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November 17, 2021"Share a saint story"
One of my favorite parts of my Catholic faith is the guidance and intercession of the saints. Saints are a beautiful facet of the faith because they were exactly like us. Jesus took on our humanity, but without our sin, while saints share our brokenness, yet were holy and steadfast in faith despite their imperfections. They are role models and reminders that we are capable and called to take up our crosses and follow Him in our humanity, just as we are. As we grow in holiness, we grow in kinship and even friendship with the saints, which, in turn, leads us ever closer to Christ.
At least partially by necessity, Saint Anthony is my all-time favorite saint. He is known as the “finder of lost things” and I am constantly losing my belongings, and then knocking on his door, asking for help. At five years old, I lost one of my Crocs (my favorite shoes, both then and now), and tore up my garage and bedroom trying to find it. My mom taught me the rhyming prayer imploring Saint Anthony’s intercession (“Saint Anthony, Saint Anthony, please come around, something is lost and must be found”), and lo and behold, my missing Croc was immediately found--hiding in plain sight, right in my shoe cubby! I remember sitting on the floor, clutching my shoe, baffled that it had been found somewhere I’d already scoured. I knew even then that I must have had some divine assistance in my search.
Flash forward to a few years ago, when I went to a football game at a neighboring high school. All night, I had been wandering around the bleachers catching up with friends. Towards the end of the game, I reached into my pocket and realized that my car keys had fallen out at some point. Trying not to panic, I found a spot to sit down, close my eyes and pray, begging for Saint Anthony’s intercession. Immediately, an image of my keys resting under the bleachers flashed before my eyes. I walked to the rail of the bleachers and looked down. About fifteen feet below me, my keys were hidden under the bleachers, having fallen all the way from the rail of the bleachers to the track. If I hadn’t been standing in that exact spot, I wouldn’t have been able to see them. I drove home with a big smile on my face, so grateful and in awe of Saint Anthony’s aid. Stories like these are proof to me that I am being watched over and remind me—as the saints are meant to do--that I am deeply cared for by my Savior.
One of my other favorite saints is actually technically a Blessed: Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. He was a lover of adventure, had a deep devotion to the rosary, and dedicated constant time and money to serve the poor in his community.
I stumbled into Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati sort of by accident. After high school, I took a gap year and moved to Nashville for a few months. For the Fourth of July, I drove to see a friend from home who was visiting a city a few hours from Nashville. After seeing my friend, I drove to my hotel, which was downtown, and (as I learned) in a very dangerous part of the city. As I walked the three blocks from the parking garage to my hotel, late at night, I felt deeply unsettled and concerned for my safety. I finally got to my room, but still couldn't shake my unease. When I reached into my duffle bag to grab the UVA shirt that I had packed as a pajama shirt, I instead found the Blessed Pier Giorgio t-shirt I had bought impulsively at a conference, though I didn’t know much about him. I took this as a sign to ask for his intercession. After a little bit of prayer and petition, I felt a surge of strength and was able to fall asleep peacefully. I woke up feeling certain that he had protected me. I vowed to learn about and call upon him more frequently. After I returned home, I Googled him, and the first thing I learned about him was his feast day: July 4. Since then, Blessed Frassati has assisted me in many areas of my life, including my desire to get involved in homeless ministry, and my decision to pursue the adventure of attending UVA.
I have many more personal stories about the impact that the saints have had on my life, but I will leave you, simply, with this: God gave us the saints to further remind us how ardently we are loved and adored by Him. I implore you to find creative ways to call upon the saints in your daily life. Saint Teresa of Avila loved fashion, so I often ask her to help me pick out my outfits in the morning. Blessed Frassati loved snow, so when it snows, I wear my Frassati socks. St. Cecilia is the patron of music (and my Confirmation saint), so I pray my Saint Cecilia chaplet every time I sing. The saints show us how to live holy lives and help us to keep Christ at the center of all that we do, by constantly guiding us closer to Him. May they help us take up our crosses and stay close to Jesus!
My name is Kat Hammock. I’m a second-year from San Diego, majoring in Music and American Studies. Some fun facts about me: I celebrate Christmas in some capacity on the 25th of every month, it’s on my bucket list to visit every US state (I’ve been to 29 so far), and I’m the youngest of 5 kids. Some members of my “Saint squad” include Saint Anthony, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Saint Anne, Saint Cecilia, Blessed Carlo Acutis, Saint Teresa of Avila, and Saint Archangel Raphael. My favorite way to pray is through novenas, but I’m also a sucker for the rosary!
