St. Anthony of Padua - Patron of Lost Objects Prayer
"The sea obeys and fetter break. The lifeless limbs does thou restore. While treasures lost are found again. When young and old thine aid implore!
(After reciting this prayer, state your petition you are desirous to be answered).
St Anthony of Padua, pray for us! Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us, have mercy on me!
Amen.
St. Anthony was a Franciscan monk who is attributed with the ability to find lost objects. While I don't know where that belief came from I will testify that if not St. Anthony, not my beloved husband, not the angels, then by the power of God I was made a believer.
First of all, let me explain my beloved husband had passed away a week earlier than this story and he was named Nicholas Anthony.
Ok! Here we go. About nine years ago, I was required to attend a convention at 7Springs Mountain Resort in Pennsylvania as a committee representative from my district. I had made arrangements to pick up literature needed for my local visits at the convention from the State Office. Upon arrival, I went to the State Office and verified that they had my brochures. Since the materials were heavy I needed to move my car closer to that end of the 7Springs property in order to not have to carry the box so far.
I had a habit of stashing my purse in a drawer in my room when I was away so that it was not out in plain site as a temptation to the housekeeping personnel. I never carried a purse with me while I was at a convention.
At the appointed time, I reached into my purse and got out my car keys and started my trip down the winding halls to Central Lobby where my car was parked. About halfway there, I realized I wasn't carrying my car keys but my office keys that were on a distinctive keyring with the name of the firm engraved in the faub. Back I went to my room. Throwing they office keys into what I thought was the bowels of my purse, I reached in and retrieved the car keys. Off I went again to get the heavy box of literature.
Having accomplished my task for this convention I went about my normal duties of attending meetings, dining with fellow delegates and enjoying the comradery of my companions.
On Sunday morning, I packed up my suitcase and set off for home. About halfway home on the turnpike, something prompted me to reach for my house keys and my office keys. They eluded me in my bag but I wasn't concerned enough to turn around. Upon arriving at home, I did a thorough search of my purse. The house keyring was there but not the office keys. Now I was panicking. I made a call to 7Springs and requested that housekeeping search the drawer and surrounding area to see if the keys had fallen out. The call came, "No, the keys are not there."
Feeling very irresponsible, I went to work the following day and started the process of getting new keys for my desk and the outer door of the office. I repeated my story several times that morning to anyone who would listen how I had lost my keys at 7Springs.
The last person I told was one of the partners who was standing at my desk and had to give approval to have the outer door key copied. As I was reaching for the forms for his signature, I turned over a piece of paper on my desk. Sitting under that paper was the office keyring with the distinctive faub.
Yes, I'm sure those were the keys in my hand at 7Springs. I can't tell you how they got back on my desk because there was only one set of keys in the entire office with that faub. I had received it as a sample from a local advertising company. Did St. Anthony return those keys? You tell me. I have prayed other times for the return of object only to never see them again. This time I don't know what the difference was.
