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Journey of an Unknown Soul
LIVES OF THE SAINTS
Lindsey Larson
"The story of each saint is also, to some extent, a story about God." - Prof B
In studying and understanding the lives of the Saints, I find myself continually in awe of their remarkable stories. My own life is merely a little story of a child of God, amidst the grand stories of the great Saints. In discovering the soul of St. Therese of Lisieux, I found myself in an abyss of love and littleness that continually leads me into a deeper yearning for Christ. St. Teresa of Avila in her pursuit for prayer found Christ at the core of her own heart, giving her readers a glimpse into themselves to find the Divine present within. The Christian message is continually communicated by the lives of the Saints, as they live the gospel and are icons of Christ's gift of self to humanity.
A couple of months ago, I was in Austria pondering God's incredible generous love in guiding the journey's of my life. St. Padre Pio said, "Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love and the future to His divine providence." In the past three and half years, Christ has blown me away with His wondrous deeds in my life. Unbelievably calling me to live in community, write a book, discern religious life, live as a lay-missionary for the Catholic Church for a year, create music, move to Steubenville, spread the gospel in Jamaica, write endless pages of poetry, fall in love, study in Austria, serve the homeless, counsel friends, open my home to prayer meetings and all the while being continually pursued by His loving heart - as He writes the story of my life, day by day, page by page... All of these good works are only in and through Him. As I pondered His guiding love with a dear friend said, "When we try to write our own story, the timing is all wrong. Things just don't work. But when we allow God to write our story everything plays out so perfectly. Look at His divine providence..." I couldn't help but be in awe of this comment and value it as such great wisdom. We must surrender our lives to His hand, which always writes our stories in light of our good and His glory. Then our lives will be full and free, with light and love!
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta has written many books. Three years ago I found myself engulfed in the pages of No Greater Love. She shares pieces of her life, coupled with scripture, wisdom, thoughts, quotations, prayers, and the love of Christ. This book would forever change my life and as I began to read it again, one month ago, I found that sweet Teresa's life reflects the crucified Christ burning with love for His children. So much so that after reading her pages of love, I find myself a beggar before the altar praying for mercy, that my life too may reflect His total gift of self. Her life was in imitation of His gift of self, poverty, and humility. She loved fearlessly and her eyes did not tell her own story, but only that of Christ - the light burning from them.
St. Therese of Lisieux shares her life as a path of littleness to the throne of grace. As I read her simple pursuit for holiness, I found myself drawn to simplicity before the altar. Her heart disregarded the world and found itself running after the purest form of love. She pondered the great Saints, then compared them to herself, and begged that she may be a little one among them. In this littleness, she is an icon of Christ's humility and self giving love.
St. Teresa of Avila writes her life on pages of brutal honesty! Her pursuit for radical prayer, raw holiness and her own blunt spunk - have captivated her readers for hundreds of years. St. Teresa looks into her own heart to find many dwellings but at the very core of this castle is Christ! Christ dwells in the heart of every baptized believer and waits to be known! Her pursuit to find this inner most dwelling is a reflection of God's fidelity and love. As she reveals that God yearns for union with each and every person, she not only tells her own story of union with God - but she also tells the story of our ever waiting Lord.
As the Saints share their lives, they communicate Christ to us! Their stories are not merely personal stories of adventure and persecution, but they reflect Christ's own life, death, and resurrection. The lives of the Saints are icons of Christ, as they lead us to meditate on Christ and draw our eyes to the heavens. In learning about the Saints, we find Christ with them, in them and around them. The Saint's lives give us courage to live in a world that is trying to write its own story. They give us light to follow the path of truth and wisdom to see Him in one another. It is the Saints who show us how we also must reflect Christ's face to the world and makes ourselves chalices overflowing with His love.
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