saint himself appeared before her and bade her visit his altar and pray before it on nine consecutive Tuesdays. This she did and in course of time became a mother. But to the bitter disappointment of the parents, the infant was found to be horribly deformed. This new sorrow, however, proved to be but a further trial of their faith. The mother brought the babe to the altar of the saint, and on touching it to the stone, all traces of the deformity immediately disappeared. “Franciscan Almanac”
The grateful parents spread everywhere the news of the miracle and very soon the Devotion of the Nine Tuesdays became very popular throughout Europe. Today it is practiced universally throughout the world. It has always proved to be a marvelously efficacious means of winning St Anthony’s assistance.
The following plan is suggested for making the Novena:
(i) Receive, if possible, the Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist on nine consecutive Tuesdays. This may be done in any church.
(ii) On each of the Tuesdays visit a church, Franciscan if possible, and before a statue or relic of St Anthony, recite appropriate prayers. If the church cannot be visited, the prayers may be said at home before an image of the saint.
(iii) To gain a plenary indulgence on each Tuesday of the Novena, receive the Sacraments, visit a Franciscan church during the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and there pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. (This indulgence can be gained on each Tuesday of the year on these same conditions.)
No particular prayers are prescribed for the Novena, but the following are commonly used.
Prayers for the Devotion of the Nine Tuesdays
O Jesus my Saviour! Who vouchsafed to appear to St Anthony in the form of an infant, I implore you, through the love you bore to this saint when he dwelt on earth and which you now bear to him in heaven, graciously hear my prayer and assist me in my necessities, who live and reign, world without end. Amen.
O glorious St Anthony, safe refuge of all the afflicted and distressed, who have revealed that all who piously invoke you at your altar on nine consecutive Tuesdays shall experience the power of your intercession. Encouraged by your promise, and by the knowledge of the wonderful favours and graces which God bestows on those who piously invoke your intercession, I come to you, O powerful Saint, and with a firm hope I implore your aid, your protection, your counsel, and your blessing. Obtain for me, I beseech you my request. (Pause here and make your request). But if it should be opposed to the Will of God and the welfare of my soul, obtain for me such other graces as shall be conducive to my salvation. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Then say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, followed by the Responsory.
THE MIRACULOUS RESPONSORY
This powerful and highly indulgenced prayer, sometimes known as the si quideris from the first words of the Latin translation, is generally attributed to St Bonaventure, and is considered to have been composed by him on the occasion of the discovery of the incorrupt tongue of St Anthony. This remarkable discovery was made in the year 1263, when the saint’s relics were transferred to the magnificent basilica that had been built in his honour in Padua. When the tomb was opened it was found that the flesh was crumbled in dust but that the tongue was intact and had the appearance of the tongue of a living man.
The Responsory is a very popular means of honouring St Anthony and seeking his aid, especially in the recovery of things that have been lost.
THE CHAPLET OF ST. ANTHONY
St Bonaventure is also the author of another devotion in honour of the saint. It is known as the Chaplet or Rosary of St Anthony and is recited while meditating on the thirteen petitions of the Responsory.
The Chaplet
1. St Anthony, you who raise the dead, pray for those Christians now in their agony – Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be …
2. St Anthony, zealous preacher of the Gospel, fortify us against the enemies of God, and pray for the Pope and the Church – Our Father etc
3. St Anthony, powerful with the Heart of Jesus preserve us from the calamities, which threaten us on account of all our sins. – Our Father. etc.
4. St Anthony, you who drive away devils, make us triumph over their snares. – Our Father, etc.
5. St Anthony, lily of heavenly purity, purify us from the stains of the soul, and preserve our bodies from all danger. – Our Father, etc
6. St Anthony, healer of the sick, cure our diseases and preserve us in health. – Our Father, etc..
7. St Anthony, guide of travelers, bring to safe harbour those who are in danger of perishing, and calm the troubled waves of passion which agitate our souls. – Our Father etc.
8. St Anthony, liberator of captives, deliver us from the captivity of evil. – Our Father etc.
9. St Anthony, who restore the young and old the use of our limbs, obtain for us the perfect use of the senses of our body, and the faculties of our soul. – Our Father, etc.
10. St Anthony, finder of lost things, us to find all that we have lost in the spiritual and in the temporal order. – Our Father, etc.
11. St Anthony, protected by Mary, avert the dangers which threaten our body and our soul. – Our Father, etc.
12. St Anthony, we thankfully proclaim your miraculous power, and we beseech you to protect us all the days of our life. – Our Father, etc.
13. St Anthony, we thankfully proclaim your miraculous power, and we beseech you to protect us all the days of our life. – Our Father, etc.
ST ANTHONY’S BRIEF
This form of devotion also dates from the thirteenth century. It originated through a miracle of which the following is the authoritative account: “A certain woman of Lisbon frequently suffered from dreadful convulsions that seemed to indicate demoniacal possess ion. One day her husband, taunting her with her affliction, attributed it to guilt, whereupon the unfortunate creature was so cruelly upset that she determined to put and end to her life by drowning herself in the Tagus. While on her to carry out her terrible resolution she passed a church of the Friars Minor. She remembered that it was the feast of St Anthony, and it occurred to her to enter to say a last prayer. While praying she fell into a kind of trance. She seemed to see the Saint standing near her, gazing at her gravely and compassionately, and holding in his hands a piece of parchment. This he gave to her with the words: ‘Arise, woman, and take this paper, which will free you from all the molestations of the Evil One.’ On coming to herself she was amazed to find in her hands the parchment. It bore these words from the Book of the Apocalypse: Behold the Cross of the Lord; fly, all hostile powers! The Lion of the tribe of Juda, Root of David, has conquered. Alleluia,
Calm and hopeful, the woman returned home and from that day forward, as long as she kept the precious document in her possession, she was never troubled by the demon.”
Now it happened that the husband, in his gratitude for the favour received, published it everywhere. The story came to ears of the King of Portugal. The result was that the woman again became subject to her old affliction. In great distress the husband appealed to the Friars Minor to intercede with the monarch for the restoration of the precious document. They did so, but succeeded in obtaining only a copy which however, was found to have the same efficacy as the original.”
Franciscan Almanac.
Copies of the brief were made and distributed and its efficacy as a protection against dangers both to soul and body has since proven in many striking ways. One such example is worth mentioning. In the winter of 1748 a French warship was overtaken by a terrific storm of the coast of Brittany. She was soon in distress and all hope was abandoned. Then the chaplain, in the name of the crew, invoked the aid of St Anthony. He wrote on a piece of paper the words of the Brief and threw it into the sea saying: “O great St Anthony, hear our prayer.” Immediately the wind dropped and the sea became calm and the vessel reached port safely.
This Brief may be worn on the person or carried in a purse, and no special prayers are prescribed.
All that is necessary is confidence in the Saint’s protection. The Brief may be copied on paper, cloth or metal. An indulgence of 100 days, once a day, has been attached to the text of the Brief by Pope Leo XIII.
ST ANTHONY’S BREAD
True son of St Francis that he was, St Anthony had a great love for the poor, and even now, he still continues to help them by encouraging the devotion known as “St Anthony’s Bread.”. This is a very old devotion, too, and it had its origin in Padua as the result of another miracle.
A little child, whose parents lived near the Basilica, which was then being built, fell into a vessel of water and was drowned. The poor mother was heartbroken, but great as was her grief she had a greater confidence in the power of St Anthony. She begged him to help her and give her back her babe, promising that if her prayers were heard she would give the child’s weight in grain to the poor. Towards midnight, while the bereaved mother was still praying, the child rose as if from sleep.
After this miracle the practice developed of promising alms to the poor in return for favours received through the intercession of the Saint. Today this practice is widespread, and in most of our churches boxes are provided to receive alms for the poor from those who have been assisted by this great Friend of the poor.
Great impetus was given to this devotion by a simple incident that occurred towards the end of the last century. A pious French girl, Louise Bouffier, who owned a small linen store in Toulon, found difficulty, one morning in opening the door of her shop. After repeated efforts she sent for a locksmith, whose assortment of keys proved useless. Deciding that the lock must be forced, the man departed to get tools for the purpose. While he was away, Louise prayed earnestly to St Anthony, promising him bread for his poor if the door was opened without damage to the lock. When the locksmith returned she asked him to try his keys once, telling him of her promise to the Saint. The man did as she asked, and with the first key he tried, opened the door without any difficulty.
This incident greatly strengthened Louis Bouffier’s confidence in St Anthony. She increased her devotion to him, always promising bread to the poor. Her friends following her example, with the result that, in a short time, the rear of her store became a centre for St Anthony’s Bread in Toulon. People of all ranks and conditions came there to pray before the statue of St Anthony that had been erected. Alms of bread arrived in great quantities, until the task of distributing it became too difficult.
It was then decided to accept money offerings for the poor, who were thereby enabled to purchase not only food, but also clothing and other necessities. The thank-offerings also took the form of alms for the education of poor boys for the Priesthood.
Indulgenced Prayers
We have recourse to you, most powerful worker of miracles, in whose breast burned a sublime fire of charity towards God and the poor. To you, who were deemed worthy to hold in your arms the Infant Jesus, who chose to be born poor. To you, full of confidence, we betake ourselves, that you may pray to the good Jesus to have compassion on us in our great tribulations. Obtain for us this favour which we humbly implore. (Here state your request). If you obtain for us, O glorious St Anthony, we will offer you bread for the poor whom you did love so greatly on earth.
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be (100 days once a day).
O wonderful St Anthony, glorious on account of the fame of your miracles, and through the condescension of Jesus in coming in the form of a little Child to repose in your arms, obtain for me of his bounty the grace which I ardently desire from the depths of my heart. You, who were so compassionate towards miserable sinners, regard not the unworthiness of those who pray to you but the glory of God, that it may be once again magnified by you to the salvation of my soul, in connection with the particular request of which I now ask with the persevering earnestness. May this small offering of alms, which I make to you in aid of the poor, be a pledge of my gratitude, and with them may it be one day granted to me, through the grace of Jesus Christ and your intercession, to possess the kingdom of heaven. Amen.
(300 days once a day, applicable to souls in Purgatory)
ST ANTHONY’S LILY
A very beautiful and picturesque custom that forms part of the ceremonies which take place on the Feast of St Anthony is the ceremony of the blessing of St Anthony’s Lilies.
This custom was begun to commemorate a special manifestation of St Anthony at Marcasso, in Corsica. During a revolution, the Franciscans were driven into exile. However, their chapel remained open and a public procession was made to it each year on June 13th. For this occasion a temporary altar of St Anthony was erected in the centre of the main aisle. Garlands of flowers hung above the Saints head; at his feet were placed roses and other flowers, and lilies of spotless white stood out against a green background of laurel and myrtle.
On one occasion, the young man who had been appointed sacristan, neglected to remove the statue of St Anthony at the end of the ceremonies. Several months later he went with a few helpers to the deserted chapel to complete his work. To their surprise they found the lilies fresh and white, whereas the other flowers were withered and dead.
A similar thing happened in Austria in 1680. On a Saint’s feast, a freshly cut lily had been placed in one of the hands of his statue. For an entire year the flower remained as fresh and white as it was on the day it was put there. The next year the same stem bore two lilies, which filled the whole church with their fragrance. This fact was authenticated officially, and was looked upon through St Anthony’s intercession after applying a blessed lily.
Prayer Used in Blessing Lilies
O God, who are the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, the Lover of spotless purity, the Giver of all grace and everlasting life, sanctify by your holy benediction these lilies, which in thanksgiving and in honour of St Anthony, your Confessor, we present for your blessing.
Pour down upon them, by the sacred sign of the Cross, your heavenly dew, you who did so kindly create them to gladden man by their beauty and fragrance; enrich them with such power, that to whatever disease they may be applied, or in whatever home they may be kept, or on whatever person they may be kept, or on whatever person they may be borne with devotion, through the intercession of your servant, Anthony, they may cure every sickness, repel the attacks of Satan, preserve holy chastity, and bring grace and peace to all who serve you. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
S.A.G. – ST ANTHONY GUIDE
Another practice of those who are devoted to St Anthony is to entrust their letters to his care.
St Anthony became the special Patron of written messages and the Protector who watches over the safe delivery of letters because of a remarkable event.
A merchant had gone from Spain to Peru on business. Although his wife wrote to him several times she did not receive any answer, so she decided to get St Anthony to help her. With childlike confidence she went to the Franciscan church in Oviedo and placed a letter in the hands of the statue of the Saint, asking him to deliver it to her husband. Later she returned to the church, and to her great joy, she founds a reply from her husband in the place of the letter. With it were several gold pieces. The letter may still be seen at Oviedo. It was dated: Lima, July 23, 1729, and states that the wife’s letter was delivered by a Franciscan Father.
Usually, those who invoke St Anthony’s protection in this way write “S.A.G.” on the back of their letters or seal their letters with St Anthony guide seals.
* * *
SOME PRAYERS TO ST ANTHONY
For the Recovery of Lost Objects
O blessed St Anthony! The grace of God has made you a powerful advocate in all necessities and the patron for the restoration of things lost or stolen; to you I turn today with childlike love and heartfelt confidence. Oh, how many thousands have you miraculously aided in the recovery of lost goods! You have been the counselor of the erring, the healer of the sick, the raiser of the dead, the deliverer of the captive, the comforter of the afflicted; to you do I hasten, O blessed St Anthony! Help me in my present affliction. I recommend what I have lost to your care, in the secure hope that you will restore it to me, if it be to the greater glory of God and to the benefit of my soul. Obtain also for me an active faith, peace of mind, disgust for the vain pleasures of the world, and an ardent desire for the imperishable goods of eternity. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, and Responsory.
For the Choice of a State of Life
O glorious St Anthony, you faithful follower of the Poverello of Assisi, who so faithfully lived and died in the Rule of Life that God in his goodness showed to you, assist me by your powerful intercession that I may know the path in life he has planned for me, and that I may receive the grace and courage to follow his holy inspirations. Pray that I may fulfill the will of God in all things so that I may love him, with you, for all eternity. Amen.
A Student’s Prayer
O glorious St Anthony, divinely endowed with the learning of the saints, I desire to place my studies under your protection. Guided by your example, I wish to draw all my knowledge from the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. With your assistance, I will study in a spirit of penance and with a pure intention. May the Father of Light grant me, through your intercession, a clear intellect, sound judgment and retentive memory. Help me to study perseveringly in order that I may develop the gifts with which God has endowed me, and use them according to His divine will. O dear St Anthony, aid me to succeed in my studies and examinations if it be for the greater glory of God and the benefit of my soul. Amen.
(To students, indulgence 300 days each time; Plenary, on usual conditions, if said daily for a month.)
For the Propagation of the Faith
St Anthony, greater promoter of the glory of God and his holy Faith, who did labour so unceasingly to bring unbelievers and heretics to the light of the true faith, offer our prayers to God with yours that we may never lose the gift of faith, and that all infidels, heretics and sinners may be converted, and obtain the grace to enter the one fold under one Shepherd. Enlighten the darkness of their understanding and soften the hardness of their hearts. Help them to accept the truth and resolutely persevere therein that the number of the just may be increased, and God’s name unceasingly praised in heaven and on earth. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.
In Time of Sickness
St Anthony, physician of soul and body, and consolation of the sick who ask your prayers, turn your compassionate of the sick who ask your prayers, turn your compassionate eyes upon me, your foster child, who afflicted with painful infirmities, send up sighs and prayers for relief from these sufferings, and for comfort in all sickness. O great friend of God, through your rich merits and your powerful mediation with Him, the sick are not only made sound and whole, but many are saved from death. Therefore, I earnestly beg you to have mercy upon me, and bear my strengths and petitions to the throne of God, that He may free me from my infirmities.
O compassionate Jesus, Man of Sorrows, who deigned to endure our weakness and sufferings, hear me and have mercy on my weakness. Heal my soul, for I have sinned before you; heal my body also, that restored to health through the merits of St. Anthony, I may give thanks to you.
For Our Sick Relatives and Friends
O glorious St Anthony, perfect model of patience and meekness, who have joyfully taken upon yourself so many unmerited contempts and troubles, obtain from me, from the Divine Heart of Jesus, the grace henceforward to embrace with love the Cross of Christ, and patiently to bear all adversities of life. Pray also for these sick persons … (mention the names)…that they may by your powerful intercession be cured of their illness. Amen.
For a Happy Death
O glorious St Anthony, invincible conqueror of death, who did restore so many to life, protect me from a sudden and unprovided death and my soul from mortal sin, in order that I may always love God and remain in His holy grace. Amen.
For Our Beloved Deceased
Have compassion, dear St. Anthony, upon the faithful departed, particularly on the souls of my deceased parents, relatives, friends, and benefactors, who are detained in the flames of Purgatory. (Mention the names.) Pray for them that they may be speedily admitted to the blissful image of God. Amen.
For Spiritual Needs of Relatives and Friends
O St Anthony, you taught unbelievers the way of truth, and restored the erring by penance to God. Obtain for me and all in the Church militant invincible firmness in the faith; hasten to the assistance of those who, by unbelief, have turned from Christ, the one true Way. Enlighten the darkness of their understanding and soften the hardness of their will that they may return to the bosom of the true Church and be wrested from the grasp of Satan. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Memorare
Remember, O miracle-working Saint, that it was never was heard that you left without help or relief anyone who in need had recourse to you. Animated with the most lively confidence, even with the full conviction of not being refused, I fly for refuge for you, O most favoured and blessed friend of the Infant Jesus! Eloquent preacher of the Divine mercies, despise not thy supplications, but bringing them before the throne of God, strengthen them by your intercession and obtain for me what I ask – help and consolation in my need, O most glorious, miracle-working, mighty St Anthony. Amen.
Aspirations to Saint Anthony
V. St Anthony, whom the Infant Jesus so much loved and honoured.
R. Grant us what we ask of you.
V. St Anthony, powerful in word and work,
R. Grant us what we ask of you.
.
V. St Anthony, attentive to those who invoke you.
R. Grant us what we ask of you. Amen.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving
O kind St Anthony, I thank you with all my heart for the great favour you have shown me in granting my petition, which you obtained though the mercy of God. Despise not the small thank-offering which I make you in my poverty. Take all my future needs of body and soul under your care, and let my love for you daily increase.
A thousand thanks to you, Lord of heaven and earth, worthy of all praise, that, for the sake of the intercession and merits of your faithful servant, Anthony, you granted me grace and mercy. My soul blessed you for the proofs of your paternal kindness and, with St Anthony, I praise and thank you now and forever. Amen.
A NOTE TO PRAYING TO ST ANTHONY
When you ask St Anthony to help you always remember the following points: –
1. Have a great confidence in the power of the Saint and his readiness to help you
2. Persevere in your prayers if your petition is not granted immediately.
3. Make yourself more worthy of being helped by endeavouring to serve God as perfectly as you are able.
4. Do not lose confidence in St Anthony if a particular request is not granted. Your request will be granted
only if it is for the greater glory of God and not opposed to your spiritual welfare.
5. Do not forget show your gratitude for favours received, especially by increasing devotion to St Anthony
and fostering that devotion in the lives of others.
AN ACT OF CONFESSION TO ST ANTHONY
Dear St Anthony, glorious servant and blessed friend of God! I salute you in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, whom, in the form of a sweet little child, you had the privilege of holding in your arms. I rejoice in your joy: I glory in your honour; I offer you my heartfelt congratulations upon the unspeakable bliss of heaven which is now your reward, and I thank God with all my heart for the graces and privileges with which he has distinguished you above so many other saints. O St Anthony, I consecrate myself to you. I choose you to be my patron, my advocate, my powerful intercessor at the court of heaven, and I am resolved to honour you always. I beseech you, therefore, receive me as your client, protect and defend me, help me in all the necessities in life and death, that my soul may be saved, and that with you I may glorify God forever. Amen.
BLESSING OF ST ANTHONY
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord show His face to you and have mercy on you. The Lord turn his countenance to you and give you peace. The Lord bless you.
© Society of St Peter Canisius 1999