Carey Wallace - Stories of the Saints: Bold and Inspiring Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage

Carey Wallace

Illustrated by Nick Thornborrow

h WORKMAN PUBLISHING h

NEW YORK

For my father, the saint

CW

For Lindsey, Amy, and Eric

NT

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Who is a saint?

Saints arent born better or braver than the rest of us. Gregory the Great ran away when the people of Rome elected him bishop. Jean Vianney couldnt do simple schoolwork. Bernadette was too sick to play like other girls.

Saints arent people who are always good and never afraid. Theyre people who believe there must be more to life than just what we can see. This world may be hard and unfair, but saints believe in a God who is bigger than the world, whose law is love, and whose justice is mercy. And this faith gives them courage: to stand up to evil kings, to care for people everyone else forgets or hates, to slay dragons.

This book doesnt contain the stories of all the saints, because there have been thousands and thousands of them, and perhaps many more whose stories no one has ever heard. But these are some of the best-known and best-loved saints of all time. And theyre presented in chronological order, so we can see how the world and lives of faith have changedand how theyve stayed the same.

Are these stories true? That depends on what we mean by true stories. For some saints, like Joan of Arc, we know plenty of history. For others, like Valentine and Christopher, we know little besides their names. Their stories come to us through traditional tales.

But just because we cant be sure a story really happened doesnt mean it isnt true in another way. These stories have been told for generations, some for thousands of years. In this book, theyve been dramatized, but always based on tradition or history. They come from many sources, but they are among the best-loved and most enduring stories in the world because of the deep truths they contain.

They tell us that when people stand up for justice or mercy or love, they may see miracles, but they may find themselves in mortal danger. Or both.

But these stories also tell us that when we take a stand, we are not alone. God, full of love, the power at the heart of the universe, is with us.

And no matter how flawed or frightened we feel, when we let the courage of faith transform us, the whole world can be transformed too.

Its their stubborn hope in something beyond this world that makes saints brave and good. But they dont just point to things the rest of us cant see. Led by their faith, they actually bring the better world to be, and invite us all in.

Polycarp

u 69156 u

Location Smyrna

Emblem book

Patron of earache sufferers

Feast day February 23

h

When Polycarp was just a boy, he met a man named John, who was a friend of Jesus.

When Jesus lived on earth, John had followed him and seen the miracles Jesus did: healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and giving blind people the power to see. John was there when Jesus was killed on a cross by the Romans. And he was there when Jesus rose from the dead and walked the earth again, until he returned to heaven.

Jesuss friends still followed his teachings: to love God, to treat others the way we want to be treated, and to forgive each other. They believed that Jesus was God, who had created the whole world, and that he loved them and heard them when they prayed.

Polycarp decided he wanted to follow Jesus too. When he grew up, John made him bishop, a leader of the Christians who followed Jesus in Smyrna, Polycarps city. Polycarp spent his whole life serving the people of Smyrna, and was known as a wise and kind man.

But the Romans didnt like Jesus, because they had gods of their own. They even believed that their emperor, who was only a man, was a god. Rome was the richest and most powerful empire in the world, and they had been able to make everyone in the world obey them. Except for the Christians. Because they believed in Jesus, and a world beyond this one, they wouldnt bow down to the Roman gods. So the Romans were afraid of them. They passed laws against following Jesus. And when Christians broke those laws, the Romans began to kill them.

When Polycarp was an old man, the rulers of Smyrna began to put on big shows in the city arena, where the people gathered to watch Christians being fed to wild animals.

One day, because they knew Polycarp was the leader of the Christians, the people in the arena began to call for him. Because Christians didnt believe in their pagan gods, the citizens of Smyrna thought Christians were atheists, who didnt believe in any god. Away with the atheists! they shouted. Bring us Polycarp!

Polycarps friends helped him escape and hid him in a farmhouse outside town.

One night, while he was in hiding, he had a vision that his pillow had burst into flames. Im going to be burned alive, he told his friends.

Roman soldiers searched everywhere for him. They captured a pair of boys who lived near the farm, and tortured them until the boys told them where Polycarp was hiding.

I have just one request, Polycarp said when the soldiers arrived to take him. Let me pray for an hour.

While the soldiers waited, Polycarp prayed for everyone hed ever met, whether they were rich or poor, humble or important. And he prayed for followers of Jesus all over the world.

Why are we arresting this old man? the soldiers began to ask one another. What harm has he done?

But when Polycarp was done praying, they took him back to the arena.

As soon as he stepped in, a voice spoke from heaven: Polycarp, be strong.

The proconsul, who was the Roman ruler in Smyrna, didnt want to execute Polycarp, because he was so old. Just swear by Caesar, the proconsul said, and I can let you go.

You must not know who I am, Polycarp told him. I am a Christian.

If you dont change your mind, youll be fed to the beasts, the proconsul said.

I wont change my mind from good to bad, Polycarp told him. Ive served Jesus for eighty-six years, and he has never harmed me. How can I say a word against my king, who rescued me?

Youll be burned by fire, the proconsul tried.

Not like the fires of hell, Polycarp answered.

Just agree with the people, the proconsul begged. Say, Away with the atheists.

Polycarp looked out at all the people who were calling for his death.

Away with the atheists, he said, pointing at them.

The proconsul ordered that Polycarp be burned alive. Polycarp praised God for his goodness, and then stepped up to the stake.

But when the flames rose around Polycarp, something strange happened. Instead of burning him, they billowed away from him like sails. And instead of burning, Polycarps body glowed like gold in a furnace.

Because the fire didnt burn him, a soldier stabbed him to death.

But as Polycarp breathed his last, a dove flew out of his wound, and so much of his blood flowed down that it snuffed out all the flames.

PerpeTUa and FeLIcity

u circa 181203 u

Location Carthage

Patrons of mothers, expectant women, butchers

Feast day March 7

h

Perpetua was a rich young wife in Carthage, who had just given birth to a son.