April 23, 2008

The Saints Show us the Way

Devotion to the saints is a great help to our spiritual life. St. John Vianney, the Cure d'Ars, would read about the saints every day and encouraged every one to do the same. His simple catechetical teachings and sermons at Mass were peppered with examples from the lives of the saints. The saints were real people just like you and me. The saints come from every country, every era, every background and every walk of life. These are the guys who did it right.

You describe a profession or a particular struggle and there is a saint who fits the description. The saints are like a living echo of the Gospel throughout the ages of history. We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses (Heb. 12). The friars read about (and ask the intercession of) all of the Capuchin Franciscan saints as a means to soaking up our charism. These brothers and sisters who went before us serve as guiding lights along our way. They instruct and inspire us to follow Jesus more faithfully. They pray for us from the other side, cheering us on as we strive to run the race of faith.

Let us pray for the grace to love like the saints,

Fr. Luke Mary Fletcher, CFR
St. Joseph Friary, New York, NY