If an object goes missing and you have to get it back, St. Anthony of Padua is your guy. It’s common to hear people mutter,“Anthony, Anthony, please come around,
Something’s lost and must be found.”
I’m on such good terms with the official finder of lost objects that I should be able to call him “Tony” by now. You can imagine how busy St. Anthony must be.* Therefore, I was glad to discover that the delegation of lost keys had gone to St. Zita. I couldn’t find a catchy rhyme for St. Zita’s intercession, but sometimes they write themselves:
Zita, Zita, if you please,
Help me find my missing keys.
Speaking of saints, I'm a little put out that I didn't go to this "Be a Saint" party. Granted, I don't live in New York anymore, but still....
*Sometimes people get him confused with St. Anthony of Egypt, patron saint of domestic animals, especially pigs, and then they get cross when their dollies don’t show up, as is what happened in Eleanor Farjeon’s "The Tantony Pig" (from Martin Pippin in the Daisy Field).
8 comments:
Zita sounds like a useful friend to have. That book was good, too.
St Anthony is the only saint I can still reliably call upon. I did see his tongue in Padua, in a gorgeous reliquary. If you were to call him by a nickname, though, it would probably be Tonio from the Italian predilection for making a nickname from the end rather than from the beginning of a name.
Even this Menno is known to have called upon St. Anthony a few times. However, my friend taught me that it goes "Tony, Tony, look around. Something's lost that must be found."
WHO KNEW? I have needed Tony for so long in my life. I have lost my keys in some pretty creative places. In college, I once *made* them into my bed and was confused for days.
Hey, today's your Sam Day, isn't it? WOOT! I hope she does "Fan Dance" live. That's probably my favorite song in all the world and I've talked myself out of posting those lyrics SO MANY TIMES at 7-Imp on a Poetry Friday ('cause people are probably tired of me talking about her). Those lyrics are a beautiful little mystery. Enjoy the show!
Hi all! Sorry, I'm usually better about responding to comments.
LSM: I'm so glad you liked the book.
Ladyhawk: I like the practice of using the last part of a person's name rather than the first for nicknames.
K.Jay: I've heard that too! It sounds a little bossy, though... my youngest brother thought it was a hoot that I got irked with these prayers that sounded like "Gimme (already)."
Jules: I've made Playmobil dollies and LEGO bits into my bed. I'm looking forward to Sam tonight, although it's going to be a busy day, and I'm pretty sure that she's probably not going to go on until 9 or so because of an opening act. Maybe we'll get lucky and there won't be an opening act. I used to love opening acts and now I'm just want the band I came to see to go on when the ticket says the show starts. Just call me Ms. Curmudgeonly!
I hear ya. I'm the same. I hope the show was great. Can't wait to hear!
I'm going to remember "Zita, Zita, if you please," even though I almost certainly WILL forget where I've left my keys. Story of my life.
I need Tony AND Zita in my life!
Do you think he does cell phones?
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