ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA Card

IN ANY NECESSITY I salute you, St. Anthony, lily of purity, ornament and glory of Christianity. I salute you, great Saint, cherub of wisdom and seraph of divine love. I rejoice at the favors Our Lord has so liberally bestowed on you. In humility and confidence I entreat you to help me, for I know that God has given you charity and compassion, as well as power. I ask you, by the love you felt toward the Holy Infant Jesus as you held Him in your arms, to tell Him now of the favors I seek through your intercession. (Mention your petition.) O glorious favorite of God, in humble reverence I petition you to grant me what I so urgently ask for, and I will make known your goodness and holiness, thereby to honor and glorify Him who has so greatly blessed you. Amen. PRAYER OF GRATITUDE St. Anthony, glorious worker of wonders, you have assisted me with great kindness and have consoled my soul. I express to you now my heartfelt gratitude and thanks for all your heavenly aid. Accept my prayer, and my sincere promise, to strive to live always in the love of Jesus Christ and of my neighbor. Continue to shield me with your powerful protection, and obtain for me the final grace of being able, one day, to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and to join with you in the everlasting praises of God’s love and mercy. Amen. PRAYER FOR MY FAMILY St. Anthony, God blessed you with a loving family to form you in the image and the ideals of Jesus Christ. From your place in heaven, watch over my family, and help us grow together in faith and in a loving concern for each other. Strengthen our bonds of family unity when we practice Jesus’ teachings of forgiveness, of selfless service, of putting the love of God and the needs of others first in our lives. Give us words and ways to express our affection and respect for all in our family, and guide us to work through and resolve all our misunderstandings and disagreements. Amen. “He who is the beginning and the end, the ruler of the angels, made Himself obedient to human creatures. The Creator of the Heavens obeys a carpenter; the God of eternal glory listens to a poor virgin. Has anyone ever witnessed anything comparable to this? Let the philosopher no longer distain from listening to the common laborer; the wise to the simple; the educated to the illiterate.” – St. Anthony of Padua