Whenever discussing my friendship with St. Dymphna, I always make sure to start by saying that she chose me. I honestly don't even remember how I first heard her name, but it was during my middle/high school years, when my anxiety disorder was at its peak; I'm taking daily panic attacks. I came across her story and was amazed by the similarities she and I shared. Dymphna was an Irish princess during the 7th century. After her Christian mother's death, her Pagan father slipped into a grief-fueled insanity. He demanded Dymphna marry him and convert to Paganism. She refused, and fled to Belgium. He eventually found her, and after denying his requests one last time, she was beheaded by her father. Dymphna was fifteen. She is the patron saint of mental and nervous illness. How crazy is it that the patroness of anxiety (which I am struggling with) was fifteen (just like me) when she was martyred, and just so happened to be a bajillion percent Irish (just like me)? You can't make this stuff up. I felt as if I had found a twin and role model. The level of courage and peace that Dymphna exercised at such a young age shook me; If she could stand strong in the face of fear, then so could I. I truly believe God sent her to me as a friend and comforter. During my panic attacks, a simple prayer to her would ease my worry. That's not to say I was cured, but her presence made a visible and positive change in my life. The day I connected everything and realized God had sent me a friend was one of the most beautiful days of my life.
St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta
"Suffering is a sign that you have come so close to him that he can kiss you."
Mother Teresa is another holy woman with which I closely related to. I have always been a compassionate soul, probably due to my sensitive, empathetic nature. I mean, I cry every time I see roadkill (which is a lot) or any time dinner looks especially delicious. That being said, I'm also an incredibly tough, stubborn person. The best way to keep me from doing something is to order me to do it, even if I had planned to do it previously. Que Mama T. Mother Teresa's trademark themes are love, compassion, kindness, humility, and sacrifice. Love and kindness are two qualities that I relate to quite closely; Like I said, I'm a bowl of mush. But Mother Teresa's definition of love is far beyond emotions. Instead, she speaks of love as serving others. In Mother Teresa's world, love is not a feeling, but an action. This distinction changed my life. When I read the words of Mama T, her call to everyday kindness and compassion resonate deep in my soul. Humility and sacrifice, however, are a bit harder for me. And by a bit, I mean a lot. Pre Mama T, Kate thought she was pretty humble. Post Mama T Kate doesn't even know what humility is. Just take a look through the Litany of Humility and you'll know what I mean. Growing up I always had an underlying feeling of invisibility. I struggled with the desire to be noticed (but not too noticed cause that's terrifying lol.) Feeling ignored and misunderstood were not uncommon for me. As I became more familiar with Mother Teresa's message, I came to realize that even the desire to be understood, though a very human emotion (and not necessarily bad), could quickly become prideful. It was then that I realized Kate was definitely not a regular member on the humble bus. I find it amazing how I can feel validated by many of Mother Teresa's words, and simultaneously be challenged by them as well. I could go on forever about the beauty of her attitude and work. She inspires me so much, I chose her as my confirmation saint while she was still a blessed, and last year on her canonization day I cried tears of joy.
St. Augustine
"In my deepest wound I saw your glory, and it astounded me."
I was exposed to the story of St Augustine at a young age, having graduated from a school named after him. I remember my 7th grade history teacher telling us about how Augustine stole pears from a tree not because he was hungry, but simply because he liked stealing. (He also imitated in a whiny, high pitched voice the famous 'Tolle Lege' song that Augustine famously overheard. But that's less applicable here.) Now that I'm older, I realize just how miraculous St Augustine's conversion story is; He was more than just a bad boy. St. Augustine was deep in sin, and by the grace channeled through his mother's prayers, he became one of the biggest assets to Heaven. Knowing that anyone--even those who seem to be too far gone--can experience Christ's mercy and grace is extremely encouraging for me. Also, Augustine is the perfect blend of Romantic and Intellectual; most everything he says is spot on, and beautifully expressed.
St. Edith Stein
"The world doesn't need what women have. The world needs what women are."
As a young woman who is firm in her conviction both as a Catholic and a feminist, Edith Stein's words on womanhood really strike a chord with me. St. Edith perfectly describes the female soul, and how desperate the world is for its proper presence; She is a Jewish convert to Catholicism, living in World War II Poland, so as you can imagine, she was witness to many atrocities. If anyone knew, it was her! I think this especially rings true in today's age, with so many questioning the true meaning of gender. In my opinion,St. Edith perfectly captures the kind of feminist I hope to be; she maintains the truth behind the gentleness of womanhood, while simultaneously casting it in a heroic light. The idea of strength in vulnerability is one that I've seen proven over and over again in my own life. I'm so thankful for her writings on women because of their endless impact on me as a young catholic woman! When I read and reflect upon her writings, I feel as though women can save the culture, and therefore the world.
St. Pope John Paul II
"You are a heartbeat of God."
One of the most disappointing moments of my life was when I realized I would never get to experience Pope JP II's brilliance and love in person. I truly believe he is a trailblazer for the young, modern Catholic, and therefore a tremendous influence in my life. His ability to spread wisdom and truth is phenomenal, but his ability to get people to listen is even more impressive. I remember hearing about Theology of the Body in middle school and thinking "Wow, that sounds so dumb. We get it, sex is bad." Then as I came to grow both physically and spiritual, I understood that the real message behinf TOB is not that sex is bad--rather that it is so good. So good it needs to be protected from being abused, and so that no one gets hurt. During a time when teenagers are trying to "find his/herself," JP II's guidance helped me to understand in a healthy way. To this day I'm a huge TOB nerd, even through I'm just getting around to reading it in its entirety. Definitely expect some TOB inspired posts in the future, haha! Bonus points for JP II being a both an adorable old man and a really cool hipster. He was somehow way before his time and yet exactly where he needed to be.
St. Josemaria Escriva
"Diamonds are polished with diamonds, and souls with souls."
If you're looking for a modern, shoot-from-the-hip saint, Josemaria Escriva is your guy. Most everything I've read from him goes a little like this: "Stop making excuses and be better." While I tend to prefer the gentle approach, I really appreciate and admire St. Josemaria Escriva. He's also extremely eloquent. My love for his ministry began last year when I read a compilation of his quotes. I felt so peaceful from how beautifully the words were spoken, yet at the same time I was ready to get cracking because he's so inspiring. I had previously heard about him through the movie that came out a couple years ago (The name is escaping me, something about dragons?) But I didn't come to appreciate him until reading his words.
The Blessed Virgin Mary
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."
The Blessed Mother seems like an obvious and cliche choice, But there is so much more to her than what many people realize. During my college religion classes, Marian Theology was (and still is) always my favorite part. There is so much complexity, beauty, and inspiration to be found in our Blessed Mother. I've learned so much about her this past year, but my favorite thing is probably how close we are to her. Mary is our spiritual mother, and she longs to be close to us, she really does. Mary is such a powerful intercessor with Christ, which is something I deeply underestimated growing up. I once read a quote about how Christ listens to his mother, so we should always go to Mary with our prayers--not as a way of bypassing Christ or simply getting what we want, but because we understand how beautiful Christ's relationship is with his mother. When my mom asks my brother to do something, it gets done double time, because he respects and loves our mom. He wants to please her, and trusts that she has the best intentions in mind. It only makes sense that the same rule would apply to the ultimate, perfect mother/son relationship. Another point of connection I have with Mary is that we are both daughters of God. Yes, I just said Mary is my mother, but she's also my sister; she may have been saved from original sin, unlike myself, but she is still human. She still experienced great joy and great pain. I can go to her for girl talk and know I'm in good hands, and I can trust her advice. I can pour out my heart to a fellow woman of God, who just so happens to be the mother of the Savior. How cool is that?
Who are some of your favorite saints?
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