My parents instilled in us the habit of expressing thanks for all spiritual and temporal gifts that we receive. Grace, blessings, and help with everyday jobs are all cause for a grateful heart. It dawned on me that I don’t have a problem expressing gratitude for gifts or help from others. The issue arises when I forget to ask for assistance, especially with daily, mundane tasks. A shared workload goes a long way toward completing a task quickly and joyfully. Working with the Lord yields a bountiful harvest.
The lives of the saints provide a source of hope for facing and enduring the trials in our lives. The saints remind us of the importance of working together—both with God and with others—to help build the kingdom of God on earth. So why don’t I turn to the Saints for intercessory assistance numerous times a day? No doubt, this healthy habit can and should be frequently practiced.
How hard is it to call upon one or more sister or brother saints throughout the day? It is totally a matter of petitioning them. Here are some of my go-to saintly assistants. They happen to represent either my birth or Confirmation names or those of my family members or causes close to my heart.
We can never go wrong when we ask for the aid of our Mother Mary.
In need of patience as a wife and mother and praying for the conversion of loved ones…call on St. Monica.
St. Anthony of Padua usually will come around to help find lost items and missing persons.
Turn to St. Thomas Aquinas to support students, teachers, and Catholic education.
We are all familiar with St. Michael the Archangel who not only defends us in our spiritual battles but is a great patron for police and soldiers.
St. Barbara watches over miners and architects.
St. Anne, grandmother to our Lord, pray for all grandmothers.
The next time your postman delivers mail on time and brings good news, say a quick thank you to St. Gabriel the Archangel.
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, noted patron saint of nurses and bakers.
For help watching over our youth and students, turn to St. John Bosco.
In gratitude for better living through chemistry, offer a high five to St. James the Less, patron of pharmacists.
For the blessing of our hard-working fathers, thank St. Joseph for his example.
St. Dymphna can assist us in prayers for all those dealing with anxiety and mental health issues.
Blessed Fulton Sheen, pray for us!
What saint feast day falls on your birthday? He or she can be a great assistant for you. St. Blaise, patron saint of throat ailments, is my birthday saint.
Forgive me if the following are obvious reminders, but I thought it also appropriate to list some Catholic Church teachings about Saints in honor of this weekend’s celebration:
Saints are alive in Christ. The Church teaches that death does not separate believers from Christ, and the saints in heaven remain part of the Church.
Saints can intercede for us. Catholics ask saints to pray for them, much as one might ask a friend to pray for them. Worship is given to God alone; saints are honored, not worshiped.
The "Communion of Saints." The Church teaches a spiritual unity among believers on earth, the souls being purified, and the saints in heaven. All are connected as one Body of Christ.
Saints are examples of holiness. They are held up as models of faith, charity, courage, and obedience to God.
Canonization does not make someone a saint. Rather, it is the Church's formal recognition that the person is already in heaven and may be publicly honored by the faithful.
To satisfy my own curiosity, I looked up the following:
The top names by numbers of Catholic female saints: Mary (number one by a wide majority), Catherine (or Katherine), Teresa (or Thérèse), Elizabeth, Agnes, Anne (or Anna)
For our male saints, the top five names: John, Joseph, Peter, Paul, Thomas.
Loving Jesus, I give you thanks for men and women like Saint [ insert favorite saint name ] who give me hope through the trials I face and offer invaluable assistance with my personal journey toward sainthood.
