Which Saint Protects You?

In the world of social media, we hear about a YouTube video or Facebook post gone “viral.” One caught my attention:  Which Saint Did You Get?  A reader completes an online survey to learn which saint is their protector. I marveled at how often this post was shared and then to learn about the different saints protecting my friends. Saint Anthony, patron saint of lost articles, is my protector – my hero. 

Several summers ago, my sister-in-law came for a visit with her two young nephews ages five and eight years old. They had a rough start in life with little to no religious upbringing. The little five-year old was curious about the religious statues and pictures of Jesus, Mary, and the saints in my home. One day into the visit, he came running and crying that he had lost his treasured matchbox car. “Let’s send up a pray to St. Anthony to help find your car,” I said. I took the little boy’s hands in mine and prayed:

St. Anthony, St. Anthony
Please come down
Something is lost
And can't be found

Dear St. Anthony, I pray

Bring it back without delay.

“This isn’t magic,” I explained; “We have to have hope and faith.” As he went off to play, I quickly added a postscript to the prayer! “Please St. Anthony I need you now more than ever. Please help us find this toy? It would go a long way to show this boy that God exists and hears our prayers.” Soon after starting my search, I found it!  Trust me; given where the toy was wedged, without St. Anthony’s help, it would have stayed lost. I cannot begin to describe the joy on the boy’s face when I opened his hand and placed the car in his palm. This little boy became attached to my hip wanting to know more about Jesus and the saints. I sent him home with prayer cards, rosary beads, saint storybooks and all sorts of religious articles you receive in the mail. Though I haven’t seen this little boy since, I am certain that the seeds of faith were planted that day. Maybe one day he will be dunked in the waters of baptism. He’s got St. Anthony protecting him!

In every human heart God has planted a hunger, a longing for Him (CCC 27). This yearning prompts us to seek God. We are hotwired to search for God!  People are spiritually seeking scanning the horizon for what might be. Fr. Robert Barron tells us to capture the hearts of people we need to:  “Lead with the beautiful.”  Seekers will come, and they will stay if we lead with the beautiful. We “lead with the beautiful” by telling stories of God’s work in our own lives. People are looking for something that connects with their everyday life — stories of answered prayer, how God helped through a difficult situation, or how God sent a “sign” affirming you. When we tell those stories in natural, easy ways, people will remember them. Your story is tucked away in a person’s memory giving them the time to process who Jesus is, what he’s done and the difference he makes. Once we share our story, we can relax because we trust that the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of those hearing the message.

In less than two weeks, the Church will celebrate the feast of All Saints Day. This feast give us an opportunity to recall the great saints of the Church like St. Monica, St. Francis, and St. Jude. It’s also a time to remember our own saints, friends, and family members who have gone before us, who never made the headlines. They lived quiet, holy lives in our neighborhoods and parishes blessing us with their kindness and generosity. Now, we can go to them and ask for their intercession and help, because death cannot separate us from Christ or from one another (Romans 8:38).

May I share one more story…… A woman inquired about the RCIA. She let me know that her husband died a year ago. Though her husband was raised Catholic, he didn’t practice his faith during their marriage. When he was near death, he asked to be reconciled with the Church. A priest came to his bedside, heard his confession, and visited him until the time of his death. After coming back to the Church, her husband’s anxiety left him and was replaced with a sense of peace. Now that he was gone, she felt terribly lonely and sad. A letter arrived on All Saints Day. Inside was a note signed by all the 6th grade students at St. Michael School explaining that during the month of November they would be praying everyday for her husband (and all parishioners who died this past year). She cried tears of gratitude for God’s providential love. It was then that she decided to seek initiation into the Church. A week before the Easter Vigil, she visited this 6^th grade class and shared her story with them. 

Lead with the beautiful!

 

 

Journaling Questions

 

Recall an experience from your life in which you sought a saint’s intercession.  What effect did it have on you? What were your feelings, concerns, questions, and delights?  If you were to tell this story, what would you say?

Remember the saints you have known personally?  How did they inspire you?

How do the saints help you to know God better?