By Sister Teresa Christine, O.C.D.
As a convert to the Catholic Church, I did not grow up knowing much about the Saints; it was a new world for me when I entered the Catholic Church in my early 20s. I kept hearing about all these ladies… Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Fatima… I laugh at myself now, remembering how new it all was. But as I grew in my Catholic faith, I loved learning about the Saints. Their lives were full of courage and miracles, but also full of struggle – they were more relatable than I expected. The more you get to know them, the more you see that they really are like us; just ordinary people who responded to God’s grace in their lives in an extraordinary way.
Often, the Saints that we’re drawn to come into our lives uninvited. In other words, they choose us, rather than the other way around. The first time I read St. Therese’s autobiography, Story of A Soul, I didn’t like her. She just seemed so perfect, and I just couldn’t relate. But during a particularly difficult period of my life, St. Therese made her presence known to me as a friend. It was as if she put her arm around me and took me under her wing. During that time, she and I became close friends. Our relationships with the Saints are much deeper than just reading their words and appreciating the lessons they teach. It can be more personal than that, and much more real:
St. Augustine led me to believe in the Eucharist and to long for a deeper conversion, and ultimately to enter the Catholic Church.
St. Teresa of Calcutta helped me long for a life of service, and I quit my job at an investment company.
St. Edith Stein gave me courage when I was the only one in my family converting to Catholicism.
St. Teresa of Avila loves to teach us how to pray; just ask her, and she will teach you. Her friendship ultimately led me to Carmel.
I love to ask people why they love the Saints that they do, because often there’s a story of how that Saint made an impact in their life.
CS Lewis observed, “How monotonously alike all the great tyrants and conquerors have been: how gloriously different are the saints.” You can’t find two Saints who were the same, because each soul is created to be a unique image of God in the world. The story of evil is boring; it repeats itself over and over. There’s nothing creative about evil. But the Saints let us see the incredible, unending creativity of God. They show us what is possible when we give God permission to turn our lives upside down.
The Saints are the cloud of witnesses that cheer us on as we journey toward heaven, no matter where our lives have been, or what challenges we face right now. The Saints are our big brothers and sisters, who have already finished the race. They aren’t far away from us, but close by our sides, waiting to help us every step of the way.
