The Testimony of the Saints
The Faithful Example
We have looked at a variety of faithful people in the Bible, and now we turn our attention towards the faithful witnesses who have gone before us in this age of the church, led by the Holy Spirit.
I have found much richness in the writings of the saints, especially during times when I felt distant from God. It was helpful to remember that there are so many who have gone before us who have been faithful to Christ despite many great hardships, including martyrdom. My thought process was that if they could cling to Jesus in the most difficult times in their life, then I could follow their example. I have found this to be true.
Pointing to Jesus
We can praise God that the lives of the faithful (of which there are many) who walked in righteousness can continue to have an impact on us today. Their lives are a testament to the redemptive power of Jesus.
Christ continues to love and heal his church; he never gives up on his people, despite the stains of sin that blemish church history. The saints are the edifying expression of the healing and restoration Jesus offers us.
Walking with the Saints
For the remainder of these days leading up to Holy Week, I would like to present the writings from a number of saints for our reflection. My hope is that the words they wrote will continue to guide us in our pursuit of holiness.
We’ll start tomorrow with a familiar saint that I think most people would recognize—Saint Augustine of Hippo.
Preparing Our Hearts
Saint Therese of Liseux (we’ll get to her later on) aptly wrote, “How good the Lord is in having matured my soul.”1 We can pray for this maturing in our souls as well.
Saint Therese of Liseux, Story of a Soul, chap IX, p 196