My Sisters the Saints

1. Saints as Spiritual Companions: Finding Guidance in Unexpected Places

"I had learned that the very saints I once considered irrelevant to my search could prove indispensable guides."

Unexpected mentors. The author discovers that saints, once dismissed as irrelevant, become powerful spiritual guides in her life. These holy men and women, though long deceased, offer relevant wisdom and inspiration for modern challenges.

Personal connections. She forms deep bonds with saints like Teresa of Ávila, Thérèse of Lisieux, and Edith Stein, finding in their lives and writings answers to her own struggles with faith, identity, and purpose. These saints become spiritual friends, offering comfort and guidance through their examples of faith lived out in diverse circumstances.

Practical application. The author learns to seek out the writings and life stories of saints, applying their wisdom to her own circumstances. This practice transforms her spiritual life, providing new perspectives on everything from career choices to dealing with infertility and family illness.

2. The Power of Trust: Navigating Life's Challenges with Faith

"God is God, and I am not."

Surrendering control. The author grapples with the challenge of trusting God completely, especially when facing difficult circumstances like infertility and her father's Alzheimer's disease. She learns that true faith means relinquishing the illusion of control and embracing God's will, even when it's unclear or painful.

Growth through uncertainty. Through her struggles, the author discovers that periods of uncertainty and waiting can be powerful opportunities for spiritual growth. She learns to find peace in trusting God's plan, even when it differs from her own desires or expectations.

Practical trust. The author develops practical ways to cultivate trust in daily life:

• Daily prayer and scripture reading
• Seeking guidance from spiritual mentors and saints
• Offering up daily struggles and joys to God
• Focusing on gratitude rather than anxiety about the future

3. Redefining Motherhood: Embracing Spiritual Maternity

"If motherhood is more about what's in your heart than what's in your womb, I needed to stop waiting for a baby to use my maternal gifts."

Beyond biology. The author explores the concept of spiritual motherhood, realizing that maternal love and nurturing can be expressed in many ways beyond biological childbearing. This insight helps her find meaning and purpose during her struggle with infertility.

Diverse expressions. She discovers examples of spiritual motherhood in various forms:

• Caring for her father with Alzheimer's
• Mentoring and nurturing others through her writing and speaking
• Supporting friends and family members in need

Personal growth. Embracing spiritual motherhood leads to personal growth and a deeper understanding of her feminine identity. The author learns to value her nurturing instincts and apply them in diverse areas of life, finding fulfillment beyond traditional motherhood.

4. Suffering as a Path to Growth: Lessons from Mother Teresa's Darkness

"The waiting is the cross."

Hidden struggles. The author explores Mother Teresa's long period of spiritual darkness, discovering that even great saints experience profound suffering and doubt. This revelation helps her find meaning in her own periods of spiritual dryness and uncertainty.

Perseverance in faith. Mother Teresa's example teaches the importance of continuing to serve God and others even when one feels no consolation or spiritual comfort. The author learns to value faithfulness over feelings in her spiritual life.

Transformative power of suffering. Through Mother Teresa's writings and her own experiences, the author comes to see suffering as a potential path to spiritual growth and deeper union with God. Key insights include:

• Suffering can increase empathy and compassion for others
• Periods of darkness can lead to greater spiritual maturity
• Embracing suffering with love can be a powerful form of prayer and service

5. The Dignity of the Vulnerable: Alzheimer's and the Value of Human Life

"Dad's joy was noticed by everyone he met, from his hairdresser, whom he serenaded with Irish songs, to the aides at the adult day-care center that he started attending a few years after we returned from Ireland."

Inherent dignity. Through her father's journey with Alzheimer's, the author discovers the inherent dignity and value of every human life, regardless of cognitive ability or outward productivity. She learns to see beauty and worth in vulnerability and dependence.

Transformative care. Caring for her father becomes a profound spiritual experience for the author, teaching her:

• Patience and selfless love
• The value of presence over productivity
• How to find joy in small moments and gestures

Broader implications. The author's experience with her father leads her to a deeper commitment to defending the dignity of all vulnerable people, including:

• The unborn
• The elderly
• Those with disabilities
• The terminally ill

6. Balancing Career and Family: Discerning God's Will in Life Choices

"I had come to recognize his view of reality as more lucid than my own."

Challenging assumptions. The author grapples with societal expectations and personal ambitions as she navigates career choices and the desire for family. She learns to question cultural assumptions about success and fulfillment.

Discernment process. Through prayer, reflection, and seeking guidance, the author develops a process for discerning God's will in major life decisions:

• Prioritizing time for prayer and spiritual reading
• Seeking counsel from trusted mentors and spiritual directors
• Paying attention to inner peace and consolation
• Being open to unexpected paths and opportunities

Integration of faith and work. The author discovers ways to integrate her faith with her professional life, finding purpose and meaning in her work as a writer and speaker. She learns to see her career as a vocation and a means of serving God and others.

7. Mary's Role in Christian Life: Understanding Marian Devotion

"Mary's preservation from the curse of original sin did not erase her humanity or her need for redemption. She simply received that redemption, as the Second Vatican Council fathers put it, 'in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her son.'"

Biblical foundations. The author explores the biblical basis for Marian devotion, discovering Mary's significance in both the Old and New Testaments. She comes to see Mary as a central figure in salvation history, not just a peripheral character.

Theological insights. Key Marian doctrines are explained and their relevance explored:

• The Immaculate Conception
• Mary's perpetual virginity
• The Assumption

Practical devotion. The author develops a personal relationship with Mary, learning to:

• Pray the rosary and other Marian prayers
• Seek Mary's intercession in times of need
• Imitate Mary's virtues in daily life

8. Redemptive Suffering: Finding Meaning in Life's Trials

"God still allows evil in the world as the price of our freedom. Yet through his suffering, Christ transformed our trials into a means of grace, a way that we can participate in his redemptive work on earth while awaiting eternal life with him in heaven."

Theological foundation. The author explores the Catholic understanding of redemptive suffering, learning how personal trials can be united with Christ's sacrifice for the good of others and one's own spiritual growth.

Practical application. She discovers ways to embrace this concept in daily life:

• Offering up small inconveniences and frustrations
• Finding meaning in larger trials like infertility and family illness
• Cultivating a spirit of sacrifice and self-gift

Transformative perspective. This understanding of suffering transforms the author's outlook on life's challenges, helping her to:

• Find peace in difficult circumstances
• Grow in compassion for others who suffer
• Deepen her relationship with Christ through shared suffering

9. Natural Family Planning: Embracing Church Teaching on Fertility

"I knew that the church's refusal to sanction fertility treatments that sever the link between sex and baby making testified to a similar truth: that children are not commodities to be produced but gifts to be received."

Ethical considerations. The author grapples with the challenges of infertility while adhering to Catholic teaching on reproductive ethics. She explores the Church's reasoning behind its stance on artificial reproductive technologies.

Practical challenges. The journey involves:

• Learning and implementing Natural Family Planning methods
• Navigating the medical world while maintaining ethical boundaries
• Dealing with societal pressure and misunderstanding

Personal growth. Through this process, the author experiences:

• Deeper appreciation for the gift of fertility and human life
• Growth in trust and reliance on God's providence
• Strengthened marital bond through shared sacrifice and communication

10. The Journey of Faith: From Doubt to Trust in God's Plan

"I felt as if God were sending me a reminder, perhaps at my father's request, that just as swiftly and lavishly as he had brought stunning beauty to the shores of this place so devastated by a natural disaster, he could bring beauty out of my devastation, too."

Embracing uncertainty. The author's faith journey involves learning to embrace periods of doubt and uncertainty as opportunities for growth. She discovers that questioning and wrestling with faith can lead to deeper conviction.

Transformative experiences. Key moments in her faith journey include:

• Encounters with saints through their writings
• Caring for her father through Alzheimer's
• Navigating infertility and pregnancy loss
• Unexpected moments of grace and answered prayer

Ongoing process. The author comes to see faith as a lifelong journey of growth and discovery, characterized by:

• Continuous learning and seeking
• Openness to God's surprises and unexpected paths
• Willingness to be transformed by life's challenges and joys

Last updated: August 7, 2024