Saints are our Friends and Heroes!

by Sr. Mary Catherine Angeline, O.Carm.

My favorite saint? That is like looking to the stars on a clear night and choosing only one to be your favorite! Since childhood the saints have been my friends and heroes. Different situations called for different saints, to help me out, grow with or just dream about. The first two I learned about were St. Teresa of Avila and St. Catherine of Siena in children’s books. I loved the adventure St Teresa had trying to run off with her brother to convert the Moors. And St Catherine’s playfulness of untying her mother’s apron strings when her hands were busy...

As I grew into my pre-teen years I read about St. Agnes, St Domenic Savio, Laura Vicuna of Santiago, Chili and Kateri of the Mohawks. Little offerings of love to God in difficult situations and the practice of good deeds inspired me.

As I grew older, more books, movies, and travel - the world of saints grew exponentially. There was St Joseph patron of my parish; St Bernadette of Lourdes, Lucia, Francesco and Jacinta of Fatima, St James (the elder), Joan of Arc, Francis of Assisi...   Living in Italy for a period of time offered a saint on almost every corner where I turned. I became avid to know more and more friends and heroes who loved Jesus as I did, in their own unique ways. St Margaret Alacoque, St John Evangelist, Mary Magdalen, John Paul ll, St John Vianny, Rita of Cassia, Angela of Foglino, Andrew Corsini, St Thomas Aquinas, Don Bosco, St Joseph Cupertino, Bruno Lanteri, John of the Cross, St Paul of the Cross, St Benedict and his sister St Scholastic, George Pier Frassati .... How can I chose only ONE? These are only the ones dearest to me!

Lately, my newest additional friends have become Mother Angeline Teresa and Carmelite John Soreth. Can you guess why?

The common denominator for all of the saints is their love for Christ in their own history and own experiences. Today we look for heroes in Batman, Superman, Spider man, Wonder-woman etc. Why not turn to real people, who lived real lives, and had real powers to conquer evil with good? The saints are more than willing to be our friends and heroes and role models. I’m proud to have so many as I need their help on my journey to love God and meet them personally one day in heaven.

Thoughts About Saints

by Sr. Luke Mary, O.Carm.

People quite often ask me who my favorite saint is. I usually answer them that my faith is rooted through the evangelization of St. Thomas the Apostle in India. I lay claim to that as a follower of Thomas who doubted and yet verified for us and proclaimed that Jesus is alive and real by saying “My Lord and My God”. Since Jesus is real and alive I have communion with the Holy Trinity and Holy Family. Perhaps St. Thomas stamped that great faith in me. I believe that all Saints are holy people who followed Jesus in eternity.

At one point in my life, I saw Jesus as a judge and I was really afraid of Him. Ever since I realized that Jesus is a loving, merciful and compassionate God, and an honest and trustworthy friend, I go to Him directly without any mediation. He always waits for me with wide open arms to accept me as who I am without any restriction. When I am in trouble or in distress, like a child, I jump in His arms and sit in His lap with comforting hands around me, like a mother protecting her child. Also, Mother Mary is a great mother like my 

own mother, always protecting, loving, caring and never giving up on me.  St. Joseph protected Jesus and Mary and (he is the best protector of me too) I never could find a best protector than him. The best protection I can have is from the Holy Trinity and the Holy Family.

Whenever I asked for help or put my trust in the Holy Trinity or Holy Family they always came to my aid and saved me and answered my prayer one way or another. So I do really believe, “ask and you shall receive, knock and it will be opened to you, seek and you shall find” with my life experiences. At times, I turn away from them but they never turn their faces away from me. Instead they become closer to me.

Don’t get me wrong.  I love all the saints and they lived their life according to God’s Will. They all are good to me in their own way of life and their lives inspire me to follow Jesus faithfully. They all follow Jesus in their own unique ways and in their simple lives. I may not be able to imitate the way they did things but I am sure I will be able to do things with my own God given talents, in simple and humble ways. God gave everyone unique talents and He is asking us to use those simple talents to follow Him.  We do not have to search for our talent. He already equipped us with whatever we need to follow Him. He is the Father who will guide us and we only need the willingness to follow Him. Rest He will guide us in His care. Peace!

My Favorite Saint

by Sr. Hope Therese

I am very devoted to the Little Flower, St. Therese, and her “little way.”  It started when I was a very little girl who identified with “the little saint.”  When I was about four and started learning about the saints I asked my mother if there were any saints that were little like me.  My mom introduced me to St. Therese.  She wasn’t necessarily short, but she had a little way and that was good enough for me.  This nun in the brown habit holding roses became for me what super models and actors were for other little girls.  I had never seen anyone more beautiful and I wanted to be just like her!  I would go around the house singing songs I made up about her.  I read many books and stories about her growing up.  As I grew older and learned more about her I identified with her and her little way more and more.  I must admit that I did not read The Story of a Soul in its entirety until I was a postulant.  It is still the best spiritual book I have ever read!  St. Therese’s simple little way is accessible to anyone.  St. Therese was born in Normandy, France on January 2, 1873.  She entered the Carmel at of Lisieux in 1889.  Fifteen was a very young age to enter a convent even back then!  She lived her ordinary life, as a cloistered Carmelite nun, with extraordinary love and confidence.  She believed that doing little things with great love could earn great graces.  However, doing great or brilliant deeds without love counted as nothing.  She had such great trust and confidence in God and his will that she saw everything in her life as a grace.  She knew how to use the annoyances of everyday life to her soul’s advantage.  A sister making noise in chapel with her rosary, or getting splashed by another sister in the laundry room became little things she could offer up to Jesus.  She was able to see the noise as a beautiful concert and the water as holy water that would sanctify her.  Toward the end of her life St. Therese had a dark night of the soul where she even despaired of the existence of Heaven.  Yet, her extraordinary love and confidence sustained her until the end.  She died September 30, 1897 of tuberculosis at the tender age of 24.  I am very blessed to have found a saint that I identify with spiritually and personally.  She is my best friend, confidante, ideal, and idol.  The only one I admire more is the Blessed Virgin Mary, who Therese saw as more mother than queen.  It was a dream come true beyond my imaginings to be received as novice on her feast day!  For me it was an affirmation of her love, protection, guidance, and inspiration in my life.  Humility and selfless love do not always come easy to me, but I know because of my devotion to St. Therese she will help me.  I consider her a kindred spirit and sister.  It is one of my biggest disappointments that we cannot meet in this life but meeting her in the next will truly be heaven for me!