Saints Preserve Us

My practice of Christianity is indifferent at best. If Practice Of Christianity were a lab course, I would be just barely passing it. I’m good at memorizing the rules but lazy in observing them. Assuming I escape the flames of eternal torment – which, given my batting average with the commandments, may not be a sure bet – my stay in Purgatory will be a long one.

I like reading about saints. I discovered this in the weeks after Mouse was born, when I got Making Saints by Kenneth Woodward out of the library and couldn’t put it down. To my pleasant surprise, I found the lives of the saints inspirational and calming all at once. I’m not good at prayer, but reading about saints (or even potential saints) helps me concentrate what devotional energies I have. So I was delighted to see this account of a possible miracle in Kansas attributable to the intercession of Fr. Emil Kapaun. Mysteries and wonders rule.

Now if I could only refrain from wishing there were a patron saint of bureaucratic causes or, for that matter, from sin. Oh well.