A Gaggle of Saints

The inimitable Minnesota Mom tagged me for this meme:

1. First saint you “met?”

That would be St. Augustine.
Compliments of my friend, Jack. Thanks, Jack.

2. Favorite Saint(s)?

St. Mary Magdelene, my confirmation saint.
Our Blessed Mother.
St. Joseph.
St. Teresa of Avila.
St. Therese, for her gifts of roses.
St. John of the Cross.
St. Francis de Sales.
St. Jane de Chantal.
St. Bonaventure.
St. Francis of Assisi.
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.
St. Cecilia.
St. Catherine of Siena.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux.
Shall I stop?
No ... one more ... Papa John Paul the Great.

And, one more: Our Lady Who Unties Knots. Thanks to Genevieve Kineke for introducing me to her several years ago. My first article for Canticle magazine had somehow gotten separated from my name and contact info. Genevieve (the editor at the time) was down to the wire, and threw up a last minute prayer to Our Lady Who Unties Knots, to identify the writer of the piece, which was scheduled to run very soon. Our Lady Who Unties Knots must have nudged me at the precise moment needed, because I happened to email Genevieve just then, to inquire about the status of the piece. My name was reunited with the article, and it ran in the next issue.

3. Patron saint for the year?

Thank you for reminding me that we have to get back to this!

4. Favorite book by a saint?

Augustine's Confessions, though I have not, in all honesty read all of it.

And, eventually, I'll be able to say, "Everything JPII wrote."

5. Saint book you are reading now?

John Paul II's Book of Saints

6. Favorite movie of a saint?

The Passion of the Christ.

7. Favorite Autobiography/Biography of a saint?

The usual suspects: Confessions, Story of a Soul, Intro to the Devout Life and also, Fr. Thomas DuBay's Fire Within.

8. Favorite novel/book of a saint?

Novels? Hmmm. Novels. I don't know. I'm blank. I'll get back to you.

9. Saint (besides your favorites) you'd want to meet?

Well, of course I'd want to meet my favorites. With my luck, though, I'll get to heaven and get stuck in the room with all the lesser known and duller saints. (I'm kidding, I'm kidding!)

10. Saint you look to for help?

All my favorites, of course, for my many and varied weaknesses.

The duller ones for humility. ;-)

11.Favorite saint quote?

"You have made us for Yourself and our hearts are restless til they rest in You."
~~ St. Augustine

And, of course:

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you!

You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all.

You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed you fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you.

I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.

~~ Confessions

Does it get better than that?

Also, from Augustine, the pithy, "Wake up, O man! For your sake God became man!"

Also reportedly by St. Augustine, but I can't find a source, other than my dear friend, Jack:

"Let good friends be present, when poverty crushes us, or bodily pain tortures us, or we are far apart from those love ... When the world begins to fall apart, let good friends be there, friends who will not only dance at our parties, but weep at our wakes. May we have dear friends who will heal with soothing words. If we have such friends, then surely life's hard edges will be softened, and its burdens made light."

12. Favorite Holy Card?

All my favorites, of course. And I love anything with an image of the Holy Family, or of Madonna and Child.

13. Favorite story of a saint?

Too many to list!

But, I do love the story that Margaret also mentioned, about Teresa of Avila, who questioned God's wisdom during a trial and reportedly received the reply, "You are my friend. this is how I treat all of my friends." To which Teresa quipped (wouldn't you love to quip with the Lord?), "If this is how you treat your friends, it is not surprising that you have so few of them!"

14. If you could go anywhere on a pilgrimage to a saint's homeland, where would it be?

Again, the usual suspects: Lisieux, Fatima, Lourdes and Assisi. Maybe Poland, for my beloved Papa JPII?

15. Any Blesseds or Venerables that you would like to become canonized?

Papa, of course. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.

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We'll be very busy for the next couple of days and posting will be slight. Go Google for quotes from your favorite saints. It's a treasure trove out there!