Tomorrow is All Saints Day, as I am sure you know. Brings to mind the question, “Who is your favorite saint?”
Most of us I suspect will name one of the canonized saints. For me for many years during my childhood, I held St. Thomas More and St. Dominic as my favorites. Cannot really tell you why, but for some reason, I favored them. I took Dominic as my confirmation name. I think my mother must have talked to me a lot about these two saints, although I don’t specifically recall. After a while, St. Robert Bellarmine became a favorite, again for reasons I do not recall. I guess the point is that saints were important to my childhood. I wonder if they remain important in the faith life of children today.
As an adult, my favorites are Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul I (Papa Luciani). I know John Paul I isn’t a canonized saint, but I believe him to be enjoying the Beatific Vision at this moment, and that would qualify him as a saint.
I revere Mother Teresa because she saw Jesus in the faces of everyone. She was a real contemplative in an very active ministry. She is a fabulous example of diaconal service without having been deacon. She is also special to me because I was able to see her face to face twice in my life.
I pray to Papa Luciani because he too, though Pope, was grounded in humble service. His motto was Humilitas. I strongly suspect he also is dear to me because I saw him several times, face to face, during the months of August and September in 1978. I truly hope to be at St. Peter’s when he is canonized.
Then there are those extremely dear to my heart who I pray are in heaven. These include my grandmother Mabel, my grandmother Helen, and my sister and father. If my grandmothers are not in heaven, then I have a lot to worry about, especially my grandmother Helen, who suffered terribly during her short life.
I would be remiss if I didn’t include as a favorite our Blessed Mother Mary. Talk about humble service! She is the example par excellence.
Who is your favorite saint, and why?
My favorite saints are Theresa of Avila and John of the Cross because of their help in with Catholic spiritual direction. I also love John Paul ll.
St Teresa, St. John of the Cross, and John Paul II are so great in so many ways. Can be difficult to understand at times their writings!
Thanks for posting the comment, Michelle.
St. Adelaide
St. Thomas More
just back from meeting in Corpus Christi, mass at the Cathedral there, visited the San Jose Mission in San Antonio, interesting to see regional differences