Worried for a Wayward Loved One? Here’s a Prayer for a Lost Soul

Each saint in heaven rejoices over the glorification
of the other, and his love overflows to him. . . . The
same joy will fill all the blessed, for I shall rejoice over
your well-being as though it were my own, and you
will rejoice over mine as though it were yours.

– St. Anthony of Padua

St. Anthony of Padua is one of the greatest and most recognizable saints in the Church. Unfortunately, he tends to get pigeonholed as “the patron saint of lost objects,” the one who finds your stuff when you think you’ve looked everywhere. You’ve heard the jingle:
“Good Saint Anthony, come around. Something’s lost and can’t be found.” That’s fine, but there’s so much more to this great saint.

He is also the patron of lost souls, the elderly, those who love the Blessed Sacrament, amputees, the poor, the oppressed, pregnant women, hostesses, those who are sterile or barren, people who are starving, and more!

St. Anthony was an amazing preacher and teacher, a kindred spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, a miracle-worker, and the father of mystical theology. And he was affectionately referred to as “the Hammer of Heretics.” You can see why my husband and I named our son after him!

And as he’s commonly portrayed holding the Child Jesus, there’s not a doubt in my mind that he has the ear of our Savior. Instead of only invoking St. Anthony’s intercession for help in
finding a lost item, try asking for his assistance in recovering a “lost soul” — that is, someone who has left the Faith or who has been far from the Faith. You can offer this prayer for someone you know or someone you don’t know. Imagine the greeting you’ll receive in Heaven when you’re approached by someone you prayed for. What a joy it is to be a member of the Body of Christ!

Let us pray:

O Holy St. Anthony, Hammer of Heretics, miracle-worker,
and Doctor of the Church, you humbly lived your life in
service of Christ, preaching truth in charity at a time when
heresy persisted. St. Anthony, patron of lost souls, I ask you
to keep in mind a particular lost soul (Name), who I fear is
in danger of eternal punishment. O devotee of the Child
Jesus, bring my prayer before Our Lord, that (Name) might
be protected from harm and reconciled with our merciful
Father. Amen.

And a shorter prayer you can memorize and pray often:

St. Anthony, patron of lost souls, intercede for the conversion
of (Name), who is in danger of eternal loss. Amen.

This article is excerpted from “The Prayer Book for Tired Parents: Practical Ways to Grow in Love of God and Get Your Family to Heaven” (c) 2022 David and Debbie Cowden. Please only reproduce with permission.