It’s time to start a new series of ti morceaux. Over the past 9 years I’ve shared many ideas over a wide variety of topics (this is my 233rd ti morceau, if you’re keeping track!). I’ve dealt with the sacraments, and many aspects of the Church’s life, belief and works. You can access them all on our website, at www.cathedralbr.org/lagniappe.php.

But I’ve never spent any time (yet!) in discussing the Saints of the Church. I admit, my personal spi­rit­uality has always been mostly nourished by the Church’s liturgy, for our worship is “the source and summit” of both the Church’s action and of our holiness (see no. 10 of Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). I’m also more inspired by Scripture and writings of the “Fathers of the Church” and other teachers within the history of Catholicism, up to and including the foundational docu­ments of the Church such as its creeds and catechisms. That’s the “student” in me, I guess! But many, many others have found important inspiration and example in those who have “gone before us in the faith.” So maybe spending the next few months at least considering this “great cloud of witnesses” and holy ones will be a good idea.

From its earliest days, the Catholic Church has looked to the saints not just as good examples in ways of religion, but also as actual intercessors between God and humanity. Because of their closeness to the Lord in heaven, they have often been invoked in prayer – not because they themselves replace God but because their prayers are truly pleasing to Him, and thus can obtain great blessings for us. Their closeness to God also, from time to time, focuses our attention on God’s power, which can miraculously work through the mediation of the saints. And of course sainthood is the hoped-for destiny of us all, so in a spiritual sense the saints are already companions to us on our own journey of faith.

So let’s embark upon a look at the saints. We’ll first consider what sainthood is and what it’s not, as well as what proper devotion to them should be. But soon we’ll also begin to consider some of the individual saints themselves. No, we won’t be able to mention every one of them! But I’ll try to pick from not only my favorites but also some of the ones which every good Catholic should know about. Who knows? In the end, too, we may be able to mention a few of the more eccentric ones as well!