While still in college I delved deeper into the beautiful but somewhat flaky Catholic tendency to run and hide behind patron saints. Don’t get me wrong, I am as big a supporter as anyone of asking the saints to intercede, especially in particular situations that are related to their lives or ministries on earth. I rarely lose something without sending up a quick prayer to St. Anthony, and I began many a baseball game by asking for St. Sebastian to watch out for me. Even more frequent in my life now, in addition to calling upon the Holy Spirit, is asking for the intercession of St. John Chrysostom and St. Luke before preaching. But one common type of devotion that always amused me was having certain saints to call upon when it was time to take a test. The last refuge of the struggling student,
it seems, is prayer.

St. Joseph of Cupertino and St. John Vianney were frequently invoked when a seminarian was about to bomb a test. I know I wanted them in my corner when I hadn’t had time to sufficiently prepare, primarily because their lives stand as
a witness to the fact that while intellectual formation is indispensable, there is more to the vocation of the priesthood than just getting good grades. They struggled academically throughout their entire formation, but their deep holiness and trust in God brought them through so that they could be ministers of God’s mercy, even
in the face of their academic struggles and insufficiency.

St. Joseph of Cupertino and St. John Vianney were frequently invoked when a seminarian was about to bomb a test. I know I wanted them in my corner when I hadn’t had time to sufficiently prepare, primarily because their lives stand as
a witness to the fact that while intellectual formation is indispensable, there is more to the vocation of the priesthood than just getting good grades. They struggled academically throughout their entire formation, but their deep holiness and trust in God brought them through so that they could be ministers of God’s mercy, even
in the face of their academic struggles and insufficiency.
 
St. Paul speaks to this in today’s second reading when he tells one of the fledgling church communities that lofty rhetoric and turn of phrase are not responsible for their belief in Christ, but rather it is Paul’s imitation of Jesus that has brought them to faith. “When I came to you, brothers and sisters, proclaiming the mystery of God, I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” Immersion in the mysteries of Jesus Christ is more important for living the life of a disciple than the ability to speak eloquently or debate ferociously.

We can’t throw away the teachings or intellectual tradition of the Church any more than we can deny our history. But these things must be practiced within the context of prayer and imitating Christ if we are going to spread the faith and allow it to flower in our own lives. True holiness is attractive. People who have met the saints of our day like Mother Teresa and John Paul II speak about how radically present they were to individuals. Even if they had a thousand other things to do that day, if you were speaking to one of them, they gave their entire focus to you and made you feel like the beloved child of God you are. When people see this holiness and imitation of Christ, they want it for themselves. If we resolve, as St. Paul did, to truly know Christ crucified, then we too can become witnesses to the power of Christ in our lives. As we draw closer to the season of Lent, this is a good time to reflect on what we need to do in order to know and love the crucified Lord.
Committing to doing so will not only bring us closer to God, but it may draw others along with us as well.

Prayers always,
Fr. McC