Paul Thigpen - A Year With the Saints: Daily Meditations with the Holy Ones of God

DEDICATION

For my grandchildren
Francisco, Sofia, and one on the way
Three little saints in the making

Scripture quotations are from Revised Standard Version of the BibleSecond Catholic Edition (Ignatius Edition) Copyright 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

In some cases the writers argument depends on a significantly different translation, such as the Septuagint or the Vulgate in which case that translation has been retained.

2013 Saint Benedict Press, LLC

All rights reserved. With the exception of short excerpts used in articles and critical reviews, no part of this work may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in any form whatsoever, printed or electronic, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

The excerpt on page 92 was taken from The Writings of St. Katharine Drexel , Archives of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Bensalem, Pa. (www.katharinedrexel.org). Used with permission.

ISBN: 978-1-61890-198-9

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Charlotte, North Carolina

2013

Contents

Introduction

When I entered the Catholic Church twenty years ago, it was as if Jesus had brought me to a magnificent Mansion and said, Welcome home at last, little brother! Let me show you around.

The dining room with his banquet tableI mean, of course, the Eucharistwas by far the most thrilling of the rooms he showed me. But another treasured discovery was the family room, whose walls were lined with ten thousand portraits of the members of my new family: the communion of saints.

Im still making my way through those portraits. And as I do, I have the privilege of speaking to the family members portrayed there and asking for their help, which they are faithful and even eager to give. My heart and mind have become knit together with theirs, and my gratitude for that vast fabric of fellowship is more than I can tell.

When I once told a friend how I talk to the saints, he asked: Do you do all the talking, or do they ever have something to say? It was an insightful question, and it reminded me of a passage in the Book of Hebrews. In the midst of a litany of faithful Old Testament saints, we read there about one of them that he died, but through his faith he is still speaking (Hebrews 11:4).

Through their example of faith and holiness, the saints are indeed still speaking to us today. And when we take time to read and reflect on their words, they can speak to us in ways that will powerfully transform our lives.

We might view this book, then, as a precious trove of personal letters weve received from the saints. They are elder brothers and sisters who have traveled far and reached a distant destination. But they love their younger siblings so intensely that they have written to us about what they have learned in their travels, and they offer us advice about how to follow them on their journey. They want us to join them someday at that glorious destinationwhich is, of course, the eternal home prepared for us by God himself.

Youll find here 365 reflections from the saints, one a day for an entire year. But once you begin reading, youre sure to discover that applying their wisdom to your everyday walk with God will take a lifetime. After all, becoming holy is a kind of art that we learn through imitation. It takes long practice and keen focus, as St. Basil once noted in a letter to his younger brother, St. Gregory of Nyssa:

When artists paint by imitating another artists work, they must constantly look at the model, doing their best to transfer its features to their own work. In the same way, those who seek to perfect themselves in every form of moral excellence must keep their eyes focused on the lives of the saints, as though they were living and moving statues. In this way, they can make the saints virtue their own by imitation.

In short: To become a saint, study the saints. Their wisdom and example will be your guide.

Paul Thigpen
May 31, 2013
Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

How to Use this Book

St. Athanasius, a fourth-century champion of the Catholic faith, once noted: You wont find anyone who is truly striving after spiritual advancement who isnt given to spiritual reading. Such reading should of course include Scripture first of all. But what other kinds of spiritual reading are most profitable?

St. Francis de Sales, one of the greatest spiritual directors the Church has ever known, answered that question this way: He advised that when we choose material for spiritual reading, we should always prefer the authors whose name begins with S. He meant, of course, the saints.

I trust that both St. Athanasius and St. Francis would be pleased with this book. Its purpose is most certainly to assist those who are striving after spiritual advancement, and it offers a multitude of meditations from those whose name begins with S. But if this volume is to achieve its purpose, you must read through the texts slowly, attentively, and prayerfully, with an open mind and heart.

Its best, if you can, to set aside a regular time daily for this spiritual reading, and the book is designed so you can take up one meditation each day for an entire year. The reflections arent tied to particular days of the year, so you can start anywhere you like, and skip around if you like. But the sequence of the readings does reflect in a rather general way the sequence of the four broad divisions of the Catechism of the Catholic Church : the Profession of Faith, the Celebration of the Christian Mystery, Life in Christ, and Christian Prayer. So you might find some advantage in reading them in the order presented.

Before you read each day, I urge you to pray to the Holy Spirit to enlighten you by his grace. Then ask the saint youre reading that day to help you, too. I entreated the saints to assist me in compiling these meditations, and you can ask their assistance as well in understanding and applying what they have to say.

Each reading has a brief introduction. After the reading, youre asked to consider in Gods presence what the saint is saying. These questions are intended to spur you to ponder, not just what the text means, but what it means for you personally .

Finally, each day has a brief closing prayer related to the reading. Most of these prayers are original, but some are drawn from, or echo the words of, traditional Catholic prayers. You may of course choose to pray in your own words instead.

An entire years worth of profound and powerful thoughts from the saints is in your hands. Let them help you answer faithfully our Lords calling to become a saint as well. As you begin, make your own this prayer of St. John Eudes: