Marble statues, stained-glass windows, silver medals, laminated holy cards–the saints are memorialized in a myriad of ways. But the greatest way to remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who have been recognized by the Church for their heroic virtue?
Tell their story.
And not only tell their story as something in the past, but continuing in the present. In our present. Their lives are entwined with our own.
The saints are still alive, more real than ever.
The stories in this book are not just chronicles of historical figures from the past but friends very much involved in our present. Each writer shares about a particular saint and how that saint has shown up in their life in marvelous ways.
Read how:
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St. Elizabeth of the Trinity was caught hiding in a retreat center
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St. Thorlak helped an overwhelmed mother embrace the challenges of autism
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St. Anthony led to the discovery of something far more valuable than what was lost
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Mother Teresa inspired a couple’s adoption journey
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Venerable Patrick Peyton’s intercession liberated a working mom to live out her primary vocation
…and much, much more.
Let this cloud of witnesses–both the writers and their heavenly friends–inspire you to keep running your own race and to remember that you are never–never–alone.
About the Authors
From the Foreword
Who then are these mysterious friends that we call saints? The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a saint as “the ‘holy one’ who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life.” (CCC 898) The saints then are those men and women who, despite their sinfulness, brokenness and fears, choose to put all their faith and hope in God and to live only for him. Some of the saints lived very long lives, while others died young.
Some of the saints were highly intelligent, while others couldn’t even read. Some of the saints were quite busy, proclaiming Christ and serving him in various apostolic endeavors, while others lived in solitude, never traveled and barely spoke to anyone. Despite these external differences the saints all have one thing in common: A burning love for Jesus Christ and the desire to live only for him. If we truly desire to live as God intends, and hopefully we all do, how can we not love and admire these men and women who have so courageously and generously loved God without limits?
Despite what some may believe, honoring the saints and developing a friendship with them is not a hindrance or an obstacle to our relationship with Christ. For it is these dear friends of ours who, through their own life and example, reveal to us more deeply the mystery and beauty of Jesus Christ and show us how to follow him despite our own human limitations. Thus, the saints reveal themselves to us as trustworthy guides and teachers, and those whose friendship we would be wise to cultivate.
