Reflecting on the Saints

After a good number weeks of a large number of saints and/or topics to chose  to write about, this week, this week, the selection is smaller: Oct. 28th, Sts. Simon and Jude , Apostles Nov. 1st, All Saints Nov. 2nd, All Souls Of these, I’m choosing to write about the celebrations of All Saints (Nov 1st) and All Souls (Nov 2nd) . What makes a Saint ?   In the Christian sense, a Saint is a member of the Church, hence baptized and in good standing before both God and the Christian Community (the Church). To non-Catholics this definition would naturally seem rather “parrochial” – What about Gandhi ?  What about Martin Luther King, Jr ?  What about Elie Weisal ?  What about the nice Muslim grandma on our block who, ever dressed in her hijab, would always bring us a lovely plate of baklavas at the end of her family’s celebration of Ramadan? Pretty much every religious tradition faces similar issues.  As we learn to try to live together – and between nuclear...

Of the Saints remembered on the General and Servite Calendars this week: Oct. 22nd -- St John Paul II, Pope Oct.  23rd -- St John of Capistrano, Priest Oct. 24th -- St Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop Oct. 25th – Bl. John Angelo Porro, OSM, Priest   Since two parishes down from us here in the Diocese of Orange, CA (and in the same deanery) we have a parish dedicated to St. Anthony Claret (and previously when I was stationed in Chicago again “two parishes up from us” was a parish staffed by the Claretians ), I  have chosen to write my reflection about him this week. The future St Anthony Claret was born on Dec. 23, 1807, in the town of Sallent in the Catalan speaking Barcelona Province of Spain , the fifth of eleven children to Juan and Josefa Claret.  His father was a maker of wool, he himself became a weaver prior to discerning a call to priesthood and religious life. After being ordained in 1835, he proved to be a successful preacher / missionary throughout the Ca...

  Of the many saints and feasts days remembered this week: Oct. 14th -- Saint Callistus I , Pope and Martyr Oct. 15th -- Saint Teresa of Jesus , Virgin and Doctor of the Church Oct. 16th -- Saint Hedwig, Religious;  Oct. 16th -- Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque , Virgin Oct. 17th -- Saint Ignatius of Antioch , Bishop and Martyr Oct. 18th -- Saint Luke , Evangelist Oct. 19th -- Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues , Priests and Companions, Martyrs I’ve chosen to devote my reflection on St. Teresa of Jesus (aka St. Teresa of Avila ). Now St. Theresa of Avila (b. 1515 - d. 1582) has truly been a beloved saint in the Catholic Church.  Cloistered nun though she was, she’s been remembered as a powerful, hugely respected reformer within her Carmelite religious order, and beyond, especially within women’s religious communities of her time.  She was a prolific writer for her time.  Her works including Interior Castle , The Way of Perfection as well as her Autobiogr...