All Saints All Stars

We've been up to our ears in saints around here lately.  Last week, Jacob participated in the schools traditional third grade All Saints prayer service.  Each child chose a saint.  They dressed up as their saint of choice, then read a little blurb about that saint's life and patronage.  It was interesting and the kids were adorable.  Yesterday was actually All Saints, of course, and the homily was fittingly about how fortunate we are to have this tradition.  So, I thought I would pay a little tribute to my All Saints All Stars - the team on whose intercession I rely and who provide for me a composite image of what my Christian life could and should be.

 

St. Monica

St. Monica was St. Augustine's mother.  And St. Augustine is known for being spectacularly bad before he was spectacularly good.  While Augustine was tramping around having a high time, Monica was following him around and praying for his conversion.  She eventually prevailed and Augustine became one of the greatest thinkers in the history of Christianity.  Our faith is richer because of him, and we owe much of that to St. Monica in my opinion.  St. Monica had great faith in both God and her son.  Her faith is a reminder to me that I must remain constant as a mother - a reminder that I might have to tell my children umpteen times to stop and THINK about the consequences of their actions before they actually hear me.  And I ask her to pray for me almost every single day.  She would probably be sick of hearing from me if she weren't such a saint.

 

St. Therese

OK, I know almost everyone loves St. Therese - but it's for good reason!  Her Little Way teaches us all that any life can be holy.  Plus, look how she influenced Blessed Teresa of Calcutta!  When I was very young, I used to sing songs from a children's hymnal called "Hi God!"  They were cheesy, childish, feel-good songs from the 70s.  My favorite was "Bloom Where You're Planted."  St. Therese's life was definitely about blooming where you are planted.  There is dignity, love, and even salvation to be found in the hundreds of small, selfless acts that we can all incorporate in our pedestrian lives. 

 

St. Frances Cabrini

Mother Cabrini is an absolute inspiration to me.  She gave new meaning to resourcefulness and a can-do attitude.  She is a saint who Gets Things Done (yes, with capital letters!) and she's my go-to for those moments when I wonder "How am I going to do this?"  I firmly credit her for getting me through sticky situations ranging from a complicated report at work to constructing a St. Nicholas costume at home.  Whenever I feel overwhelmed, I ask for help from the woman who arrived in the US with six nuns and went on to establish many schools, orphanages, and hospitals.  She must have felt overwhelmed every day of her life.

 

So, who is on your All Saints All Stars team?  Even if not a saint, who inspires you with their life or ideas?