Exemplary and admirable, the saints can serve as some of our dearest friends. After all, they were people just as human and equally susceptible to every human frailty we know all too well. Beginning in differing times of their lives but in similar heroic fashion, they persisted and prevailed in the pursuance of God’s love and adherence to His will among the variances of individual talents, personalities, situations and stations. While we have hundreds of saintly ‘giants’ that most are familiar with, there are still the countless saints who soar below the normal radar and then we have the completely obscure. I find it providentially fascinating how we develop devotions to some of these saints and routinely seek the aid of a specific heavenly helper while journeying toward our own celestial reward. We may pick out those who shared our state in life; those who are patrons for specific instances we encounter; those who mastered virtues we desire to cultivate; those to whom we are a namesake. More than likely we will shuffle up some of our favorites and even adopt new ones as circumstances in our lives ebb and flow, abruptly come and completely go. And all of this is a truly good thing. God loves for us to seek out His saints as resources in attaining Him. He has something to offer through each.

But have you ever had a particular saint seek you out?

Somewhere along this pilgrimage through life, I began noticing a pattern in my personal familiarities and favorites with the saints. I find inspiration and enlightenment through multiple sainted lives, quotes and teachings. They are beacons of Our Lord, guiding and encouraging all who look their way. Yet I slowly pieced together that there seemed to be one in particular reaching out to me vs me reaching out to this particular saint. I realized that while delving in and out of various spiritual devotions or readings, this saint’s quotes occasionally pop up and directly pierce my soul. No matter the quote it resonates deeply, makes perfect sense and feels better than the best hand tailored glove. This saint finds me in all aspects of my life, seems to take my hand and seems to whisper, “Let’s do this together.” Quietly, calmly but powerfully (…. of course! for that was this saint’s way on earth!) This saint wasn’t a daughter, nurse, wife or mother. In fact, this saint isn’t even a woman. I lovingly give you: St. Francis de Sales.

In tribute to him on his feast, which is commemorated Jan 24 or today depending on the calendar, I wanted to share the following article with you. The author marvelously showcases St. Francis de Sales and shares my love and appreciation for this peaceful pillar of sanctity

The Beauty of a Listening Soul – by Denise Trull*

I’ll certainly continue utilizing the entire arsenal of heavenly aid, but I’ll be doing it while holding the hand of this gentle saint. He’s been reaching out for quite a while; I must need him more than I thought.

*I am not affiliated with this site or author.