If you lose your car keys, you call him. If you lose your wallet, you call him. St. Anthony of Padua is the "[Patron Saint](/guides/who-is-my-patron-saint) of Lost Things." He is probably the most popular saint in the world, invoked by Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
But his popularity has a downside. We often reduce him to a "cosmic vending machine" for our stuff. We forget that in his lifetime (1195-1231), he wasn't known for finding keys. He was known as the "Hammer of Heretics" (Malleus Haereticorum). He was a Scripture scholar so brilliant that the Pope called him the "Ark of the Covenant." He was a preacher so electrifying that criminals would turn themselves in after hearing him speak.
Here is the real St. Anthony: The intellectual giant who held the Baby Jesus.
1. Not Italian? (The Early Life)
First surprise: He wasn't from Padua. And he wasn't Italian. He was Portuguese. Born Fernando Martins in Lisbon, he joined the Augustinian Order at age 15. He spent 8 years studying Scripture intensely (which is why he knew the Bible by heart).
The Pivot: One day, the bodies of the first Franciscan martyrs (who were killed in Morocco) were brought to his church. Fernando was fired up. He wanted to be a martyr too. He switched to the Franciscan Order (taking the name Anthony) and sailed to Morocco to die for Christ. The Plot Twist: He got sick. Really sick. He had to sail back home. A storm blew his ship off course, and he landed in Sicily, Italy. God didn't want him to be a martyr. God wanted him to be a preacher. He met St. Francis of Assisi and the rest is history.
2. The Hammer of Heretics
Anthony was small and humble, but when he opened his mouth, fire came out. He traveled through Italy and France fighting the Albigensian Heresy (which taught that the physical world was evil). Anthony destroyed their arguments—not with anger, but with relentless logic and scripture.
The Miracle of the Fish: In the city of Rimini, the heretics refused to listen to him. They mocked him. So Anthony walked to the riverbank and said:
"Since men are unworthy to hear the Word of God, I speak to you, O fish!" Suddenly, thousands of fish poked their heads out of the water, arranged in rows by size. They listened swiftly until he finished. The heretics saw this and converted on the spot.
3. The Donkey and the Eucharist
This is his most famous "Eucharistic Miracle." A heretic named Bononillo mocked the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. "If your God is in that piece of bread, prove it." He challenged Anthony: I will starve my donkey for three days. Then I will bring him out. You bring your "Host" and I will bring a pile of oats. Let's see what the donkey chooses.
Three days later, a crowd gathered. The hungry donkey was released. Anthony held up the Monstrance and said:
"In the name of your Creator, whom I hold in my hands, I command you: Come here and show reverence!" The donkey ignored the oats. He walked over to Anthony and knelt down on his front legs before the Eucharist. Bononillo (and the whole town) converted.
4. Why "Lost Things"?
Why do we invoke him for lost items? It comes from a story in his own life. Anthony had a book of Psalms (a Psalter) that he had hand-copied and annotated. It was incredibly valuable. A novice monk decided to leave the order, and he stole the book on his way out. Anthony didn't call the police. He prayed. The Miracle: The novice, while running away, saw a terrifying vision (some say a demon with an axe, others say St. Anthony himself) ordering him to return the book. The novice ran back, returned the book, and rejoined the order.
So, when you pray to St. Anthony, you aren't just asking for your keys. You are asking for the grace to return what was stolen from God.
5. The Christ Child
You inevitably see statues of Anthony holding the Baby Jesus. This isn't just symbolic. Count Tiso (a friend of Anthony) once passed by Anthony's room and saw a blinding light coming from under the door. He peeked through the keyhole. He saw Anthony holding the Child Jesus, who was stroking the saint's face and smiling at him. Anthony was a man of such purity that God felt comfortable resting in his arms.
6. His Tongue (Incorrupt)
St. Anthony died at age 36 (burned out from preaching). 30 years later, when they opened his tomb to move his body, everything had turned to dust—except his tongue. It was red, fresh, and moist, as if he were still alive. St. Bonaventure picked it up and cried:
"O blessed tongue, which always blessed the Lord and caused others to bless Him, now it is evident how great were your merits before God!"
You can still see his tongue today in the Basilica in Padua. It is a relic of the power of Truth.
Conclusion: Ask for Miracles
St. Anthony is arguably the most active miracle worker in Heaven. Don't be afraid to bother him. He loves to work. But don't just ask him for stuff. Ask him to find your lost faith. Ask him to find your lost hope. Ask him to find your lost purity. Those are the things he really wants to return to you.
The "Unfailing Prayer" to St. Anthony:
"O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for his creatures made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers... Miracles waited on your word... Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me [request]. The answer to my prayer may require a miracle, but you are the Saint of Miracles."
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