Jesus told a story about a shepherd who left ninety-nine sheep to look for one that was lost, and kept looking “until he find it.” The parable is about God, but it describes exactly what a family does when someone disappears: everything else stops, and only the one who is missing matters.
Historical Context
Most people know St Anthony as the saint to ask for lost keys. That devotion grew from a story about a stolen book that was returned to him, but for centuries Catholics have also asked him for far more serious things: lost people, lost faith, children who have gone. He is the right saint here, and so is St Jude, the patron of situations that seem hopeless.
A Prayer for a Missing Person
Lord, we do not know where they are.
You do.
Wherever they are tonight, be there with them.
Keep them safe from harm and from despair.
Guide the people searching to the right place,
and bring them home to us.
St Anthony, who finds what is lost, pray for them.
Amen.
A Prayer for a Missing Child
Father, our child is missing
and we cannot breathe.
Hold them in your hands.
Protect them from anyone who would hurt them,
and if they are frightened, let them know they are loved.
Give the police and searchers sharp eyes and good leads.
Bring our child home.
Amen.
A Prayer for the Family Waiting
Lord, the phone does not ring
and every hour is too long.
Give us strength to keep searching
and rest when we cannot do any more.
Keep us from blaming each other.
Send people to help us, and let us accept their help.
Stay with us in the waiting.
Amen.
When the News Comes
Lord, whatever we hear today,
be with us when we hear it.
If they are found safe, let us never stop thanking you.
If the news is the news we feared,
carry us, because we cannot carry this.
Amen.
Best Times for This Prayer
- As soon as someone is reported missing, alongside calling the police.
- At a vigil or search gathering.
- Every night the person remains missing.
- On 13 June, St Anthony’s feast, and 28 October, St Jude’s.
- For long-term missing cases, on the anniversary of the disappearance.
Scripture Connection
“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” — Luke 15:4
“Until he find it” is the line to hold on to. The shepherd in the story does not give up after a reasonable time. The parable promises that God searches the same way, and that he sees where we cannot.
Related prayers
For protection over someone you love, see the Prayer for Protection. For someone travelling or far from home, the Safely Home Prayer. If the worry has become too heavy to carry, the Prayer for Depression may help.