Kindling the Divine Spark: Learning from the Saints

As I journey on my path I continue realize the importance of the lives and the intercessions of the Saints in the koinonia (communion) of believers. I have become convinced that the Christian life requires the humble acceptance that there are righteous men and women who have lived a holy life that the Church has glorified as Saints (capital S) whom we must imitate. I find it very encouraging that the Church calendar commemorates these very men and women to remind the believers of the path of holiness that we are called to. These are ordinary men and women who probably have met the same difficulties and problems we face everyday. It is true that not all of us will be asked to deny our faith, but the virtuous lives of these Saints have shown us that it is so easy to deny Christ in the midst of tribulations and struggle. If we continue to confess the resurrected Christ by living a holy and virtuous life then I think that we are living a life of a martyr. I believe that everyday as a Christian, our thoughts and deeds really show whether we are renouncing Christ or glorifying Him. As I write in this blog, I want to share my adventure with you of trying to learn together from the lives of the Saints so that we, like the Saints, could present our lives as living doxologies of the sweet aroma of Christ.

Here is what St. Theophan the Recluse says in his letter to the nuns of St. Sophia-Usmansky Convent  regarding the lives of the Saints and how we can kindle within us the holy zeal by imitating our Holy Fathers and Mothers.

"To this exciting contemplation, add also this: renew in your memory, as much as you can, examples of zeal drawn from the lives of the saints. Read "Lives of Saints" and collect in your memory how people of God tirelessly labored-men and women, not sparing their strength, not even their lives. And then, at every free minute, remember Saint Eudocia, Pelagia, Syncletica, Sarah, Theodora, Euphrosyne the Egyptian, Mary of Egypt, Eupraxia, Febronia, Euphrosyne of Suzdal and Polotsk and others, with all their labors of inward asceticism. Remember them not idly, but add to that memory the indispensable conviction that all of you, too, should be like them, like these venerated virgins. And every such thought will be a segment of help and encouragement for the future relay. As in a race one runner encourages the intensity of another, or as you yourselves work together, one before another, hastening not to lag behind, so also will your thoughts of great labors zealously accepted by holy women ascetics increase your own zeal."

Let us read together the lives of the Saints that we may learn from their example, be encouraged in our spiritual lives and to kindle the divine zeal within us to do every good work to the glory of God the Father. Amen.