In many homes, when something disappears, no one says, “Where could I have left it?” Instead, they say, “Saint Anthony, lend me a hand.” Saint Anthony is prayed to for small things and big things: keys, a job, a person to share life with. Here we bring together the prayers to Saint Anthony most commonly prayed in Spain, with their traditional texts and history. And an idea we really like: praying to him and wearing his medal is a way to carry his devotion with you all day long.
We tell you his life in Saint Anthony of Padua: the saint of lost objects and couples; and why he is so much ours in Saint Anthony, the saint of our family. And if you are going to start his most beloved devotion, you have the 13 Tuesdays of Saint Anthony step by step, with a prayer for each Tuesday.
The responsory of Saint Anthony: “If you seek miracles”
It is the oldest prayer of his devotion. In Latin it begins Si quaeris miracula and in Padua it is still sung every Tuesday. This is the usual Spanish version:
If you seek miracles, look:
death and error banished,
misery and demons fled,
lepers and the sick healed.The sea calms its wrath,
prisoners are redeemed,
lost limbs and possessions
restored to young and old.Danger recedes,
the poor are helped;
let the helped recount it,
let the Paduans proclaim it.The sea calms its wrath…
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The sea calms its wrath…V. Pray for us, blessed Anthony.
R. That we may be worthy to receive the promises of Jesus Christ.
You will almost always see it attributed to Saint Bonaventure. It is a very widespread popular attribution, but the Basilica of Padua itself explains that the text is part of the Rhythmic Office composed by Friar Julian of Speyer around 1233, two years after the saint's death. It has been prayed for almost eight hundred years, especially on Tuesdays and when a specific grace is requested.
Prayer to Saint Anthony to find what is lost
His fame comes from a story: a novice took Saint Anthony's book of psalms with notes without permission. The saint prayed to get it back and the young man, repentant, returned it. Since then we ask him to help us find what we lose.
There is no official text: every family has its own formula, often prayed very quickly while fluffing up cushions. We leave you our version, to say it calmly:
Blessed Saint Anthony, you who recovered the book that had been taken from you, help me find what I have lost (say it here). And if it does not appear, give me peace so that I do not also lose my calm. Amen.
A sisters' tip: if you have someone who is always looking for their keys, glasses, or phone, a Saint Anthony medal is the perfect gift.
Prayer to Saint Anthony to find a partner
In Spain, Saint Anthony is also the saint of matchmaking. Every June 13, at the Hermitage of Saint Anthony of La Florida in Madrid, girls put thirteen pins in the pile and put their hand in: those that stick are the suitors of the year. There are grandmotherly customs, like turning the image of the saint upside down until the boyfriend arrives. They are more about affection than doctrine: Saint Anthony should not be punished, it is enough to ask him with confidence.
This is our prayer to ask for a partner, without magic formulas:
Glorious Saint Anthony, who have accompanied so many couples, put in my path a good person, with whom I can form a family and grow in faith. Help me recognize them when they arrive and, meanwhile, let me not lack joy. Amen.
If you have a friend who is going through this, giving her his medal is a beautiful gesture. Write us the message on the product page and we will write it by hand on a card for you, free of charge. And it arrives wrapped as a gift.
Praying to him and wearing it
A medal is not an amulet. It is a reminder of faith: every time you touch it, on the subway or before a meeting, you remember the prayer and whom you have entrusted yourself to. That is why we like to combine the two: pray to Saint Anthony and wear his medal, to always carry him with you. If you are unsure which one to choose, you have our guide on how to choose your Saint Anthony medal.
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Frequently asked questions
Who wrote the responsory of Saint Anthony?
It is popularly attributed to Saint Bonaventure, but the Basilica of Padua places it in the Rhythmic Office of Friar Julian of Speyer, around 1233.
What day of the week is Saint Anthony prayed to?
Tuesday, because he was buried on a Tuesday. His big day is June 13, preceded by the trecena.
Is there an official prayer to find lost objects?
There is no single text. Many pray the responsory “If you seek miracles” or a short prayer in their own words.
Does wearing the Saint Anthony medal replace prayer?
No. The medal is not an amulet: it is a reminder of faith that helps you remember to pray to him and to always carry his devotion with you.
Facts you can check
- The responsory Si quaeris is part of Saint Anthony's Officium rhythmicum by Friar Julian of Speyer (around 1233). Source · The popular attribution to Saint Bonaventure: Source · Source
- The responsory is sung every Tuesday at the Basilica of Saint Anthony of Padua. Source
- Saint Anthony was buried in Padua on Tuesday, June 17, 1231; hence the Tuesday devotion. Source
- The trecena prepares for his feast on June 13. Source
- Origin of Saint Anthony's bread: Padua (1263) and Louise Bouffier in Toulon. Source
- He died on June 13, 1231, and Gregory IX canonized him in 1232. Source · The thirteen pins of La Florida: Source
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Marian and Bárbara