Jesus, Mary, Saints

Today is the feast day of Saint John of the Cross. Here’s the English translation of one of Saint John of the Cross’s most famous pieces, The Dark Night.

I’ve been reading a book by Jim Martin, SJ, called My Life with the Saints (Loyola Press, 2006). Growing up I always thought of the saints as superhuman (not unlike Wonder Woman or Superman) … people with an extra dose of holiness who were able to do amazing things. I never really thought of them as ordinary people. Over the years I learned otherwise and have come to appreciate the saints for who they really are.

Congratulations, Sisters of Providence! On October 15, 2006, Mother Theodore Guerin, foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, was canonized.

Today is the feast day of Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). Teresa is a Doctor of the Church, a major Catholic reformer (particularly in the Carmelite order), a mystic and writer. She is also one of the patron saints of the IHM Congregation.

Sister Sara Salkahazi, a Sister of Social Service, was killed in 1944 for sheltering Jewish people during World War II. On September 17, 2006, she was beatified (a step on the way to being canonized as a saint) during a Mass held outside St. Stephen Basilica in Budapest, Hungary.beatification, saints and feasts, sara salkahazi