Note: the video originally posted to introduce this discussion has been removed from public view, is now marked “private”.
Comment:
This year, for reasons beyond our control, we missed out on marking the Feast of All Saints (1st November) so, better late than never, here we go…
Tell us the name of your favourite saint (imagine you are forced to choose just one) and explain why. In what way does that particular saint help your spiritual and religious life.
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Comments (26)
My own favourite saint has always been St Therese of Lisieux – I took her as my Confirmation saint. For those who have not read her beautiful autobiography (“The Story of a Soul”) I recommend it wholeheartedly. There are plenty of nuggets of wisdom therein – here’s one which demonstrates why she is so popular with so many people myself included: she makes holiness seem attainable by doing the simplest things for the love of God. Personally, I’m proving to be a slow learner, but her writings encourage weak souls to at least make some effort and so I plan to do that… soon 😀
https://carmelourladysdovecote.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/st-th-quote22.jpg
Do I have to pick just one? 😢
Yes Margaret! 🙂
But if not, as well as St. Mungo, I’d choose St Thomas Aquinas, St Catherine of Sienna, St Stephen, St Joseph, St Rose of Lima, St Alphonsus de Ligouri, St Andrew, St Patrick, St Columba, St Peter Damian, St Francis Xavier, St Albert, St Philomena, St Catherine Laboure, St Bernadette.
Margaret,
Your choice should be easy – St Margaret of Scotland! Reason: you have lots of friends in Scotland since signing up with Catholic Truth!
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/07/c0/3f/07c03f2c6a3868cc79e1095fb6df81e1.jpg
(I hope you don’t think of us as that great sorrow!)
Difficult to choose just one, but I think I will say St Mary Magdalen, with St Peter coming a close second!
When it comes to these questions, I don’t even consider Our Lady and The Apostles as they are way way beyond using comparatives or superlatives.
Here is a question for you, now that this thread has stirred my mind.
Because of Assisi etc, I am naturally concerned about some of the things Pope, now Saint, John Paul II did. This Pope did many many worthy things, but some things obviously questionable.
Question: Many traditional Catholics I know do not consider him to be a Saint, but does the Church not guarantee infallibility in canonising Saints?
Summa,
We had a number of blog discussions on the fast track canonisations, including that of Pope John Paul II – I’ve copied one for you here, and if you want to read the others, let me know and I’ll do a fast-track check to find the links for you!
At the heart of the matter is the fact that Pope John Paul II changed the process which guaranteed the infallibility. He removed a key player in the process, the Devil’s Advocate, which means that candidates are accepted more or less on a popular vote, without anyone testing the claim of sanctity.
Thus, you will never head ME say “Saint JP II” – because, I’m waiting for sanctity to return at which time all of these rushed canonisations without due process, will be tested, I firmly believe, against the traditional method and only those who pass those high standards will remain on the calendar of saints.
I can say with absolute certainty that Pope John Paul II will not be among them.
Elizabeth,
Since you don’t say whythose are your chosen favourites, I’m not sure whether to presume (1) a very dark past or (2) an ambition to become the first female pope! For the record, that’s MY secret dream, so step aside!
Editor, yes I realised afterwards that I had not given a reason, you see just like St Peter, rushing at things as usual!
I chose St Mary Magdalen because of her great love of our Lord which just underlined how very attractive a person He must have been. To have stood at the foot of the cross and then been the first to go to the tomb showed such love and courage. Also when I was doing my MA I chose her as the subject of my thesis: Mary ‘Magdalen, model for the modern woman, so I read a lot about her in the process.
St Peter too was such a very human saint, full of enthusiasm and making lots of mistakes along the way. A great role model and comforter for those who often don’t think things through properly!
Well, that’s easy: St Mungo.
It’s my Dominican Tertiary name 🙂
Summa,
I didn’t realise you were a Dominican Tertiary! My wife and I are too!
Unsurprisingly, my favourite Saint is St Dominic. I chose him as my Confirmation patron. What really stands out for me is his propagation of the Holy Rosary and his insistence that it is THE weapon to combat heresy.
My Dominican name is Martin, after St Martin de Porres, another great Saint. His humility is what attracts me to him. He’s a great Saint.
To ensure that I don’t come across as a male chauvinist, my favourite female Saint is Catherine of Siena. As well as being a dedicated tertiary, caring for the sick, she also had a real sense of her baptismal and Confirmation duty to speak out.
Likewise, I didn’t realise you were a Dominican, Br Martin, God bless you. 🙂
Summa,
“That’s easy – St Mungo… Dominican tertiary name”
Not to mention the patron saint of Glasgow!
Incidentally, you are sometimes typing your email address wrongly by one digit, which is why some of your comments are going into moderation – the system presumes you are a new blogger – then appearing minus your avatar. I thought you would want to know that but even if you don’t, well… now you know!
Oops, mea culpa. 🙂
Sorry, editor, just done it again. 🙂
Naughty, Summa! I’ve now amended and released it – as you can see!
Sorry Ed, I’m not trying to wind you up. Honest! 😉
St. Joan of Arc for her militant heroism and bravery in defense of the King and the Faith.
Others include St. Therese, St. Peter, St. John Vianney, St. John Bosch, St. Dominic Savio, St. Maria Goretti and I could go on forever!
DOTF,
I’ve just visited your blog and “liked” the sermon you posted there. I copied this from the conclusion:
“If you would enjoy [the saints’] society in heaven, you must live as they lived on earth. To live as those lived who are in hell, and yet to hope to go, after this life, where they are whom we venerate as Saints, is senseless. Live as the Saints lived, and you will go to heaven as they did. Walk in their footsteps. No one ever obtained life everlasting without the true faith. No one was saved by faith alone. The Saints labored and suffered for heaven. You too must labor and suffer; heaven is worth it.”
It’s also important to recall that on the Feast of All Saints were are remembering, not just the canonised saints, but the uncanonised saints, and this can bring great comfort. We should always pray for deceased family members, relatives and friends as though they are in Purgatory, to aid their release, but it is comforting to know that they might well be among those saints in Heaven whom we venerate on All Saints day.
St. Michael the Archangel….who, I’m convinced, used to write my old newsletter (it was dedicated to him).
The most powerful of all the saints is St. Joseph. “Ite ad Joseph” (go to Joseph), says the Church in her wisdom, and I know personally how correct that wise advice is. This great saint never fails to answer petitions, and he is also master of the interior life and patron of a happy death.
I note that my baptismal saint, St. Martin de Porres, has been mentioned already by a couple of Dominican tertiaries on the blog. He is indeed a great saint, very worthy of our devotion. But St. Joseph is my middle name (my other patron), who has answered so many of my prayers. I cannot see past him as number one.
Athanasius,
Hang on there. Did St Joseph promise to spend his Heaven showering roses from Heaven? Thought not. MY favourite saint did just that
Not to denigrate St Joseph, of course… he has his place. But it’s clearly not in any rose garden 😀
Editor
St. Joseph showers lilies from heaven, I’m sure even St. Therese would defer to his superiority. Even so, I will take whatever celestial blooms come my way, regardless!!
Athanasius,
I think even St Dominic would defer to St Joseph!
Typical, you men always stick together – Athanasius, Petrus, St Dominic, St Joseph…
Sigh….
St Maria Goretti is a great favourite of mine – her statue has her holding lilies and the story is that she appeared to her attacker after her death, handing him a lily. She fought him off rather than give in to his demands, and she preserved her purity. In these times of great impurity, she is a very good model for young people.
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