I love reading books about the saints. The more wicked they were before their conversions the more they interest me. That is why some of my favorite saints are St. Mary Magdalene, St. Paul, and St. Augustine. St. Augustine was really rotten, even when he knew God was calling him, he still held back. St. Paul needed a hard knock on the head before his conversion; it reminded me of my own experience. These saints give me the greatest hope for my own salvation. The wicked ones who were forgiven the most were the ones most passionately in love with the Lord. They became full of zeal. I often ask for the intercession of these sinner-saints. I can relate more to the sinner-saints than the ones who never fell very far.
Suffering-saints are another favorite of mine. Whose heart wouldn't be moved by the intense sufferings of St. Padre Pio? Actually, most saints fall into these two categories. There were a couple of saints who were practically perfect from birth but don't ask me who they are; I've already forgotten their names :)
St.Therese of Lisieux :P She seemed to be perfect , you know prim and proper and rich .
ReplyDeleteWonderful reassuring post(for one such as I).Thank you!
ReplyDeleteMary,
ReplyDeleteI love this- wicked saints :) The saints give me so much hope because most of them were far from being saints while they walked this earth, but attained it after death through there perseverance in their daily lives. It gives something to aspire to.
Thanks and have a Happy and blessed Thanksgiving.
Mary Magdalene is my favorite! Like her, I want to throw myself and Jesus feet and thank him for loving a sinner like me.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started earning about the various saints as an adult I was floored at how horrid a lot of them were prior to their conversion. It kind of made it a little easier for me to accept that God really does call to even the likes of me, an ex-occultist.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
every time my spiritual director celebrates Mass, he opens with, "welcome to this Table. The table where sinners and saints meet. The table where saints realize they are forgiven sinners and sinners realize they can be saints."
ReplyDeletepeace.
MHB,
ReplyDeleteYour comment expresses perfectly the truth of who and what we are:)
Rachel,
ReplyDeleteIt helps me, too. I was a pretty nasty piece of work before my conversion. People thought I was nice and sweet but there was a lot of interior rot.