Happy All Saint’s Day!!

When we think of the saints, it is easy to imagine them as being “up there”, far away and unreachable.  We have the ability to put God, His Mother, and His closest followers into boxes at times.  Oh, He doesn’t want to hear what I have to complain about.  Oh, she probably has “Queen of the Universe” things to do.  Oh, they wouldn’t understand; they were too holy to deal with problems like this.

How Much Farther From The Truth Could We Get!!!

If you ask me, I don’t think any saint of the last 2,000 years would want to be put in a box or thought of as too holy.  The saints we have been blessed with are amazing.  And they did not just sore through life unscathed by man.  They, too, had their trials and, simply said, they were quite normal.

 

Unlike common belief, there is nothing weak in the act of succumbing one’s life to God.  Nothing as all.  Yet, those who do so are commonly thought of as too weak to take life as it is.  The saints all stand to disprove that.  When those around them were weak, they were strong.  Nothing in them was weak when it came to fulfilling their purpose in life or following God to the best of the abilities.

Here is just a small list of some of the saints that have inspired me over the years.  They are continually encouraging the world to greater faith and action!

St. Cecilia

Personal bias alert but I kinda love this girl.  While she is my confirmation name, which automatically makes her my favorite, she is such a strong role model and martyr as well.  The cost for Christ was at its height, yet she still practiced her faith consistently.  Due to her great devotion, she even converted her husband.  Even as her enemies were preparing to kill her, all she could do was sing.  How beautiful is that!!

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati

When I use to think of the saints, I didn’t think of young, handsome, athletic, rock climbers.  But then I met Pier Giorgio!!  Blessed Pier was a radical and enthusiastic evangelist.  He was well-known in his town and never turned down an opportunity to help someone out.  He was strong and loved all things outdoor.  And there is hardly a picture of him that doesn’t feature a pipe.  All in all, he was a modern man who happened to be in love with the God of the universe in a very special way!!

Mother Teresa

Mama T!  What else can I say?  In the Catholic world, she is the sheer definition of a fierce woman.  She had a determined way of kicking adversity in the face and doing it with a smile.  She was able to evangelize the love of Christ without saying a word.  And she managed to live in complete desolation for decades and still hold onto the joy of Christ.  Pure joy has no greater definition!!

St. Therese

Little has never been more beautiful!  Childlike has never been more influential!  Who would guess that a humble little Carmelite could become one of the most well-known saints of the Church?  I certainly couldn’t have.  It was in her simplicity that she was made strong.  She didn’t have to shine because Christ was shining brightly through her frame.  All she had to do was reflect his light and be present.

 

St. Catherine of Siena

When I think of St. Catherine, I usually think of the phrase ‘extra’.  But in the very best sense possible.  Lol. Hear me out.  When someone says ‘extra’ in relation to someone’s outfit or behavior, they are referring something that is over the top and even boisterous.  Catherine had a knack for going above and beyond in this way.  If it weren’t for her, the pope might not reside in Rome.  Her dramatic call to action in the church has echoed through the years.  Like I said, Extra!!!

St Francis of Assisi

St. Francis has been on my mind in a special way recently.  First of all, he is the saint that our pope is named after.  Also, I have been dabbling in Laudato Si recently.  Pope Francis talks a lot about how important his namesake is in today’s society.  St. Francis was truly attached to the world around him.  And not attached in a bad, materialistic way.  He realized that this world is not our home.  This knowledge brought him to a profound respect for the earth.  Especially in a time where our earth is really hurting due to our consumerist culture, we can learn so much from St. Francis.

St. Agatha

My connection to St. Agatha came through a small breast surgery I had a few years ago.  I was looking for a saint to pray to before the procedure and knew that there had to be a patron saint of breast ailments.  Because there is a patron for EVERYTHING!!!  Am I right??  And that is when I found St. Agatha.   Needless to say, her intercession was very helpful to me and I am so thankful that I found her!  It is always nice to know that we have saints above us who have dealt with similar problems.

St. Joan of Arc

St. Joan is the ultimate Catholic girl boss.  Lol.  Women in the 1400’s didn’t have much influence.  Even so, Joan was able to become one of the most renowned military leaders of her time.  She rerouted the way that her soldiers thought and fought, successfully leading them to victory.  If that’s not girl boss business, I don’t know what is!!

 

And although I could come up with another dozen saints to mention, I trust you get the picture!!  We are so blessed with these beautiful, holy, men and women!  I hope you enjoyed this little post and have a blessed All Saints Day!!

Maddy